Friday, July 18, 2025
SmartDrivingCar.com/13.09-Waymo v Tesla-7.18.25
9th edition of the 13th year of SmartDrivingCars eLetter
The Deep Story On The Waymo Vs Tesla Robotaxi Battle, With Video
B. Templeton, July 9, “When it comes to self-driving and robotaxis, the most common argument is about Waymo vs. Tesla. Within the industry, most people think Waymo is the undisputed leader, and that Tesla isn’t even in the race. At the same time there are a number of people, not just Elon Musk, who think Tesla’s the leader or eventual winner. Now, we’re going to dive into this debate and discover why people take either position. Lots to unpack, so there’s also a video..….” Read more Hmmmm… See video… I, of course, respect Brad’s views. He certainly has been deeply committed to all of this for a very long time. He does an excellent job. Especially with “… Unfortunately, removing that human is “the big one,” the hardest step in a robocar’s life–the moonshot,…” I agree!!! Where I mainly disagree is on the “why” in this battle. I see neither as having the right “why”.
The fundamental “Schumpeter-style” advantage of autonomousTaxis (“removing that human”) are their opportunity to provide high-quality mobility at a fraction of the cost of conventional means. All the other gizmos are nothing but window dressing. Where that advantage is Schumpeter-like, that’s the market for autonomousTaxis!
The one that finds and serves that market will win! 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 394 / PodCast 394
F. Fishkin, July 18, “The battle between Waymo and Tesla in the robotaxi arena as both plan expanded service areas. Autonomous heavy machinery. Tesla’s Dojo 2 Supercomputer. Plus Uber, May Mobility, VW and more on Smart Driving Cars episode 394 with Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin. Tune in and subscribe.
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
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Submit papers here – that’s free too!
Waymo Vets Are Automating Construction Sites With Self-Driving Dirt Diggers
A. Ohnsman, July 16, “A team of engineers from self-driving robotaxi leader Waymo is eyeing another huge market to automate: construction equipment.
Last year, Boris Sofman, previously a star engineer at robotaxi leader Waymo where he worked to automate trucks, teamed up with former Waymo colleagues Ajay Gummalla and Kevin Peterson, along with engineer Tom Eliaz, to start Bedrock Robotics. They’re starting with excavators, the ubiquitous machines that do the heavy digging. The San Francisco-based startup isn’t designing its own line of construction machinery, but instead plans to modify existing equipment with cameras, lidar, computers and AI software that enables them to work around the clock–including in blistering heat when human workers would need regular breaks.
Bedrock, which has also brought on former Uber Freight EVP Laurent Hautefeuille as COO, is emerging from stealth with $80 million in new funding and plans to begin commercial operations in 2026.
team of engineers from self-driving robotaxi leader Waymo is eyeing another huge market to automate: construction equipment.
Last year, Boris Sofman, previously a star engineer at robotaxi leader Waymo where he worked to automate trucks, teamed up with former Waymo colleagues Ajay Gummalla and Kevin Peterson, along with engineer Tom Eliaz, to start Bedrock Robotics. They’re starting with excavators, the ubiquitous machines that do the heavy digging. The San Francisco-based startup isn’t designing its own line of construction machinery, but instead plans to modify existing equipment with cameras, lidar, computers and AI software that enables them to work around the clock–including in blistering heat when human workers would need regular breaks.
Bedrock, which has also brought on former Uber Freight EVP Laurent Hautefeuille as COO, is emerging from stealth with $80 million in new funding and plans to begin commercial operations in 2026.….” Read more Hmmmm… So much easier when independent humans aren’t really in the loop. Alain
Uber has its eye on commercial auto insurance reform
B. Meredith-Miller, April 25, “Rideshare app Uber has launched an advertising campaign across several states it says have outsized auto insurance requirements for its drivers. One such ad is told from the perspective of an Uber driver who laments that rising insurance costs have resulted in higher prices for those who rely on ridesharing.
