The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has told autonomous vehicle developers to address safety failures that have led some driverless vehicles to interfere with emergency responders, warning that the issue is unacceptable and needs to be fixed quickly. In a letter sent Wednesday, NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said the agency has identified a "clear pattern" of autonomous vehicles driving into active emergency scenes, blocking ambulances and fire trucks, and failing to react appropriately to flashing lights, traffic cones, smoke, fire, and other emergency conditions. He said these incidents are not rare "edge cases," but point to a meaningful gap in real-world performance. NHTSA instructed developers and operators to submit their proposed solutions by the end of July. The letter does not name specific companies, but it is expected to affect robotaxi operators such as Waymo, which has previously faced incidents where first responders had to manually move its vehicles during emergencies. The agency did not outline specific penalties for noncompliance but said autonomous vehicle companies could be held to standards similar to those applied to human drivers who obstruct emergency operations. Separately, NHTSA said it is continuing work to update Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to better accommodate fully autonomous vehicles. Proposed changes could remove requirements for features such as steering wheels, pedals, windshield wipers, sun visors, and defogging systems in vehicles designed to operate without human drivers—potentially benefiting companies including Tesla and Zoox. For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com
Jul 9, 2026 · via rttnews.com
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has told autonomous vehicle developers to address safety failures that have led some driverless vehicles to interfere with emergency responders, warning that the issue is unacceptable and needs to be fixed quickly. In a letter sent Wednesday, NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said the agency has identified a "clear pattern" of autonomous vehicles driving into active emergency scenes, blocking ambulances and fire trucks, and failing to react appropriately to flashing lights, traffic cones, smoke, fire, and other emergency conditions. He said these incidents are not rare "edge cases," but point to a meaningful gap in real-world performance. NHTSA instructed developers and operators to submit their proposed solutions by the end of July. The letter does not name specific companies, but it is expected to affect robotaxi operators such as Waymo, which has previously faced incidents where first responders had to manually move its vehicles during emergencies. The agency did not outline specific penalties for noncompliance but said autonomous vehicle companies could be held to standards similar to those applied to human drivers who obstruct emergency operations.Separately, NHTSA said it is continuing work to update Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to better accommodate fully autonomous vehicles. Proposed changes could remove requirements for features such as steering wheels, pedals, windshield wipers, sun visors, and defogging systems in vehicles designed to operate without human drivers—potentially benefiting companies including Tesla and Zoox. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News July 03, 2026 16:09 ET A busy week for economic data saw the release of several reports on the labor market and the manufacturing sector. In the U.S., the jobs report for June was in focus and results of the latest ISM purchasing managers’ survey threw light on the health of the factory sector. In Europe, results
Jul 9, 2026 · via rttnews.com
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Jul 9, 2026 · via youtube.com
Waymo begins testing autonomous vehicles in Jefferson Parish KENNER, La. (WVUE) - Waymo is testing its autonomous vehicles in Orleans and Jefferson parishes, with a human still in the driver’s seat while the company works toward fully autonomous operation. Jefferson Parish Council member Arita Bohannan recorded video of one of the vehicles navigating a Kenner neighborhood after spotting it on the street. “Seeing one of those mapping vehicles rolling down the street of my neighborhood is very exciting in a way,” Bohannan said. “It’s a hint at what’s coming in the future.” Bohannan said she has not ridden in one of the vehicles but hopes Waymo invests in Jefferson Parish. She acknowledged residents have mixed emotions about the technology. “It would be exciting for any company that chooses our region to invest in,” Bohannan said. “I think that if it can work on the streets of Orleans and Jefferson Parish, it could work anywhere, right.” Safety concerns from residents Some drivers expressed concern about how the vehicles will handle construction zones and potholes. Kenner resident Claudia Wilson said she is not convinced the technology can respond quickly enough in difficult situations. “There’s some situations where us as humans are in the vehicle and it takes some serious reaction time,” Wilson said. “I don’t believe these vehicles are capable of such reactions.” Metairie resident Patrick Smith said driverless cars concern him, but he remains open to trying one. “I think I would be open to the idea,” Smith said. “I love technology so this is exciting to me.” City and regional oversight The New Orleans City Council’s Transportation Committee recently discussed the ride-share service’s future in the city. The city said Waymo is currently testing 12 vehicles in New Orleans and plans to begin autonomous testing in late 2026. The vehicles
