Latest news with #driverlessTaxis
Auto Express
a day ago
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Checkmate, Tesla Cybercab! Uber to trial driverless taxis in London
Uber is to begin trials of driverless taxis in London next year, ahead of the Tesla Cybercab, which is touted to make its debut in the US 'before 2027'. The ride-hailing platform has already been working with UK artificial intelligence firm Wayve to perfect its Level 4 autonomous driving technology in what Uber has described as 'complex driving environments'. This announcement comes shortly after the Government said it would begin implementing a fast-tracking framework to introduce autonomous 'taxi and bus-like' pilot services to UK roads; the previous Conservative administration originally intended to put in place legislation to see fully autonomous taxis on UK roads by 2026, but this has since been pushed back a year. Advertisement - Article continues below In a statement, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the UK's commitment to autonomous vehicles will 'drive growth, create 38,000 jobs and add £42 billion to our economy.' Uber has not confirmed whether its driverless taxi pilot scheme will be open to the general public or how it will be implemented; the firm says it will announce details in the coming months. Nevertheless, its chief operating officer, Andrew Macdonald, reiterated that: '[Uber's] vision is to make autonomy a safe and reliable option for riders everywhere, and this trial in London brings that future closer to reality.' Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Of course, there is still a long way to go before our streets are fully populated by autonomous vehicles; the Government's Automated Vehicles Act will require driverless cars to 'achieve a level of safety at least as high as competent and careful human drivers'. Liability in the event of an accident will be placed on the firm responsible for the taxi itself, with occupants blameless for anything that occurs. If there are controls mounted in the car, occupants will instead be referred to as 'users-in-charge', but they can still escape liability in some instances. While Uber looks poised to introduce its driverless services in a matter of months, many firms (including Tesla) have hit roadblocks along the way, with critics questioning the feasibility of implementing such schemes safely. The general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association, Steve McNamara, told the Guardian newspaper that the Government is 'living in fantasy land. We're probably going to have flying taxis before we have autonomous ones in London. 'Most people haven't got a robot hoover or a robot lawnmower even though they are absolutely fantastic,' McNamara remarked. 'Are people who don't trust a robot to cut their grass or clean their house going to trust one to take their kids to school or drive their elderly mum around? Come back to me in 2040.' Did you know you can sell your car through Auto Express ? We'll help you get a great price and find a great deal on a new car, too . Find a car with the experts Car Deal of the Day: A Volkswagen Golf R Estate for less than a GTI Car Deal of the Day: A Volkswagen Golf R Estate for less than a GTI The Golf R Estate is one of the best performance estates around – and right now it's criminally cheap. It's our Deal of the Day for 9 June. Should Citroen make a new 2CV? Some say oui, others say non Should Citroen make a new 2CV? Some say oui, others say non A new Citroen 2CV could be inbound, but would this be a French fancy or a financial flop? Car Deal of the Day: A fully-loaded Jeep Avenger for under £200 per month Car Deal of the Day: A fully-loaded Jeep Avenger for under £200 per month The petrol-powered version of Jeep's charming baby SUV is our Deal of the Day for 8 June
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Torched driverless taxis prompt Waymo to stop downtown L.A. service
After five of Waymo's driverless taxis went up in flames Sunday during anti-ICE protests in downtown Los Angeles, costing the company hundreds of thousands of dollars, questions remain about how the vehicles made their way into the area. Waymo eventually suspended service downtown after officials with the Los Angeles Police Department reportedly advised the company to do so. In footage captured by KTLA, a row of vehicles on North Los Angeles Street, near Arcadia Street, all tagged with graffiti, were seen fully engulfed in flames as dense black smoke thickened the air, while many of those on the street continued to vandalize and photograph them. While it's unclear exactly how protesters started the car fires, there were reports that spray paint was used as an accelerant, with video capturing at least one of the autonomous vehicles exploding. Police eventually closed Los Angeles Street north of Arcadia and South Alameda Streets and declared an unlawful assembly. Los Angeles Police Department Captain Erik Scott said that battery systems in electric vehicles are often difficult to apply water to during a fire and especially in the chaotic environment of Sunday evening's violent demonstrations. The department, according to Scott, had to just allow the cars to burn, which caused an increased threat to public health. L.A. driver goes on high-speed rampage amid violent downtown protests 'When lithium-ion batteries burn, they release hydrogen-fluoride gas that is a highly toxic substance that could damage your lungs and can be absorbed through the skin,' Scott explained. 'It can cause serious internal harm.' According to a 2024 report by the Wall Street Journal, analysts estimated that Waymo's driverless cars cost between $150,000 and $200,000 each. With the five destroyed robotaxis, the cost of damages would amount to roughly between $750,000 to $1 million, based on WSJ's estimate. As for how the Waymo taxis made their way downtown to begin with, investigators and the company are looking into whether protesters may have used the app to order up the cars and light them on fire or, as other have speculated, protesters intercepted the vehicles from customers attempting to flee the area. The company that the suspended downtown service may lead to increased wait times in other areas of L.A. and that as of right now, there is word on when service will resume in the area. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Uber ‘ready to launch' driverless cars in UK
Uber is ready to launch driverless taxis across the UK 's streets despite their approval being pushed back another two years. Andrew Macdonald, Uber mobility senior vice president, told the BBC the taxi company's autonomous vehicles would be on Britain's roads as soon as possible. Fully autonomous cars were set to be on the roads by 2026 but the new government has pushed that date back to mid 2027. "We're ready to launch robotaxis in the UK as soon as the regulatory environment is ready for us," Mr Macdonald told the BBC. In the US, he said robotaxis typically operate for 20 hours per day, seven days per week, and was working with 18 automated car tech companies to bring them to the UK. Driverless taxis are also already in operation in China, the UAE and Singapore. Mr Macdonald said the UK was not lagging behind, and it only made sense for the technology to exist where it has been developed. The previous Conservative government said the technology would be approved by 2026 with former transport secretary Mark Harper travelling in a Wayve self-driving vehicle. But the Labour government has now said this will be 2027 as it 'explores options for short-term trials' in the meantime. There are concerns around insurance, ownership and liability when a self-driving vehicle is involved in an accident, according to the BBC. In the US, General Motors stopped its driverless taxi service in San Francisco over safety concerns. 'The reality is that one accident is too many,' Mr Macdonald added. "That said, with EV (electric vehicles), human drivers… we operate in the real world and stuff happens,' Mr Macdonald said. In January, a video of a man trapped inside a Robotaxi doing circles around an airport carpark in Arizona went viral. A Department for Transport spokesperson told the BBC: 'We are working quickly and will implement self-driving vehicle legislation in the second half of 2027. 'We are also exploring options for short-term trials and pilots to create the right conditions for a thriving self-driving sector.'
