Latest news with #robotaxi
Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
China's Baidu Eyes Robotaxi Expansion to Singapore and Malaysia
Baidu Inc. is planning to launch its Apollo Go robotaxi service in Singapore and Malaysia as early as this year, according to a person familiar with the matter, as the company continues to expand its global footprint. Apollo Go is in discussions with potential partners to explore the right business models for the two markets, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing private matters. Baidu Chief Executive Officer Robin Li has previously said the company was seeking partners such as mobility service providers, local taxi companies and third-party fleet operators for an asset-light approach.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Driverless disruption: Tech titans gird for robotaxi wars with new factory and territories
As three key players vie for dominance, the race to put driverless taxis on roads across the country is heating up. Waymo, owned by Google's parent company Alphabet, already offers paid autonomous rides in a handful of cities, including San Francisco and Los Angeles. Amazon's robotaxi effort, known as Zoox, opened a new production facility in the Bay Area this week. The company has been testing its unique pill-shaped vehicles in California and Nevada since 2023. Meanwhile, in Austin, Texas, Elon Musk just started testing driverless Teslas with the hopes of launching a commercial service soon. Musk unveiled a prototype for Tesla's Cybercab late last year, touting his vision for an autonomous future and "an age of abundance." Read more: Tesla makes step toward robotaxi services in California. What to know The arrival of self-driving tech could eventually affect society as much as the internet and smartphones did years ago, some experts predict. With Waymo leading the way and Tesla and Zoox trying to catch up quickly, a new status quo could be on the horizon, said Karl Brauer, an analyst with 'Tesla has tried to catch up, and Zoox is a more recent competitor that's hoping to be a serious player,' he said. 'Waymo has been slow and steady and, as a result, is winning the race.' According to some industry insiders, the U.S. is about 15 years from seeing widespread use of robotaxis, Brauer said. While Waymo taxis have become a common sight in the cities where they operate, weather conditions and charging infrastructure still limit their expansion. On Wednesday, Waymo expanded its service area in Los Angeles County, where its vehicles now roam an area of more than 120 square miles. The company also increased its service area in San Francisco, expanding access to suburbs and Silicon Valley. Read more: Waymo expands service area in Los Angeles and San Francisco Days after Waymo's announcement, Zoox opened a 220,000-square-foot facility in Hayward, Calif., that the company says will be able to produce 10,000 robotaxis per year. Zoox is preparing to launch its public ride-hailing service in Las Vegas and San Francisco this year. Unlike Waymo vehicles, which are retrofitted Jaguars, Zoox is developing a purpose-built taxi with no steering wheel or gas pedals. Zoox also has a manufacturing plant in Fremont, Calif., where the company develops its test fleets of retrofitted Toyota Highlanders. Tesla has a manufacturing facility in Fremont as well. Musk has promised for years to deliver autonomous vehicles and a robust ride-hailing service. Lawmakers in Austin requested this week that he delay the rollout of his service in the city. Read more: Zoox's pill-shaped robotaxis become latest self-driving cars to hit California's streets Tesla, Zoox and Waymo are the three remaining major U.S. companies in what was once a more crowded field, Brauer said. General Motors' autonomous taxi company Cruise suspended operations in 2023 after one of its vehicles struck and dragged a pedestrian in San Francisco. Last year, Uber and Cruise announced a partnership that could put Cruise vehicles back on the road. A company called Argo AI, backed by Ford and Volkswagen, was also developing driverless technology until it shut down in 2022. The continued expansion of robotaxis depends on safe and successful testing, Brauer said. There have been several incidents related to Tesla's Full Self-Drive mode, a technology currently available but still in development. Waymo has issued recalls of some of its vehicles on multiple occasions. 'If there's a tragic result for any of these three companies during the testing and development process, it would likely slow down the entire industry,' Brauer said. Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The Independent
11 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Independent
New York City could soon get Waymo self-driving cars
Waymo, an Alphabet subsidiary, is seeking a permit to operate self-driving cars in Manhattan with a trained specialist behind the wheel. The current operation in New York City is a test phase, not yet serving customers, as fully autonomous operation without a driver is currently illegal in the state. Waymo aims to eventually bring its fully autonomous ride-hailing service to New York, while the city's transportation office reviews the permit with public safety as a priority. Waymo's self-driving cars are already active in several cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, and Austin, with plans for further expansion. Separately, Elon Musk's Tesla is preparing to launch its own robotaxi service in Austin, starting with a limited number of vehicles and emphasizing safety.
