11.31 - Cpuc yes
Click or tap if you trust this link.">Saturday, August 12, 2023 31st edition of the 11th year of SmartDrivingCars eLetter
Robotaxis: California Regulators OK 24/7 Self-Driving Car Expansion in San Francisco
M. Kupfer & I. Mojadad, Aug. 10, "San Francisco will enter a new era of driverless cars—whether residents and city leaders like it or not—after the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) gave autonomous vehicle companies Cruise and Waymo the green light for unlimited expansion on Thursday.
In a 3-1 vote, the commission ruled to allow the companies to operate across the city 24/7 and charge passengers for the ride.
Commission President Alice Reynolds and commissioners Darcie Houck and John Reynolds voted in favor of resolutions allowing the companies to expand their operations. Commissioner Genevieve Shiroma opposed the resolution, saying that the CPUC lacked sufficient information to evaluate the safety of autonomous vehicles and their impact on first responders.
Driverless Cruise and Waymo cars have long circulated through San Francisco and even ferried passengers through the city streets. But, until now, their operations have remained limited.
Cruise has been allowed to charge fares for rides between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and offer free rides at all other times. Waymo has only been allowed to charge for rides with a human safety driver in the vehicle.
Now both companies will be able to grow their operations in San Francisco....
A Long Meeting With Passionate Comments:
Thursday's session started at 11 a.m., with the commission hearing hours of public comment and ultimately voting on two resolutions to allow Cruise and Waymo to operate across the city 24/7 and charge passengers for rides.
A long line of supporters and opponents waited on Van Ness Avenue to enter the commission building ahead of the meeting.
.…." Read more
Hmmmm… Listening to almost 4 hours of one-minute public comments from those in-house @ the CPUC meeting, I was deeply moved by the challenges and acute mobility needs facing many San Franciscans. While it's true that a segment of the community can drive themselves or afford, without a second thought, to just pull out their cell-phone to receive instantaneous gratification via Limo/taxi/Uber/Lyft, there is a significant population that continues to be overlooked. And as I have been saying over and over again, part of the incredible potential of driverless is to provide everyone with safe and affordable means of getting from point A to point B.
I also heard substantial fear in the public comments. Fear of marginalization ("I use a wheelchair; how can a driverless vehicle be useful to me?"), fear of unemployment ("I have been working as a taxi/Uber/Lyft driver for years. How will I feed my family if driverless cars expand service?"), and safety fears (collisions, interference with emergency vehicles). These fears are real and important to address. So what I cannot fathom is why the PR departments of Waymo, Cruise, etc. are not doing a better job educating the public. I understand why The San Francisco Standard, WSJ, and any for-profit media repeatedly highlights slick, easy stories (at the best) and click-bait at the worst to elicit emotional responses and continued readership, but where is the professional journalism? Nuanced, thoughtful reporting exists, but is seriously overshadowed by the glib (like today's sensationalized non-news about sex in mobility systems.). Where are the discussions about how driverless car companies are not trying to eliminate taxi services or put working people out of business or neglect the physical mobility needs of many riders, but instead are seeking to be one of many mobility choices? Where are serious investigations of what current car companies and law makers are doing to address human misbehavior in typical cars - texting/distracted driving, driving while under the influence, jay walking, speeding, tailgating, and any other number of unlawful activities that imperil us? How do, say, last year's avoidable collisions that resulted from driver misbehavior compare with all driverless "misbehaviors" of the past 5 years? I implore those who are interested in technology, public safety, environmentalism, smart cities, and mobility rights, to spend the necessary time to consider the actual potential societal benefits that driverless vehicles might afford and to collaborate in designing safe, equitable, affordable systems that benefit the collective.
OK, rant over, climbing down off that particular soap box.... :-)
Once the proceedings allowed remote comments, I contributed a one minute summary of the following, which I submitted in writing:
Public Comment to the California Public Utility Commission, August 10, 2023
by
Dr. Alain L. Kornhauser, Princeton University
My name is Alain Kornhauser. I am Professor of Operations Research & Financial Engineering at Princeton University, and Faculty Chair of its Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering activities. The application of automation to improve mobility and quality of life in cities has been the hallmark of my career as a teacher and researcher, which started in January 1971. I am about to start my 52nd year at Princeton.
I speak today in support of the deployment of safe, affordable, equitable, sustainable, and high-quality mobility to improve the lives of all San Franciscans. Such mobility is not widely available today, neither in San Francisco nor anywhere else in the world.
