Latest news with #selfDrivingCars
Wall Street Journal
a day ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
It's Waymo's World. We're All Just Riding in It.
The website of the California Public Utilities Commission is not the first place you would go looking for signs of progress in one of the world's sexiest industries. But every few months, this agency tasked with regulating passenger transportation publishes a bunch of spreadsheets with valuable information about self-driving cars and how many people are riding in them. And in the latest data that was recently dumped online, there was a telling update about a company identified simply as PSG0038152.
The Drive
4 days ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
When Cars Drive Themselves, What Will We Do With the Extra Time?
The latest car news, reviews, and features. The upshots of self-driving cars for consumers are obvious: safety and convenience. Benefits for corporations aren't hard to figure out, either. Being able to study and influence travel behavior will be great for business, and hey, here's a new captive audience for content and ads. So is every car trip going to become a brainrot binge? Or is there something worthwhile we'll be able to do with this newfound 'freedom?' This year, more than ever, I feel like I've been living under a siege of posts about the glorious era of automation we're hurtling towards. Just today, The New York Times ran a story about the driverless semi-trucks being unleashed on American highways. In one of the first paragraphs, the author describes the scene inside one of those rigs' cabs: 'In the back seat of the truck's sun-drenched cabin, a middle-aged man watched YouTube videos on his phone.' Of course. Why be alone with your thoughts when you can watch Mr. Beast's latest capitalist olympics? Meanwhile, drivers in China are getting fed advertisements through their infotainment screens, and surely some version of that is inevitable in America, too. An instrument-cluster view of Mercedes' Drive Pilot Level 3 autonomous driving system in action. Mercedes-Benz The exchange riled up a memory of something Doug DeMuro said to me years ago. He told me he couldn't wait for driverless cars, so he'd have more time to do emails. I don't know if he still feels that way or if he even remembers that conversation, but it's lived in my head rent-free because I find it deeply depressing. The thing about emails, that those of you who don't have office jobs may not know, is that there is no end to emails. You could spend your whole commute answering emails, and when you make it to your computer, guess what, there will still be more emails to do. Now, fair play, if your work day starts at 9 a.m., and you can get in the car at 9 a.m. to head to the office, that's a win for productivity. Though it's a little hard to figure we'll have true full self-driving cars before evolving beyond cubicles. The only activity I'd really be interested in giving up driving for is sleep. I live about a two-hour drive from my closest big airport, and when I come off a long flight at 11 p.m., I'd love it if my vehicle could convey me, unsupervised, to my little base in the boondocks. So, all this to ask those of you who scrolled this far: How, exactly, do you see yourself spending newfound 'free time' in a car you don't get to control? As my colleague Byron Hurd asked a few years ago, in trying to save lives with technology, will we die of boredom? Got a tip? Drop us a line at tips@
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Warren Buffett Was Asked If Self-Driving Cars Will Shift Insurance To 'Product Liability' — 'There's No Question... It's Going to Change Dramatically'
As self-driving cars inch closer to the mainstream, one of the biggest unanswered questions isn't just how they'll navigate traffic—but how they'll reshape risk. If there's no driver behind the wheel, is it still "driver error"? And if the software crashes, will the insurer or the carmaker pick up the tab? Earlier this month at the Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK, BRK.B)) annual shareholders meeting, that question was posed to Warren Buffett and Ajit Jain, the company's vice chairman of insurance. "Wouldn't what we call auto insurance today just become product liability for autonomous vehicles and autonomous software companies?" the attendee asked. Don't Miss: Hasbro, MGM, and Skechers trust this AI marketing firm — Inspired by Uber and Airbnb – Deloitte's fastest-growing software company is transforming 7 billion smartphones into income-generating assets – Ajit answered first, laying it out clearly: "There's no question that insurance for automobiles is going to change dramatically once self-driving cars become a reality," he said. "Most of the insurance that is sold and bought revolves around operator errors... To the extent these new self-driving cars are more safe and are involved in fewer accidents, that insurance will be less required. Instead, it'll be substituted by, as you mentioned, product liability." He confirmed that Geico and other insurers are already trying to prepare for the shift—from covering human mistakes to covering technology failures. "We move from providing insurance for operator errors and be more ready to provide protection for product errors and errors and omissions in the construction of these automobiles," he said. Trending: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — Buffett followed up with a bigger-picture take on how Berkshire thinks about change—across all its businesses. "We expect change in all our businesses," Buffett said. "If the game didn't change at all, it really wouldn't be very interesting." He compared the need for change to sports: if every swing in baseball resulted in a home run, or every golf shot became a hole-in-one, the game wouldn't be worth playing. Challenges keep it engaging—and thinking through those