Everyone needs to get around. How we do it will change more over the next decade than it has in the last century. Legacy automakers, like Ford and GM, are scrambling to become technology-savvy companies, and the tech industry is trying to cash in on the change. New players, like Rivian and Tesla, are disrupting the industry and sometimes stumbling. We look at how self-driving hardware and software make the automobile better or, in some cases, deeply flawed. We cut through the hype and empty promises to tell you what’s really happening and what we think is coming. Verge Transportation cares about all moving machines and the place they have in the future.
The discount air carrier canceled all flights, leaving travelers and employees in the lurch.
The Chinese vacuum company has automotive aspirations, but its claims of rocket-boosted acceleration don’t add up.
Di Jin says the robo taxi took off with his luggage still in the trunk. But the real issue is how the company handled the issue. First, it told him the cab couldn’t be turned around to return his items, then it tried to charge him for shipping.
While Apple TV broadcasts F1 action from Miami over the next few days, a throwback celebrating the company’s 50th birthday will be on two 963s run by Porsche Penske Motorsport competing in an IMSA event at Laguna Seca. They probably don’t have CarPlay inside, but the look is a reference to one that started running on a Porsche back in 1980.
No courtroom updates today, but we have updated our rundown of the evidence with the latest exhibits added in Elon v. Musk, including details of the donated Tesla Model 3s.
Several outlets are reporting that the demise of the ultra-low-cost carrier is imminent, after Spirit failed to secure a lifeline from the Trump administration. As our aviation correspondent Darryl Campbell reported last week, the loss of Spirit is likely to drive already soaring airfares even higher.
[New York Times]
California cops will now be allowed to give tickets to self-driving cars for traffic violations, raising some interesting philosophical questions.
stable_genius_hatter:
Do androids dream of electric driving school?
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Emergency response officials from San Francisco and Austin met with regulators from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in a private meeting last month to clear the air about robotaxis, according to a recording obtained by Wired. Waymo vehicles are “freezing” in front of fire stations and committing more traffic violations, the officials said. Waymo declined to attend the meeting.
For the first time, the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles approved new regulations allowing for the testing and deployment of heavy-duty autonomous trucks. The agency also expanded its current rules to allow law enforcement to cite operators for moving violations involving their autonomous vehicles. AV companies are also now required to respond to first responder calls within 30 seconds, and to allow officials to clear AVs from emergency zones.
Do air taxis sound like ‘leaves in the wind’?
Eight months after the iOS app launched, Tesla has released an Android version of its Robotaxi app. The service expanded to Houston and Dallas last week, but still seems to only have a small number of vehicles actually on the road.
[Google Play]
We already reported that Geely, which also owns Volvo and Polestar, is the Chinese automaker best positioned to sell its vehicles in the US. Now the company is reportedly in talks with Ford about that exact possibility — though it seems that negotiations have already stalled. Ford is considering licensing Geely’s tech for its own cars, but there are heavy restrictions on Chinese software in US vehicles.
[Wall Street Journal]
It’s slightly smaller than the full Cayenne EV, and costs a little bit less, with a starting price of $116,000 that can be specced all the way up to $170,000 for the top trim. It can do 0-60mph in 2.4 seconds while putting out 1,141 horsepower. And it’s 113 kWh battery offers up to 350 miles of range, with a peak charging speed of 400 kW.
The Amazon-owned company is testing robotaxi rides with employees as passengers to and from the Las Vegas airport. The plan is to offer the service publicly in the near future. But as many have noted, it may be tough going in a vehicle without any dedicated storage space for luggage.
The ultra-low-cost carrier may soon disappear, taking 5 percent of domestic flights and 15,000 jobs with it. That will impact the way millions of people fly.
If you haven’t learned enough about John Ternus, this WSJ profile has a note about his race car hobbies, and a pic from his college yearbook.
Uber lost the first of thousands of cases seeking to hold it responsible for sexual misconduct tied to its services. Similar to ongoing social media trials, these cases are bellwethers that could later inform a broader settlement. Uber spokesperson Matt Kallman told The Times it has “strong grounds for appeal.”
[The New York Times]
The storm struck Friday evening, causing damage to one of the buildings in Rivian’s facility. A photo posted on Reddit showed the inside of Building 2 with the roof partially collapsed. No one was injured, and in an email to staff, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said the building will be back up and running this week:
While Building 2 has sustained damage and is closed for the time being as we complete our assessments, I am incredibly relieved to share that there were no injuries at our plant. We anticipate resuming operations in Building 2 this week. Operations at other facilities continue as planned.
Pilots have apparently been meowing and barking at each other over air traffic control radio, but the Federal Aviation Administration isn’t amused by the bit. Some in the industry fear pilots will tune out the jokes and miss timely safety information, according to CNN.
[The New York Times]
According to Autotrader data spotted by The Guardian, new EVs now cost on average £785 (about $1,065) less than gas cars. The UK’s EV grant, its zero-emission vehicle mandate, and more competition from brands like BYD have helped drive down prices, reducing a major barrier to EV adoption.
Reporting from Bloomberg on how many Cybertrucks Elon’s other companies have been buying:
SpaceX, the Musk-led rocket and satellite maker, accounted for 1,279 — or more than 18% — of the 7,071 Cybertrucks registered in the US during the fourth quarter, according to registration data that S&P Global Mobility provided to Bloomberg News. The billionaire’s other ventures acquired another 60 vehicles during those months.
The Infinite Machine Olto is fast, fun, and futuristic. I’m just not entirely sure what it is.
The company said today its robotaxis in the two Florida cities would be available to anyone using its ridehail app. Waymo typically invites select riders on a rolling basis before opening up its service to anyone with the app. The company take riders on Miami’s freeways, so routes could be a little quicker than usual.