It can be delivered only through the deployment of vehicles that remove the high cost of the driver, which represents more than 50% of the cost of a ride, whether it is in a taxi or a bus.
Operation of driverless mobility has been demonstrated by Cruise and Waymo. They have shown that vehicles without drivers can deliver safe demand-responsive rides 24/7, but thus far have focused only on the technical solution, not on the real value to society.
Affordability is the real value proposition, because the cost, at scale, for driverless mobility is really inexpensive, especially in comparison with the true cost of a driver to wait around to be summoned, then to get to a customer, and finally to give that customer a ride.
Ride sharing further cuts the cost in half, which I strongly recommend that you endorse.
This low cost of giving a ride can enable a fare structure that supports a profitable operation that is attractive to all but the very poorest residents, for whom free service could readily be afforded by philanthropy.
We find that on a typical day, San Franciscans would like to take about 2.1 million personTrips that originate and terminate in this 7-by-7, 49 square mile city. Each is longer than a 10 minute walk (one-half mile). The average length is 2.9 miles; the 90th percentile is 5.4 miles, and the longest is 8.5 miles.
We estimate that roughly 50% of these trips can and are taken by people who have the wherewithal to drive themselves. Of the other 50%, less than 10% take transit/taxi/Uber/Lyft/Limo. The rest "get a ride" from a family member or friend or many don't go because they can't get or can't afford a ride.
The biggest societal reason for the CPUC to approve this service is the improved quality-of-life that driverless mobility services can deliver to those who can't afford a ride, can't get a ride from a family member, or who find themselves in the unenviable situation of having to ask for a ride from a neighbor or stranger. (Another substantial benefit comes from reducing the dead-heading that is incurred by taking someone someplace and then having to go back and pick them up.)
We believe that a well-managed fleet serving these customers can achieve vehicle productivities of 100 personTrips/day, with Average Vehicle Occupancies of 2.0, total costs of under $0.85 per personTrip mile, and a break-even fare, without subsidy, of $2.43 per personTrip.
A fleet of 5,000 vehicles could readily serve 500,000 personTrips or 25% of the daily San Franciscan personTrips (excluding tourists).
With respect to impact on labor, by far the largest elimination of driving by humans is to the family and friends who would have given most of the rides that would switch to this service.
Those who now use taxi/Uber/Lyft/Limo can largely afford those services today and will likely continue to use those services.
Those customers who are conveniently served by public transit will continue to use public transit.
Moreover, there may not be any loss of existing jobs, while many new jobs are going to be created to maintain and oversee driverless vehicles that will enhance the quality of life for all members of the community, especially those who, today, do not have access to affordable high-quality mobility.
Most relieved are the family members and friends now giving the many rides.
In summary, this is why I believe the City of San Francisco should approve the 7x7 deployment of driverless vehicles.
1. They are the best way to provide high-quality mobility to the large percentage of the population who cannot drive or who cannot afford to own a car and drive themselves. Taxis are too expensive, and public transportation does not serve their needs to get where they need to go when they need to get there.
2. Improved mobility for those who are unserved today means that more people can get to jobs, health care, educational opportunities, and all the services that improve people's lives.
3. Making good transportation affordable is better than using tax money to subsidize transportation solutions that do not meet the needs of the city's citizens.
4. Driverless vehicle technology employs all of the sensing equipment that is making cars safer than they have ever been. Driverless vehicles are already well on the way to being ready to deliver safe rides within urban areas. With the proper guidelines in place for where, when, and how these cars can operate, they will become even safer.
Thank you... " Alain
SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 330 / PodCast 330 CPUC decision
F. Fishkin, Aug. 12, "Robotaxi service in San Francisco gets the green light from the California PUC. Princeton's Alain Kornhauser outlines his testimony, where services go from here and more on episode 330 of Smart Driving Cars with co-host Fred Fishkin. Plus...the big UPS contract, Tesla and the continuing efforts develop automatic emergency braking that works.
- 0:00 open0:22California PUC okays around the clock robotaxi service in San Francisco14:50Alain hearing statement to California PUC in support of the deployment20:23More on the benefits of safe, affordable, driverless mobility and thoughts on how best to deploy29:00Robotaxi operators should be able to deny service to riders who misbehave34:24Coverage of the robotaxi issues needs to change. Too much clickbait.41:00Ride hailing model not the right focus45:07New UPS contract has created lots of demand for jobs there….but…48:30Reports and video of Tesla vehicles on autopilot crashing into police and the automatic emergency braking issue1:02:27How can automatic emergency braking be improved?
