Tag Archives: driverless cars

Good luck getting a Tesla ride

Posted on May 31, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

The wait times are terrible. When Tesla announced an expansion of its robotaxis to Dallas and Houston last month, some investors touted momentum for CEO Elon Musk’s mission to transform the electric-vehicle maker into an AI-powered, driverless-tech giant. Reuters reporters … Continue reading →

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No Waymos this weekend

Posted on May 23, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

News you might be able to use. Waymo has suspended service in Houston and other Texas cities since heavy rain is expected to hit the region over Memorial Day weekend and the company’s self-driving vehicles have struggled to navigate flooded … Continue reading →

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Another robotaxi company with accident problems

Posted on May 18, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Your turn in the spotlight, Avride. Uber rolled out its Avride robotaxis in Dallas last December, but now, Avride’s automated driving system (ADS) is being investigated after several crashes, officials say. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), … Continue reading →

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Waymo recalls robotaxis for flood fixes

Posted on May 13, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Waymo is recalling its U.S. fleet of robotaxis after one of the autonomous vehicles was swept away when it drove into floodwaters in San Antonio. The voluntary software recall stems from an incident during severe weather April 20, when a Waymo … Continue reading →

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Waymo to resume service in San Antonio after two flooding incidents

Posted on May 12, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. Autonomous ride-hailing company Waymo is expected to resume service in San Antonio this week after suspending operations following two flood-related incidents involving its self-driving vehicles. Operations were paused after an April 20 incident in which a Waymo vehicle … Continue reading →

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Tesla robotaxis arrive in Houston

Posted on April 22, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

And in Dallas. Tesla’s Robotaxi service has taken to the streets of Houston. In a brief statement Saturday, April 18 on its X social media account, Tesla Robotaxi says the autonomous rideshare service just launched in Texas’ two biggest metro areas — … Continue reading →

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A ride in a Waymo

Posted on April 7, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Longtime Chron tech writer Dwight Silverman took a ride in a Waymo robotaxi and wrote about the experience. When Waymo began service in Houston on Feb. 24, its vehicles had already become a common sight in the city. When they … Continue reading →

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On autonomous vehicles and traffic

Posted on March 28, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I eagerly clicked on this analysis of the effect robotaxis will have on traffic, but I have to say I came away from it dissatisfied. If and when self-driven vehicles become widespread, research and common sense both suggest they will … Continue reading →

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So how do first responders handle autonomous vehicles?

Posted on March 22, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

This story raised more questions than it answered for me. A viral image from the March 1 shooting in downtown Austin — an autonomous vehicle blocking an ambulance from reaching the scene where a gunman fatally wounded three people and … Continue reading →

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Zoox coming to Dallas

Posted on March 21, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

From last week. I’m curious to see how it goes. Amazon’s self-driving unit Zoox plans to start testing its autonomous vehicles in Dallas and Phoenix, the company announced Monday. To start, Zoox will deploy a “small number” of its retrofitted Toyota Highlander SUVs, with a human … Continue reading →

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Air taxi testing

Posted on March 16, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Look, up in the sky! The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved eight pilot programs that will allow a handful of companies, including Archer Aviation, Beta Technologies, Joby Aviation, and Wisk to start widespread electric aircraft testing as early as this … Continue reading →

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Are robotaxis actually safer than human drivers?

Posted on March 13, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

It turns out this is a more complicated question than you might think. If a chorus of wide-eyed boosters and enthralled journalists are to be believed, self-driving cars from companies like Waymo, Tesla, and Zoox can bring about road safety … Continue reading →

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Waymo arrives in Houston

Posted on February 25, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

As anticipated, and for a select group for now. Some riders can start boarding Waymo self-driving cars in Houston and two other Texas cities Tuesday, marking the latest launch for the nationwide fleet of robotaxis. The driverless vehicles debuted in … Continue reading →

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Tesla sort of removes safety monitors from its robotaxis

Posted on January 29, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a catch. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Thursday that his company is now running a small number of its Robotaxi vehicles in Austin, Texas, without a human driver or safety supervisor on board. “Just started Tesla Robotaxi drives … Continue reading →

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Fort Worth enters the driverless truck space

Posted on December 29, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Noted for the record. Hundreds of driverless trucks will be on Fort Worth-area roads soon following the creation of a new statewide route to El Paso. The push for more autonomous vehicles in North Texas comes as the Fort Worth … Continue reading →

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Tesla robotaxi crash frequency

Posted on December 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Of note. Tesla’s 29 Austin Robotaxis have been involved in eight crashes since they launched in June, Electrek reports, citing National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data you can download here. Those crashes for the most part involved property damage, and only in … Continue reading →

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Waymo and school buses

Posted on December 10, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is a real problem. In November, on Austin’s South First Street, cameras caught a Waymo automated vehicle drive past an Austin Independent School District school bus’ flashing stop signs. At first, the driverless car stopped while a student crossed … Continue reading →

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Uber robotaxi service debuts in Dallas