challenges is part of what keeps companies and people sharp. "Your brain would turn to mush if you didn't have a few problems now and then," he added. Buffett acknowledged that while auto insurance will change, it's striking how little it has changed so far. He noted how transportation itself evolved drastically over the last two centuries, and no one really knows how it will look in the next hundred while driving deaths have dropped dramatically—from six per 100 million miles driven to just over one—insurance costs have skyrocketed. He recalled walking into Geico's office in 1950 when the average policy cost was "around 40 bucks a year." Now? It's not unusual to see policies climb into the $2,000+ range—and higher in urban areas. Jain chimed back in with one more important point: autonomous driving might reduce accidents overall, but it doesn't mean insurance will get cheaper. "The number of accidents will drop dramatically because of automatic driving," he said. "But on the other hand, the cost per repair every time there's an accident will go up very significantly because of the amount of technology that's going into the car." So while Geico and others may sell fewer policies for human error, the cost of insuring the tech itself could be just as complex—if not more. Buffett closed the conversation with a philosophical note about change and uncertainty: "You deal with the world as it develops. You never reach an answer in this business—you reach a point of action that you take." Read Next: Maximize saving for your retirement and cut down on taxes: . 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. Image: Midjourney UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Warren Buffett Was Asked If Self-Driving Cars Will Shift Insurance To 'Product Liability' — 'There's No Question… It's Going to Change Dramatically' originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Sign in to access your portfolio
Telegraph
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Hackers taking control is biggest fear for self-driving cars
The public's primary concern over self-driving cars is that cyber hackers could commandeer the vehicles, new research suggests. Almost seven out of 10 motorists believe self-driving vehicles will be 'highly susceptible' to hackers. The survey comes after defence companies warned staff not to plug their smartphones into Chinese-made electric vehicles and the Ministry of Defence banned personnel from parking such cars within two miles of sensitive buildings. Fears are rife that hackers answering to the Chinese government could use secret flaws in electric vehicle software to gain access to secrets or to eavesdrop on conversations inside the vehicles. Yet those concerns may pale in comparison to a simpler and more direct fear: hackers taking control of cars away from motorists. In a survey of 2,000 British adults, American tech company Cisco Systems found that the public's greatest fear over future self-driving cars is that hackers could break into them. Seven in 10 motorists also believe that self-driving vehicles will be more dangerous than human-driven cars. Half think that self-driving vehicles on British roads could cause a rise in traffic accidents, even though the technology is already approved for public use in limited circumstances. Cisco also found that almost two-thirds, or 62 per cent, of drivers were worried about technology failures in self-driving cars. 'Trust and security are going to play a critical role in the future of self-driving vehicles. Automotive manufacturers must invest in appropriate network security architectures for connected vehicles to reinforce trust amongst users,' said Chintan Patel, Cisco's chief technology officer for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. 'With the rise of connected self-driving vehicles comes huge volumes of data, software and telemetry requirements,' he continued. 'Every Application Programming Interface (API) and point of connection in a vehicle can serve as an attack surface for bad actors.' APIs are ways that computer programs expose internal data for further use. Smartphones that connect to a car's dashboard systems to control things such as music or the satnav do so through an API, for example. Cyber security researchers have gone to extensive lengths to break into modern cars' onboard computers, as a way of highlighting potential safety risks. One experiment in 2015 saw a Jeep Cherokee remotely turn off the vehicle's engine at 70mph, a flaw that the company acknowledged with a software update shortly afterwards. Two years ago the Government approved Ford's BlueCruise self-driving system, which is permitted to take control of cars on English, Welsh and Scottish motorways at speeds of up to 70mph - although a human driver must always be behind the wheel and ready to step in. The Government announced earlier this week that it had pushed the date for self-driving cars to be legal on British roads back to 2027.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Self-driving Cars Market worth 76,217 thousand units in 2032, Globally, at a CAGR of 6.8%, says MarketsandMarkets™
