Latest news with #Waymo
Axios
7 hours ago
- Automotive
- Axios
Waymo begins testing robotaxis in Houston
Waymo — the company behind self-driving robotaxis in cities like Austin and Los Angeles — is getting the lay of the land in Houston starting this week. Why it matters: Described as a "road trip," Waymo's visit marks its introduction to the Bayou City, signaling another possible rollout of autonomous vehicles for locals. How it works: For now, trained specialists will manually drive around 10 Waymo vehicles to help the company gather data on Houston streets. The intrigue: Although testing is underway, Waymo spokesperson Sandy Karp tells Axios the company has "no plans to share about launching a service in Houston at this time." What they're saying:"Like other visitors to Space City, we can't wait to take in the sights, immerse ourselves in Houston's distinct driving culture, and meet with locals," Karp said in a statement. Zoom out: Waymo began test runs in other cities this year, including Dallas, San Diego, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Nashville and Boston. Along with Houston, San Antonio and Orlando are the latest cities where Waymo recently began testing. Reality check: Several Austin residents have filed complaints against Waymo, citing safety concerns and a "near-miss" since the company began testing there in March 2024. Flashback: That story similarly played out in Houston when GM's now-shuttered Cruise robotaxi experiment proved problematic. Between the lines: Karp says Waymo is committed to working with communities and public officials in the cities it enters, but Mayor John Whitmire's office says they didn't get a heads-up from the company about their plans. "City departments and emergency responders have been briefed on protocols for interacting with autonomous vehicles," Whitmire spokesperson Mary Benton tells Axios. "The mayor will continue to monitor the situation."
TechCrunch
8 hours ago
- Automotive
- TechCrunch
Stellantis pivots to Google's Android as in-car partnership with Amazon ends
Three years ago, Stellantis announced it was pairing up with Amazon to create in-car software that would bring a slew of connected products and services to vehicles by 2024 as part of the automaker's broader plan to generate $22.5 billion annually from software. That never happened. And now, the partnership is 'winding down,' Reuters reported. The article also reported that Amazon staff working on the project had been reassigned or left the company, according to unnamed sources. Stellantis confirmed the Reuters report and told TechCrunch it would be pivoting to an Android-based system. 'Amazon remains a valuable partner for Stellantis, and the companies continue to work together on a range of initiatives,' the automaker said in a statement. For instance, Stellantis will continue to use Amazon Web Services as its preferred cloud provider for vehicle platforms. Stellantis laid out an ambitious plan in December 2021 to have 34 million connected cars on the road by 2030. The pitch was that Stellantis would be setting itself up for a new stream of revenue beyond building and selling vehicles. Stellantis struck partnerships with BMW, Foxconn, Waymo, and Amazon to reach that target. The plan to use in-car software to sell passengers and drivers products and subscriptions involved three components. Techcrunch event Save now through June 4 for TechCrunch Sessions: AI Save $300 on your ticket to TC Sessions: AI—and get 50% off a second. Hear from leaders at OpenAI, Anthropic, Khosla Ventures, and more during a full day of expert insights, hands-on workshops, and high-impact networking. These low-rate deals disappear when the doors open on June 5. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | REGISTER NOW It started with an underlying electrical and software architecture system that Stellantis dubbed STLA Brain. On top of the Brain, Stellantis would add a 'STLA SmartCockpit,' a platform to deliver applications to the driver, such as navigation, voice assistance, an e-commerce marketplace, and payment services, as well as applications that would deliver personalized in-vehicle experiences for the driver and passengers. A third piece involved an automated driving platform called 'AutoDrive,' developed with BMW. Amazon was tapped to help Stellantis with the STLA SmartCockpit, specifically with technology that would adapt to customers' behaviors and interests and then deliver personalized services. Stellantis told TechCrunch it is sticking with its smart cockpit platform. Now, it seems Google's Android-based system, which is used by numerous automakers, is headed to this future software platform.
Globe and Mail
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- Globe and Mail
Can Waymo Really Rule Self-Driving Cars in 2025?
Waymo is now offering 250,000 rides per week, but it's not stopping there. The company is going to more than a dozen cities on "road trips," a precursor to opening commercial operations. In this video, Travis Hoium shows just how quickly the company's operations are scaling. *Stock prices used were end-of-day prices of May 27, 2025. The video was published on May 28, 2025. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More » Should you invest $1,000 in Alphabet right now? Before you buy stock in Alphabet, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Alphabet wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $653,389!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $830,492!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is982% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to171%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 19, 2025 Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Travis Hoium has positions in Alphabet, Lyft, Mobileye Global, and Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Tesla, and Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool recommends Mobileye Global and Volkswagen Ag. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Travis Hoium is an affiliate of The Motley Fool and may be compensated for promoting its services. If you choose to subscribe through their link they will earn some extra money that supports their channel. Their opinions remain their own and are unaffected by The Motley Fool.
