Holon, the autonomous mobility subsidiary of Benteler Group and Tasaru Mobility Investments (Saudi investor) rebranded in 2022, presented its driverless shuttle for the first time at CES 2023 in Las Vegas. and is now preparing for series production and market rollout of its first fully electric autonomous shuttle, the Holon Urban, showcased at UITP Summit in Hamburg in June. It features design by Pininfarina and sees Beep and Mobileye as development partners.
First, Lucid will roll out a more advanced version of its partially automated driving assist for the Gravity SUV, which it says has been "turbocharged by Nvidia Drive AV." But after that, the plan is for a so-called "level 4" autonomous system, capable of driving itself from point to point without human intervention, at least within a geofence or other limited operational design domain.
"This measure would hinder the city's comeback by making rides more expensive and hurting drivers," said CJ Macklin, director of communications at Lyft. "This would be particularly devastating for low-income communities who struggle to even access the Muni system and depend on ride-share to get around. It's the wrong move for San Francisco."
One slice of today's out-of-nowhere AI boom has actually been a long times coming: the rise of the self-driving car. After a period of wild hype in the 2010s, followed by disillusionment and a shakeout in the early 2020s, the race to make your car autonomous is fully back on, baby. For those that stuck it out, like Tesla and Waymo, the mission never really ended. Across the board, though, the shift is undeniable.
I am sure you are waiting to learn the results of last week's poll. (Reminder: Sign up for the Mobility newsletter to participate in our polls!) Here is what I asked: "What is the best business model for autonomous vehicle tech? (Keep profitability in mind.)" Far and away, readers think longer-haul delivery is the best bet, with 40% picking this option.
In practice, this means a driver navigating approved, mapped highways will be able to do basically anything they want behind the wheel. Snack, answer emails, catch up with their shows, turn around to yell at the kids in the back. Even sleep, maybe-provided that they wake up by the time they've reached the exit ramp. (If they don't, the car will find a safe place to pull over, GM says.)
Self-driving cars aren't science fiction anymore. From self-driving technology in the latest electric vehicles to fleets of taxis you can order from your phone, the autonomous vehicle revolution is just getting started. But how will the public react as self-driving cars become more of an everyday part of our bustling cities? Automakers and city leaders across the country are balancing how to encourage adoption without compromising safety as they prepare communities for the ripple effects of autonomy - from infrastructure to human behavior.
There's something fundamentally American about the freedom to get in your car and drive. Driving is self-determination. The liberty to set your own course. The power to move under your own willpower, whether for duty or sheer pleasure. Despite some decline among Gen Zers, plenty of teens still eagerly anticipate getting their driver's license. In many American towns, where public transportation and walkability are scarce, driving is what empowers you to explore.
Tesla Optimus is likely going to be the biggest product the company ever develops, and Musk has even predicted that it could make up about 80 percent of the company's value in the coming years. Teasing the potential to eliminate any trivial and monotonous tasks from human life, Optimus surely has its appeal. However, Musk revealed over the weekend that the humanoid robot should be able to utilize Tesla's dataset for Full Self-Driving (FSD) to operate cars not manufactured by Tesla:
A state law on the matter goes into effect July 2026. As KRON4 reports, police officers patrolling for impaired drivers near the San Bruno Caltrain station recently witnessed the errant Waymo pulling a U-ey at a traffic light. Upon discovering there was no driver in the car, officers alerted the company of the glitch and sent the vehicle on its way, per KTVU.