- 0:00 open
- 0:25 Tampa to use Tesla Model Ys for new mobility service. Shaun Drinkard Tampa Downtown Partnership.
- 15:06 former Florida State Senator Jeff Brandes on the Tampa DASH project
- 18:41 Cathie Wood speaking at up Florida Automated Vehicles Summit
- 30:00 WSJ headline: America's Most Tech Forward City Has Doubts About Self Driving Cars
- 32:47 Slate headline: As Cruise Expands to Los Angeles, Self Driving's Breakout Moment Has Arrived
- 33:29 Brandes on what AV activities are going on now in Florida
- 36:40 Cruise reaches union agreement with electrical and janitorial workers in San Francisco
- 37:25 Luminar AI push
- 40:02 NuView plans space based LiDAR to map earth in 3D
- 40:35 On the Tesla Front.. Highland production, Pepsi Tesla Semis and Texas Tesla customers are being offered unlimited overnight charging for 25 dollars a mon"
- 0:00 open
- 0:50 Overview of Holman
- 1:50 Fleet business expanding in robots, etc.
- 3:00 role of autonomy and investment in autonomous trucking firm, Gatik
- 5:44 future of cars, driving, dealerships
- 9:00 Types of start-ups that are of interest
- 10:20 Decision to go outside company to find worthwhile technology
- 11:30 upcoming book from Alain and Michael Sena focused on new mobility
- 14:00 Continuing reinvention necessary
- 15:30 Scott Wingo, CEO of Spiffy, app-based mobile auto repair and washing
- 17:00 What is Spiffy doing that competitors aren't
- 19:50 Growth of service area and franchising
- 0:00 open
- 0:37 SF Standard takes Taxi Worker's Alliance Board member for Waymo ride and he says he felt "extra safe"
- 09:40 Waymo focusing efforts on ride hailing
- 20:00 Cruise expanding to Nashville and more
- 21:10 Wired report on legal saga of Uber fatal crash coming to end
- 28:45 TorqueNews report on Musk confirming Tesla FSD v12 Alpha using new single AI model
- 33:15 SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch36:25GM launching Hands Free Eyes On education program
- 39:56 The Verge reports driverless car legislation still stuck in neutral
- 49:03 Alain adds one more pitch for new mobility in NJ"
- 0:00 open
- 0:30 Alain editorial on Cruise and Waymo passing the Turing (Kornhauser) Test..proof of technology
- 2:20 Super impressed with accomplishments of Cruise and Waymo10:10More on "Turing" test
- 15:46 Continuing battle for acceptance of robotaxis in San Francisco
- 26:30 Now need Proof of Market for robotaxis
- 38:14 Cruise takes out ads while Waymo posts about faulty human drivers
- 46:15 U.S. News reports from TRB on new self driving regulations coming
- 57:30 VW begins autonomous ID.Buzz rides in Munich
- 0:00 F. Fishkin, June 20, "What were the takeaways when a Nissan Leaf owner picks up a Model 3 from a Hertz rental counter? Ken Pyle, managing editor of Viodi, tells us first hand. Plus more on Tesla, Mobileye, Cruise and Waymo and an interactive data visualization demo on mobility demand from Princeton student Bryce Rasmussen. Episode 322 of Smart Driving Cars.open0:50Ken Pyle…a Nissan Leaf owner…on experience with Tesla Model 3 rental21:29Mobility needs unmet in Little Rock, Arkansas?26:00Princeton student Bryce Rasmussen demos software he has worked on that can show mobility logistical needs on the fly. A MOVES Interactive Data Visualization.1:10:33Mobileye blog post on new taxonomy for automated driving1:12:24Brad Templeton Forbes piece.. Is the Personal Self Driving Car for City Streets a False Early Dream?1:14:03Fleet News.. Connected and Autonomous Vehicles are Here..but What Does That Mean for Fleets?1:14:50More Tesla news.. Supercharger Monitoring System… Hyundai looking at Tesla charging standard.. and Model Y second only to Ford 150 as best selling vehicle overall in U.S..1:20:25Waymo brings customer to Costco..SmartDrivingCarsZoomCast 321/PodCast 321A look at the innovative Cruise OriginF. Fishkin, June 14, "A look at the innovative Cruise Origin from CARTS Mobility's Jerry He, dissecting the market for autonomous mobility, Tesla's rocket ride and more. Join Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for episode 321 of Smart Driving Cars.0:00open0:25CARTS Mobility gets look at Cruise Origin at Axios event05:15Dissecting the market for autonomous mobility and more10:50Inside EVs headline on Cruise not blocking responders in San Francisco14:45Alain will have more to say in upcoming book he is co-authoring with Michael Sena20:38Ken Pyle at Viodi posts on mobility need in Little Rock26:17Toyota Mobility Foundation backing sustainable Cities Challenge28:24I-95 Philadelphia closure