Jul 9, 2026 · via fox8live.com
[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.] NHTSA considers ending steering wheel mandate for robotaxis Move could support Tesla and other companies developing purpose-built driverless vehicles Key Takeaways: - NHTSA is considering eliminating steering wheel requirements for vehicles designed to operate without human drivers. - The agency recently removed the mandate for brake pedals in fully autonomous vehicles. - Potential rule changes could benefit Tesla and other companies developing robotaxis. The head of the top U.S. auto safety regulator said the agency “absolutely” will consider ending requirements that driverless cars include steering wheels, a potential boon for Tesla Inc. and other robotaxi companies rethinking traditional vehicle design. “If you’re developing a vehicle that is designed never to be driven by a human operator, it doesn’t make any sense to require manual controls,” Jonathan Morrison, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said July 9 in a CNBC interview. The comments follow NHTSA’s move last month to update federal safety standards to remove the mandate for manual brake pedals in autonomous vehicles. The changes, part of an ongoing effort by the Trump administration to modernize rules for driverless cars, could ease the path for purpose-built autonomous vehicles, including Tesla’s Cybercab, a two-seat electric car that lacks a steering wheel or foot pedals. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has advocated for policy changes that would support broad commercial deployment of self-driving vehicles, including calling for a federal framework for driverless cars. The automaker, which is working to stand up a robotaxi business, has started producing Cybercabs in recent months but has yet to deploy them broadly. The robotaxi market includes a number of big-name players, including Amazon.com Inc.’s Zoox and Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo, the leading operator of paid robotaxi rides in the U.S. Morrison didn’t specify timing or
Jul 9, 2026 · via ttnews.com
Market Forecasts Show AUV Sector Growing Nearly 4x Faster Than Broader Defense Industry Average Market News Updates News Commentary NEW YORK, July 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Underwater mines have always been a nasty problem. They're cheap to deploy, hard to spot, and clearing them has traditionally meant sending a diver into the water to do it by hand — which is about as risky as it sounds. That's finally changing. Autonomous underwater vehicles, AUVs for short, are taking over mine detection work for navies around the world, and the money backing that shift is starting to add up fast. The naval mine detection UUV market alone is on track to grow from $1.87 billion this year to $3.03 billion by 2030 — and that's one of the more conservative numbers out there. Look at the AUV market more broadly and you're talking about a jump from $4.23 billion in 2025 to $14.51 billion by 2033. Some analysts think the AUV slice of the market could grow even faster than that — as much as 24.4% a year, which would make it one of the hottest corners of the whole defense-tech world. Companies on the move in the AUV/Drone industries include ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZENA), Safe Pro Group Inc. (NASDAQ: SPAI), EVEX Corp. (NYSE: AVEX), Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: RCAT), and Ondas Inc. (NASDAQ: ONDS). So why now? A few things are colliding at once. Militaries everywhere are trying to get humans out of harm's way, and AI has finally gotten good enough to make that possible — these vehicles can navigate, detect, and identify threats largely on their own instead of needing a person steering by joystick. Almost 70% of naval modernization programs happening right now involve some kind of autonomous underwater system, and mine detection is one of
Jul 9, 2026 · via prnewswire.com
Slate Auto, the EV startup backed by Jeff Bezos, has built its business around the idea of simplicity and customization. Start with a $24,950 unpainted gray electric truck with 205 miles of range — and none of the technological flair — and let the buyer customize it to their liking through vehicle wraps, decals, lighting, and other accessories. The vehicle wraps — printed vinyl film that can be applied to a car, truck, or SUV without needing to paint it — are a central component of this customization strategy with hundreds of different colors and combinations. And now Slate is adding even more through a partnership with crayon maker Crayola. Slate said Thursday it will offer five vehicle wraps that use signature Crayola colors, including Cerulean, Fern, Jersey Tomato, Razzmatazz, and Dandelion. The Crayola-color vehicle wraps cost $1,549.99, according to Slate. The company is also throwing in a matching Crayola key fob and “Slatelet,” which are custom art pieces that snap onto the dashboard, for those who opt for a crayon-colored vehicle wrap. This is not Slate’s only collaboration, although it might be the one most recognizable to children. The company is also working with NYC artist Max Kolo on a vehicle wrap. This is, however, a first for Crayola. Anna Roca, head of global partnerships at Crayola, said this is the company’s first automotive partnership. Slate wouldn’t disclose whether it’s working with other companies like Crayola to offer more vehicle wrap designs. A Slate spokesperson said in an email that “we’re excited to welcome Makers, creators, and partners over time,” suggesting that more wraps could still come. And considering the custom-heavy path Slate has taken so far, it’s easy to imagine a slew of design collabs in the future. Slate is still a newcomer in the automotive industry. The