Most states require rideshare drivers to possess commercial auto insurance since most accidents in these situations would be excluded under personal auto policies. Uber drivers don’t have to purchase their own commercial auto policies, however, as the company purchases coverage for its drivers. To recoup these costs, Uber tacks on a service fee to be paid by the rider that covers things like insurance premiums, taxes and other mandated fees.….” Read more Hmmmm… I’m sure Uber is doing its gig workers a favor here, but what does Uber actually spends versus what it charges in service fees? I hope the overhead markup isn’t very large.
None the less, folks such as airports have found it lucrative to place what some may consider unfair “baggage fees” on these mobility services that actually enhance the functionality of airport terminals. Unfortunately, airports terminals have evolved into eateries, shopping malls and parking lot operators rather than simple get in and get out of an airplane. We can blame 9-11 for the eateries and shopping malls (They had no opportunity to exist when we just “OJ Simpsoned it just fine onto airplanes” prior 9-11. Just look at how quickly and efficiently we get out of Newark Airport once we are off the airplane. Toilet & Gone! Even in Vegas, no one stops to play the slots (except maybe first-timers.)
Also, insurance fraud may well be having a feast on the rideHailing industry and insurance may be a codefendant as ambulance chancers respond to the high coverage requirements. All very unfortunate. Alain
Tesla’s Dojo 2 Supercomputer Chip Enters Mass Production
C. Aiello, July 16, “Solving real-world artificial intelligence – whether for autonomous driving, real-world robotics, or advanced reasoning – requires an almost unfathomable amount of computational power. To meet this challenge, Tesla has been developing its own custom AI training hardware while simultaneously purchasing hardware in the open market.
Now, the next-generation Dojo 2 chip has reportedly entered mass production with the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturer, TSMC. While many may consider this a side quest, expanding Tesla’s computing base will be necessary to achieve exascale supercomputing, which will be crucial for all of Tesla’s AI ambitions….
While Tesla has effectively utilized powerful third-party GPUs to train its models to date, the Dojo supercomputer is a ground-up, application-specific solution designed for a single purpose. It will efficiently process massive amounts of video data for training neural networks. The Dojo 2 chip itself is the key that unlocks this potential.
Dojo 2 will train the vision-based neural nets that FSD relies on, allowing Tesla to process video from its massive global fleet of vehicles even faster. As Tesla continues to improve FSD, one of the biggest challenges has been the intake of video for handling difficult edge cases.….” Read more Hmmmm… I consider this to be non-insignificant. Alain
May Mobility Launches Ride-Hail API, Signaling Readiness to Scale Autonomous Deployments Globally
K. Kutterer, July 10, “May Mobility, a leading autonomous vehicle (AV) technology company, today announced the launch of the Ride-Hail Integration API. This development expands the company’s Autonomy-as-a-Service (AaaS) offering, readying it for scale in urban markets on ride-hail platforms globally.
The Ride-Hail Integration API is engineered to enable seamless connectivity between May Mobility’s autonomous fleet and the consumer-facing ride-hail platforms utilized around the globe. This proprietary API facilitates the dynamic pick-up and drop-off routing ride-hail users expect, while ensuring that May Mobility’s autonomous vehicles choose the optimal locations for riders to embark and disembark safely and conveniently. Importantly, the API provides a robust foundation for deployment of AVs at scale across multiple ride-hail platforms by ensuring that integrations with platform providers will be technically smooth and efficient around the world.
These updates additionally incorporate May Mobility’s capability to operate in both left- and right-hand driving geographies, facilitating May Mobility deployments in the U.S., Japan and future international locations. …”, … Read more Hmmmm… Very nice that they’ve addressed not only the driverless challenges in getting from A to B but also the challenges that exist with conventional rideHail… picking up and discharging customers.
