What the investment community and potential customers
see...
R. Bellan,
Dec. 29,
"Autonomous
trucking
startup
TuSimple has
completed its
first
autonomous
truck run on
open public
roads without
a human in the
vehicle,
according to
the
company..."
After reality has passed through the smoke &
mirrors, one
realizes...:
"...As a
safety
precaution, unmarked
police
vehicles
followed at
about a mile
behind the
truck in the
event the
truck came to
an emergency
stop. In
addition,
TuSimple
implemented a
survey vehicle
to look for
anomalies
operating five
miles ahead,
as well as an
oversight
vehicle a
half-mile
behind that
could put the
autonomous
truck in a
minimal risk
condition.
..." Read more Hmmmm... What TuSimple has
demonstrated
is totally
unaffordable,
unprofitable,
unscalable,
irresponsible,
... What do
they think
that are they
selling???
This demonstration replaced a human attendant/driver for
unmarked
police vehicles
(plural)
each with a
police person
who likely
earns, thus
costs,
substantially
more than a
professional
attendant/driver.
The plural
implies the
cost is more
than 2x to
cover the
police. But
there is
more... a
(supposedly
human driven)
survey
vehicle and
an oversight
vehicle was
also involved
in the
entourage.
The labor
charge alone
for this demo
is more than
4x that of a
professionally
driven
goods-movement
service. Plus
the accrued
cost of all
the automated
gizmos on the
truck, plus
the
environmental
costs of
having 4
additional
vehicles
accompanying
this load.
Wow!
TuSimple must not have been demonstrating what they are
trying to
sell.
The purpose of the demonstration couldn't have been to
demonstrate
the RoI of
TuSimple's
technology to
a potential
Trucking
company
customer.
It's not easy
to make money
as a trucking
company. It's
all about
service and
the cost to
deliver that
level of
service. If
I'm ALK
Trucking, I
know very well
what level of
service I can
deliver and
what the
driver is
going to cost
me to deliver
that level of
service. I
have three
options
available to
me. I can use
automated
technology to
help the
driver drive,
or remove the
driver, or
walk away from
automated
technology and
stick to what
I know works
well. There
are
substantial
advantages in
quality of
life, driver
retention and
insurance
savings
associated
with Automated
Driver
Assistance
capabilities
are available
now, but
that's not
what TuSimple
is selling.
TuSimple is
selling the
ability to
remove a
driver. To
ALK Trucking,
the
fundamental
value of what
TuSimple is
selling is
elimination of
the driver's
cost in the
delivery of a
comparable
level of
service.
While this
demonstration
did eliminate
the driver's
cost and
delivered a
comparable
level of
service, it
also incurred
a greater than
4x the
driver's cost
in ancillary
services to
deliver that
comparable
service.
Consequently,
the
demonstration
completely
backfired.
ALK Trucking
will
necessarily
say... please
come back when
you can
demonstrate
this without
the ancillary
costs, and
please stop
wasting my
time. I have
a business to
run and
customers to
serve.
If the purpose of the demonstration was to convince the
"SoftBanks" of
this world
that their
investment is
being well
invested, I
can't imagine
that went any
better. You
mean you could
have done the
demonstration
using less
that 25% of
the labor cost
if only you
would have use
an on-board
attendant and
you announced
that "the
whole 100% of
the trip was
done without a
single
disengagement".
And, by the
way, this was
the Nth time,
in the "... 1,800 runs to the tune of 150,000 miles on this
stretch of
highway ..." that
you've done
the run
without any
disengagements,
where N is
large. And, N
is so large,
that TuSimple
is now willing
to accept all
liability
associated
with any
malfunction of
its automated
driver that is
incurred in
the normal
delivery of
transport
services in
this
corridor.
That now means
that TuSimple
is indeed
selling an
automated
driver that
doesn't need
an attendant
as a backup.
Then ALK
Trucking
company, given
what TuSimple
wants to
charge for
this automated
driver, can
readily do the
arithmetic to
make a buy or
walk
decision.
And, the
"SoftBank
investor", I
can readily
assess
TuSimple's
pricing model,
and determine
which trucking
companies are
likely to buy
or walk, thus
enabling the
investors to
buy or sell.
Unfortunately, this demonstration clearly tells ALK Trucking to walk and "SoftBank" to sell.
Finally,
by removing
the attendant
from inside
the cab,
TuSimple
unnecessarily
put the public
at increased
risk, and are
thus,acted
irresponsibly.
There should
be NO testing
on public
roads without
a professional
attendant/driver behind the wheel ready and able to safely disengage the
automated
driver! This
is true for
those testing
the movement
of people and
similarly for
those testing
the moving of
goods. Only
when there is
societal/economic net-benefit associated with the
driverless/attendantless
operation
should it take
place on
public
roadways.