Jul 9, 2026 · via techcrunch.com
New Jersey lawmakers are advancing a bill that would require driverless commercial vehicles to carry cameras plus two additional sensor types — a mandate Tesla’s camera-only Robotaxi can’t meet. The proposed law, S1677, would effectively lock Tesla out of the most densely populated US state unless it adds the radar and lidar hardware that Elon Musk has spent years insisting his cars don’t need. What the bill actually requires State Senator Andrew Zwicker, a physicist at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, sponsored the bill after riding in a Waymo in Phoenix. He says the legislation is about safety, not any single company. “This is not anti-Tesla. I’m pro-New Jersey safety,” Zwicker told The Verge. The bill sets up a three-year pilot program with hard requirements. Operators must equip fully driverless vehicles with cameras plus two other sensing technologies — in practice, radar and lidar. They must also complete at least 50,000 miles of supervised testing with a human safety driver in the state before removing the driver, report every crash to the state, and get official authorization before launching any commercial driverless network. The framework mirrors recommendations from SAVE-US, a nonprofit pushing for tighter oversight of autonomous vehicles. There’s a second problem for Tesla buried in the details. The bill favors keeping traditional controls like a steering wheel and pedals, which would exclude the Tesla Cybercab — a vehicle Tesla is already mass-producing with no steering wheel or pedals at all. And neighboring New York is considering a nearly identical hardware mandate. The sensor fight Tesla keeps losing on the data The whole bill comes down to how a car sees the road. Waymo, Zoox, and nearly every other serious operator run cameras, radar, and lidar together, building overlapping layers of data so that when one sensor fails, another covers
Jul 9, 2026 · via electrek.co
When Tesla entered Virginia, it challenged more than the automobile market. It challenged a century-old system built around franchised dealerships, vehicle financing, maintenance networks and long-held assumptions about vehicle ownership. What began as a dispute over how automobiles could be sold has evolved into a much larger public policy question: Is Virginia prepared for the next era of transportation? For years, Tesla’s direct-sales model collided with Virginia’s dealership laws. The Virginia Automobile Dealers Association argued that Tesla should sell vehicles through independent franchises, as every other major automaker does. Tesla countered that franchise laws were designed to regulate relationships between manufacturers and existing dealers — not companies that had never established a dealer network. After years of hearings, litigation and appeals, Virginia regulators and the courts ultimately allowed Tesla to expand. Those decisions resolved how electric vehicles could reach consumers. They did not answer the far larger question now confronting policymakers: how transportation itself may soon be delivered. Today, Virginia has become one of Tesla’s larger East Coast markets, with thousands of vehicles operating across Northern Virginia, Richmond, Hampton Roads, Charlottesville, Roanoke and even Clintwood. Those vehicles represent more than electric transportation — they form part of a rapidly growing autonomous driving network. Every mile driven helps improve Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software. Lane changes, traffic signals, construction zones, weather conditions and countless everyday driving situations become part of a constantly expanding body of real-world driving experience. Unlike Waymo, which operates within carefully mapped service areas, Tesla is pursuing a nationwide system that learns from ordinary roads driven by customers across America. That distinction changes the debate. The issue is no longer simply electric vehicles. It is whether Virginia intends to compete in the emerging autonomous transportation economy. Virginia has generally adopted a measured approach, encouraged research while gradually built a
Jul 9, 2026 · via cardinalnews.org
