self-drivingcar
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No one wants to test self-driving cars in Ontario, Canada
Governments may be racing to approve self-driving car tests on their roads, but that doesn't mean that companies will always line up. Case in point: Ontario. The Canadian province greenlit autonomous vehicle testing on its public roads as of January 1st, but hasn't had a single company apply to test in the 6 months that followed. Ontario's Ministry of Transportation tells Reuters that there has been interest, but that flies in the face of what some companies are saying in the short term. Honda has no plans, for example, while part supplier Magna International is currently limiting its tests to private test tracks.
Faraday Future cleared to test self-driving cars in California
Faraday Future isn't waiting for Michigan to get its act together before it starts testing self-driving cars in the US. Reuters has confirmed that the fledgling company has received approval to try autonomous vehicles on California roads later this year. It's still not saying just when there will be a self-driving machine you can buy (the 'regular' electric car is still coming first), but the testing brings the startup a step closer to making that happen. One thing's for sure: between Faraday, GM, Honda and other car makers, there will be a lot of hands-off transportation cruising Golden State streets before long.
A 45-year-old New York law is holding up autonomous vehicles
In New York state, legislators are worried a law from 1971 could be a roadblock for autonomous vehicles in the near future. As the New York Daily News reports, the state is the only one in the country that requires drivers to keep at least one hand on the steering wheel while driving. Obviously, this could be a problem for self-driving cars, since they don't have hands.
Riding shotgun in a DIY self-driving car
"I'm an idiot." Superhacker and Comma founder George Hotz is standing in a Las Vegas suite, and he's wearing a suit. That's saying something: He was the first person to hack the iPhone and PlayStation 3 while using the hacker name GeoHot. He doesn't wear suits. But now he's running a company that's built its own semi-autonomous AI-trained vehicle in a garage. Today it has employees and investors, and plans to release hardware by the end of the year. "This is a big deal, so he dressed up," Jake Smith, head of operations, told me on my way to the meeting.
Volkswagen pours $300 million into Gett's ride hailing service
Ford and GM aren't the only big car companies getting cozy with the on-demand transportation industry. Volkswagen has made a $300 million investment in Gett, one of the bigger ridesharing outfits in the world (particularly in Europe). The two are working together to expand on-demand ride services. For VW, this is the "first milestone" toward becoming a top-tier mobility service provider by 2025. The firm doesn't expect this to be its only partnership, but it's an important one.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Self-driving Uber cars, and more!
The self-driving cars are coming: This week Uber unveiled its first autonomous vehicle, while Google patented a sticky "fly paper" car hood that could protect pedestrians caught in self-driving car crashes. Los Angeles celebrated the completion of its first new metro line in 60 years, while France transformed its trains with beautiful impressionist art. And Taga launched an affordable cycle with built-in cargo space that could be the ultimate family bike.
GM is already testing self-driving Chevy Bolts
That didn't take long. Just weeks after GM bought Cruise Automation to give its self-driving car initiative a boost, the spy photographers at SpiedBilde have spotted multiple Chevy Bolts roaming around San Francisco with autonomous driving sensors on their roofs. In fact, one of the drivers is Cruise Automation co-founder Kyle Vogt -- clearly, he's taking the hands-on approach in this collaboration.
Google is hiring autonomous car testers in Arizona
If you're in Arizona, Google is hiring for a gig that could be a good alternative to doing Uber. The job entails test driving an autonomous car around the state for $20 an hour, six to eight hours a day. You'll still need to know how to actually drive to be able to take the wheel if needed. But since your role is testing out the big G's new technology, you're expected to provide the engineering team "concise written and oral feedback," submit daily reports and document any test or procedure performed.
Google and Fiat Chrysler aren't sure who owns self-driving car data
Google and Fiat Chrysler left a lot of questions unanswered when they unveiled their self-driving car partnership... and that's because they haven't answered some of those questions themselves, apparently. Fiat Chrysler chief Sergio Marchionne told guests at an event that the two companies have yet to decide who will own the data from the fleet of 100 autonomous Pacifica minivans. The vehicles need to be "viable" first, he says. He adds that the firms have yet to decide whether or not they'll offer open source code that would help others build self-driving technology.
Google's self-driving tech goes into Chrysler minivans this year (update: official)
That rumored deal between Google and Fiat Chrysler for self-driving car technology? It's reportedly happening... if not quite in the way you'd expect. Bloomberg sources claim that the arrangement will put some of Google's autonomous tech into the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan sometime this year. Just how deep this integration would go isn't clear, but it's not believed to be an exclusive arrangement -- either side could cooperate with other partners. If the leak is accurate, the deal could be signed as soon as May 3rd (if you're reading this in time, today).