- 31:30 More n moility in cities42:15Tesla shares have rocketed45:10Uer reportedly launching peer to peer vehicle sharing
- 0:00 F. Fishkin, June 2, "NHTSA begins the rule process to require automatic emergency braking that works even at highway speeds. That and more on episode 320 of Smart Driving Cars. Guest Roger Lanctot, director Automotive Connect Mobility, Global Automotive Practice at TechInsights joins Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin.open00:53NHTSA proposing rule requiring automatic emergency braking for passenger cars and light trucks39:20NHTSA remains without a confirmed administrator42:35NHTSA criticized for moving too slowly in Inspector General report50:29NHTSA ends investigation of Tesla in vehicle gaming and value of over the air updates1:00:40Takeaways from conference in Israel1:09:45ARS Technica piece The Death of Self Driving Cars has Been Greatly Exxagerated -Alex Roy1:13:26Einride to deploy in UAE1:17:19The best market for autonomous technology
- 0:00 open1:00vehicle to vehicle communications21:30Catalytic converter theft could have been prevented34:30The EV energy issue46:00Zoox self certification1:03:23Guest author in Musings section1:04:30Tesla Model Y global sales leader and what to make of Tesla data leak1:10:25Neuralink brain computer interface trials coming1:11:35Uber adding Waymo vehicles to its appSmartDrivingCarsZoomCast 318/PodCast 318F. Fishkin, May 19, "On episode 318 of Smart Driving Cars: Futurist Chunka Mui says don't fall for the hype on generative AI...but don't be complacent. Plus the Mobileye deal with Porsche, Tesla's driver monitoring, Elon's CNBC interview and headlines from Waymo, Cruise and Lyft. Join Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for the latest.0:00open0:30Futurist Chunka Mui says don't fall for the hype on generative AI.. and don't be complacent12:44Mobileye deal with Porsche15:30Tesla makes driver monitoring more strict22:13Elon Musk CNBC interview wide ranging25:16Tesla robotaxis..coming or not?27:26Waymo/Cruise robotaxis to charge in SF28:45Brad Templeton piece on robotaxis36:15Lyft discontinues shared rides44:00Even investors seem bored with autonomous cars46:00Army moves forward with autonomous vehicle transport48:15EcoMotion Week conference coming in IsraelSmartDrivingCarsZoomCast 317/PodCast 317F. Fishkin, May 12, "Smart Driving Cars episode 317 Waymo, Cruise, Elon and more. Join Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for the latest on autonomy, mobility and more.0:00open0:30Waymo expands robotaxi service6:26Lyft shares struggle10:45GM Cruise expanding service in Texas17:30Neighborhoo18:45Time to go beyond proof of technology23:52Nuro pulls back25:55And TuSimple threatened with delisting26:40Consumer Reports' Chris Harto on can the grid handle EVs32:13Elon Musk finds new CEO for Twitter33:00Musk's Boring Company expanding operations in Las Vegas37:12Princeton Smart Driving Cars Summit postponed, EcoMotion taking place in Tel AvivSmartDrivingCarsZoomCast 316/PodCast 316w/Grayson Brultye, CEO,The Road to AutonomyF. Fishkin, May 3, "Grayson Brulte, head of The Road to Autonomy, selects S&P Dow Jones to be the custom calculations agent for indices. He joins Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin to discuss that plus the outlook for autonomous mobility and industry, trucking and more. Plus the latest Smart Driving Cars Summit news. Tune in and subscribe.0:00open0:49Grayson Brulte Road to Autonomy selects S&P Dow Jones for new indices.2:57Autonomy will drive growth for range of companies and industries9:05Perception that it has been a rough year for companies in the space11:00What about using the technology to provide mobility for all?26:46Princeton Smart Driving Cars Summit hits logistics challenges29:45Jalopnik reports on autonomous cars getting in way of emergency responders33:55Kodiak says it will have autonomous truck in fleet next year35:46Will autonomous trucks cost jobs?38:15Grayson invokes elevator analogySmartDrivingCarsZoomCast 315/PodCast 315w/Michael Sena,Editor of The DispatcherF. Fishkin, April 27, "There's a new book on the way from Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and Michael Sena, publisher of The Dispatcher. Plus, Alain on what was learned from the SpaceX Starship launch, Cruise