Delray Beach, FL, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Self-Driving Cars Market is projected to reach from 37,090 thousand units in 2024 to 76,217 thousand units in 2035, at a CAGR of 6.8%, as per the recent study by MarketsandMarkets™. The self-driving cars market is poised for significant growth, driven by advancements in sensor technologies like LiDAR and radar, the adoption of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, and the rise of mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) solutions such as robotaxis and autonomous shuttles. This growth is further fueled by supportive government policies and high consumer demand for safer and more convenient mobility solutions. The development of cloud computing and AI-based decision-making is also critical, enabling real-time data processing and dynamic improvements to autonomous vehicle performance. Emerging markets and intelligent city initiatives further amplify the market's expansion potential. Browse in-depth TOC on 'Self-driving Cars Market' 307 - Tables110 - Figures299 – Pages Download PDF Brochure: List of Key Players in Self-driving Cars Market: Toyota Motor Corporation (Japan) Tesla (US) BYD Co., Ltd. (China) Volkswagen Group (Germany) Ford Motor Company (US) Hyundai Motor Group (South Korea) Drivers, Opportunities and Challenges in Self-driving Cars Market: Driver: Government regulations for integration of advanced safety technologies Restraint: High development costs Opportunity: Emergence of subscription-based service offerings Challenge: Lack of software standardization Key Findings of the Study: Radar to be largest component segment during forecast period. Level 2 to surpass other autonomy levels during forecast period Asia Pacific to be dominant during forecast period Get Sample Pages: Personal Mobility segment is estimated to hold the largest share during the forecast period. The personal mobility segment is expected to lead the self-driving cars market during the forecast period, driven by a surge in demand for autonomous vehicles that offer convenience, flexibility, and on-demand transportation. Urbanization and smart city initiatives fuel the need for innovative mobility options to reduce congestion and improve travel efficiency. In 2024, Toyota's Corolla, a Level 1 autonomous vehicle, sold over 1.2 million units globally from January to September, showcasing rising consumer interest in ADAS-equipped vehicles. This trend underscores the appeal of autonomous features in personal transportation. AI, sensor technology, and connectivity advancements further drive this adoption, particularly with electric self-driving vehicles. As of October 2024, companies like Tesla (US) are increasing their push toward fully electric and autonomous models. New releases like the Tesla Model S Plaid focus on safety and efficiency. OEMs such as Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Japan), Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (Japan), General Motors (US), and Mercedes-Benz Group AG (Germany) are also developing their Level 2 and 3 semi-autonomous cars for personal use. For instance, in June 2024, Japanese automaker Nissan showcased its in-house developed self-driving tech as part of its plan to provide autonomous mobility services by 2027. The C&D segment is estimated to lead the self-driving cars market during the forecast period. The C&D segment of self-driving cars is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period, driven by a strong preference for mid-size sedans and SUVs equipped with advanced autonomy and safety features. Popular models such as the Audi A4, an L2 autonomous car, ranked among Audi's best-sellers in the US and Europe in 2023, while the Hyundai Elantra, an L1 car, recorded significant sales in South Korea the same year, illustrating broad demand across regions. Supporting this growth, BMW Group (Germany) began production at its Leipzig, Germany, plant in July 2024, with a focus on vehicles such as the BMW 3 Series, a popular L2 model from the C&D segment. Such production expansions highlight manufacturers' efforts to meet rising demand and reinforce the segment's leadership in the market. 'North America is expected to grow significantly during the forecast period.' North America is expected to grow significantly in the self-driving cars market during the forecast period, driven by technological advancements, supportive policies, and strong consumer demand. The region benefits from the presence of leading automakers like Ford, General Motors, and Tesla, as well as start-ups such as Waymo, Motional, and Aurora, spearheading autonomous vehicle development. For example, Ford's BlueCruise system now covers 130,000 miles of controlled-access highways in the US and Canada. In comparison, General Motors has expanded its Super Cruise functionality to approximately 750,000 miles of roads, including highways and major arterials, as of February 2024. Regulatory initiatives, such as the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) mandate for autonomous emergency braking (AEB) by 2029, further accelerate adoption. Additionally, Waymo's driverless taxi services expanded to Los Angeles in August 2024, marking a milestone in public acceptance of fully autonomous vehicles. These advancements, combined with investments in intelligent transportation infrastructure and the increasing popularity of semi-autonomous features. Position North America as a key growth region for self-driving cars. Inquiry Before Buying: Recent Developments: In October 2024, Tesla (US) introduced the Cybercab, a fully autonomous robotaxi priced under USD 30,000. It is designed without a steering wheel or pedals. In October 2024, Toyota Motor Corporation (Japan) announced a collaboration with Suzuki Motor Corporation on the development of a battery electric vehicle. The new model is designed exclusively as a BEV (battery electric vehicle). In June 2024, Cruise LLC (US), a General Motors (US) subsidiary, announced that it had resumed manual driving in Phoenix, Houston, and Dallas, with supervised operations ongoing in Phoenix and Dallas. In April 2024, Buick (US), a General Motors (US) subsidiary, unveiled the Enclave SUV for model year 2025. The SUV will be made available with Super Cruise, General Motors's hands-free driver assistance system with L2+ capabilities. Related Reports: Automotive LiDAR Market Automotive RADAR Market Automotive Lighting Market CONTACT: About MarketsandMarkets™ MarketsandMarkets™ has been recognized as one of America's Best Management Consulting Firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. 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