Latest news with #selfdriving
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Old Video Shows Elon Musk Saying That What Tesla's Launching This Month Wouldn't Count as Full Self-Driving
The launch date for Tesla's long-awaited robotaxi service in Austin, Texas continues to slip, raising embarrassing questions for the company. For one, the modified Model Y SUVs that will initially make up the EV maker's robotaxi fleet won't technically be driverless, because they'll be teleoperated by human employees if anything goes wrong. They'll also be geofenced to only the easiest areas to drive in, which as Electrek points out is a fascinating example of how CEO Elon Musk has moved goalposts for the project so far that he's now basically playing a different sport. Why? Because a clip of Musk speaking at the firm's annual shareholder meeting in 2019 that caught the attention of Reddit users this week shows him lampooning the idea of geofenced self-driving. "If you need a geofence area, you don't have real self-driving!" Musk exclaimed at the time. Roughly six years later, the mercurial CEO is singing a dramatically different tune. "When we will deploy the cars in Austin, we are actually going to deploy it, not to the entire Austin region, but only in the parts we consider to be the safest," Musk told CNBC in May, "so we will geofence it." The complete reversal is perfectly representative of the entrepreneur's years-long attempt to paint the company's so-called "Full Self-Driving" driver assistance software as an engineering challenge that's mere months away from being solved. (He's infamously promised that self-driving cars would become a reality "next year" every year for over a decade now.) In reality, Tesla appears to have bitten off far more than it can chew, continuously lagging far behind its CEO's boisterous promises, with its vehicles still careening into oncoming lanes, crashing into emergency vehicles, and even confused by the setting Sun. A recent public demonstration sponsored by Tesla watchdog the Dawn Project showed a Tesla with its "Full Self-Driving" feature turned on, mowing down a child-sized mannequin next to a school bus. To put on the appearance that Tesla is right around the corner from catching up with the likes of driverless car-hailing service Waymo, executives are trying their darndest to reassure investors. One image posted by Tesla's head of self-driving, Ashok Elluswamy, shows a suspiciously cropped photo of two robotaxis, conveniently cutting out the portion of the image that would've shown a safety driver in the passenger seat. We still don't know when Tesla will finally roll out its extremely limited robotaxi service in Austin. Instead of having an inaugural event planned — which is the least one would expect from a company with a market cap north of $1 trillion — Musk most recently hinted that the launch is "tentatively" scheduled for June 22. A lot is riding on the company's robotaxi service. Amid plummeting sales and disastrous financials, Musk has bet his cards on autonomous vehicles, a gamble that hasn't really worked out for him in the past. What exactly the company's robotaxi launch will look like remains to be seen. However, at this point, it's safe to assume it will involve plenty of smoke and mirrors. More on Full Self-Driving: Puzzled Trump Says He Has No Idea Why Musk Supported Him in the First Place
The Independent
a day 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
a day 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
Auto Blog
a day ago
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Volvo's Abbey Road Mode Turns the EX90 Into a Personal Music Venue
One of pop music's hallowed sites is coming to Volvo's largest EV Music is an essential part of driving, whether through your car's radio, on physical media, or a streaming service like Spotify or Apple Music. Some of us have that special mixtape, burnt CD, or mixtape full of the essential tracks meant to lift the spirits on the morning commute, the drive home, or a long drive somewhere far away. 0:08 / 0:09 Nissan's revolutionary self-driving tech hits Japan's streets Watch More One of the bands I grew an unhealthy, obsessive fixation over when I was a kid was The Beatles, and ironically, one of those songs on one of my driving playlists is Drive My Car. Though we know the words and notes of our favorite songs by heart, the most discerning ears know that there are wildly different and noticeable differences when we listen to them in our cars, our headphones, and through various types of speakers. Volvo EX90 — Source: Volvo Abbey Road, in your Volvo Nothing can compare to the experience of attending a live performance or being in the room with artists as they record. However, if you're a Beatles fan like I am, you might need a time machine to experience that era. But while time machines and flux capacitors remain the work of fiction, Volvo's latest software update has a cool new feature that may be the next best thing: a way to bring you closer to one of the most iconic studios in the world. After teasing this feature last year, Volvo has officially introduced what they call the 'Abbey Road Studios Mode' in an over-the-air (OTA) update for its all-electric EX90 models equipped with the optional Bowers & Wilkins High Fidelity Audio system. This innovative digital audio experience has been crafted in collaboration with audio engineers from the actual Abbey Road Studios in London and high-end audio experts at Bowers & Wilkins. