SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is calling for new statewide standards governing autonomous vehicles during major events and emergencies after traffic gridlock involving Waymo vehicles during the city's Fourth of July celebrations. In a letter to California's transportation secretary, Lurie urged stronger regulation of autonomous vehicles following congestion in San Francisco on July 4 and during a citywide power outage in December. More than 100,000 people came to San Francisco for Fourth of July fireworks festivities. RELATED: July 4 Waymo gridlock in SF after dozens choke streets, some lose power, 1 ran over lit fireworks According to the letter, much of the traffic disruption was attributed to Waymo vehicles and gaps in existing state oversight. The letter said the incident "demonstrated that California's current regulatory framework does not adequately address how autonomous vehicles operate during major incidents, planned or not." Some residents have called for Waymo vehicles to be kept off the streets during large events. Lynnet Spiegel, who said she was stuck behind six Waymo vehicles during the holiday, said, "They definitely should not be around when there's big events happening because it just screws up the whole entire city." MORE: 3 Waymo self-driving cars in 'standoff' cause traffic jam in San Francisco Bryant Walker Smith, a law professor and transportation technology scholar, said restricting autonomous vehicles during major events could be a short-term solution in some situations but not a permanent one. "You need to be able to get that janitor home in the middle of the night. You need to be able to get that emergency room technician into the hospital, and simply saying it's too hard. Sorry, we'll see you when things work better actually isn't an option," Smith said. Lurie also said that during the July 4 gridlock, "reports indicated that
Jul 17, 2026 · via abc7news.com
We have a new and scary story about a Waymo vandalism situation that left a passenger helpless and in grave danger, and Mayor Daniel Lurie has reached out to the state about Waymos compounding the traffic nightmare on July 4th, and what could be done about it. Waymo is having a bad couple of months in the press, just as the autonomous car company is in the midst of a broad expansion effort in multiple US cities. First there was a glitch that was causing Waymos in San Antonio to drive into deeply flooded streets. Then there were the construction zone troubles, which led Waymo to temporarily suspend all freeway service in May. Then there was the grand debacle of July 4th in San Francisco, in which Waymo vehicles were widely documented blocking traffic, driving over lit fireworks, and appearing to stall en masse on a key connector road in the Presidio, making the already congested traffic situation even worse. The July 4th situation served to confirm what city officials had already seen during the December power outage, when Waymos became a hazard and a liability on the streets in an emergency, causing gridlock because they were unable to navigate through intersections with no traffic signals. SF Mayor Daniel Lurie wrote a letter this week to the State Secretary of Transportation Toks Omishakin, as NBC Bay Area reports, urging state leaders to take action in creating regulation around autonomous vehicles and major events or emergencies. Lurie wrote, per the Chronicle, that on July 4th, "Waymo vehicles struggled to navigate growing volumes of vehicular traffic and pedestrians," and "By the end of the fireworks show, autonomous vehicles became immobilized in travel lanes, blocking key streets and ultimately bringing traffic to a standstill." Lurie called on the state to provide a framework
Jul 17, 2026 · via sfist.com
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Jul 17, 2026 · via statesman.com
[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.] Zoox recalls robotaxis after navigation issues through smoke No one was injured in June 20 incident Bloomberg News Key Takeaways: - Zoox recalled software across 105 public-road robotaxis after a June 20 incident in which a driverless vehicle struggled to navigate heavy smoke. - The update addresses autonomous-vehicle safety concerns after the robotaxi braked and stopped near a fire scene, adding smoke-detection capabilities. - NHTSA said it will continue enforcing safety rules and aims to finalize broader autonomous-vehicle competency standards before Trump's current term ends. Amazon.com Inc.’s driverless-car business issued a software recall across its fleet after one of its robotaxis struggled to navigate through heavy smoke, the latest in a string of incidents involving autonomous vehicles at emergency scenes. Zoox released a software update this week for all 105 vehicles operating on public roads, according to a document published July 17 on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website. The move affects the company’s purpose-built robotaxis and not a separate testing fleet of retrofitted vehicles. The voluntary recall stems from an incident on June 20, when an unoccupied Zoox vehicle approached the scene of a fire that was obscured by heavy smoke, braking hard while attempting to steer away before coming to a stop, according to the document. Later, first responders placed traffic cones at the scene, blocking two of the three through-lanes. No one was injured, and Zoox said it’s not aware of any other instances of this kind. In a statement to Bloomberg, the company said the software update “enhances the existing capability of detecting active EV scenes by adding the ability to detect and respond to heavy smoke in certain situations.” Alex Fraser of Cox Fleet discusses how fleets should respond as roadside breakdowns test
