Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026
3rd edition of the 14th year of SmartDrivingCars eLetter
WATCH: Tesla, Waymo executives join safety experts in testifying on future of self-driving cars
Politics, Feb. 4, “….. WATCH …” View more Hmmmm… Wow!!! IMO: Ted Cruz lived up to his Princeton degree yesterday, big time! Best Senate hearing I’ve ever watched from start to finish. I can’t imagine one being better. Bryant Walker Smith was absolutely fantastic in his testimony. As was Lars Moravy. The Q&A was also excellent. Especially beginning with Senator Cruz (TX) @ 57:32, Senator Kim (NJ 😊) @ 1:04:22 and Senator Moreno (OH) @ 1:09:58. Certainly not bad were Senator Lummis (WY) @1:36:06, Senator Fetterman (PA) @ 2:05:12 and all of the others. Fantastic, kudos to all.
My only disappointment was that there was no mention of the AV’s unique value proposition of affordable and high-quality (largely anywhere anytime) to level the mobility playing field. (I’m being super critical here because this was a SAFETY hearing and nor a VALUE/UP-SIDE hearing. However,…)
The moment is NOW to address mobility for those for which affordability limits their mobility options to walking, biking or the kindness of someone giving them a ride and to those whose cognitive or perception capabilities preclude them driving themselves, the too young, the too old, the too visually impaired.
It is one thing to create yet another option for those who already have plenty of good options to go places when they want to go. AT THE SAME TIME that we do that, we can ALSO provide an option that unlocks the viability of an individual being able to go someplace from where they are to where their quality of life will be most improved as opposed to “staying home.” This “latent demand” for mobility, if satisfied, will substantively improve the fundamental quality of life of many many folks, which conservatively, is at least a 10% increase over the value derived from our conventional mobility opportunities. This is at least a 10% add to mobility’s overall quality of life enhancement that currently exists. Meaning nothing is taken away: no jobs, nothing. Just quality of life improvements that those less fortunate than most of us haven’t been able to enjoy. With a billion rides being taken today on a daily basis, this implies an additional 100 million that boosts the economy and creates more opportunity for MOST to improve their quality of life. A complete win-win-win. Why is this so obvious to the HandyRides team and never got even a mention nor was even implied (except maybe once by one of Senator Moreno’s questions) at this meeting?
Anyway, that’s what Elizabeth, I and the folks around us are focusing on in support of this legislative initiative. Alain
The Real Case for Driverless Mobility
Narrated by Fred Fishkin, Available now
Published in 2024 (but still relevant)!!! Go to Amazon.com…
SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 406 /
PodCast 406 Self Driving Safety hearing in DC
Smart Driving Cars episode 406- Self Driving Safety hearing in DC
Tesla, Waymo and safety experts appear before a Senate committee on self driving safety. And Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser is impressed. Plus an AOL-Insider piece by Bryant Walker Smith and Sven Beiker on riding robotaxis in China. And SpaceX aims for AI data centers in space. Join Alain and co-host Fred Fishkin for episode 406 of Smart Driving Cars!
- 0:00 open
- 0:34 Waymo and Tesla execs and safety experts testify on safety at Senate hearing
- 4:40 Missing from hearing was testimony on the value proposition of driverless robotaxis
- 7:15 Discussion ties in with update on Handy Rides and mobility needs
- 15:17 Bryant Walker Smith testimony at hearing and his piece with Sven Beiker on riding robotaxis in China
- 18:40 SpaceX Super Heavy testing begins again as Elon Musk aims to put AI data centers in space
- 25:00 Inspiring to Alain’s latest class and futurist Chunka Mui paid a visit.
- 27:45 reminder that you can find us on The Transportation Channel
- 0:00 open
- 1:00 Michael Sena on latest Mobility Industry Insights- Addressing the Opposition to Driverless Riding
- 7:50 A great number of people are not taking trips
- 19:23 Factors beyond safety have to be taken into account when it comes to driverless riding
- 39:30 At Transportation Research Board annual meeting, Seval Oz, nominee to lead research at Department of Transportation, pointed out that technology can address trips that aren’t being taken today, providing mobility to more.