Public
roadways are
not the place
for
smoke&mirror
stunts or
carnival
acts. Alain
[log in to unmask]" _mf_state="1" title="null" src="cid:[log in to unmask]" class="" width="44" height="44" border="0">
The
SmartDrivingCars
eLetter,
Pod-Casts,
Zoom-Casts and
Zoom-inars are
made possible
in part by
support from
the Smart
Transportation
and Technology
ETF, symbol
MOTO. For
more
information: www.motoetf.com. Most funding is
supplied by
Princeton
University's
Department of
Operations
Research &
Financial
Engineering
and Princeton
Autonomous
Vehicle
Engineering
(PAVE)
research
laboratory as
part of its
research
dissemination
initiative
M. Sena,
Dec. 28, "In
some places in
the world,
accessibility
from anywhere
to anywhere is
taken for
granted.
Public transit
opportunities
are
ubiquitous,
and if public
transit is not
sufficient, a
ride in a car
or a van is
subsidized or
totally paid
for. That is
not the case
in the U.S.
and in many
other
countries or
regions in
countries
where is a car
is the
necessary
ticket to
taking
advantage to
those
opportunities
that are on
offer. In the
first article
in this
month’s issue,
I attempt to
provide the
background on
why that has
happened.
Hint: It is
not because
the car was
invented.
I was inspired
to write the
second article
by the
protesters at
the COP26
gathering in
Glasgow this
past November.
Maybe at one
time in our
lives we sat
in the back
seat and
complained
“Aren’t we
there yet?”,
but then we
got to be the
drivers and
appreciated
that you don’t
get there by
magic. The
COP26
protesters
want a utopia
and they want
it now.
Utopian and
democratic
concepts don’t
mix well.
Musings is a
reflection on
the failure of
governments to
enforce the
laws they have
made during
the past
century to
ensure that
people inside
and outside of
motorized
transport
vehicles can
coexist. The
kids of the
kids who
thought it was
perfectly
acceptable to
disobey laws
we thought
were unfair
are now in
charge of
making sure
those laws are
enforced—and
they are not
doing their
jobs. The
result is
chaos on the
roads.
Below you can
find the
summary of
each of the
articles. You
can read the
entire issue
in the PDF
attached or
online by
clicking here.
Enjoy your January
issue of The
Dispatcher.
All comments
are welcome,
whether you
want to take
exception to
something I
have written
or just want
to let me know
that you got
something out
of reading it.
I wish you all
the best for
the New
Year." Read
more Hmmmm...
Another
excellent
Dispatcher and
I am humbled
by Michael's
contributions
to "Making
Trenton
Happen".
Please also
listen or
watch this
week's PodCast/ZoomCast
featuring
Michael and
this edition
of the
Dispatcher.
Alain
P, Murphy,
Dec. 6, "The
New Jersey
Department of
Transportation
(“NJDOT”), an
instrumentality of the State of New Jersey, has issued a Request for
Expression of
Interest
(“RFEI”) to
identify
experienced
firms capable
of introducing
a safe,
equitable,
affordable,
sustainable,
and efficient
on-demand
automated
vehicle
mobility
systems in and
beyond
Trenton, NJ.
NJDOT is
soliciting
written
Expression of
interest from
qualified and
experienced
vendors to
gain valuable
insight from
the private
industry
regarding the
goals set
forth in the
Trenton MOVES
(Mobility
&
Opportunity:
Vehicles
Equity System)
potential
project and
assess its
viability.
If and when
NJDOT elects
to proceed
with a
potential
project, NJDOT
may issue
formal
Request(s) for
Qualifications
or Proposals.
The RFEI is
available to
be downloaded
at https://www.nj.gov/transportation/business/procurement/ems/current.shtm...
1. Potential
Project
Summary
The State of
New Jersey is
exploring a
transportation
equity and
sustainable
energy
opportunity
within the
capital city
of Trenton.
Trenton MOVES
(Mobility
&
Opportunity:
Vehicles
Equity System)
will be led by
the Governor’s
Office, NJ
Department of
Transportation, the City of Trenton, and one or more institutions of
higher
education.
Trenton MOVES
is exploring
the
feasibility of
deploying ~100
AVs to serve
as lowcapacity
(4-8
passenger),
high-quality
(on-demand,
kiosk-to-kiosk)
shuttles to
serve the
90,000
residents who
live in the
City of
Trenton’s 8
square miles.
The effort
will be phased
in over two
(2) years and
will serve the
population of
New Jersey’s
capital city,
a population
where 70% of
households
have one or
fewer cars. A
proof-of-concept Operational Design
Domain (“ODD”)
is described
in Section
3.1. ... "Read
more Hmmmm...
How fantastic
is this!
Plus, Governor
Phil Murphy's
Press Release
announcing
Trenton MOVES.
All substance!! I also
presented
relevant testimony
to NJ's
Assembly
Transportation
Committee
Thursday
morning. An
ALK trifecta
this week😁.
The "welcoming
environment"
now exists in
New Jersey.