Jul 17, 2026 · via ttnews.com
San Francisco Is Fed Up With Autonomous Cars Causing Gridlock Even the most progressive politicians have a breaking point. For San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, that point was provided by brain-dead robotaxis turning the Fourth of July holiday weekend into a total traffic nightmare. Lurie, who famously pushed for San Francisco to become a ground zero for emerging vehicle technologies, is changing his tune. The mayor has officially sent a formal letter to the California Department of Transportation demanding a significant overhaul of the state's autonomous vehicle regulatory framework. The pivot comes directly in the wake of a massive Fourth of July traffic meltdown on the city’s northern waterfront that left thousands of humans completely stranded. The city's fireworks display over the Golden Gate Bridge drew more than 100,000 spectators. As the inevitable gridlock set in following the show, dozens of Waymo autonomous vehicles became utterly bewildered by the surging traffic volumes and heavy pedestrian foot traffic. Instead of routing away or safely pulling over, more than 30 driverless vehicles froze in active travel lanes and parking zones. Exacerbating the calamity, several of the idling robotaxis completely exhausted their battery reserves while stuck, which then trapped municipal buses. Because of the multi-layered gridlock, even getting tow trucks to the scene of the blockage proved nearly impossible, with some vehicle recoveries stretching past three hours. Lurie's letter—first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle—also called back to another major failure from last December, when a power outage knocked out traffic lights across a third of the city. It caused dozens of driverless cars to freeze inside active intersections, paralyzing the city's grid and emergency first responders. "California’s current regulatory framework does not adequately address how autonomous vehicles operate during major incidents, planned or not," Lurie wrote. "California’s challenge now is not just
Jul 17, 2026 · via thetruthaboutcars.com
Zoox has issued a software recall after one of its robotaxis struggled to navigate a smoke-filled emergency fire scene in June. The Amazon-owned company said Friday that it has shipped to its fleet of 105 vehicles a software update that should address the issue. Zoox told TechCrunch in a statement that the software update “enhances the existing capability of detecting active [emergency] scenes by adding the ability to detect and respond to heavy smoke in certain situations.” Nobody was on board the vehicle during the June incident, and Zoox told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it is not aware of injuries associated with the problem. The NHTSA’s report doesn’t state where the June incident took place, and Zoox declined to say. Zoox’s recall comes just a week after NHTSA administrator Jonathan Morrison sent a letter to self-driving car companies warning them to stop interfering with first responders. “Let me be clear: the inability to detect and appropriately respond to such situations represents a functional insufficiency,” he wrote. “Emergency scenes are not rare or extreme ‘edge cases.’ As such, NHTSA is today issuing a call to action for AV developers and operators to immediately focus their resources on fixing this issue.” TechCrunch previously reported on how Waymo has had repeated run-ins with first responders as it expands into new cities. The company had at least six incidents as of March of this year in which first responders had to physically move robotaxis from an emergency scene. NHTSA said in its report describing the recall that, on June 20, a Zoox robotaxi “encountered heavy smoke that obscured an active emergency fire scene that was not cordoned off with cones.” The Zoox vehicle “braked hard while attempting to steer away before coming to a stop.” A Zoox teleoperator was able
Jul 17, 2026 · via techcrunch.com
Want to Maximize the Money You Make Driving for Uber and Lyft? This One’s for You. We chat with The Rideshare Guy, Harry Campbell, about the future of ride-hailing in the age of autonomy. On this episode of The InEVitable, co-host Jonny Lieberman and I chat with Harry Campbell, founder of the Rideshare Guy, an online resource similar to MotorTrend, except instead of covering everything related to cars, Campbell and team dive deep into all there is to know about driving and delivering for Uber, Lyft, Uber Eats, Door Dash, etc. Even though I was an early adopter of Uber and am currently an active user of Lyft, I’ve never thought about these services beyond my own experience as a user. I’ve made small talk with the drivers that pick me up and asked questions about their cars, but I never considered what it takes to drive for any of the services or how one might optimize the experience by selecting the best platform, vehicle, route, and time of day to make the most money possible. You know who has spent 10-plus years thinking about how to maximize the profits of these companies? Harry Campbell. He went from a career as an aerospace engineer, curious about the emerging gig economy that sprang up around Uber, then Lyft, and eventually DoorDash and other ride-hailing and delivery services, to an Uber driver as a side hustle. What started out as an exploration grew into a startup career and the founding of therideshareguy.com, a clearinghouse for all the tips and trips related to optimizing the profits and experience for those who work as ride-hail and delivery drivers.