Volvo will test self-driving cars on the public next year
Volvo has been working on its autonomous vehicle program for several years now, but there's only so much you can learn from testing tech in controlled conditions. While the company has run trials on public roads before, it's now planning to take engineers and technicians out of the equation to see how regular road users take to self-driving cars. As part of its ongoing "Drive Me" project, Volvo is going to put real people behind the wheels of "semi-autonomous" vehicles from early next year, in order to understand how they are suited to everyday scenarios like doing the school run and picking up the weekly grocery shop.
Ford, Google and Uber form a group to push for self-driving cars
Some of the biggest names in transportation tech aren't waiting around for the US to legalize self-driving cars -- they're determined to give the government a boost. Ford, Google, Lyft, Uber and Volvo have formed the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets in a bid to have officials "realize the safety and societal benefits" of autonomous vehicles. In other words, they're going to advocate for federal laws and regulations that put self-driving technology on roads across the country.
Beverly Hills is creating its own fleet of self-driving cars
Picture the streets of Beverly Hills and you probably imagine seas of ultra-luxurious cars piloted by celebrities or their chauffeurs. However, you may have to get used to a new sight in the future: hordes of vehicles with no drivers at all. The city's council has voted to produce a fleet of self-driving cars that would provide on-demand shuttle service around town. The system would lean on a city-wide fiber optic network, already in the design stages, to keep these driverless rides talking to the neighborhood and each other. The first phase of the resolution would have Beverly Hills forming partnerships with autonomy-minded car brands like Google and Tesla, so this would be more of a collaboration than a from-scratch project.
Car makers ask the US to slow down on rules for self-driving tech
You might think that car brands would want governments to approve self-driving cars quickly so that sales can start as soon as possible, but it turns out that they're quite cautious. The Global Automakers industry group (which includes numerous heavyweights) used a public hearing on April 8th to ask US officials to slow down while crafting regulations for autonomous driving tech. Supposedly, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is moving too quickly by pushing for finished guidelines by July. It's tying itself to "arbitary, self-imposed deadlines" instead of allowing "robust and thoughtful" analysis, the industry says.
Volvo will conduct China's largest test of self-driving cars
Volvo is about to embark on one of the greatest adventures in the history of self-driving cars... at leat, if everything goes according to plan. It's planning an experiment in China (reportedly the country's biggest to date) that will have as many as 100 autonomous vehicles driving on public streets in regular traffic conditions. Real-life tests aren't completely novel -- just ask Google. However, this would both offer a rare chance at a large-scale test and give Volvo a toehold in China's increasingly hot self-driving car space.
Homebrew self-driving tech gets millions in backing
George "Geohot" Hotz's attempt to put cheap, self-driving tech into any existing car raised eyebrows (and Tesla's ire) when it was revealed late last year. Now, one of Silicon Valley's most prominent venture capital funds is throwing its wallet behind Hotz's grand idea. Andreessen Horowitz has written a check for $3.1 million to help Hotz hire engineers and turn his jury-rigged system into a working product. He's joining some illustrious company, since the fund has previously handed cash to outfits like Oculus VR, Zynga, Instagram, Groupon, Jawbone and something called Twitter.
BMW's next-gen Project i focuses on autonomous driving
When BMW talks about wanting to build the most intelligent car, it's not joking around. The automaker is kicking off a Project i 2.0 initiative that will push autonomous and networked driving technology in the same way that Project i boosted electric cars. In fact, BMW claims that it'll "lead the field" for self-driving tech -- no mean feat when seemingly everyone has similar ideas. The centerpiece is an iNext vehicle that will supposedly "set new standards" for autonomy, connectivity, EV tech, mapping and sensors.
Ford's 'mobility' subsidiary to focus on autonomous cars and more
GM isn't the only US automaker making self-driving car announcements today. Ford revealed a new subsidiary, Ford Smart Mobility, that will focus on developing new technology for autonomous vehicles, in-car connectivity and transportation services. Former Steelcase CEO and Ford board member Jim Hackett will oversee the new offshoot, which the company says is part of its goal to be "both an auto and a mobility company."
Toyota strengthens autonomous car program with new hires
Toyota wants to build a road-ready autonomous car by 2020, and it's tracking down the right expertise to help it achieve this goal. The car company announced it's welcomed the 16-strong software engineering team from Jaybridge Robotics -- a firm specializing in autonomous industrial vehicles -- into the fold. To be clear, Toyota hasn't acquired the company, which will continue to support its current client base; it has, however, hired most if not all of Jaybridge's experts to work on its in-house self-driving car program.
Ford hopes you'll watch movies in self-driving cars
If and when self-driving cars become a practical reality, you'll probably want something to do during your journeys besides chatting with passengers or checking your phone. Thankfully, Ford might have an answer. It recently obtained a patent for an "autonomous vehicle entertainment system" that would let you watch videos when you're hands-free. Kick your vehicle into self-driving mode and a projector system could swing into action, complete with its own screen -- yes, you could watch a movie while you're on the way to visit family. Think of it as in-flight entertainment, just grounded.
