David Lu

The BC ADIT Robotaxi Report plus recent news from Waymo indicates that total robotaxi mileage thus far is 60M miles or more. Here's a run-down on activity in robotaxis, roboshuttles, and autonomous buses worldwide. Plus.... ruminations from Moi on the early days of autonomy and how it all might have come to nothing. #driverlesscars #robotaxi #roboshuttle

24

It's great to catch up with Elizabeth Kao, chair of the Autonomous Vehicle Computing Consortium, Inc. (AVCC) at our annual member meeting. The AVCC is the only consortium targeting production-track in-vehicle processor capabilities and software architecture for advanced software defined vehicle (SDV) control. Tomorrow I take the stage to present "Autonomy is Like Happiness": both are noble pursuits that are never fully achieved. #softwaredefinedvehicles #autonomousvehicles #sdv #adas

107

Elektrek reports: "Tesla releases update to remove steering wheel nag, shuts down sunglasses loophole," with improved camera-based #driver #monitoring. We need to call this update for what it is. Tesla's improvements to its #DMS amount to no more than polishing a turd. Elektrek continues: "This enhancement is available on vehicles equipped with a #cabincamera and only when the cabin camera has clear and continuous visibility of the driver’s eyes (e.g. the camera is not occluded, there is sufficient cabin illumination, and the driver is looking forward at the road ahead and not wearing sunglasses, a hat with a low brim, or other objects covering the eyes). A DMS needs to work at all times and under all lighting conditions to effectively perform the supervisory role for #FSD and #Autopilot. To not work in low light, or simply if the driver is wearing sunglasses, means it works unless it doesn't. That amounts to a hardware defect which cannot be resolved with changes to the software. This is the game Tesla is currently playing with #NHTSA. Coming regulatory changes mean Tesla is out of time for its woeful DMS. Tesla DMS came last in a recent #IIHS #automation #safeguards ranking (Ford Motor Company's DMS was ranked first) but coming harmonization of regulatory requirements across the U.S., Europe, and China through the 5-star #NCAP test will force Tesla's hand regarding properly functioning DMS in the near term. At a minimum, Tesla needs to implement DMS with 940nm optical path, add “Owl & Lizard” movement detection, work properly with sunglasses, and provide measures of #distraction and #drowsiness. Euro NCAP - For Safer Cars, Vans & Trucks is set to announce its 2026 DMS test protocols later this year and could add metrics for #cognitivedistraction and #impaired driving. Ironically it is Tesla FSD/Autopilot crashes that provide regulators with the data of what functions a DMS performing a supervisory role for partial automation most need to fulfil. NHTSA issued an #ANPRM for impaired driving in November. It is likely to follow that up with clear rulemaking for minimum DMS performance requirements in the next 12 months. The industry should not expect those requirement to be lame. FMVSS 127 for AEB was a major #safety advance. #Automakers should prepare now for the same step-change for DMS in the U.S. too. The latest edition of Semicast's report "#ADAS & #Automotive Vision-based Driver Monitoring Systems" is published. Significant segmentation of the DMS/OMS market is provided. This is summarized as follows:   - by movement detection into "Owl-only" and "Owl & Lizard" detection - by feature set - by processor type - by CMOS image sensor location - by CMOS image sensor resolution - by driver and occupant monitoring - by front-seat and whole-cabin monitoring   Message me for a copy of the sales brochure for the study. My inbox is open. https://lnkd.in/eWNvfQSm

72

8 Comments

The BMW i3 REX was the first attempt to market an extended-range EV—a BEV with a generator—but it didn’t quite succeed. Can larger EREVs improve both GHG emissions and consumer acceptance while reducing dependence on DC fast charging? The answer may lie beyond technology alone. New policy tools that reflect real-world fleet performance can encourage OEMs to support frequent charging and earn credits when they do. Current tools, like utility factors and supply-side regulations, are not a sufficient starting point, but many OEMs are exploring promising new technologies, engines, and fuels that may show potential for deep GHG reductions with regular charging may not be a good starting point, but many OEMS are testing new technologies, engines and fuels that shows high potential. https://lnkd.in/gzrMpFBA