Jul 17, 2026 · via motortrend.com
The Trump administration is working to develop new safety requirements governing how autonomous vehicles behave on the road as the industry contends with a series of safety mishaps. Officials aim to finalize the new requirements before the end of President Donald Trump’s current term, Jonathan Morrison, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s top official, said in an interview. NHTSA initially plans to seek comment from the public and industry stakeholders with the goal of identifying “behavioral competencies” for autonomous vehicles, with tests to measure performance. The goal is to craft objective safety standards “so that a manufacturer who is producing the vehicle can know with certainty whether or not the vehicle meets the requirements,” Morrison said. A series of recent incidents has put a spotlight on how self-driving cars can struggle to handle situations human drivers commonly encounter. Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo — the leading operator of paid robotaxi rides in the US — recently recalled thousands of vehicles and suspended freeway operations after its cars drove through construction zones at speed. The company has also faced scrutiny after its vehicles repeatedly failed to slow or stop for school buses. NHTSA said it would continue to address individual safety incidents involving autonomous vehicles through its recall and enforcement authorities. The competency standards would set broader parameters for how self-driving cars should operate on the road, according to the agency. Last week, Morrison called on self-driving vehicle companies to fix problems that have led to their cars interfering with first responders. NHTSA plans to meet with developers about the issue in the coming weeks, he said. “When somebody’s arriving to an emergency scene, they’re not bringing extra people to drive the vehicle off,” Morrison said. “We want to set a bit of a mark that ‘no, this is not acceptable,’ and this
Jul 17, 2026 · via insurancejournal.com
Stellantis, Wayve, and Uber Partner to Scale Robotaxis Globally - Stellantis, Wayve, and Uber are collaborating to develop and deploy L4 driverless mobility services - By combining Stellantis’ world-class vehicle L4-Ready Platforms™, Wayve’s advanced AI Driver, and Uber’s leading mobility network, the companies seek to accelerate the global rollout of robotaxi services - This strategic relationship builds on the companies’ existing collaborations together and reinforces a growing industry consensus that the most efficient way to scale autonomous mobility is through a powerful ecosystem AMSTERDAM, LONDON and SAN FRANCISCO – Stellantis, Wayve, and Uber today announced they have entered a partnership to jointly explore the development and deployment of Level 4 (driverless) robotaxis at a global scale. The collaboration brings together Stellantis’ L4- Ready Platforms™, Wayve’s AI driving technology, and Uber’s global marketplace to power a new generation of fully autonomous vehicles. It also builds on the companies’ existing strategic relationships, including Stellantis and Wayve’s recent L2++ agreement, and Wayve and Uber’s partnership to deploy autonomous rides in London, Tokyo, and ten other cities around the world starting this year. Partnering to Accelerate Scale The new initiative intends to combine the three complementary strengths needed to commercialize autonomy: vehicles, technology, and platform. - Vehicles & Integration: Stellantis will design, engineer and manufacture at scale vehicles built on advanced L4-Ready Platforms™ that have embedded sensor suites and are engineered with the operational requirements, the safety and redundancy required for high-utilization driverless operations. - AI Technology: Wayve will provide the AI driving software that enables the vehicles to understand and navigate complex real-world environments fully autonomously. Built with Wayve’s end-to-end AI driving approach, the technology is designed to adapt across different regions and driving conditions without relying on city-by-city mapping or re-engineering, enabling faster and more cost-effective expansion. - Mobility Platform: Uber will
Jul 17, 2026 · via theautochannel.com
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Jul 17, 2026 · via sfchronicle.com
