Apple has over 200 people testing self-driving cars

Apple appears to be gradually accelerating its self-driving car program and now has over 200 people testing its vehicles.

Data from the California DMV (via macReports) indicates that Apple has 201 people testing autonomous driving features on public roads. Apple currently has a fleet of 67 vehicles.

The overall size of Apple’s self-driving fleet hasn’t changed much since 2021 but its number of testers is gradually increasing. Apple added 51 testers in 2022 and an...

23 March 2023 | AI

Amazon’s robotaxis hit the streets of California

Robotaxis from Amazon’s self-driving vehicle biz Zoox are now on the streets of California.

Zoox’s vehicles are purpose-built for autonomous driving and do not feature any manual controls.

The company’s full-time employees are the first to take advantage of the autonomous shuttle service.

Jesse Levinson, Co-Founder and CTO of Zoox, commented:

“Getting to be the world’s first passenger in a robotaxi with no manual controls on open public...

14 February 2023 | Applications

Oxbotica raises $140M to expand its B2B autonomous vehicle platform

B2B autonomous vehicle platform developer Oxbotica has raised a further $140 million.

The Oxford-based firm plans to use the funds to advance its goal of creating “universal autonomy” around the world.

Paul Newman, CTO and a Founder of Oxbotica, said:

“Oxbotica was founded eight years ago on the vision of Universal Autonomy—providing safe and sustainable autonomy that is independent of workplace and vehicle type.

With the greatest engineering...

11 January 2023 | Connected Vehicles

Uber launches hailing of Motional robotaxis in Las Vegas

Uber users in Las Vegas can now hail Motional’s robotaxis for autonomous trips around Sin City.

“Today, Motional becomes the first AV company to conduct all-electric autonomous rides on the Uber network for public passengers,” said Akshay Jaising, Motional’s VP of Commercialisation. 

The vehicles used for the rides will be adapted Hyundai IONIQ 5 electric cars. Motional, it’s worth noting, is a joint venture between Hyundai and...

7 December 2022 | Connected Vehicles

Waymo launches 24/7 autonomous ride-hailing service in San Francisco

Alphabet subsidiary Waymo has launched San Francisco’s first 24/7 fully-autonomous ride-hailing service.

Earlier this month, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) granted Waymo a permit to participate in the state’s pilot initiative to provide “driverless” autonomous vehicle (AV) passenger service to the public.

“We are seeing momentum build in this space and are working to assure the safe expansion of the driverless pilot program,” said CPUC...

21 November 2022 | AI

Intel’s self-driving firm Mobileye files for an IPO

Intel-owned self-driving firm Mobileye has filed for an IPO (Initial Public Offering).

Mobileye was acquired by Intel for $15.3 billion in 2017 and specialises in developing chips and software for autonomous driving and driver-assistance systems.

Intel reportedly expected Mobileye to be valued at $50 billion but is now anticipating somewhere around $30 billion due to global economic uncertainties.

Mobileye’s filing with the SEC highlights steady revenue...

3 October 2022 | Connected Vehicles

Cruise is expanding its robotaxi trials to Arizona and Texas

California-based autonomous driving firm Cruise has announced that it’s expanding pilots of its robotaxis to Arizona and Texas.

https://twitter.com/kvogt/status/1569419156063408128

Cruise, which is owned by General Motors, launched driverless rides in San Francisco back in February. The announcement this week marks the first expansion of Cruise’s service.

Our team is going from zero footprint in Austin (no test vehicles or maps) to driverless...

13 September 2022 | Connected Vehicles

Cruise offers free robotaxi trips in San Francisco without backup drivers

Self-driving vehicle service Cruise is offering free public robotaxi trips in San Francisco without backup drivers.

The free trips will use Cruise’s fleet of retrofitted Chevrolet Bolt vehicles that includes Poppy and Tostada. These vehicles are ‘Level 4’ meaning they’re fully driverless and don't require a backup driver but still feature a steering wheel, pedals, mirrors and everything required for manual control.

Cruise was granted approval to test its...

2 February 2022 | Connected Vehicles

AutoX wins the race to build China’s first Level 4 robotaxi production line

Alibaba-backed AutoX has won the race to build the first Level 4 robotaxi production line in China.

Level 4 “mind off” driverless vehicles are fully autonomous and can handle complex urban driving situations. However, a human driver must be available and in a fit state to take control if required. If the human driver does not respond appropriately to a request to intervene, a Level 4 vehicle must be capable of pulling over safely.

AutoX has gained international...

22 December 2021 | Connected Vehicles

Amazon’s self-driving vehicle brand Zoox to begin Seattle tests

Amazon’s self-driving vehicle brand Zoox will soon hit the streets of Seattle following tests in Las Vegas and the Bay Area.

Zoox has been testing its vehicles for over four years, but every city is unique.

“Our goal isn’t to change mobility in a few states; we want to reimagine transportation for the whole world,” explains Zoox in its announcement. ”To do that, we have to prepare for unfamiliar roads and novel conditions.”

‘Hello,...

19 October 2021 | Connected Vehicles