Globe and Mail
11 hours ago
- Automotive
- Globe and Mail
'High End Computers on Wheels': Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) Ramps Up Zoox Production
The move to get cars out on the streets that drive themselves—whether in our garages or serving as the connection between humans and ride-sharing programs—is only ramping up. And online retail giant Amazon (AMZN) is right in the thick of it as its Zoox arm is stepping up production ahead of a formal launch in Las Vegas later this year. As big a deal technologically as this is, Amazon shareholders were oddly tepid about it all, giving Amazon shares a fractional boost in Wednesday afternoon's trading. Confident Investing Starts Here: Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter Zoox just opened a new manufacturing operation in the San Francisco Bay Area—a site in Hayward, California, reports noted—to start stepping up its production. Right now, Zoox makes just one robotaxi per day, but as the launch gets closer, that number will increase substantially. In fact, reports suggest, by the time the operation reaches full scale, it will produce in about 20 minutes what it currently produces in a day, reaching a total rate of about 10,000 robotaxis per year. Of course, this low production rate is not much of a problem, notes Aicha Evans, Zoox CEO. Zoox is not actually selling these cars, but making them for internal use. In fact, Evans noted, the cars were essentially '… high-end computers on wheels.' The vehicles, shaped like toasters, reportedly have no steering wheel, and riders face each other almost like a stagecoach, or 'carriage-style' vehicle would work. A Page Out of the Good Book Meanwhile, Amazon's streaming aspirations continue along, as new reports suggest that Amazon is once again turning to religion for inspiration. Currently working with Dallas Jenkins of The Chosen, Amazon is now starting work on a series that focuses on Joseph, former second-in-command of all Egypt, who you might best remember for having a really colorful coat. The series, dubbed Joseph of Egypt, will be executive produced by Jenkins, with Craig Wright handling writing as well as executive production duties. Amazon Prime is also currently running House of David, reports note, which started in February and got a second season shortly after. Release dates for Joseph of Egypt, meanwhile, are not yet known. Is Amazon a Good Long-Term Investment? Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Strong Buy consensus rating on AMZN stock based on 46 Buys and one Hold assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 15.43% rally in its share price over the past year, the average AMZN price target of $241.64 per share implies 12.16% upside potential. See more AMZN analyst ratings Disclosure
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tesla Faces Calls to Postpone Robotaxi Rollout in Austin
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) was pressed by a group of Democratic lawmakers to defer its planned Austin robotaxi launch until September, when Texas's new autonomous-vehicle law takes effect. In a Wednesday letter, Austin-area legislators said delaying the debut would bolster public safety and foster community trust, urging Tesla CEO Elon Muskwho had tentatively eyed a launch this Sundayto submit detailed compliance plans for the incoming rules. The legislation, pending the governor's signature, will mandate operational permits for autonomous fleets, grant state authorities power to revoke them over safety breaches and require emergency-response protocols. Tesla's initial robotaxi fleet may include 1020 Model Y vehicles operating only in zones deemed safest, according to Musk's January announcement. Investors and analysts are closely watching the rollout, as much of Tesla's market valuation hinges on autonomous ride-hailing and humanoid roboticstechnologies yet to hit the road. With TSLA shares flat over the past week, any regulatory hiccup could heighten skepticism around the timeline for mass adoption. Competing firms and legacy automakers are monitoring Texas's framework as a potential blueprint for future deployments. Why It Matters: A delay could push back revenue projections tied to ride-hailing services and shape investor expectations for Tesla's autonomy roadmap. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