San Francisco mayor urges state to tighten robotaxi regulations after recent Waymo disruptions San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is calling on California transportation officials to strengthen regulations governing self-driving vehicles, arguing that two recent incidents exposed gaps in how robotaxis operate during major emergencies and large public events. In a letter sent Thursday to the California transportation secretary, Lurie said the state should adopt new safety requirements for autonomous vehicle companies after disruptions during San Francisco's Fourth of July fireworks celebration and a widespread power outage last December. Christopher White, executive director, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, said the city's July 4 celebration demonstrated how quickly autonomous vehicles can contribute to gridlock when traffic conditions become unpredictable. More than 100,000 people packed San Francisco's waterfront for the annual fireworks show. Despite advance planning and a geofence intended to manage traffic, White said robotaxis struggled to navigate the crowds. "It took a lot of people a very long time to get where they were going," said White. "There was a lot of road obstruction." According to city officials and transportation advocates, several autonomous vehicles stalled in travel lanes. Muni shuttle buses became trapped in the same congestion, and some vehicles reportedly ran out of battery power. Tow trucks dispatched to remove disabled vehicles were also unable to reach them because of the traffic, with some removals taking three to four hours. "We've seen this now twice in San Francisco," said Marc Vukcevich, director of state policy for Streets For All. Vukcevich also pointed to the city's major power outage in December, when nearly 130,000 San Franciscans lost electricity. Traffic signals went dark across roughly one-third of the city, and autonomous vehicles stopped in intersections, blocking major streets. "It's a challenge that causes real street safety concerns," he said. "Anytime the public right
Jul 17, 2026 · via cbsnews.com
A San Francisco business owner who says he was once one of Waymo's strongest supporters is now calling for changes to the company's emergency response policies after alleging he was trapped inside one of its autonomous vehicles while it was being vandalized. Sherman Watson says he also wants access to surveillance footage from the vehicle, arguing it could help him process and document what happened during the incident. Watch NBC Bay Area News free wherever you are Watson, who frequently posted videos of his driverless rides on social media, said he had long been an advocate for the technology. "One thing about Waymo is there's no driver, which in certain cases is great because a lot of people don't like to talk to drivers, or they feel uncomfortable," Watson said. According to Watson, that perspective changed during an early Saturday morning ride in May after he spent the evening with friends in San Francisco's Marina District. Watson alleges the Waymo vehicle stopped at the intersection of Pierce and Lombard Street, where he saw two young men approach the robocar and jerked its front bumper. Local "The smashing began right away. And they were doing it in tandem. So, one would come up, the other would go grab something. They put this like weird foam thing on top of the hood and then they climbed up,” he said. "And at that point I froze, you know, I just panicked, I froze so I called 911 and Waymo came on," Watson said. Watson alleges that while he was inside the vehicle, someone from Waymo spoke to him through the car's overhead communication system. "The only thing they said is 'we realized there's a problem with the vehicle.' I said, 'Yes, someone's trying to kill me.'" Watson said he repeatedly asked the company
Jul 17, 2026 · via nbcbayarea.com
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has reached out to the state regarding standards for autonomous vehicles during emergencies and major events, following incidents involving Waymo vehicles during the Fourth of July celebrations and the city's days-long power outage in 2025. Fourth of July celebrations in San Francisco drew big crowds. It was a rare opportunity to see fireworks launched from the Golden Gate Bridge; but afterwards, echoes of the rockets were drowned out by complaints of traffic jams when people tried to leave. Watch NBC Bay Area News free wherever you are In a letter to the State Secretary of Transportation, Mayor Lurie indicated that before the fireworks began, driverless Waymo vehicles struggled to navigate the extra cars and pedestrians, and by the end of the show autonomous vehicles became immobilized on the roads, blocking key streets and ultimately bringing traffic to a standstill. “That situation, or that kind of special situation, we are going to