Axios
11 hours ago
- Automotive
- Axios
Why robots need fences
AI-driven creatures — whether they're autonomous vehicles, delivery bots or humanoid robots — aren't ready to be unleashed freely into the wild. That's why robotaxis today only operate in certain neighborhoods and humanoids are being tested inside factory cages where they can't hurt anyone. Why it matters: Unlike chatbots, which can learn to talk simply by scraping information from the internet, AI robots are expected to move fluidly through unstructured environments, communicate with people, manipulate things and make reasoned decisions. That's a far bigger challenge that requires tons more training data and real-world experience. The big picture: Tesla CEO Elon Musk is among the most bullish about how generative AI will reshape autonomy and robotics. He envisions 1 million driverless Teslas by the end of 2026 and 1 million Optimus humanoids doing useful work by the end of the decade. Tesla is working on a generalized solution for self-driving cars: Instead of coding step-by-step instructions for every street in every city based on high-definition maps, it's using AI to teach cars how to drive virtually anywhere. The approach, dubbed AV 2.0, is seen by many as a more efficient — and less expensive — way to develop self-driving vehicles. Yes, but: It all depends on whether there's sufficient training data available. While Musk once scoffed at competitors like Waymo for operating in geofenced areas, he now acknowledges that Tesla's own robotaxi service, coming soon, will need limits. "When we deploy the cars in Austin, we are actually going to play not to the entire Austin region, but only the parts of Austin that we consider to be the safest. So we will geofence it," he told CNBC last week. "So it's not going to take intersections, unless we are highly confident it's going to do well with that intersection or it'll just take a route around that intersection," he said. Eventually, says Musk, Tesla will be smart enough to begin scaling to other cities more rapidly. "These things happen slowly but then all at once," he told CNBC. The same is true for humanoids. Manufacturers are already experimenting with robots that look like humans to sort widgets, lift boxes, or carry parts. But until it's safe for them to interact with human workers, those experiments must occur inside cages, explains Melonee Wise, chief product officer at Agility Robotics, maker of a humanoid robot called Digit. The bottom line: Whether it's a million robotaxis, or a million human bots, they need time — and fences — to learn.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Billionaire Investor Bill Ackman Just Went All In on This Stock. Should You Follow Suit?
Billionaire investor Bill Ackman made Uber his largest holding in Q1. Uber has been showing solid growth and generating strong free cash flow. However, questions remain about the company's future with the advent of robotaxis. 10 stocks we like better than Uber Technologies › Billionaire investor Bill Ackman made a splash in the first quarter when he took a new position in ride-share company Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER), making it his largest holding in the process. The position is now worth about $2.2 billion and represents about 18.5% of his portfolio. A value investor who runs a concentrated portfolio, Ackman generally takes a long-term approach. He has explored replicating the Warren Buffett-Berkshire Hathaway model through an acquisition of real estate company Howard Hughes, although his overtures have thus far been rejected. Ackman has called Uber "one of the best-managed and highest quality businesses in the world," and the company has done a great job becoming a profitable and strong free cash flow-generating machine. This is something that many thought was unlikely several years ago. Both the company's mobility (ride-share) and delivery (home to UberEats) segments are seeing solid growth. Last quarter, the number of trips it provided climbed 18%, while its revenue increased 14% to $11.5 billion. Mobility revenue was up 15% to $6.5 billion, while segment EBITDA rose 19% to $1.8 billion. Delivery revenue grew 18% to $3.8 billion and segment EBITDA increased 45% to $763 million. The company is still expanding into new markets, particularly ones with less population density, and plans to launch in hundreds of new cities this year. It also benefited from insurance-cost increases moderating this year, and it implemented safety technology innovations and lobbied for policy initiatives to help reduce insurance costs. In addition, its delivery business is growing in the grocery and retail segments, despite intense competition. While Uber enjoyed strong operational performance, the stock is not without some questions. With the rise of robotaxis, investors have wondered where the company ultimately fits in over the long term. Since companies like Tesla and Alphabet's Waymo own the autonomous driving technology, there is the potential to cut Uber out of the market. Tesla is making plans to use its vehicles as part of a ride-sharing fleet that would include company vehicles as well as the option for Tesla owners to rent out their cars. Waymo has already created its own ride-share app, and Alphabet could one day integrate the platform into its popular Google Maps and Android smartphone operating system. However, Uber has carloads of data around operating a ride-share network with variable supply and demand, pricing, and routes, as well as a large customer base, giving it an advantage. Currently, Uber and Waymo have a partnership in which Uber customers can be matched with Waymo vehicles in a few cities. In Austin and Atlanta, Waymo will operate its fleet of robotaxis, while Uber is responsible for all the customer-facing parts of the transactions, including payments and customer support, as well as fleet management, including cleaning, charging, and repairs. Alphabet will handle any roadside assistance. Thus far, Uber has said it's very encouraged with what it is seeing with Waymo in Austin. It said the average Waymo vehicle in Austin is busier than 99% of its Austin drivers based on the number of trips per day. One important thing to note is that all of Ackman's Uber buys came in early January. With the stock up around 45% year to date, as of this writing, the stock has been on a nice run since he took his position. As such, investors interested in the stock today are not getting in at the same price and valuation as Ackman. The stock currently trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 24.5 times based on analysts' estimates for 2025. That's not a bargain bin price, but given Uber's growth, it's also not expensive. The question remains, though -- where will Uber be in 10 years? Robotaxis are not the future, they are here. Waymo recently said that it is providing more than 250,000 paid robotaxi rides a week. Its business is ramping up incredibly quickly, and users are embracing the technology. While Uber currently has a relationship with Waymo, the economics of the deal are not public, and whether this is how future deals will be structured is also unknown. I think the company can still play an important role in the ride-share and delivery markets, but with so many uncertainties, it is not a stock I'm rushing to buy at current levels. Before you buy stock in Uber Technologies, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Uber Technologies wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $639,271!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $804,688!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 957% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 167% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 19, 2025 Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Geoffrey Seiler has positions in Alphabet. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Berkshire Hathaway, Howard Hughes, Tesla, and Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Billionaire Investor Bill Ackman Just Went All In on This Stock. Should You Follow Suit? was originally published by The Motley Fool
