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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tesla reportedly targets June 12 robotaxi service launch as testing gets started in Austin
Austinites may soon be able to hop in a Tesla robotaxi, as Elon Musk's electric vehicle maker targets a possible June 12 launch and has already started testing its driverless Model Y vehicles in the city. Musk posted on his social media site X on Thursday, saying Tesla has already started testing self-driving Model Y cars in Austin over the past several days. The company previously promised a June start date for testing. Musk announced initial plans to bring a paid raid-hailing service, powered by Tesla's robotaxis, to Austin this year. That date appears to be sooner rather than later, as Bloomberg reported that the Austin-based automaker is prepping for a June 12 robotaxi launch, although the date could change. Some reports earlier this month indicated that Tesla had not started testing without drivers as of mid-May. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) wrote in a May 8 letter to Tesla that the agency, "would like to gather additional information about Tesla's development of technologies for use in 'robotaxi' vehicles to understand how Tesla plans to evaluate its vehicles and driving automation technologies for use on public roads." This data is key for public safety and for approval from NHTSA. The Model Y robotaxi vehicles are the same as those sold to the public. Tesla has faced significant delays with the production of a newer, more affordable version. Neither Tesla nor Musk has provided explicit details about how Tesla's rideshare service will operate. Musk unveiled the self-driving Cybercab robotaxi models last October at his company's "We, Robot" event. The two-door models feature no steering wheels, gas pedals, or brake pedals. At the event, Musk claimed the fully autonomous vehicles would be "10 times safer than a human." The tech billionaire first teased the robotaxi in 2019 and has claimed since 2016 that Tesla is about a year away from delivering a self-driving car. Musk's company will not be the first autonomous raid-hailing service in Austin. In partnership with Uber, Waymo launched across Austin ahead of this year's South by Southwest Conference and Festival. The signature differences between Waymo and Tesla's self-driving vehicles is that Musk's company relies majorly on camera sensors, whereas, Waymo's vehicles rely on lidar, radar and camera sensors for guidance. Tesla's June target for a robotaxi launch aligns with its CEO's renewed focus on his businesses. Musk, who has served as the head of the federal government's Department of Government Efficiency since President Donald Trump took office, announced this week that he is officially walking away from Washington. His role with DOGE, which was always meant to be temporary, abruptly came to an end this week. Tesla has faced a substantial decline in sales this year, with profits in the first quarter of 2025 falling 71% compared to the same period last year. The company also recently recorded its fourth consecutive month of slumped European sales, even though electric vehicle adoption rates are up. In Tesla's April earnings call, Musk said he'd be spending more time at his companies in the coming months, but that has since shifted to completely leaving politics behind. Ahead of his aerospace company SpaceX's launch on Tuesday, he told a journalist that he spent "too much time" on politics this year. Musk's move back to work also comes just after Tesla investors, who collectively own about 7.9 million shares in the company, penned a letter to the company's board chair demanding that Musk return to a 40-hour work week at the company. 'Tesla's stock price volatility, declining sales, as well as disconcerting reports regarding the company's human rights practices, and a plummeting global reputation are cause for serious concern,' the letter stated. 'Moreover, many issues are linked to Mr. Musk's actions outside of his role as Technoking and Chief Executive Officer at Tesla, including his high-profile role as an architect of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).' This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Tesla's self-driving cars are testing in Austin as company aims June robotaxi service launch
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Former Tesla Robotics Boss Casually Torches Elon Musk's Vision for Saving the Company
With car sales cratering worldwide, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is desperately looking for alternative areas of growth. Apart from preparing to launch a fleet of autonomous "Cybercab" robotaxis, the billionaire has promised that an army of Optimus humanoid robots could soon be roaming factory floors, heralding a revolution in manufacturing. At least, that's his grandiose vision. Earlier this week, Musk told CNBC that the carmaker will have "thousands of Optimus robots working in Tesla factories by the end of this year, beginning this fall," a characteristically ambitious timeline that's likely far removed from reality. But even the company's own former executives have some serious doubts about a fleet of bipedal robots as Tesla's saving grace. As the EV maker's first Optimus lead, Chris Walti, who left the firm in 2022, told Business Insider, humanoid robots simply don't make any sense in such a setting. "It's not a useful form factor," he said. "Most of the work that has to be done in industry is highly repetitive tasks where velocity is key." The human form "evolved to escape wolves and bears," Walti added. "We weren't designed to do repetitive tasks over and over again. So why would you take a hyper suboptimal system that really isn't designed to do repetitive tasks and have it do repetitive tasks?" The little we've seen of Tesla's progress on its Optimus robot has left something to be desired. During Musk's showy "We, Robot" event in October, the company had the mechanoids converse with and pour drinks for eventgoers. As analysts later confirmed, the robots were being remotely controlled by human workers. A separate clip shared by Musk early last year, which purported to show an Optimus robot folding a shirt, was also revealed to be the result of similar trickery, with a nearby technician operating it from mere feet away. Trump's baffling trade war could also put a major damper on Tesla's ambitions to build humanoid robots, with Musk complaining that steep tariffs against China could seriously rattle supply chains. Instead of investigating whether spindly-legged humanoid robots can take over jobs at a car factory, Walti founded a company called Mytra that aims to use flat, rectangular robots to move pallets in warehouses — bodies far removed from those of humans, but specialized to a specific task. Humanoid robots are an engineering problem that's "multiple orders of magnitude" more difficult to solve than self-driving cars, Walti told BI. And considering Tesla still has a long way to go to fulfill Musk's decade-long promise of realizing a car that can fully drive itself, a fully autonomous Optimus robot would, by that logic, be a very long way off. Humanoid robots are "kind of a ninth-inning robotics problem, and we're in the third inning," Walti told BI. More on Optimus: Musk Says Trump Preventing Him From Building Legion of Robots