face those situations in any city, have to be taken into consideration. Companies like Waymo and the rest of the companies that are trying to deploy those kind of autonomous cars, they have to ask themselves what if, it’s not a perfect world,” Professor and Tech Expert at San Jose State Ahmed Banafa said. Banafa says the question being raised is about training and communication for all scenarios. Lurie also mentioned a major power outage in 2025, where Waymo’s became immobilized during traffic signal outages. Lurie indicated the states’ challenge is not just whether autonomous vehicles can operate safely under normal conditions but whether they can perform reliably under extraordinary ones. “I am waiting to see what they are going to do. Are they willing to take a step forward and talk to city hall and meet with the mayor or the mayors of
Jul 17, 2026 · via nbcbayarea.com
The pitch on an uncrewed submarine is always the same, and it is a good pitch. Take the people out and you no longer need air, food, escape hatches or any of the plumbing that keeps a crew breathing, so the hull gets to spend its volume on batteries, sensors and weapons instead. Then you send it somewhere you would never send a person. Taiwan has one. It is called the Huilong, or Smart Dragon, it runs about 30 meters (98 feet) long, and it has two torpedo tubes in the bow. It has also, so far, been towed out to sea behind a support boat. On June 25, Taiwan’s state weapons lab briefed reporters on a new purchase: an American drone submarine roughly one-thirtieth the weight of the Huilong. Buried in the briefing was the reason. Officials at the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology told the Liberty Times they want to learn how the Americans do autonomous navigation, sensor integration and modular design, because those are the areas where the Huilong program left them short. Two days earlier, a Taiwanese defense consultant had laid out the other half of the problem in the Taipei Times. Taiwan’s rules still assume a human is standing there when an unmanned boat goes to sea. The machine is real, and so was the torpedo The Huilong is a joint job between NCSIST and Lungteh Shipbuilding, the Yilan yard that also builds Taiwan’s Tuo Chiang corvettes and its Black Tide attack boat. Local reporting dates the start of construction work to 2020. Taiwan’s Up Media has put the budget at NT$3.67 billion, somewhere around $116 million. Nobody official has published a displacement figure. Estimates circulating in Taiwanese media and picked up by The War Zone land at roughly 100 tons. Taiwan’s China
Jul 17, 2026 · via autonocion.com
When the D.C. Council resumes business in the fall, it will be without Doni Crawford, the interim council member who lost her bid to finish out the rest of her former boss’s council term. During the council’s last legislative meeting before summer recess, a teary-eyed Crawford received her flowers — literally and figuratively — before thanking the members of her team and commenting on what she called the experience of a lifetime. “This has been my favorite job thus far,” Crawford said on the afternoon of July 14. “I’ve enjoyed it as a staffer, and now I’ve had the pleasure of doing it as a member. I don’t want it to stop, but unfortunately it has to end this week, and I thank you all for your words, and I will keep your words close to my heart when I’m reflecting on this time as a member in the District of Columbia representing 700,000 people.” Earlier this year, upon then-At-large D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie’s resignation, D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson (D) selected Crawford, a McDuffie staffer, to serve a portion of the former council member’s term. Crawford, whose background included a stint as a policy analyst, counted among nearly three dozen applicants. As interim council member, she introduced four bills and weighed in on policy matters during committee and legislative meetings. Most recently, during the budget deliberation cycle, she and Mendelson shaped a Budget Support Act subtitle related to RFK campus. Crawford also counted among those who crafted the District’s response to the so-called teen takeovers. As one of her council colleagues recounted, Crawford’s expertise, and fervor for equity, placed her in front of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) for an exchange of words, and ultimately the passage of an amendment to the permanent legislation. “I asked folks in the
Jul 16, 2026 · via washingtoninformer.com