Posted on December 6, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Now in two Texas cities. Beginning Wednesday, when you call an Uber, you may be matched with an autonomous robotaxi, thanks to the rideshare platform’s partnership with Avride. To get a ride from the robots, you just call an Uber … Continue reading →

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Waymo coming to Houston, Zoox doing demos in San Francisco

Posted on November 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

A twofer here, beginning with the local news. You may have spotted Waymo’s self-driving cars across Houston since the company began testing in the city earlier this year. Now, the autonomous ride-hailing service is preparing to take off the training … Continue reading →

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Tesla robotaxis are coming to Houston

Posted on November 15, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Eventually. Real Soon Now. When Elon gets around to it. Tesla plans to bring its driverless robotaxi service to Houston, following CEO Elon Musk’s announcement that safety drivers will be phased out in Austin by the end of 2025. Musk … Continue reading →

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Elon Musk once again makes a full self-driving promise

Posted on October 31, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Death, taxes, etc. During the Tesla Q3 earnings call, CEO Elon Musk revealed that, within the next few months, the company’s robotaxi service could begin operating without the safety monitors that currently ride in the front seat of all the … Continue reading →

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Zoox seeks broader regulatory approval

Posted on October 1, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Another step towards offering their robotaxi service. Zoox has asked federal regulators for an exemption that would allow the Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company to commercially deploy its custom-built robotaxis, which lack traditional controls like pedals and a steering wheel. The … Continue reading →

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Waymo comes to Nashville, driverless trucks come to I-10

Posted on September 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Two for the price of one today. Story #1: Robotaxi leader Waymo on Wednesday announced that its driverless vehicles will begin transporting passengers in Nashville, Tennessee, next year while heading in a new direction by teaming up with Lyft instead … Continue reading →

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Zoox to begin its robotaxi service

Posted on September 12, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Today Las Vegas, sometime later Austin and other cities. Five years after its splashy $1.3 billion acquisition of Zoox, Amazon has officially entered the U.S. robotaxi race, which to date has been dominated by Alphabet’s Waymo. Zoox’s first public launch … Continue reading →

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Another look at Waymo’s robotaxi approach versus Tesla’s

Posted on September 9, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good long analysis here. A month after Tesla launched a trial robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, in June for select fans, CEO Elon Musk told investors that the company’s driverless taxis would likely be available to “half the population of … Continue reading →

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Feds investigating Tesla for slow reporting of self-driving crash data

Posted on August 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure what to make of this. Federal auto safety regulators are investigating why Tesla has repeatedly broken rules requiring it to quickly tell them about crashes involving its self-driving technology, a potentially significant development given the company’s plans to … Continue reading →

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The (driverless) trucks at night, are big and bright

Posted on August 12, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I regret nothing. Autonomous vehicle technology company Aurora has expanded its driverless freight operations to include nighttime travel on Texas highways, according to the company’s announcement Wednesday. In late April, the self-driving 18-wheeler service was launched without a safety driver in partnership with Uber … Continue reading →

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Waymo to come to Dallas

Posted on August 11, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Arriving next year. Why it matters: North Texas has been an early proving ground for autonomous technology. Autonomous trucking companies are testing their fleets on the region’s highways and Lyft plans to offer self-driving taxis in Dallas next year. The intrigue: Waymo said the high traffic fatality rate in … Continue reading →

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Tesla and Musk sued over robotaxi issues

Posted on August 10, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. A group of Tesla shareholders sued the company and CEO Elon Musk, alleging they weren’t forthcoming about problems with its robotaxi. The proposed class action lawsuit, filed in a Texas federal court Monday, says Tesla misled investors, failed to … Continue reading →

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Tesla expands its Austin robotaxi service area

Posted on August 6, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Returning to one of my pet obsessions. Tesla’s robotaxi service began in Austin back in late June, and now the brand has undergone its second expansion that has seen it quadruple its initial service area. This new expansion is almost double … Continue reading →

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Would you let Elon monetize your car?

Posted on July 29, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I wouldn’t, but I’m not in scope for this, so that’s an easy call. Tesla owners may soon be able to earn money by letting their vehicles operate as self-driving robotaxis, CEO Elon Musk announced this week. During Tesla’s second-quarter … Continue reading →

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From the “Our service area is bigger than yours” department

Posted on July 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Actual headline: Waymo responds to Tesla’s dick joke with a bigger Austin robotaxi map. We live in truly stupid times. Earlier this week, Elon Musk posted an image of Tesla’s robotaxi service area in Austin, Texas, that was in the shape of … Continue reading →

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A look at the Tesla robotaxi rollout

Posted on June 26, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Because I have an unhealthy obsession with this cursed topic, here’s a brief roundup of news stories about how the first day of Tesla’s long-expected robotaxi rollout in Austin went. First, you should know that only pro-Tesla influencers were invited … Continue reading →

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Tesla launches its robotaxi service in Austin

Posted on June 23, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Not quite as they wanted, but it is going. After driverless Tesla Model Ys were spotted traversing Austin, Texas streets on Sunday morning, CEO Elon Musk posted on his social platform X that Tesla’s “robotaxi launch” would start this afternoon … Continue reading →

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