Robotaxi

Cruise, the self-driving unit of GM, will introduce its robotaxi rides in Phoenix and Austin within 90 days, Crusie CEO Kyle Vogt said during Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference. 

Motional and Lyft announced the launch of Motional’s new all-electric IONIQ 5-based robotaxi, an autonomous vehicle (AV) designed for fully driverless ride-hail operation, on the Lyft network in Las Vegas. The launch is the next milestone in the lead-up to Motional and Lyft’s fully driverless service, planning to begin in 2023 and scaling to multiple U.S. cities.

Autonomous taxi-provider Cruise announced its robots now cover 70 percent of the San Franscisco area. Only last year Cruise was the first to operate a robotaxi-service in California when the California Public Utilities Commission authorized Cruise to participate in California’s first pilot program to provide driverless autonomous vehicle (AV) passenger service to the public. 

The California Public Utilities Commission has authorized Cruise to participate in California’s first pilot program to provide driverless autonomous vehicle (AV) passenger service to the public. Cruise is the first entrant into the CPUC’s Driverless Pilot program, in which passengers can ride in a test vehicle that operates without a driver in the vehicle. Cruise may not charge passengers for any rides in test AVs.

AutoX, a Chinese provider of fully autonomous vehicles, has opened its Robotaxi service to the general public in Shenzhen. This means the autonomous cars will be transporting passengers without a safety driver. Last year competitor Waymo was the first to make their taxi available to the general public.