Since their API addresses those challenges why do they need Uber’s or Lyft’s platforms. Is their supply side so robust that they are demand constrained? I’m impressed!! Alain
China’s Baidu to bring its driverless cars to Uber globally
A. Kharpal, July 15, “Baidu has struck a partnership with Uber to deploy its autonomous cars on the ride-hailing giant’s platform outside the U.S. and mainland China.
The first deployments are expected to happen in Asia and the Middle East later this year. The two companies said the multi-year partnership will see “thousands” of Baidu’s Apollo Go autonomous vehicles on Uber globally….” Read more Hmmmm… OK, assume the driverless Baidus work, who maintains & manages the fleet? Is Baidu (or Uber) going to contract out a bunch of gig workers to do that?
The beauty of the Uber model today is the gig worker does the heavy lifting: maintains & manages AND drives. Uber just sits back in cyberspace, gets the customer (very important), barks out some commands and collects the cash.
With Baidu, who maintains & manages? I guess it will be Baidu who becomes the “new gig” worker. If so, this new gig worker has other skills, in particular, cyberspace skills that are likely way superior than Uber’s.
So, why does Baidu need Uber??? Can this marriage last?? Can it even get to the alter?
Don’t believe the hype around robotaxis, HSBC analysts say
T. Carter, July 14, “A new report from analysts at HSBC found that the potential market for driverless taxis was “widely overestimated” and warned that it could take years before robotaxi fleets began returning a profit.
In a Monday note, HSBC analysts suggested that the idea robotaxis would be more profitable than their human-driven counterparts was based on a misconception.
Although robotaxi operators do not have to worry about the cost of paying a driver’s wage, they said that driverless taxis face a slew of “overlooked” extra costs that would likely cut into profits.
According to HSBC’s analysts, those include parking, charging, and cleaning fees, as well as teams of remote operators to intervene when things go wrong.
….” Read more Hmmmm… Sorry , I could not find the original report; else, I would have linked that. Anyway… Of course, those “cut into costs”, but also at some point, Uber/Lyft will have to pay their gig workers who do what today they largely do for “free”. In fact, their opportunity to scale is limited by their opportunity to find gig workers willing to drive, finance, maintain, clean, park somewhatly for “free”. At some point, paying for technology becomes cheaper that paying the next cheapest remaining gig worker. We aren’t there today, but we’re likely to get there. When we do, then real price competition kicks in and watch out! Alain
Waymo robotaxis are heading to Philadelphia and NYC
R. Bellan, July 7, “Waymo robotaxis are heading to Philadelphia and NYC….
For its Philadelphia trip, Waymo plans to place vehicles in the most complex parts of the city, including downtown and on freeways, according to a spokesperson. She noted folks will see Waymo vehicles driving “at all hours throughout various Philadelphia neighborhoods, from North Central to Eastwick, University City, and as far east as the Delaware River.” Read more Hmmmm… Wow, Waymo is trying to serve the “most complex” parts! No wonder they don’t want to come across the river to Jersey. We’re trying to find our easiest parts to entice someone to come here and give us some, just a little to start, high-quality affordable mobility services. You certainly don’t want to come find our “most complex”, because this is Jersey and those places are really complex. (just kidding), NYC and especially Philly, can be really really complex! We are actually just cream puffs here in Jersey. Alain
Uber to deploy 20,000 Lucid Gravity robotaxis equipped with Nuro Driver, beginning next year
S. Doll, July 17, “Lucid Gravity Robotaxis? Yes, please! Uber Technologies, Lucid Group, and Nuro, Inc. announced an exciting new partnership this morning. The three will combine technologies to deliver the public a premium global robotaxi option on Uber’s platform. We should see the Lucid robotaxis roll out in their first major city next year.
Each of the three companies involved in today’s agreement announcement has carved its own path in the advanced mobility industry using exciting new forms of technology. If you’re a reader at Electrek, Lucid Motors should be ingrained in your brain as a leader in EV efficiency, which only now appears to be starting to hit a stride in scaling production with recently resumed deliveries of its second flagship model, the Gravity SUV.….” Read more Hmmmm… OK, next year is less than 6 months away (although it could be as much as almost 18 months). How are Uber’s gig workers around the world going to react to this deployment and, again, who does the maintenance, cleaning and parking? Is this going to be like Lime scooters all over the place?.