- 45:45 Alain and Michael debate over whether driverless riding will increase congestion
- 54:00 Whether driverless riding increases congestion or not, the technology is needed to provide affordable rides to those who need them
- 59:50 The opportunity here is to provide mobility and technology has advanced to allow it.
- 0:00 open
- 0:25 The story of ITN America with Katherine Freund and Marian Sturtevant
- 33:30 Tesla testing driverless in Austin
- 38:00 Administrative Law Judge in California rules Tesla misled with Autopilot and FSD naming
- 40:19 Waymo in talks to raise more than 15 billion dollars more
- 0:00 open
- 0:30 introduction of a from the University of Florence
- 6:26 Plans for growth of TUSS
- 9:04 Concept of starting small and reasons for not using self driving vehicles
- 14:45 TUSS does not have the issue of paying for drivers and succeeds in offering ride sharing
- 29:20 TUSS is financially self sustainable
- 36:20 Handy Rides opting for driverless when possible
- 45:40 NY Times guest essay from neurosurgeon- Don’t Fear Self Driving Cars. They Save Lives.
- 48:30 Roads and infrastructure need improvements for self driving to succeed.
- 54:00 Minnesota Star Tribune piece on efforts by May Mobility
- 0:00 Open and welcome to Alex Roy
- 2:40 Alex Roy presentation on the Past, Present & Future of Self Driving
- 4:54 Alex presents The True History of Self Driving from Da Vinci to today
- 10:47 Could in vehicle humanoid robots be helpful
- 19:50 from DARPA on
- 31:30 In 2025 Waymo scales operations and Tesla robotaxis launch
- 34:00 Roy’s Razor -the test of what really is self-driving
- 40:30 SAE Levels should be done away with
- 44:55 A focus on affordability?
- 48:20 Tesla owners could be paid for use of vehicle compute power for AI
- 50:25 Elon Musk is saying drivers using FSD may soon be able to text and drive
- 54:55 Congratulations on ITN America’s 30 years of providing rides
- 0:00 Open
- 48:09 If Alain could have known 20 years ago where the technology is today, would there be satisfaction or disappointment
- 54:36 Waymo gaining popularity in SF
- 57:00 Alain gets a surprise honor from ITS, the Intelligent Transportation Society of NJ
- 0:00 open
- 1:30 Mobility Industry Insights- In Silos Without Windows- where driverless mobility research and development is being done.
- 8:13 With driverless cars…has anyone asked why they are needed? What are we trying to accomplish?
- 10:19 Alain: Nobody is getting it…the reason why
- 15:05 Now we are layering over AI
- 24:30 The concept of latent demand for rides has mostly been ignored
- 29:10 Recalling the navigation episode of “The Office”
- 32:00 The reason for developing standards
- 34:37 The focus needs move to making driverless mobility work for all riders
- 41:20 Affordability is really important
- 47:08 Main value of automobiles? They don’t poop in the street?50:50Is safety the question?
- 3:18 MIT Mobility Forum sessions continue
- 54:00 Business Insider -Ashok Elluswamy is the most powerful Tesla exec you’ve never heard of.
- 54:45 InsideEVs report on woman posting a party from Tesla driver seat…and Alain recalls TJ Smith online posting of his Buttercup California drive from a dozen years ago!
- 0:00 open
- 0:55 Kai Williams from Understanding AI on his piece: Very Few of Waymo’s Most Serious Crashes Were Waymo’s Fault
- 33:30 Adam Jonas at Morgan Stanley: AI is about to get physical
- 35:30 The Verge headline Robotaxis as public transit? Waymo thinks so.