It turns out that even San Francisco mayor Daniel Lurie, who once declared that the city should be a testbed for emerging tech, has his limits. Especially when that emerging tech creates a massive hours-long traffic jam that leaves thousands at a standstill. Mayor Lurie has asked state regulators to bolster rules for autonomous vehicles nearly two weeks after Waymo robotaxis became immobile in heavy July 4 traffic, ran out of power, and blocked key streets, further compounding the gridlock. The traffic jam, which trapped municipal shuttles, became a citywide problem that affected thousands of people. In his letter to the state Department of Transportation, which was viewed by TechCrunch, Lurie pointed to two events — a widespread power outage in December and the Golden Gate Bridge fireworks show on July 4 that attracted 100,000 spectators — both of which led to dozens of stranded Waymo vehicles and paralyzed traffic. The San Francisco Chronicle first reported on the letter. The events, he said in the letter, “demonstrated that California’s current regulatory framework does not adequately address how autonomous vehicles operate during major incidents, planned or not. California’s challenge now is not just whether autonomous vehicles can operate safely under normal conditions, but also whether they can perform reliably during extraordinary ones.” Lurie said autonomous vehicle manufacturers should be able to demonstrate four “core operational capabilities” and asked the California Department of Transportation to establish statewide standards to prevent future problems like the July 4 gridlock incident. Under Lurie’s vision, companies would be required to immediately remove or relocate robotaxis from active travel lanes to keep people moving and be required to be able to adapt in real time, adjusting their routes, service area, and pickup and drop-off locations. Companies would also have to share real-time operations data with local agencies,
Jul 16, 2026 · via techcrunch.com
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie Calls on State to Tighten Autonomous Vehicle Regulations After recent traffic meltdowns involving Waymo vehicles during major events, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is calling on state regulators to set new standards for autonomous vehicles. The mayor sent a letter to state Secretary of Transportation Toks Omishakin on Thursday highlighting the recent traffic jams involving Waymo cars on the Fourth of July and last year during the city’s widespread power outages. “Regulating for typical conditions is no longer enough,” Lurie wrote. “California’s challenge now is not just whether autonomous vehicles can operate safely under normal conditions, but also whether they can perform reliably during extraordinary ones.” Lurie, a moderate Democrat, has championed San Francisco as the birthplace of autonomous vehicles, which he views as a boon to the city’s local economy. But criticism after high-profile events like the Fourth of July fireworks display over the Golden Gate Bridge, when dozens of stalled Waymo vehicles delayed traffic, has led him to strike a more tempered tune around Waymo and other self-driving car companies. Lurie wrote that all autonomous vehicle companies should be able to prove they are ready for large crowds and changing traffic patterns during major events before they are deployed. “Even before the fireworks began, Waymo vehicles struggled to navigate growing volumes of vehicular traffic and pedestrians. By the end of the fireworks show, autonomous vehicles became immobilized in travel lanes, blocking key streets and ultimately bringing traffic to a standstill. Muni shuttles were trapped in the gridlock,” the letter read. The California Public Utilities Commission and Department of Motor Vehicles regulate autonomous vehicles, and while Lurie’s letter could help generate attention and pressure, he has little authority to set standards for the technology, even in his own city. The mayor’s letter comes after
Jul 16, 2026 · via kqed.org
