Self-Driving Cars, Robotaxis, and AVs

[phkrause]

? Trust gap for self-driving cars

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

Better transparency and tighter rules could improve public trust in self-driving cars amid safety concerns involving robotaxis. Why it matters: Like human drivers, self-driving technology will never be perfect. But people would trust it more if they better understood its failings, Axios transportation expert Joann Muller writes from Detroit. What's happening: The big promise of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is that they could make transportation safer and more accessible for everyone. But robotaxis are being tested and deployed in cities without residents' explicit consent, and without much oversight. ? Catch up fast: GM-owned Cruise pulled its entire U.S. fleet of 950 driverless cars off the road last month after a San Francisco pedestrian was hit by a human-driven vehicle, then run over by a nearby Cruise robotaxi. Cruise is now planning a slow return to service. ?️ The big picture: Other AV companies are forging ahead with deployment and testing. Hyundai and AV developer Motional opened a new facility in Singapore last week that will produce Ioniq 5 robotaxis for planned deployment in Las Vegas and other U.S. cities starting next year. Alphabet subsidiary Waymo partnered with Uber to offer driverless rides in metro Phoenix. In San Francisco, Waymo continues to expand access to its Waymo One driverless ride-hail service. It's also ramping up service in L.A., and is testing robotaxis with safety drivers in Austin. May Mobility, backed by Toyota and BMW, just raised $105 million to expand its on-demand driverless transit shuttles in a handful of cities in Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota and Texas.