is now offering driverless transportation around the clock in San Francisco and more details on this spring's Princeton Smart Driving Cars Summit.0:00open0:49Alain thoughts on his being there for the inaugural Starship launch and what was learned5:55The Dispatcher publisher Michael Sena on new book coming co-authored with Alain on Mobility for the Non-mobile and what will be coming at the May Smart Driving Cars Summit14:14Alain experiences lack of mobility in Texas for the Starship launch.22:20Changes coming after The Dispatcher reader poll26:50New pollution guidelines from the EU and the EPA 40: 30 Musings section of The Dispatcher has guest author this month42:30Cruise self driving taxis now operating around the clock in San Francisco44:44Cruise meanwhile had loss of 561 million dollars in last quarter48:00Michael on evolution of buses56:35More on the upcoming Princeton Smart Driving Cars Summit57:30Motortrend reports BYD says self driving technology "basically impossible".SmartDrivingCarsZoomCast 314/PodCast 314Starship LaunchF. Fishkin, April 20, "A step towards our journey to Mars. And it relates to mobility. Princeton's Alain Kornhauser was there for the inaugural launch of #Starship from Starbase in Texas. His thoughts on the achievement by SpaceX and Elon Musk as Alain joins co-host Fred Fishkin for episode 314 of Smart Driving Cars.SmartDrivingCarsZoomCast 313/PodCast 313F. Fishkin, April 15, "Some praise for Cruise and the voluntary recall, a battle for Waymo and Aurora, Didi Robotaxis, Tesla, Space X and the coming Princeton Smart Driving Cars Summit. All in episode 313 of Smart Driving Cars with Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin.0:00open1:00Cruise recall11:00Jalopnik report on Waymo problems with San Francisco fog15:00Didi Robotaxis20:45TWU opposing waiver for Waymo and Aurora24:12EPA unveils new standards pushing EVs32:00Tesla Daily32:43Upcoming Princeton Smart Driving Cars Summit46:30SpaceX readies Starship48:30Musk launching new AI companySmartDrivingCarsZoomCast 312/PodCast 312w/Helen Pen,GM of Baidu Apollo Autonomous Driving USAF. Fishkin, April 3, "#Baidu#Apollois now operating in three cities in China including Beijing, providing fully driverless rides to passengers. Helen Pan, GM of Baidu Apollo Autonomous Driving USA joins Alain and and Fred and Jerry He of CARTS to discuss the progress and plans. Join us for the wide ranging discussion plus the latest on the upcoming 6th Annual Smart Driving Cars Summit! For more information about the 6th#SmartDrivingCarsSummit:https://www.cartsmobility.com/summit0:00open1:10Helen Pan outlines status of Baidu's autonomous mobility efforts in China3:50Pan says Baidu Apollo has paying customers11:52Alain asks how Baidu is operating the services21:07What are hours of operation and where are vehicles able to operate28:14Pan outlines advantages of autonomous mobility and the business model50:38Helen on Apollo going Open Source with Apollo Open Platform55:00Apollo's hardware & software integration + OEM partnerships58:00Who will operated the service?1:01:006th Annual Smart Driving Cars Summit is approaching1:03:20Alain on object of summitSmartDrivingCarsZoomCast 311/PodCast 311w/Michael Sena,Editor of The DispatcherF. Fishkin, March 30, "With Elon Musk and others joining the Future of Life Institute in calling for a pause in AI development, what's next? The Dispatcher publisher Michael Sena joins Alain Kornhauser and Fred Fishkin from Sweden to discuss that plus a freeze on ICE, Ford, Bill Gates and more. Episode 311 of Smart Driving Cars.0:00open0:45Future of Life Institute calls for pause in further development of AI27:00EU Big 3 Countries want to freeze the ICE ban37:00Mind your own business but know who your customer really is.. railroads, cars.. mobility1:04:00 upcoming Smart Driving Cars Summit1:04:30Ford CEO says new electric truck will allow you to nap, use phone, on highways in good weather1:04:57Bill Gates posts about going for a ride in a self-driving vehicle in the U.K.SmartDrivingCarsZoomCast 310/PodCast 310F. Fishkin, March 24, "Where does autonomous mobility go from here? Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin explore...plus Ford's EV losses, SMART grants fail to fund autonomous mobility, Waymo, drones & more.0:00open0:35Princeton basketball1:25More thoughts in aftermath of ITU 2023 Future Networked Car ."Symposium. Where does autonomous mobility go from here?29:26SMART grants from DOT fail to fund autonomous mobility31:55Ford's EV losses32:57Ford updates on BlueOval City mega site in West Tennessee4:46Waymo takes on task of writing the safety case for Avs. Alain emphasizes that companies shouldn't compete on safety39:25The Street headline… Four reasons self driving cars, not drones, will deliver your packages.SmartDrivingCarsZoomCast 309/PodCast 309w/ Michael Sena, ITU 2023F. Fishkin, March 19, "FollowingThe Future Networked Car ITU Symposium, committee member and moderator Michael Sena joins Alain and Fred for episode 309 of Smart Driving Cars. And a National Disability Institute study on how autonomous mobility could help millions join the workforce. Plus GM Cruise, Gatik and Krogers, Baidu and more.0:00open0:53Princeton sports!1:40ITU Symposium4:35Chat GPT6:00Missy Cummings at ITU9:38Safety systems not interconnected13:45ITU Symposium takeaways30:40UN regulations & autonomous vehicles Cruise and more40:29National Disability Institute report5:11Krogers and Gatik test autonomous trucks in Texas54:30Baidu reported offering driverless rides in BeijingSmartDrivingCarsZoomCast 308/PodCast 308On the road at Starbase @ Boca Chica, TexasF. Fishkin, March 11, "In this special edition of Smart Driving Cars, Princeton's Alain Kornhauser takes us to Boca Chica, Texas and pays a visit to Starbase, the SpaceX Spaceport."SmartDrivingCarsZoomCast 307/PodCast 307w Jason Ditman, Chief Engineer GMF. Fshkin, March 7, "GM says Ultra Cruise will arrive with the 2024 Cadillac Celestiq and will ultimately enable hands free driving in 95 percent of driving situations. Ultra Cruise chief engineer Jason Ditman joins Alain and Fred for episode 307 of Smart Driving Cars. He tackles the tough questions and issues. Plus Cruise Robotaxi unit cutting costs, NHTSA probing Zoox self certification and Embark winding down.0:00open0:40GM Ultra Cruise Chief Engineer Jason Ditman introduction1:55How did development go during Covid?4:32Announcement that Ultra Cruise will first arrive on 2024 Cadillac Celestiq8:45Alain comments on Super Cruise9:50How does Ultra Cruise availability figure into route planning13:40Why is hands off is important and not feet off16:45If using intelligent cruise control…why does it disengage when brakes are tapped?25:29System is separate from automated emergency braking…how do they talk to each other28:43Response to Missy Cummings headlines that people using automated systems involved in crashes were speeding more often than people driving without automated systems engaged.33:24GM Cruise says focused on cutting costs this year according to Reuters37:25NHTSA opens probe, reportedly, into self certification of the test procedures at Zoox41:08Embark winding down operations, laying off most employees44:41Kudos to GM Ultra Cruise team49:24Here comes Alain's spring breakSmartDrivingCarsZoomCast 306/PodCast 306F. Fishkin, March 3, "Waymo passes a million miles with Waymo Driver and issues a safety report. Tesla addresses investors and the future, Ford creates Latitude AI and more. Join Princeton's Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for episode 306 of Smart Driving Cars."0:00open0:44Waymo Driver performance report14:15More layoffs at Waymo15:00Tesla Investor Day-what we learned16:18Adam Jonas at Morgan Stanley impressed with Tesla Investor Day23:05Ford creates Latitude AI after demise of Argo AI29:40Guidehouse Insights research report34:35Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association seeks modernization of vehicle exemption process39:05Diane Gutierrez Scaccetti to chair Transportation Research Board Executive CommitteeSmartDrivingCarsZoomCast 305/PodCast 305w/Michael SenaF. Fishkin, Feb. 27, "With shrinking populations and vacant office space, Michael Sena says the de-industrial revolution has begun. "The Dispatcher" publisher and consultant joins Alain Kornhauser & Fred Fishkin for episode 305 of Smart Driving Cars. Plus...run flat tires, GM's Cruise Origin, Locomation, Tesla and more.0:00open1:00Is it time we admitted the world will change: the de-industrial revolution has begun21:00Impact on transportation, automakers28:40Run flat tires..from Michelin and more35:25GM's waits for NHTSA okay for deployment of Cruise Origin autonomous mobility46:00Locomation denies reports of its demise47:08The Insider report on Tesla… and upcoming master plan. Alain's comments not what were reported.