We are no
longer tied
for last with
Mississippi as
was reported
at last week's
Florida AV
Conference.
We're looking
like "first in
the world"
focused on
substantive
deployment to
real
customers.
We've built
the "Field
of Dreams"
and awaiting
the technology
"to come". We
only need
one! Or we'll
assemble
volunteers
(and
not hostages
as Mike Tomlin
would put it)
and build a
winning team
ourselves.😎
Alain
Date Change: Thursday evening, May 5,
through
Saturday May
7, 2022. Live
in Trenton,
New Jersey.
"Everything" was going well wrt the 5th Summit Nov 18->20; however...
Time is very short, we must focus on the election and the realities of where we remain with Covid really put cold water on some aspects of our vision for November.
Consequently. I've become convinced that it is very much better, that we take our time and reschedule for the first week on May 2022 rather than rush for what isn't as good as could be.
By May we will have received responses to our upcoming https://www.cartsmobility.com/ for "Equitable ... Mobility in Trenton". We will thus have a better idea on "Who", from the "What & How" communities, "Want & Can" Deploy "Equitable ... Mobility" starting in Trenton with real expectations of scaling throughout New Jersey.
In May the 5th Summit can better achieve its fundamental purpose by allowing all of us in New Jersey to better learn from others around the world the "Whats & Hows" and have the possible "Whos" get a better appreciation of the "Equitable ... Mobility" desires of Trentonians and other New Jersians.
Rescheduling the Summit to be between the RfI and the RfP steps of our Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) Deployment Process, will better enable our Community Engagement initiative to shape our ultimate deployment. We'll thus deliver even better mobility equitably and best improve quality-of-life in Trenton and throughout New Jersey.
Please pencil into your calendar the new dates of May 5 (Thursday evening) though May 7 (Trenton Mobility Festival Saturday). 😎 Please let me know if these dates work for you.
Sorry about the delay, but many will be relieved by this change. Plus, early May is really nice in NJ.😁
Alain
This
5th
Summit is
inspired by
the many
levels of
public-sector,
community and
neighborhood
welcoming and
support that
now exists in
New Jersey for
the deployment of
equitable,
affordable,
high-quality
mobility. This
is now made
possible by
automated
driving
technology
that is
especially
targeted to
serve
those who, for
whatever
reason, don't
have access to
their own
personal
car.
The
Princeton SDC
Summits were
initiated in
2017 to
provide a
venue for the
open
discussion of
how
technology, in
particular
automation,
can be shaped
to improve
mobility of
people and
goods between
and within
cities. Early
on, we
realized that
this form of
mobility could
easily provide
yet another
alternative to
those who are
fortunate
enough to
enjoy one or
many high
quality
mobility
options.
But, more importantly, it became obvious that substantial improvement in quality-of-life and equitable mobility can readily be made available to the un-served and under-served. Those who cannot drive themselves, cannot afford the transport alternatives that exist for them, or who live in areas where, for either economic or other reasons, neither public nor private desirable forms of transport are offered. Furthermore, such initial Operational Design Domains (OODs) can be readily expanded and replicated to allow the vast investments continuing to be made in this technology to actually yield their envisioned societal and financial benefits.
The
recently
completed 4th
Summit set the
groundwork for
these initial
deployments to
benefit under-served communities. Communities with many households
having access
to one or
fewer cars and
with
challenged
transit
alternatives.
We concluded
the 4th Summit
by envisioning a deployment throughout Trenton, NJ, a
community
where 70% of
the households
have access to
one or fewer
cars.
We
believe that
Trenton is a
perfect ODD to
begin to
deliver Equitable,
Affordable,
High-quality
Mobility,
in addition to
being
environmentally
responsible,
safe and
comfortable.
The
opportunity to
expand
throughout
Mercer County
and replicate
this
deployment
scenario
throughout the
State exists.
This
deployment
will serves
as a blueprint
for the future
for many other
"Trentons" of
this world.
The
groundwork set
by the 4th
Summit and the
NJ Autonomous
Vehicle Task
Force has
enabled us to
create a "most
welcoming
environment"
in New Jersey
for creating a
Public-Private
Partnership to
deliver this
enhanced
mobility to
the residents
of Trenton and
all New
Jersians. The 5th Summit will
focus directly
on deployment in Trenton and will take place in Trenton. We also
envision its
expansion
throughout
Mercer County
and its
replication in
and around New
Jersey's other
major
cities.
H. Poser'77, Sept 13, 2020. "Creating Value for Light Density Urban Rail Lines" . See slides, See video Hmmmm... Simply Brilliant. Alain
These
editions are
sponsored by
the SmartETFs
Smart
Transportation
and Technology
ETF, symbol
MOTO. For more
information
head to www.motoetf.com
[log in to unmask]" alt="" class="" width="137" height="17" border="0">
https://www.cartsmobility.com/
provides
technical
support