24

🚘 Data-Driven Safety in Autonomous Vehicles This article on Waymo and Nexar's collaboration highlights how data ecosystems are transforming road safety. As a professional in the automotive industry, I’ve seen how crucial such innovations are for scaling real-world solutions that benefit everyone. How do you see data sharing shaping the future of autonomous mobility? 👉 Read the article here https://buff.ly/4gdoctt #AutonomousVehicles #RoadSafety #DataInnovation

1

Sustaining vs. NPD (new product development). That’s why Tesla is cutting so many teams, and there’s a reason why it matters. At their core, Tesla is a #software company first, #EV leader, and energy storage company. With a falling stock price, here are some balance sheet realities: They canceled model 2 or the $25k car, which means there is no new vehicle to design. This means no new product development, and that’s a massive balance sheet cut that Wall Street loves. #Superchargers, while being the dominant leader in the market, is an expensive business to maintain and grow. I saw another post this week mentioning that much of their network isn’t ready for 800V architecture, which means massive, costly upgrades. #EVcharging needs them, so this is bad for the market, but McKinsey 101 in terms of cuts. Finally, there were brakes, executives, and all the other cuts due to the lack of new programs. You need the A-team when you’re launching, but once the line is running you can run with a B-team. My two cents is the they’re falling into a brick and mortar syndrome which is never good, but they also see the software or even #SaaS like model as being a much larger revenue stream and dominance. Time will tell if they’re genius or misguided. https://lnkd.in/gJFtfa7e

58

17 Comments

I hope to start an interesting debate. While a zipper merge does improve safety and does provide more space for a set of slow moving vehicles to "park" I would propose that the chances of restoring full speed flow are much more reduced. When there is not a back up it is better to merge early to avoid creating a backup because two vehicles have to slow down at the zipper merge point when they fail to negotiate who will go first. It is difficult for humans to negotiate for right of way in such a short space. If a zipper merge is the best way to interact when a lane is lost then on ramps could have a very short merge point. We need to avoid tripping the flow and causing it to back up. The way to avoid tripping the flow is to have the smoothest merges possible. Once the flow is tripped then the stop point will move back up the highway quickly and end up far from the actual merge point. Once the flow is stopped then the best chance to get it restarted is to merge at your current location. All this talk about zipper merges and the thought of a legal requirement to use it is difficult for me to take.

9

2 Comments

Waymo to add Hyundai EVs to robotaxi fleet under new multiyear deal 🌏 Hyundai Motor and Waymo have agreed to a multiyear, strategic partnership that includes the self-driving company adding the South Korean automaker’s Ioniq 5 electric vehicle to its robotaxi fleet. Initial on-road testing with Waymo-enabled Ioniq 5s will begin by late 2025, and they are expected to become available to Waymo One robotaxi riders in the years to follow, the companies said. * Ride-hailing drivers will be Disrupted by Technology, Artificial Intelligence with Autonomy 🤖

12

Waymo has announced a major milestone, potentially paving the way for other emerging robotaxi companies — even amid persistent skepticism and division over this technology. Waymo said that over the course of just three months, the company has doubled its paid rides to 100,000 per week. It’s currently the only such company collecting fares for riders who take the unmanned self-driving taxis. The company has opened up service to anyone in San Francisco, has expanded in metro Phoenix and has plans to extend to the San Francisco Peninsula and to certain parts of Los Angeles. What does this all mean for the industry? The main barrier to scaling this technology, in my opinion, is doubt and concern among the general public who has expressed distrust and uncertainty. Once Waymo can offer up proof of concept and ease those fears, I think we’ll see the other struggling players in the space — including Cruise and Zoox and others gain traction, too. https://lnkd.in/egKPv2pB #waymo #selfdrivingtaxis #robotaxis #waymotaxis #cruise #cruiseGM #AV #autonomousvehicles

9

5 Comments

Is the complexity of EVs and AVs overwhelming your team? Discover how model-based systems engineering and generative design can revolutionize your vehicle architecture. Explore how MBSE and generative design can: Streamline the process of integrating new technologies Reduce development cycles and get your products to market faster Identify the most efficient and effective designs Don't miss out on this opportunity to stay ahead of the curve. Read our blog post to learn more: https://sie.ag/6aHnr1