- 0:00 open1:00Missy Cumming pushing for limits on autonomous tech9:30hands free, feet free driving dangers15:00Should tech be used to block speeding and reckless driving?32:00Issues with intelligent cruise control40:30Is the battle for cars that would forbid speeding winnable?44:00Are vehicle safety systems not communicating with each other?50:00Is the problem with vehicles identifying stationary objects being addressed?55:20Zoox begins carrying passengers on public roads in vehicles without steering wheels57:17Rob Mauer's Tesla Daily58:30Ken Pyle's ViodiTV compiles autonomous round up from CES59:25Brad Templeton launches Robocars podcast59:48Alain will lead off MIT Mobility Forum series FridaSmartDrivingCarsZoomCast 303/PodCast 303w/Kelly Funkhouser, Consumer Reports"F. Fishkin, Feb. 9, "Ford's BlueCruise comes out on top in an evaluation of active driving assistance systems by Consumer Reports. Manager of Vehicle Technology Kelly Funkhouser joins us for a look at what car makers are getting right and getting wrong. Plus.. Tesla, Mobileye, autonomous planes and more.0:00open0:48Active Driving Assistance Evaluation Report from Consumer Reports2:53Ford's BlueCruise ousts GM as top in ADAS10:33What is the value of being able to drive hands free and pedal free16:40Why doesn't the technology prevent speeding and misbehavior21:08Are consumers using the safety features..27:14Pro active braking assist coming to more vehicles and is a great feature36:00Should there be a light or mechanism that shows others whether cars are being controlled by human or automated system?43:43Are there things that carmakers are really getting right or really getting wrong?51:00Corvette on top in CR report on vehicle owner satisfaction52:43Navya53:00Axios reports autonomous passenger planes inching closer to takeoff54:00a fight against sludge…from NY Times54:51Mobileye post advocating simpler language for autonomy levels56:47Waymo named Super Bowl officials autonomous technology partner"SmartDrivingCarsZoomCast 302/PodCast 302Autonomous chaos in San Francisco?..."F. Fishkin, Feb. 3, "Robotaxi chaos in San Francisco? Tesla boosting production in China. Level 3 launch from Mercedes. Layoffs at Rivian. More SpaceX success! Join us for episode 302 of Smart Driving Cars with Princeton's Alain Kornhauser & co-host Fred Fishkin.0:00open0:55Autonomous chaos in San Francisco?"6:28National Safety Council marks anniversary of national roadway safety strategy9:41Tesla boosts production at Giga Shanghai & more11:25More SpaceX success14:05Mercedes launch of level 3 systems in U.S.19:12U.K. Unveils First "Fully" Autonomous Bus Service23:11Layoffs at Rivian24:35Data Centers on Wheels: Emissions From Computing Onboard Autonomous Vehicles27:47Ford boosts production of Mustang Mach E touting 0-60 thrills in press release30:54Justice Department urged to look at leaders of TuSimple and alleged transfer of tech to Chinese start-up "SmartDrivingCarsZoomCast 301/PodCast 301w/Michael Sena,Editor of The Dispatcher"F. Fishkin, Jan.27, " Driverless work vehicles advance while driverless passenger cars seem stalled. The Dispatcher publisher Michael Sena joins Alain and Fred on episode 301 of Smart Driving Cars for that, plus Tesla rebounds, Ford's Blue Cruise impresses and more. "0:00open1:00Driverless Work Vehicles discussion20:45Stellantis Reaching for the Data Star23:27Winters can be cold, EVs like it hot36:11Tesla earnings, news and rebound38:39Layoffs hitting Waymo? And other tech companies too.47:30Ford's Blue Cruise top rated by Consumer Reports in active driver assistance
A. Blaquier, Aug. 8, "United Parcel Service Inc. has become a hot employer since its union last month secured $30 billion in new money over a five-year contract.
Online jobs board Indeed Inc. saw a more than 50% increase in searches with "UPS" or "United Parcel Service" in the job title the week after the deal announcement, according to data shared with Bloomberg News. The trend doesn't appear to be industrywide, as searches for "delivery driver" didn't see similar spikes. "UPS driver jobs near me" has also been a top trending search on Google in the two weeks since the deal was reached.
"We have seen strong interest in UPS jobs as a result of media coverage of the tentative agreement with the Teamsters," Jim Mayer, a spokesperson at UPS, told Bloomberg News in an emailed statement.
To head off a potential strike, on July 25 UPS agreed to boost starting wages for part-time workers to $21 an hour and improve working conditions, including adding air conditioning in new vehicles.
