Tesla is launching an even-more-limited version of its early robotaxi service in San Francisco this weekend, according to Business Insider, after an initial rollout began last month in Austin, Texas. The company plans to offer rides with a driver in the driver’s seat, which is necessary because Tesla does not have the proper permits for…
Uber is investing hundreds of millions of dollars into EV maker Lucid and autonomous vehicle technology startup Nuro in a bid to launch its own premium robotaxi service. Under the deal announced Thursday, Uber will invest $300 million in Lucid and separately buy “at least” 20,000 of the EV maker’s new Gravity SUV over the…
Tesla has applied to test and operate autonomous vehicles in Arizona in a bid to bring its fledgling robotaxi service to the Metro Phoenix area, the state’s Department of Transportation confirmed to TechCrunch. Tesla contacted the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) under the Arizona Department of Transportation on June 26 to begin the certification process, a…
Waymo kicked off two “road trips” to Philadelphia and New York City on Monday, signaling the Alphabet-owned company’s interest in expanding into Northeastern cities. Waymo’s branded “road trips” don’t necessarily signal a commercial launch anytime soon. Waymo has announced several other road trips this year, including to Houston, Orlando, Las Vegas, San Diego, and San…
Just a few days after launching a limited robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, Tesla pulled off an additional stunt meant to show off the progress of its self-driving car software. The company let a Model Y SUV drive roughly 15 miles from Tesla’s factory to the apartment complex where the car’s new owner lives, completing…
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! Less than a week ago, Tesla robotaxis began rolling out and giving rides to invited customers in Austin. As Sean O’Kane and I wrote this week, the…
Tesla has started giving rides in driverless Model Y SUVs in Austin, a decade after CEO Elon Musk began making — and breaking — myriad promises about his company’s ability to launch such a service. The rollout will become the first big test of Musk’s belief that it’s possible to safely deploy fully autonomous vehicles…
Waymo said Wednesday it has applied for a permit to test its autonomous vehicles in New York City, the Alphabet company’s first step in a sticky regulatory process to bring its robotaxis to U.S.’s largest city. Waymo applied for a permit with the New York City Department of Transportation to operate its self-driving Jaguar I-Pace…
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said his company will start offering public rides in driverless vehicles in Austin, Texas on June 22, which would mark the beginning of his long-promised robotaxi service. That date could shift because Musk claimed Tesla is “being super paranoid about safety.” Tesla Model Y SUVs have been spotted in recent days…
U.K.-based autonomous vehicle technology company Wayve and Uber plan to launch a fully driverless robotaxi service in London in the coming years. The news comes soon after the U.K.’s announcement of an accelerated framework for self-driving commercial pilots. U.K. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed Tuesday that the U.K. government would fast-track pilots to spring 2026,…