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. In essence, Abbey Road Studios Mode was made to replicate the distinct sound and acoustic character of the Abbey Road recording rooms inside the Volvo EX90. In its quest to explore the limits of the in-car music listening experience, Bowers & Wilkins worked closely with the same audio engineers who obsessed over the minute, fine details for a wide range of music artists to create a series of digital soundscapes that could bring the studio alive in the big Volvo EV's ultra-quiet cabin. Abbey Road Studios Mode makes global debut in Volvo EX90 — Source: Volvo Though other expensive brand-name high-end stereo systems in other cars allow you to tweak, tune, and mess with various equalizer (EQ) settings like the balance, bass, treble, and even focus the sound on passengers or drivers, Volvo says that the Abbey Road Studios Mode is different. The mode comes with some special presets that 'provide a selection of sounds, optimised for different listening styles,' as well as a special 'Producer Mode,' which 'allows you to engineer your own sound' by adjusting between retro-style warmth or modern, crisp depth, and even shifting the simulated acoustic environment in the same way George Martin would've done. 'The Abbey Road Studios Mode brings the unique sound of our spaces and equipment to the Bowers & Wilkins system in the Volvo EX90 for the first time,' Abbey Road Studios GM Jeremy Huffelmann said in a statement. 'We are hugely proud of this collaboration, and excited for Volvo customers to experience this landmark technology.' Abbey Road Studios Mode makes global debut in Volvo EX90 — Source: Volvo Final thoughts The Abbey Road Studios Mode is a nice addition to the EX90, which already features a Dolby Atmos-capable, 1,610-watt Bowers & Wilkins system with 25 speakers placed throughout one of Volvo's quietest interiors. As a music fan, words underestimate the kind of songs that were recorded at Abbey Road. We're talking 190 of The Beatles' 210 song catalog, Lennon's Imagine, the entirety of Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of The Moon, modern hits like Lady Gaga's Born This Way, Frank Ocean's Pink + White, and even the scores of Oscar-winning movies like Gravity and The Shape of Water. Although it may seem like a bit too much of a niche 'if you know, you know'-type of deal, I feel that given the studio's rich history in modern music, the 'Abbey Road mode' is the ultimate form of an audiophile's stamp of approval, which can sway at least some music-loving buyers towards the Volvo. At least for me, it could make 'Drive My Car' sound true to the original recording. About the Author James Ochoa View Profile
CTV News
a day ago
- Automotive
- CTV News
Honda-backed Helm.ai unveils vision system for self-driving cars
The company logo is on display outside a Honda dealership Monday, July 22, 2024, in Highlands Ranch, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) Honda Motor-backed on Thursday unveiled its camera-based system to interpret urban environments, dubbed Vision, and said it was in talks with other automakers to deploy its self-driving technology in mass-market vehicles. is working with the Japanese automaker to integrate its technology in the upcoming 2026 Honda Zero series of electric vehicles, which will allow users to drive hands-free and take their eyes off the road. 'We're definitely in talks with many OEMs and we're on track for deploying our technology in production,' CEO and founder Vladislav Voroninski told Reuters. 'Our business model is essentially licensing this kind of software and also foundation model software to the automakers.' The California-based startup's vision-first approach aligns with Elon Musk's Tesla, which also relies on camera-based systems as alternate sensors such as lidar and radar can increase costs. However, Voroninski said while has foundation models that work with other sensors, its primary offering remains vision-focused. Industry experts say other sensors are critical to safety as they can act as backup for cameras, which are known to underperform in low-visibility conditions. Robotaxi companies such as Alphabet's Waymo and May Mobility use a combination of radar, lidar and cameras to perceive their surroundings. has raised US$102 million to date and counts Goodyear Ventures, Korean auto parts maker Sungwoo HiTech and Amplo among its investors. Vision combines images from multiple cameras to create a bird's-eye view map, which helps improve the vehicle's planning and control systems, the company said. The system is optimized for several hardware platforms made by the likes of Nvidia and Qualcomm. This enables automakers to incorporate Vision into their existing vehicle systems, which include their own technologies for predicting and planning vehicle movements. Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Shreya Biswas, Reuters