9

This startup’s failure highlights key issues with AVs ⚠ It's no secret that the autonomous driving industry lost its shine in recent years. 🔹 Investments are being diverted to different sectors. 🔹 The Robo-Taxi pilots in the U.S. aren’t going very well. 🔹 Related tech providers suffer losses in the stock exchange. 🔹 There are genuine issues with regulation and public acceptance. Last April the industry suffered another setback. Ghost Autonomy, a promising startup that partnered with OpenAI, announced shutting down operations despite raising significant investments of $220M. 🚘 The Vision: Founded in 2017, Ghost aimed to deliver an affordable autonomous driving kit that will equip any car with autonomous capabilities. Ghost’s technology used AI and ML to analyze the vehicle's motion related to its surroundings. Without getting too technical, Ghost developed a different approach to "sensing" which enabled reducing the costs and complexity of designing AVs. Sounds like a brilliant idea right? Well...it was. But it didn’t help. 🔍 Challenges Ghost Faced: 𝙁𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙀𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩:  The sharp decline in funding since 2022 had a major impact on Ghost The startup could not secure more funding and ran out of money. 𝙍𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙩 𝙃𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙡𝙚𝙨:  Integrating autonomous vehicles into the market faces substantial regulatory challenges and public skepticism.  𝙄𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝘼𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙨:  Ghost attempted to save the company by enhancing its system using LLMs. They invested time and money only to find that the technology wasn’t mature enough for high-stakes environments like autonomous driving. This innovative idea failed. 🌐 What's Next? The end of Ghost Autonomy is another reminder of the challenges the autonomous industry still faces. While it is clear that Autonomous Driving will be part of our future, AVs aren’t coming any time soon. With money flowing out of the sector, startups should secure long-term, sustainable funding sources beyond initial capital injections. When do you think we will see self-driving vehicles? P.S. 🔄 Report if you find this post interesting and you to read more about technology, mobility, startups, and innovation. #innovation #mobility #autonomousvehicles #startup Video clip credits - Ghost Autonomy

19

13 Comments

This is honestly shocking. It feels like Musk is dismantling the pillars of Tesla’s product ecosystem to pursue robotaxis. The Supercharger network is the core reason why Teslas vehicles are the most effective replacement for a gas vehicle. Without support the Tesla user experience (and all EVs that are about to get access) will fall apart. The latest Tesla layoffs don’t feel like a well thought out strategy for brand and product development. Tesla is the reason for EV success in North America and now the world, but with other brands making strides in EVs these decisions make it feel like Musk has grown bored with leading on Tesla’s core mission to accelerate clean energy transportation. But EV success is not a given. There’s still a lot of work to do to convince the general public on EVs. How do these latest moves help Tesla or EVs as a whole in the long run? It’s not adding up. Tesla has been built through the work of thousands of employees and on the buy in of millions of customers. If it’s truly about the mission the board should prioritize that to maintain and continue to grow what Tesla has become. It’s mission is about more than an individual. #tesla #teslasupercharger #superchargers #evcharging #electriccars #electricvehicles #superchargernetwork #energy #automotive #chargingstations #charginginfrastructure

71

6 Comments

Autonomous Driving - Robotaxi & more (1/3) Some brief insights from recent research excursions in China and in the US. 👉Waymo in San Francisco ➡️@Alphabet’s Waymo operates commercially in 4 cities with more than 50,000 paid autonomous rides weekly. ➡️In SF alone a lot of Waymo Taxis are operating and they seem to gain more and more public acceptance as more and more riders get used to it. ➡️ We made some real life experience tests of Waymo to analyse the progress. And we were quite impressed of the good user experience of the customer journey. (See video clip) ▶️The Robotaxi (w/o a safety driver) managed very difficult traffic situations with practically no difference to a human driver ▶️Our Waymo taxi even realized that a car on a traffic light mistakingly wanted to pull back: Waymo instantly blowed the horn and also pulled back taking rear traffic into account! 👌 ➡️Our take: Scaling of the robotaxi service will be key and not easy. Operating the robotaxis is still very expensive and there might be still some edge cases leading to severe accidents and political resistance. More soon here or: Mobility Services Report (MSR) 2024 https://lnkd.in/eZhWXZuR