Volkswagen's Moia is launching a pilot robotaxi service in Germany, marking another major automaker stepping deeper into the autonomous mobility arena. Moia announced Wednesday that select, preregistered Hamburg residents can now book rides in a self-driving Volkswagen ID. Buzz van through the company's app. Up to five vehicles will operate at initial launch, with the fleet expected to expand to as many as 10 cars, a Moia spokesperson told Business Insider. Each car will have a trained safety monitor behind the wheel who can intervene when necessary. The spokesperson said Moai expects future driverless operations to be handled by the company's remote operations center. The pilot will function more like an autonomous shuttle — or a shared robotaxi — than a private ride like those offered by Alphabet's Waymo. Passengers traveling in the same direction may share a vehicle, while pickups and drop-offs will take place at designated virtual stops. The service will cover about 4 square miles within Hamburg. It will gradually expand to around 14 square miles, the spokesperson said. "Registration was open to anyone with the Moia app, and several thousand people have already joined the waiting list," the Moia spokesperson said. "The strong interest highlights the demand for autonomous mobility in Hamburg." Rides will be free during the pilot. Moia said passengers will also eventually be able to book the autonomous vehicles through Hamburg's hvv switch public transit app. "Our first passengers are now experiencing autonomous mobility in Hamburg's urban traffic for the first time," Moia CEO Sascha Meyer said in a statement. "For Moia, this marks an important milestone in the development of our European solution." Moia has primarily operated a human-driven, ride-pooling service in Hamburg using electric shuttles and its own booking app. In the past several years, the company has been building an
Jul 16, 2026 · via businessinsider.com
Key Points - Tesla just started offering Robotaxi services in Miami, making Florida the second state in which the service is on offer. - Tesla is actually way behind in the robotaxi race. Tesla(NASDAQ: TSLA) has been refocusing its business on robots, aiming to ramp up production of its Optimus humanoid robot. However, this is part of a broader push for autonomous machines, including self-driving cars. As usual, CEO Elon Musk has lofty aspirations, but investors need to put them into perspective. And the recent launch of Tesla's Robotaxi services in Miami offers just the opportunity. What is Tesla offering? The Robotaxi that Elon Musk is so excited about is a self-driving car service built on the Tesla vehicle platform. It is a logical next step for Tesla's electric cars, as the company has long been working on self-driving technology. It could be a big deal, potentially eliminating the need for people to own their own cars. However, that's likely a very distant outcome. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks » Right now, Tesla is still building out its Robotaxi business. Miami, Florida, is the latest location to get access to the Robotaxi service. The only other state with Robotaxi service is Texas, where it is available in Austin, Dallas, and Houston. That's a total of four markets in two states, with one of the states being where Tesla's corporate offices are located. Tesla isn't the only one working on self-driving cars The problem is that Tesla faces fierce competition in the autonomous vehicle market. Many companies are working on the technology. For example, technology giantAlphabet(NASDAQ: GOOG) has been building out its Waymo service based
Jul 16, 2026 · via theglobeandmail.com
Vertical Aerospace and Near Earth Autonomy have signed a memorandum of understanding to bring advanced autonomous flight capability to the Valo aircraft for uncrewed defence and commercial operations. Near Earth’s autonomous flight systems are designed to integrate natively with Valo’s Honeywell Aerospace Anthem avionics, creating a lower-risk path to autonomous capability. Founded in 2012, Near Earth Autonomy has developed autonomous flight systems for the US military and Honeywell Aerospace, including optionally piloted Black Hawk helicopters and autonomous demonstrations on the Leonardo AW139. The partnership aims to pursue near-term defence opportunities while building a roadmap for increasingly automated commercial passenger services. Valo is an all-electric tiltrotor aircraft, with a hybrid-electric variant under development offering up to 1,000 miles of range and payloads of up to 1,100 kg. The hybrid-electric version’s low acoustic and thermal signatures are tailored for defence and special missions, with the platform spanning logistics, resupply, and distributed operations. Stuart Simpson, Chief Executive of Vertical Aerospace, said the partnership marked a significant step into the defence market and that Valo was designed from the outset as a multi-market platform. Dr Sanjiv Singh, Chief Executive and Co-Founder of Near Earth Autonomy, said Valo offered an exceptional base for autonomy, enabling uncrewed flight across commercial and defence applications. Source: Vertical
Jul 16, 2026 · via automotiveworld.com