See video (The video looks like it could have been produced more than 10 years ago. To me, these videos are much more impressive when captured in the wild, even if there is a person doing nothing but supervision behind the wheel. Having steering wheels turn with no one in the seat is not impressive. ). Alain
P. Bigelow, July 14, “Autonomous driving is emerging as one of the most exciting opportunities in the artificial intelligence (AI) landscape. Developing self-driving vehicles stitches together semiconductors, software development, and robotics. Hence, there are several different ways to invest in the technology.
For now, the most mainstream opportunities in the autonomous vehicle market seem to be through Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) and Alphabet, which owns self-driving car business Waymo. What most investors likely overlook is that Waymo and Tesla have approached building fleets of self-driving cars through different lenses…
Autonomous driving is emerging as one of the most exciting opportunities in the artificial intelligence (AI) landscape. Developing self-driving vehicles stitches together semiconductors, software development, and robotics. Hence, there are several different ways to invest in the technology.
For now, the most mainstream opportunities in the autonomous vehicle market seem to be through Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) and Alphabet, which owns self-driving car business Waymo. What most investors likely overlook is that Waymo and Tesla have approached building fleets of self-driving cars through different lenses. Breakthroughs in simulation and computing, along with falling sensor costs, are spurring the growth. More than 200 AV-related operations are underway across the globe, and Bank of America expects autonomy to underpin a worldwide technology competition already afoot.
Here’s a look at how the leading companies in the robotaxi business are faring. ….” Read more Hamm… This is a reasonable summary of isa and gonna. Alain
HandyRides Update
A. Kornhauser, July 18, “Nailing down our two anchor clients and several boutiques” Hmmmm… OK! Alain
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Previous SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast/PodCasts
SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 393 / PodCast 393w/ Michael Sena: Is Elon Musk the Henry Ford of our day?
F. Fishkin, July 6, “Is Elon Musk the Henry Ford of our day? In which ways? Some surprises, perhaps, in a Mobility Musings essay from Michael Sena who joins Alain and Fred for episode 393 of Smart Driving Cars. Plus- the Tesla robotaxi rollout and the coverage of it, Waymo, VW, driverless systems in China, Malcolm Gladwell and more.
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 Us 29:00 Alain 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?
SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 392 / PodCast 392 – 7Tesla, Ford, Waymo and more
F. Fishkin, July 1, “What is the significance of a Tesla Model Y delivering itself to a consumer? What happened when Reuters and Business Insider reached out to Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser for comment on Tesla’s robotaxi launch issues in Austin? Join Alain and co-host Fred Fishkin for that plus Ford, Waymo and more on episode 392 of Smart Driving Cars. Tune in and subscribe!
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
SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 391 / PodCast 391 – Robotaxis from VW-Waymo-Tesla
F. Fishkin, June 19 “VW ID.Buzz Robotaxis coming? Waymo expands. Tesla robotaxis launching. All that and more on epsidoe 391 of Smart Driving Cars. Join Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin and subscribe!
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
SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 390 / PodCast 390 – w/ Michael Sena: Gov’t. roles-Musk-Waymo-Uber & more
F. Fishkin, June 6 “What should governments be doing for robotic vehicles? What did they do for human driven vehicles? Mobility Industry Insights publisher Michael Sena joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin to explore that plus the latest on Elon Musk as robotaxis are readied, Waymo, Uber, TRB and more. Tune in and subscribe.