27

6 Comments

I was enamoured by the concept of ‘RoboTaxis’ in 2017, but after taking a test drive in an autonomous vehicle, at a test-bed facility in Singapore and diving deep into the technology & it’s requisite ecosystem, I realised that it will be a few decades before ‘RoboTaxis’ become ubiquitous. Two years ago, I test drove a Tesla FSD (Full Self Driving) in California. I was amazed by the technology advancement, but realised that without enabling infrastructure it will not work. I keep testing Tesla’s ‘AutoPilot’, it seems useful on highways, but is not reliable in adverse weather conditions or where the infrastructure isn’t good enough. In America, there aren’t too many bikes or trikes on the roads, and lane discipline / traffic rules are mostly followed. However, in most of the developing countries, congested roads are the norm, infrastructure isn’t great, all types of vehicles jostle for space, rules aren’t adhered to, so in my opinion ‘rules-based’ autonomous tech will not work. That’s why Sooorya EV is launching a driver-driven electric vehicle for last-mile mobility #ridehailing #ridesharing #employeetransport #eTaxis “Emil Michael, former chief business officer at Uber Technologies Inc. recently expressed skepticism about the financial feasibility of robotaxis, citing the high cost of production. What Happened: Michael shared his views on how long it will take for autonomous taxis to become a reality during Monday’s episode of CNBC’s “Last Call.” “It’s always around the corner, but it takes more than people think…because of regulation, the cost of the vehicles that do it well, and also the density of enough driverless cars in any city to have a ride take 10 minutes or less to get to your door when you order one,” Michael said. “These things are expensive. The Waymo cost of that whole vehicle… is about $300K. That’s not going to replace a driver financially anytime soon.” Read more in this Benzinga article https://lnkd.in/gZJsNTEt

11

1 Comment

Truth or Myth? -- You Can Ride In An Autonomous Vehicle Today Here's my next 5 minute video installment in the Truth or Myth series: - Robotaxi Deployments - Other Testing & Deployments - Remote Operators and whether that means it is still an autonomous robotaxi

22

8 Comments

25% of North American households have children under the age of 16. That 25% will wish to continue owning at least one household vehicle. A similar percentage needs to carry tools, equipment, pets, etc. in their vehicle. That additional percentage will wish to continue owning a personal vehicle. Another smaller fraction will be concerned about personal preferences, hygiene, etc. These three cohorts are not mutually exclusive but taken together, we will not reduce personal ownership by more than half unless numerous other innovations satisfy the populations I enumerated without them owning a household vehicle. What are those innovations?

6

7 Comments

Second day summary of the Connected Vehicle Systems Alliance (COVESA) AMM meeting: Started the day strong with an overview on how Amazon has succesfully integrated #Alexa in vehicles. Arianne Walker presented Amazon’s roadmap and achievements with using Voice commands in vehicles. Switching tracks - it was interesting to see Hisao Munakata’s view on how to migrate RTOS SW to an HPC- important topic for SDV development. The COVESA member visibility round was time well spent - discussing with Carin Lagerstedt and Brian Carlson ways to enable COVESA members be more visible within the organisation - we’re lookimg forward to get our marketing team from SMART Engineering & Development working on this topic. The afternoon was reserved to exploring how AI can be integrated within vehicle. Great panel with Jeff Blackburn, Tim Yerdon, Richard Fernandes, Jean-Luis Rivard and Ephrem Anthony Chemaly PhD. The secod day closed with a fireside chat (minus the fire) between Keith O’Neil from Globant and Brian Wassom. This concluded day two and this AMM. Looking forward to next year’s event. I am returning home hopefulabout our future but also aware of the ammount of work and effort we need to put in to change this industry towards better sustainability. #COVESA #automotive #AI #sustainability #softwaredevelopment

16

4 Comments