Police detain 2 teens after a joy ride in a Waymo in Northern California Police detain 2 teens after a joy ride in a Waymo in Northern California LOS ANGELES (AP) — Police detained two 15-year-olds who they say were drinking and shooting water beads while riding in a self-driving Waymo after the company alerted law enforcement in Northern California and remotely forced the vehicle into a parking lot, officials said. San Mateo police officers stopped and searched the vehicle Monday afternoon after a Waymo representative contacted them, department spokesperson Jeanine Luna said. Photos from a bystander shared with a local TV station showed the teens hanging out of the Waymo’s windows. Police say they determined they were drinking in the car and shooting Orbeez, which are soft, water-absorbent polymer beads, out into the streets. Waymo pulled the vehicle over into a parking lot and let officers know they were doing so. “The occupants were not locked in and had every ability to exit the vehicle,” Luna said in an email. Officers were able to communicate with a Waymo representative through the vehicle’s communication system during the stop, Luna said. The San Mateo Police Department posted about the incident on social media and warned people about underage drinking and the danger of water bead guns. The post garnered more than 150 comments, with some expressing concern about surveillance and whether it was acceptable for Waymo to deliver the teens to the police. Waymo did not respond to emailed questions about how the company was alerted to the teens’ behavior and if the teens were informed the car was being pulled over. According to a support page online, cameras inside Waymos are used to make sure cars are clean, find lost items, and provide help in case of emergency. Facial recognition
Jul 9, 2026 · via apnews.com
SINT-TRUIDEN, Belgium--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 9, 2026-- Aidoptation BV, the autonomous vehicle technology company headquartered at DronePort in Sint-Truiden, has received official approval from the Federal Public Service Mobility (FOD) and Transport and the Flemish Agency for Roads and Traffic (AWV) to conduct fully autonomous driving tests on public highways. The permit covers 100 km on the E313 and E314 highways in the province of Limburg, and marks the first time a Level 4 fully autonomous driving system will be tested at highway speeds on public roads in the European Union. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260708112110/en/ Our car driving on the highway (in manual mode). Within the global automotive industry, Level 4 is defined as autonomous driving capable of performing all driving tasks and monitoring the environment without any human intervention. This level of autonomy is distinct from the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) that have been tested by several automakers (OEMs) in the European Union, including Tesla FSD, which is classified as Level 2 requiring constant driver supervision; the human driver remains legally liable for the vehicle's actions. The testing will be conducted using the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore electric vehicle platform, which Aidoptation has equipped with LiDAR, radar, and camera sensors, as well as robotics hardware, to enable full autonomous driving at highway speeds. The permit approval is a decisive step in Aidoptation’s mission to develop life-saving autonomous driving technology for the most severe category of road accidents: high-speed crashes on motorways, where at 120 km/h a vehicle covers more than 50 meters in the 1.5 seconds it takes an average driver to react. Accidents at such speeds are rare but often result in death or severe injuries, roadway closures, and loss of property and infrastructure. Safely managing obstacles and crash-avoidance maneuvers, known as “edge-cases”
Jul 9, 2026 · via reflector.com
Aidoptation Receives Approval for First Fully Autonomous Driving Tests on Highways in the European Union Published Wednesday, July 8, 2026 | 11:32 p.m. Updated Wednesday, July 8, 2026 | 11:32 p.m. SINT-TRUIDEN, Belgium--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 9, 2026-- Aidoptation BV, the autonomous vehicle technology company headquartered at DronePort in Sint-Truiden, has received official approval from the Federal Public Service Mobility (FOD) and Transport and the Flemish Agency for Roads and Traffic (AWV) to conduct fully autonomous driving tests on public highways. The permit covers 100 km on the E313 and E314 highways in the province of Limburg, and marks the first time a Level 4 fully autonomous driving system will be tested at highway speeds on public roads in the European Union. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260708112110/en/ Our car driving on the highway (in manual mode). Within the global automotive industry, Level 4 is defined as autonomous driving capable of performing all driving tasks and monitoring the environment without any human intervention. This level of autonomy is distinct from the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) that have been tested by several automakers (OEMs) in the European Union, including Tesla FSD, which is classified as Level 2 requiring constant driver supervision; the human driver remains legally liable for the vehicle's actions. The testing will be conducted using the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore electric vehicle platform, which Aidoptation has equipped with LiDAR, radar, and camera sensors, as well as robotics hardware, to enable full autonomous driving at highway speeds. The permit approval is a decisive step in Aidoptation’s mission to develop life-saving autonomous driving technology for the most severe category of road accidents: high-speed crashes on motorways, where at 120 km/h a vehicle covers more than 50 meters in the 1.5 seconds it takes an average driver to react.