UPS shared some details of the new labor contract on its earnings call. Full-time drivers will make around $170,000 in annual pay and benefits by the end of the five year contract. Part-time union employees will earn at least $25.75 per hour and receive full health care and pension benefits.…."
Hmmmm… That takes care of driver shortages and fortifies the opportunity for automation to replace humans where humans deliver insufficient value over automation. The new equilibrium will find that, on average, automation won't need to be as good, and humans will need to be better. I guess that's good? (I imagine that in the back rooms of UPS, many are figuring out how to minimize the # of $170k/yr. folks and the
of tasks that need $170k/yr worth of blood, sweat and tears;
else, they'll design a less expensive computer to do it.) Alain
"
Hmmmm… . Read "Electrek's Take", with which I agree, plus: 1. Neither Tesla nor any other car company have deployed a seamless integration of Advanced Driver Assistance ADAS) with Automated Emergency Braking AEB) . That is MOST unfortunate.
2. Seems to me that it is the job of AEB to NOT crash into things, including stationary objects with or without flashing lights, not that of ADAS that just helps the car stay in the lane and not crash into moving objects ahead. 3. Unfortunately AutoPilot is an ADAS system and NOT an ADAS + AEB system (I think) 3a. To be a good ADAS system (good defined to be "sort of working and have essentially zero false positives" ) ADAS systems expect to never encounter a stationary object ahead that can't readily be passed over or under. Thus, they always disregard any stationary object in the lane ahead that hasn't moved since first encountered. 3b. Why??? because essentially all such objects turn out to be either, things that can readily be passed under (overpasses, tree branches, traffic signs, traffic lights, overhead wires, ... ) or small rocks or debris or bumps that can readily be passed over, or stationary things like trees, guard rails fences, that are at the roadside of a turn ahead. None of these is a hazard. They occur very frequently and can readily become false positives if not disregarded from the beginning.
3c. Thus, I believe they are disregarded at the very beginning of any ADAS sensing system. Note: If the object is moving, then they are "never" disregarded! only if they are stationary. 4. I believe that the only attribute that is common to the "16 NHTSA crashes" is that they involve collisions with stationary objects in the lane ahead. (The truck was stationary across the lane in the , the divider point in the , the , the, ... etc.
- Again, it is the job of the AEB to not crash into things ahead being stationary or moving. NHTSA does NOT require any of these AEB systems to not crash into stationary objects ahead. It doesn't even mandate it if traveling at 12 mph, let alone the speed limit, or speedLimit+9. That is ENORMOUSLY unfortunate.
6. The ADAS system in my car has the audacity to turn off completely if I just tap the brakes, throwing me the hot potato of not crashing into anything ahead just because I happened to tap my brakes, instead of staying with me in case I'm not decelerating fast enough to jump back in and help me. Who designs things like that?
7. What is needed is the seamless integration of ADAS + AEB to provide comfort, convenience and safety. Alain
Click or tap if you trust this link.">Monday, August 07, 2023
DASH is described as an innovative new option to travel around fast-growing Downtown Tampa. This service will zip passengers through the city with low-cost shared rides between more than 20 different hubs located across Downtown…."
Hmmmm… Fantastic!! Tampa becomes the first MOVES-style mobility system in the world to "…zip passengers through the city with low-cost shared rides between more than 20 different hubs located across Downtown…" providing "Safe, Affordable, Equitable, Sustainable, High-quality" rides. Hopefully, Trenton can become the 2nd where We've caledl the Hubs "Kiosks" (or "Hubs" or ??) with a vision to evolve to driverless operation so that the cost to operate the service becomes truly Affordable. 😊 Alain
Click or tap if you trust this link.">Monday, July 31, 2023
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Click or tap if you trust this link.">Monday, June 26 2023 Should your car prevent accidents, period?
* SafeDrivingCars… exactly what Fred is talking about. Their value proposition is they keep the driver from misbehaving if that misbehavior is likely to lead to a crash of any kind.
* SelfDrivingCars… that perform the driving functionality when the driver remains engaged in overseeing the automated driving and remains completely capable of reengaging in the driving process within very short notice. Their value proposition is the delivery of comfort and convenience to the driver.
Click or tap if you trust this link.">Monday, June 26 2023
State regulators track robotaxi collisions, but they don't track data on traffic flow issues, such as street blockages or interference with firetrucks.
Click or tap if you trust this link.">Wednesday, June 21 2023
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Alain
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PersonTripLength (90%tile): 10 miles
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