- 37:00 Waymo gets green light for airport service in SF
- 40:45 McKinsey conference video on Waymo’s vision for the future of mobility share
- 41:10 Business Insider- Uber CEO says robotaxis could displace drivers in 10 to 15 years and discussion on The Real Case for Driverless Mobility
- 52:59 Update on Handy Rides
- 53:25 Inside EVs: The Car Stopped Itself: Tesla Collision Avoidance Assist Lives Up to Its Name
- 0:00 open
- 0:57 Elon Musk changes Tesla narrative
- 9:29 Tesla out with latest master plan- discussion on historical mobility needs
- 23:50 Energy sources and consumption discussion
- 28:20 Tesla master plan key is affordability
- 30:45 Tesla gets okay for robotaxi testing in Nevada while Zoox begins robotaxi testing in Las Vegas
- 38:19 Debate on whether robotaxis/self driving vehicles are safer than those driven by humans
- 43:16 Harvard Business School piece asks Why People Blame Self Driving Cars More Than Human Drivers
- 51:11 Where are Driverless Cars Going in New York City
- 53:50 From NY Times Taxi Driver Runs Over Man Who Once Escaped Custody on a City Bus- more debate about perception of driverless vehicles
- 57:30 Colorado plane crash claims life of long time friend and student of Alain’s.
- 1:00:45 Kelly Funkhouser joins NVIDIA from Consumer Reports
- 1:01:09 Handy Rides soft launch is underway
- 0:00 open
- 0:57 Starship Flight Ten amazes
- 8:10 ASU’s Dr. Steven Polzin has report on transportation governance
- 21:28 Local TV covers NYC taxi drivers call to stop Waymo’s driverless cars in the city
- 23:52 Fortune report on Tesla self driving vehicles being tested in Boring Company tunnels
- 28:50 Electrek reports Tesla decision not to settle may cost company extra 183 million dollars
- 29:18 Teslarati report on Tesla doing more to encourage more uptake of FSD
- 30:45 NHTSA reports Tesla had not been submitting incident reports on time
- 33:35 A little update on Handy Rides
- 0:00 open
- 0:30 Revel shuts down Model Y ride hailing
- 5:04 Waymo and Tesla look to bring robotaxis to NYC
- 7:36 CNBC reports Tesla analyst Adam Jonas moving to new role at Morgan Stanley
- 11:35 Tesla willing to pay up to 33.66 an hour for robotaxi test operators in NYC
- 14:40 CNBC says Tesla Robotaxi scores permit for ride hailing service in Texas
- 18:14 GM plans to bring back self driving car project to sell vehicles to consumers
- 27:05 Edmunds piece asking is Model Y FSD tech really worth 8 thousand dollars
- 30:33 The Street report on Tesla lawsuit settlement history before 243 million dollar suit
- 33:00 The Street also reports that Tesla robotaxi pulls ahead of Waymo in SF
- 38:40 Very brief update on Handyrides effort
- 0:00 open
- 0:25 Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern reach 85 billion dollar merger deal
- 8:26 The administration in Washington offers vision for AI policy
- 10:44 Jalopnik headline… Boston flips the bird to Waymo robotaxis
- 13:03 IIHS gives Tesla Model Y top safety rating again
- 20:00 The Street report on expert witness backing Tesla in fatal autopilot crash case
- 22:15 TechCrunch headline.. Lyft to add autonomous shuttles in 2026 while Uber inks more self driving deals
- 23:20 Waymo launching autonomous vehicles in Dallas as Tesla readies robotaxi expansion
- 24:53 Who are robotaxi rides being targeted to?
- 0:00 open
- 0:34 From Forbes.com- The Waymo-Tesla Robotaxi Battle
- 4:23 Bedrock Robotics from Waymo veterans doing autonomous heavy machinery
- 9:17 Waymo posts it has officially driven 100 million fully autonomous miles
- 12:00 Waymo coming to Philadelphia and New York City
- 13:07 Property Casualty 360 report that Uber has eye on commercial auto insurance reform
- 15:38 From Not a Tesla App Tesla’s Dojo 2 supercomputer enters mass production
- 18:45 …also Tesla reportedly updates robotaxi app
- 21:42 May Mobility launches ride hail api
- 26:40 HSBC analysts reportedly say potential market for driverless taxis is widely overestimated.
- 29:25 Automotive News piece on where robotaxi rivals stand
- 30:15 VW robotaxi wants to rival Waymo and Tesla
- 0:00 open
- 0:35 Musings on Mobility: Is Elon Musk the Henry Ford of Our Day? Essay by Michael Sena.