Jul 9, 2026 · via lasvegassun.com
MG has announced a technology roadmap covering a new plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain system, semi-solid-state battery integration and advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) developments, including motorway driving assistance due in late 2027. The roadmap was presented at MG Tech Day at the automaker’s UK headquarters in London on 8 July 2026. The Plug-in Hybrid+ system pairs 1.1-litre and 1.5-litre turbocharged engines with a transmission combining power-split and motor-decoupling technologies. Thermal efficiencies exceed 42% and 43% respectively; MG claims 0 to 62mph acceleration in under six seconds and a noise reduction of up to 5dB in electric mode relative to conventional PHEV designs. The MG ZS will be the first model to launch with the system, in 2027. MG has confirmed its SolidCore Battery, based on a semi-solid-state architecture, will be extended to future Plug-in Hybrid+ models. MG claims to be the first automaker to achieve mass production of semi-solid-state batteries; the first three models carrying the technology will span the B, C and D segment SUV categories. On ADAS, MG has collected more than 1.2 million kilometres of real-world European driving data across 24 countries to develop Navigate on Autopilot (NOA), a motorway driving assistance function due in a new MG SUV in late 2027. The system supports motorway entry and exit, lane selection and overtaking under continuous driver supervision; urban NOA is not expected before 2028. Level 4 robotaxi trials are separately underway in Germany, the Middle East and China. Why this matters: - Semi-solid-state at mass production scale is the headline. MG’s SolidCore deployment across three SUV segments represents commercial-scale production of next-generation battery chemistry ahead of most rivals, even if the full solid-state endpoint remains further off. - 1.2 million kilometres of European real-world data addresses a specific Chinese OEM weakness. Training ADAS algorithms on roundabouts, tram
Jul 9, 2026 · via automotiveworld.com
California is rewriting the rules of the road for driverless cars, replacing the tech industry’s “move fast and break things” era with strict accountability measures and rigid mileage hurdles. Harold Braun, executive chairman and CEO of Guident, spoke with The Robot Report about the state’s massive regulatory shift, its expansion into autonomous heavy freight, and how advanced remote monitoring and control systems are becoming the ultimate linchpin for compliance. “From what California did, it shows very clearly that California is continuing to lead the way in autonomous vehicle technology deployment,” he stated. “What happened in California at the moment is very important, is a game changer, because it opens the pathway to not only testing in a geo-fenced area, but also allowing it to happen right on a public road…. And that, of course, has implications for the developers.” Braun noted that autonomous vehicles (AVs) have clear regulatory requirements, and the safety of AVs around the general public is paramount in every region where AVs are currently being deployed. Self-driving cars and trucks carry tremendous risk to unsuspecting drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians, he acknowledged. Therefore, the government regulates when and where AVs can be on public roads. In addition, new regulations are emerging to help guide AV developers while providing the legal framework for continued development. Federal oversight of AVs is split across three distinct vehicle classes, each governed by specific regulatory frameworks: - Purpose-built AVs: These are “pure” autonomous vehicles engineered from the ground up with no steering wheels, pedals, or onboard human driver controls. This class is regulated directly by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). - Consumer passenger vehicles: Ranging from everyday Subarus to luxury Jaguars, these vehicles feature traditional driver seats and manual controls. They can be equipped with drive-by-wire systems—either factory-installed or as aftermarket
Jul 8, 2026 · via therobotreport.com
Waymo cars have been all over central San Diego for more than a year, but always with drivers at the wheel. Ready or not, that’s about to change. The company said Wednesday that Waymo vehicles will soon begin fully autonomous operations — meaning without human drivers — in four new cities, including San Diego. It will be a soft start, with rider-only operations initially offered solely for employees. Waymo, in a blog post, said only that it expects “to welcome the public soon.” Officials with the venture, which is majority owned by Alphabet, Google’s parent company, said local residents can learn when Waymo goes live to the public by downloading the app for notifications. The other new cities in Waymo’s expansion are Las Vegas, Tampa and Denver. Ten other cities and regions, including