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
SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 389 / PodCast 389 – Tesla, Aurora, Waymo and more
F. Fishkin, May 29 “We’re back with episode 389 of Smart Driving Cars as Alain Kornhauser wraps up his 53rd year teaching at Princeton University. Today, Alain and co-host Fred Fishkin looks at the coming launch of Tesla’s robotaxis, Musks departure from Washington and the company’s safety report. Plus, Aurora brings back human drivers, a battle over autonomous farm equipment in California, Waymo continues to grow and more. Plus…a tip of the cap to some great senior thesis work by Alain’s students. Tune in and subscribe.
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 newslettter
SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 388 / PodCast 388 – Aurora, Waymo, NHTSA & more
F. Fishkin, May 4 “Commercial driverless trucks are on the road in Texas. A big accomplishment for Aurora! Plus.. a DOT research grant gets terminated, Waymo’s safety study and partnership with Toyota and NHTSA amends ADAS reporting rules. Join Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for episode 388 of Smart Driving Cars.
0:00 open
0:30 Aurora launches commercial driverless trucks
6:05 DOT cancels grant to Research Foundation of CUNY
7:50 Waymo releases study showing reduction in serious crashes and improved safety
13:45 Waymo partnering with Toyota
16:12 NHTSA amends order for ADAS reporting
19:40 Star Base now an official city in Texas
21:50 Alain wrapping up another semester at Princeton
SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 387/ PodCast 387– The Last(?)Dispatcher w Michael Sena
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.
0:00 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.
SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 386 / PodCast 386 – DeepSeek, HandyRides, Waymo, Tesla & more
F. Fishkin, Feb. 2 “DeepSeek and AI, HandyRides Inc. arrives, women providing taxi rides on motorcycles in Kenya, Waymo expanding to more cities and Tesla bringing front bumper camera to Model Y. Welcome back to Smart Driving Cars! Join Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for all of that and more on episode 386. And remember to subscribe.
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
SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 385 / PodCast 385 – w Michael Sena … GM Cancels Cruise, Waymo progresses and NHTSA’s New Rules for Driverless
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.
0:00 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
SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 384 / PodCast 384 – The Election, Musk, Tesla, Waymo & more with guest Michael Sena
On episode 384 of Smart Driving Cars, Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin are joined by The Dispatcher publisher Michael Sena. This time out- the election, Elon Musk, Tesla, Waymo, Aurora and a tribute to the late Paul Michel Lion III
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.
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SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 382 / PodCast 382 – SpaceX, Cybercab and John Hopfield. Space X wows with catch, Tesla’s Cybercab event and the potential impact on mobility, and Princeton’s John Hopfield captures 2024 Nobel Physics Prize. Join Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for the takeaways from the latest headlines and more. Tune in and subscribe! 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! SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 381 / PodCast 381 – w Michael Sena: data privacy, Northvolt, Tesla and more. 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 SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 380 / PodCast 380 – w Michael Sena SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 379 / PodCast 379 – Time to Pivot-Hamburg-Waymo-Tesla & more SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 378 / PodCast 378 – Cry’n Shame GM’s Cruise abandons the Origin purposely designed robotaxi in favor of the Chevy Bolt. Former CEO Kyle Vogt calls it disappointing. Plus the audiobook version of The Real Case for Driverless Mobility arrives. Join Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for episode 378 of Smart Driving Cars. SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 377 / PodCast 377 – What would GreenVille MOVES look like The push towards affordable driverless mobility continues on episode 377 of Smart Driving Cars. Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin show what GreenVille Moves would look like. Plus ..the EU mandates speed limiters, Tesla adding parental controls for teen drivers and more. 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 SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 376 / PodCast 376 – a mobility start-up is launched 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. SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 375 / PodCast 375 Elon Musk talks Tesla robotaxis and more. Maybe for Brownsville? F. Fishkin, June 15, ” With Elon Musk divulging more about how Telsa robotaxis may operate, Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser demonstrates how they could be used to serve Brownsville, Texas. And the plan could be replicated anywhere. Plus the latest on Waymo and Cruise. Join Alain and co-host Fred Fishkin for episode 375 of Smart Driving Cars. 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
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