- 14:00 What will Musk’s legacy be?
- 16:56 Should consumer look at the man or the car?
- 18:14 Alain’s take on the coverage of Tesla’s robotaxi rollout
- 21:40 What are the really significant accomplishments of Ford and Musk?
- 27:30 Alain recommends book An Immense World – How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us29:00Alain is also linking to PBS NOVA report on new images from the Rubin Observatory
- 30:25 South China Morning Post- How does a Chinese driverless system compare with Tesla’s?
- 31:05 Volkswagen’s MOIA unveils ID Buzz turnkey solution for full autonomous mobility services
- 32:40 Back to the question- why pursue driverless mobility?
- 37:05 Malcolm Gladwell is saying driverless cars are too safe..
- 41:02 Brief…very brief…update on HandyRides
- 42:00 GM’s Cruise Cars are back on the road?
- 0:00 open
- 0:40 Tesla Model Y delivers itself to consumer
- 5:18 With Tesla robotaxi launch in Austin … Reuters and then Business Insider contact Alain for comments on reported problems
- 17:30 Ford CEO favors Waymo’s LiDAR approach over Tesla’s vision only self driving
- 20:55 OBI lists pricing insights on Waymo, Uber and Lyft..
- 25:55 Upcoming online conference from Bridging Transportation Researchers
- 00:00 open
- 00:39 VW ID. BUZZ robotaxis coming? Alain says call me!
- 3:30 Teslas safer than Waymo?
- 7:20 Waymo expanding…
- 9:49 to NYC too?
- 10:12 Some Texas legislators ask for a delay in Tesla robotaxi launch
- 21:20 Elektrek reports Amazon to test humanoid robot deliveries with Rivian vans
- 24:55 The Verge reports US DOT wants more self driving cars without pedals or steering wheels
- 27:47 Yahoo Finance headline..Nearly 75 percent of riders fear robotaxi safety, yet pay more for Waymo
- 29:45 The Times of London headline on UN report that terrorists could hijack AI driven vehicles
- 32:15 Techcrunch report on Wayve and Uber plan robotaxi launch in UK
- 33:15 Tesla robotaxi rollout can be tracked online
- 35:00 Real case for driverless mobility… and update on ITN America
- 38:00 MSN report on FRA and FTA project to receive funds from previously awarded grants
- 0:00 open
- 0:44 Mobility Industry Insights: Should governments do any more for robot driven cars than they did for human driven vehicles?
- 16:20 What governments could do if they wanted to make driving more safe
- 18:18 Governments are doing things…but doing the wrong things
- 24:14 In Japan they are planning for some separate roadways for robotic vehicles
- 26:17 Tesla has planned to launch robotaxis in Austin next week- how would they be controlled? Differences from Waymo?
- 33:00 FinanceBuzz report on autonomous vehicle safety, accidents and reporting
- 39:00 Why aren’t intelligent cruise control and automatic emergency braking systems working together?
- 44:20 How old does a person really need to be to drive? Why is age relevant? Does it need to be a human? What about responsibility in robotic vehicles?
- 50:29 From TechCrunch …a patent infringement case that could disrupt Uber and others
- 51:22 The Transportation Research Board revamping committee structure and activities- TRB value.
- 1:02:00 What is needed to solve the safety problem?