IOL News
5 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Slovakia allows culled bears to end up on plates
Slovakia has allowed the consumption of the meat from a number of brown bears it plans to cull. The Slovak government has decided to allow the consumption of brown bear meat, angering environmentalists who this week slammed the move as absurd and giving a boost to poachers. Slovakia's nationalist government last month approved the culling of 350 bears, citing danger posed to people and a steady increase in bear population. Filip Kuffa, a state secretary at the environment ministry, said on Facebook this week the state would offer culled animals for resale "because bear meat is edible". Brown bears are protected in Europe, but there are exemptions on shooting and several countries including Slovenia also allow bear meat said bear meat must have a certificate before it hits the market, proving that the animal was hunted in compliance with an exemption from protection. Environmentalist Marian Hletko said the decision was "absurd" as the meat will be offered by the environment ministry's organisations." The organisations designed to protect nature will turn into state-run butcheries offering the meat of protected animals," said Hletko, from the We Are Forest initiative. He added it would also boost poaching as "when the state signals it is not interested in protecting bears, poachers will be less worried about potential sanctions". The government declared a state of emergency in most Slovak districts in April over "undesirable" bear presence, following deadly attacks. "We can't live in a country where people are afraid to go to the woods," said Prime Minister Robert Fico. The Slovak parliament already eased the rules for bear culling in May 2024, allowing exemptions in several districts. But the country must follow an EU directive that allows culling only of problem bears damaging property or attacking people, and only if there is no other solution. Hletko said that a record-high 92 bears were shot in the EU member country of 5.4 million people in 2024, while another 52 died in car accidents or were killed by poachers. Environment Minister Tomas Taraba recently said the Slovak bear population exceeded 1 300 animals. | AFP
USA Today
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Maximalist must-haves: Free People's Memorial Day event has an extra 30% off all sale items
Maximalist must-haves: Free People's Memorial Day event has an extra 30% off all sale items Shop super cute summer dresses, bathing suits, pullovers and more at this Free People sale. Looking to refresh your wardrobe with bold, bohemian-inspired fashion? Free People is your go-to destination for all things maximalist—from chunky knit sweaters and vintage-style denim jackets to cool dresses with a feminine edge. Known for its whimsical aesthetic, Free People also offers a wide selection of clothing, shoes, accessories and intimates for every season and style. Just in time for the summer season, the Free People Memorial Day sale is offering an extra 30% off everything in the sale section. Whether you're shopping for summer dresses, swimsuits, cozy pullovers or everyday tees, Memorial Day is one of the best times to score major savings. Including this adorable bralette for less than $15! Shop the Free People Memorial Day sale Shop the Free People Memorial Day sale Get an additional 30% off all Free People sale items. Discount will be applied at checkout. We The Free True Denim Apron Top More: All the best Memorial Day weekend deals and sales: Hoka, DeWalt, HexClad 🇺🇸 Mare Perpetua The Essential One-Piece Swimsuit More: Anthropologie's Memorial Day sale has chic tableware, summer decor starting at just $11 🌞 Free People Lacey Tunic Free People Softest Soft Scoop Bralette More: The comfiest wireless bras are 40% off for Memorial Day: Shop EBY's massive sale Free People Juniper Mini Free People Portland Pullover More: Save on dresses, sandals and other summer styles at these Memorial Day clothing sales 👗 We The Free After Midnight Tee We The Free Stanley Tee More: How to watch the NHL Conference Finals with Sling, stream every Stanley Cup playoff game We The Free Gauge Cardi More: Good American understands the perfect pair of jeans—save 30% on Khloe Kardashian's denim Jeffrey Campbell Lilly Buckle Slingback Flats Shop Free People When is Memorial Day 2025? Memorial Day 2025 is Monday, May 26.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Elon Musk calls this Tesla product 'the biggest ever'
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has shared a new video of what he calls Tesla 'biggest ever product'. The tech billionaire has posted a video of company's humanoid robot, Optimus on X. In the video shared, the humanoid robot can be seen doing daily chores. The demonstration highlights Tesla's vision for AI-powered home assistants , capable of handling everyday tasks with human-like precision. In video shared, Optimus can be seen engaging in various tasks such as stirring a pot, vacuuming, and cleaning a table, all while meticulously following instructions. Elon Musk calls this the 'The biggest product ever' of Tesla In the video, shared by Elon Musk Optimus is seen: Stirring a pot with a spoon Vacuuming the floor Using a brush and dustpan to clean a table — elonmusk (@elonmusk) by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 쥐젖, 그냥 둬다가 얼굴에 다 번졌어요 ( 해결 방법 ) 14년차 청담피부관리사의 블로그 더 알아보기 Elon Musk has previously claimed that Optimus will be the most significant product of any kind ever made, emphasising its potential to revolutionise domestic work and labor-intensive tasks. Elon Musk shares dancing videos of Optimus Robot Recently, Elon Musk shared multiple videos of Optimus dancing just like humans. Musk posted the video of Optimus dancing on X. showcasing its advanced capabilities in real-time movement and balance. Commenting on one such video, he wrote: 'This is real real-time'. Since its initial prototype in 2022, these videos show significant progress in the agility and expressiveness of the Tesla Optimus robot. This demonstration is part of Tesla's broader efforts in AI and robotics, as highlighted in events like the "We, Robot" event, where Optimus has previously been shown performing synchronised dances, indicating a focus on not just functional but also expressive robotic movements. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
