Pete Bigelow Pete Bigelow covers mobility issues for Automotive News. [email protected] See All Staff Page Recent Stories Sony, German supplier Elektrobit reimagine in-cabin user experience As the electronics giant continues testing the safety functions in its sedan prototype, it has partnered with the German supplier to transform the cabin into a new entertainment space. Mobileye to launch robotaxis in Germany, Israel next year Intel subsidiary Moblileye plans to expand a robotaxi service across Europe by the end of the decade. Israeli tech startup receives fresh funding from Volvo Volvo and Nationwide are two notable investors in Foretellix, which provides a platform for testing and validating the performance of automated vehicles. Toyota restarts self-driving shuttle fleet following collision with Paralympian Toyota President Akio Toyoda offered an apology to the Paralympian, and then issued a stinging rebuke of autonomous-driving technology. Lidar companies riding a driver-assist wave Companies are drawing the attention of customers and investors as they race to make their systems better and cheaper. Waymo secures $2.5 billion more from investors Little more than a year after its first external fundraising, Waymo said Wednesday the latest round comes mainly from the same group of firms that invested in 2020. Pandemic's toll includes historic rise in U.S. pedestrian deaths The rate rose 21 percent in 2020 over the previous year, according to Governors Highway Safety Association estimates. And the increase may not subside along with COVID-19. Russia's Yandex tests robotaxis in U.S. college town Russian self-driving tech company Yandex started testing robotaxis in Ann Arbor last year. Now, the company is using the same self-driving systems to launch delivery bots on the city's sidewalks. Tesla owner in driver seat shortly before U.S. crash, authorities say Crash investigators said the owner of the Model S entered the driver's seat and his passenger entered the front passenger seat at the owner's house. Initial reports had indicated the driver was not behind the wheel at the time of impact, leading to questions about the potential role of the Autopilot driver-assist system in the crash. Zetsche, Fields give boost to U.S. battery startup Factorial Energy Solid-state battery U.S. startup Factorial Energy says it has developed methods to increase energy density by 20-50 percent over current lithium ion technology. Co-CEOs bring balance to Waymo's self-driving future Tekedra Mawakana and Dmitri Dolgov bring complementary skill sets to what may be the most important job in the self-driving realm. Waymo reconstructs real-life crashes, eliminates most of them in simulation When Waymo replaced human drivers with autonomous systems and simulated the crashes, the company found its self-driving system avoided collisions in 84 of 91 scenarios studied. Who's who in the lidar world Lidar is being utilized in a growing number of driver-assist and autonomous applications across the automotive landscape. Here's a snapshot of the key suppliers. Why lidar suppliers may run into obstacles Special-purpose acquisition company deals give makers of the technology an express route to Wall Street, but some experts fear a reality check may be on the horizon. Uncertain fate for AV safety exemption It might seem obvious that autonomous vehicles designed only to carry groceries do not need systems designed to protect humans, such as airbags or seat belts. But a rule that provides such regulatory clarity is stuck in neutral. Load More
Pete Bigelow Pete Bigelow covers mobility issues for Automotive News. [email protected] See All Staff Page