- 1:08:00 Space X posts video titled Elon Musk, Mars and Beyond: The Road to Making Humanity Interplanetary
- 0:00 open
- 0:37 Tesla sets June 12 date for robotaxi launch
- 2:24 Tesla hiring humans to control robotaxis
- 4:13 Battle over automated farm equipment in California
- 6:03 Tesla safety report claims autopilot 10 times better at avoiding crashes
- 12:03 Aurora putting humans in driver seats again
- 13:40 NY Times reports driverless trucks are here with big promises
- 17:46 Way expanding to San Antonio and Houston
- 21:10 Warren Buffet asked about insurance shift with self driving cars
- 29:27 Senior Thesis work highlight in Smart Driving Car newsletter
- 0:00 F. Fishkin, Feb. 25 “Keeping cars out of cities? The parking meter is turning 90 this year. We learn more about that and more from The Dispatcher publisher Michael Sena. Plus ..self driving cars, AI, the Black Hawk tragedy and more. Join Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for episode 387 of Smart Driving Cars. open 1:10 Michael Sena on parking meters turning 90 and what they are being used for now 8:15 The Pope and a cautionary approach to AI 13:05 For now…at least…the last edition of The Dispatcher 16:57 There’s another book on the way 18:30 Henry Ford…and the road today to driverless mobility 29:35 AI and Deep Research 37:10 the Black Hawk – American Airlines tragedy. What we’re learning.
- 0:00 Open 1:21 AI code editor, DeepSeek and more 6:22 HandyRides Inc. now exists 7:05 From NY Times: Women on motorcycle taxis giving rides in Kenya and a piece on driving in Vietnam 14:36 Timothy Lee piece…speculating DeepSeek not responsible for crashing NVIDIA stock 16:50 Waymo expanding to more cities including Las Vegas and San Diego 19:58 More DeepSeek discussion 25:16 new edition of The Dispatcher out from Michael Sena 26:17 The work that lies ahead to provide mobility to those who need it 29:15 Why are there still rear ending crashes 29:35 New Tesla Model Y will have front bumper camera
- 0:00 F. Fishkin, Dec. 22 “With GM putting an end to the Cruise robotaxi venture, Waymo reaching 5 million rides and NHTSA proposing new rules for driverless vehicles, there’s plenty of news to end the year. The Dispatcher publisher Michael Sena joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for a look at those stories and more on episode 385 of Smart Driving Cars! Tune in and subscribe. open 1:17 Nobel Prize for Physics awarded to Princeton’s John Hopfield. Alain’s tribute. 1:54 GM shutters Cruise robotaxi venture 13:26 Waymo has now delivered over 5 million driverless rides 26:49 NHTSA proposes new rules for self driving cars 34:55 The Dispatcher Musings…back to Scranton
- 38:14 Closing out the year with long time friends and kudos to Alain’s students
- 0:00 open
- 0:55 From The Dispatcher -a look at the presidential election and the process
- 10:01 Princeton’s Bob Vanderbei maps out the electorate one again
- 14:30 The involvement of Elon Musk, pre-election and post-election and Michael’s look at the Robotaxi event.
- 42:20 Tesla’s quarterly vehicle safety report 47:48 A tribute Alain’s PHD Advisor at Princeton, Paul Michel Lion III.
- 48:28 Waymo is now valued at 45 billion dollars 49:59 Aurora’s Chris Urmson says we are on the brink of a new era in mobility and logistics 52:25 Michael comments further on Waymo and its role at Alphabet (Google)
- 59:54 The Autopian report on Google/Waymo patent application for system to take over automatically if it detects a bad driver behind the wheel.
- 0:00 open
- 0:30 SpaceX wows with landing
- 8:38 Tesla’s Cybercab event-Alain’s take on the ups and downs
- 18:22 Elon uses the elevator analogy!
- 21:12 Forbes piece- Can’t Get a Cybercab? Wave Down a Waymo.
- 22:40 AutoEvolution: 5 Polarizing Facts from Tesla’s We Robot Cybercab Unveiling Event
- 26:26 Presentation from Alain’s students on shared mobility at Next Generation Systems Conference
- 27:45 More on Cybercabs and questions about insurance
- 39:02 Princeton’s John Hopfield wins Nobel Physics Prize!
- 0:00 open
- 0:54 Vehicle telecommunications and data privacy battle
- 22:40 What happened to Sweden’s Northvolt
- 27:17 The efforts to stop the importing of inexpensive Chinese vehicles. Is the rest of the world toast?