the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Dallas and Houston already offer Waymo driverless rides. Waymo is the leader among the handful of companies offering robotaxi services, an innovation that some have embraced enthusiastically, but others are wary of for safety and economic reasons. Some critics fear software glitches and erratic maneuvers that could cause wrecks, while others are concerned about the impact on the fortunes of human drivers. A San Diego councilman, Sean Elo-Rivera, in his role as a member of the regional transit board, challenged Waymo’s impending arrival, successfully persuading the board to oppose the expansion of driverless services in greater San Diego without more oversight. The board also called on the state Legislature and regulators to intervene. “No corporation should be allowed to quietly replace people with machines just to boost profits, especially without local communities having any say,” said Elo-Rivera, chair of the board’s Taxi Advisory Committee in a January news release. On the safety front, though, Waymo and other driverless vehicle services have
Jul 8, 2026 · via timesofsandiego.com
Price movement over the last 24 hours
Acadia Healthcare Company Inc vs Global X Autonomous & Electric Vehicles — how do they compare? Acadia Healthcare Company Inc trades at $30.67 (market cap $2.94B), while Global X Autonomous & Electric Vehicles trades at $35.85. The key difference: Acadia Healthcare Company Inc is trading nearer its 52-week high, Global X Autonomous & Electric Vehicles nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ACHC | DRIV | |
|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $2.94B | — |
| Sector | Health | Sector/Thematic |
| 52-Week High | $31.92 | $42.53 |
| 52-Week Low | $11.68 | $23.67 |
| Enterprise Value | $5.45B | — |
Trailing returns across standard periods
Acadia Healthcare is a leading provider of behavioral healthcare services across the US and Puerto Rico. It operates a network of psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment centers, and clinics for mental health and addiction recovery.
Read more on ACHC →DRIV invests in companies involved in autonomous driving and electric vehicle production. It tracks the Solactive Autonomous & Electric Vehicles Index, focusing on software and hardware leaders like Tesla, NVIDIA, and Microsoft.
Read more on DRIV →
Jul 8, 2026 · via pluang.com
It won't be much longer before San Diegans see Waymo's self-driving cars shuttling riders around the county. The San Francisco-based company announced Wednesday that its autonomous vehicles are ready to ditch their human babysitters and start driving on their own. An exact date was not given for when the vehicles, called the Ojai, will be available to the public, but rideshares are available now to Waymo employees in San Diego, Waymo said in a news release. Stream San Diego News for free, 24/7, wherever you are with NBC 7. Waymo cars have been spotted in San Diego before, but with specialists inside as the company worked to enhance the vehicles' abilities for local roads. They've been testing rides between Pacific Beach, Point Lima, Normal Heights and Southcrest, the company said. Once available for all, riders in San Diego — along with those in Las Vegas, Denver, Tampa and 11 other cities — can download the Waymo app to call an autonomous vehicle 24/7. "If you’re in one of these four new cities, download the app to be notified when it’s time to ride," the company said in a news release. The addition of self-driving vehicles is not welcome news for all. Rideshare drivers with the California Gig Workers Union and California state Senator Dave Cortese are behind a state Senate bill, which is still in committee, to regulate robotaxis. They say the bill is not about competition but about safety and that more regulation is needed before pushing forward. It has been five years since Waymo’s driverless ride-hailing service made its debut in Phoenix with a technology that began as a secret project within Google in 2009. Waymo spun out from Google in 2016, but the two companies remain tethered under the same corporate parent, Alphabet Inc. Local Waymo's autonomous
Jul 8, 2026 · via nbcsandiego.com
Uber drivers in Atlanta report earnings slashed in half due to AI vehicles ATLANTA - For Atlanta rideshare driver Bob Chouhan, the city streets used to represent opportunity. Now, every mile driven feels like a countdown. A year after the rollout of Waymo’s autonomous fleet, drivers say corporate tech is actively undercutting their livelihood. What we know: Some rideshare drivers in Atlanta are reporting a drastic decline in earnings as autonomous vehicles and AI algorithms take over the market. Drivers are seeing their primary source of income slashed, with some reporting that their earnings have been cut in half over the past year. The anxiety is not just about driverless cars; workers feel targeted by the very software dictating their shifts, arguing that algorithms are being maximized