- 45:55 Tesla prepares for the robotaxi unveiling October 10
- 54:35 Reuters reports Waymo discussions with Hyundai on vehicle platform and remarks from Waymo co-CEO at University of Michigan
- 1:00:35 Two of Alain’s students deliver at the Next Generation Systems Conference
- 0:00 open
- 0:49 Congrats to Alain’s students who took part in the Henley Royal Regatta
- 2:04 Launching of HandyRides continues for affordable mobility
- 3:15 Demo of what GreenVilleMOVES would look like
- 33:30 EU is mandating speed limiters
- 34:15 Tesla update to give parents control over teen driver speed and more
- 39:50 The Drive report on Mercedes engineer criticism of Tesla FSD and its impact on public attitudes toward autonomous driving tech.
- 42:04 The Verge report on Distance Technologies windshield AR heads up display
- 45:00 Ken Pyle’s Viodi piece on Smart Driving Car Summit
- 0:00 July 1st marks the launch of a new mobility start-up! Join Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for details. Plus..GM Cruise pays for crash report delays, Rimac robotaxis and automakers ask for reconsideration of automatic emergency braking rules. open 00:32 July 1 new mobility start-up launch 22:58 GM Cruise to pay California for delaying crash report 25:23 Rimac robotaxis? 26:20 auto industry wants automatic emergency braking rule reconsidered
- 0:00 open
- 0:30 Musk talks robotaxi business, Tesla Semis and more new vehicles
- 15:27 Alain shows how a Brownsville MOVES mobility service could work.
- 36:19 Waymo issues software and mapping recall following telephone pole crash in Phoenix
- 43:10 GM investing 850 million dollars in Cruise and resuming operations in Houston
Deadline 2/7/26
2026 Automated transportation Symposium (ATS)
8th Bridging Transportation Researchers (BTR#8)
August 12 & 13, 2026
Bryant Walker Smith & Sven Beiker, Jan 31, “…China is the other real global hotspot for automated driving, with some of its biggest companies eager to expand around the world. Yet many people in the West — even many experts — don’t really understand what’s happening on China’s streets. Often, we hear people simply claim that China is either way ahead or way behind.
Together, we have more than three decades of experience working on automated driving in industry and academia. Since meeting at Stanford University, we’ve collectively spent countless hours riding in Chinese as well as American robotaxis.
We wrote this piece to share our experiences in China and to help you plan — or even daydream — your own. .…” Read more Hmmmm… Extremely valuable unvarnished observations and insights. Thank you, Bryant and Sven. Alain
| [Super Heavy Testing Begins! SpaceX Back on Track After B18 Disaster | Starship Update](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwMRMh_6jbw) |
Staff, Jan 31, “…Dive into the latest SpaceX Starship Update as Booster 19 rolls out to Massey’s for cryogenic proof testing, marking a crucial recovery from Booster 18’s November accident and paving the way for Flight 12 with Ship 39; explore regulatory green lights for LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center via the FAA’s final EIS and ROD, plus SpaceX’s ambitious FCC filing for deploying up to 1 million orbital data centers to power AI and advance humanity toward a multi-planetary future……” Read more Hmmmm… Extremely valuable unvarnished observations and insights. Thank you, Bryant and Sven. Alain
Why does Elon Musk want to put AI data centers in space?
C. Isidore, Feb. 4, Elon Musk believes the best way to solve the difficulties of building AI data centers on earth is to move them into outer space. His merger this week of his rocket company SpaceX with his artificial intelligence company xAI could help get them there. .…” Read more Hmmmm… Totally wild. Totally Schumpeter-style disruptive. Alain
| [Conversation with Elon Musk | World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026](https://youtu.be/IgifEgm1-e0?t=387) |
L. Fink, Jan 22,.…” Read more Hmmmm… Fundamentally interesting. Alain
Orf 467F25 MOVES-style Mobility Symposium
Orf467F25 students, Dec. 11, “Various student perspectives on MOVES-style mobility around the country. Final project presentations & preliminary reports by students in the class.” Read more Hmmmm… Students are putting together a compendium of their findings that will be linked by future version of the SDC eletter. Alain
HandyRides Update
Alain Kornhauser, Feb. 5, “Starting to come out of stealth mode.” Hmmmm… Our mission:
Elizabeth & Alain. 🙂