for corporate efficiency at the expense of human labor. The frustration has sparked a unified movement, bringing together rideshare drivers, labor advocates and community organizers to protest the rapid expansion of driverless vehicles, automation, AI and unregulated data centers. Chouhan stresses that the shift feels incredibly personal for those behind the wheel. "And we just feel that automation as well as, you know, all the technology that's coming in is actually threatening our livelihood," Chouhan explained. "And, also the AI and algorithms is actually being used, not only, as they put it to for, you know, making everything more efficient, but also to control us." Drivers argue that human workers are being intentionally sidelined by major tech companies. "Frankly speaking, I think the goal is one thing is profits over people," Chouhan explained. "No workers, no wages, and just increasing their profits. That's what it is. So, the ultimate goal is, without a shadow of doubt, to replace older workers." What they're saying: When reached for comment, an Uber spokesperson referred to a
Jul 8, 2026 · via fox5atlanta.com
TL;DR NHTSA issued a directive demanding AV developers fix first responder interference by end of July. It cited vehicles blocking ambulances and ignoring flares. The agency cited a "clear pattern" of AVs blocking ambulances, ignoring flashing lights, and driving into active emergency scenes. No penalties were specified. NHTSA issued a directive demanding AV developers fix first responder interference by end of July. It cited vehicles blocking ambulances and ignoring flares. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a directive on Wednesday demanding autonomous vehicle developers present solutions to a “clear pattern” of driverless vehicles interfering with first responders and law enforcement. Administrator Jonathan Morrison said vehicles have driven into active emergency scenes, blocked ambulances and firefighters, and failed to recognise flashing lights, flares, smoke, fire, and traffic cones. “Let me be clear: the inability to detect and appropriately respond to such situations represents a functional insufficiency,” Morrison wrote. “Emergency scenes are not rare or extreme ‘edge cases.’” The agency has demanded AV developers present their solutions by the end of July. The letter does not name specific companies, but the details point toward Waymo, which operates the largest robotaxi fleet in the US. A TechCrunch investigation found at least six incidents through March in which first responders had to physically take control of Waymo vehicles during emergencies. In one case, an officer was responding to a mass shooting. In June, an officer moved a Waymo to unblock a road for first responders heading to a natural gas explosion at an apartment building. Waymo’s robotaxis also stalled and caught fire during July 4 fireworks, highlighting the operational challenges autonomous vehicles face in unpredictable real-world conditions. The letter does not specify penalties if companies fail to comply, but implies accountability by noting that human drivers who impede emergency operations face fines and
Jul 8, 2026 · via thenextweb.com
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a directive Wednesday to autonomous vehicle (AV) developers, stating that it is unacceptable for their vehicles to interfere with first responders or law enforcement. Morrison noted in the letter that the agency has “identified a clear pattern of driverless AVs interfering with law enforcement and other first responders,” citing instances in which these vehicles drove into active emergency scenes, blocked the paths of ambulances and firefighters, or failed to recognize and respond to basic safety conditions like flashing lights, flares, smoke, fire, and traffic cones. The agency has demanded that AV developers present their “solutions” to this problem by the end of the month. “Let me be clear: the inability to detect and appropriately respond to such situations represents a functional insufficiency,” Morrison’s letter reads. “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.” The agency doesn’t explicitly call out any particular company in the letter; however, the details suggest it is directed at robotaxi operators like Waymo. Waymo declined to comment. A previous TechCrunch investigation found that Waymo — which operates the largest robotaxi fleet in the United States, with vehicles in cities including Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco — has had repeated run-ins with first responders. In at least six incidents identified by TechCrunch through March of this year, first responders had to take control of Waymo vehicles and move them out of traffic during emergency situations. In one instance, an officer was in the middle of responding to a mass shooting. In June, an officer was recorded moving a Waymo to unblock a roadway for first responders headed to a natural gas
Jul 8, 2026 · via techcrunch.com