Sterling Anderson doesn’t think humanoid robots should be building cars
Sterling Anderson doesn’t think humanoid robots should be building cars

At a splashy event in New York City last week, General Motors unveiled its new tech roadmap centered on AI-driven vehicle development, advanced battery tech, high-powered car computers, and autonomous driving. Some of this was old news: We already knew the automaker was developing hands-free, eyes-off driving automation and had been prototyping new battery chemistries. […]

Feds want robotaxis to signal ‘I’m driving’ with cyan-colored lights
Feds want robotaxis to signal ‘I’m driving’ with cyan-colored lights

After years of debating how driverless cars should tell the world no one is at the wheel – flashing text, audio alerts, custom lights – the feds just stepped in with a single answer: cyan. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released proposed changes to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, specifically rewriting […]

Elon Musk says Tesla will sell 5 million cars by 2030 — math says otherwise
Elon Musk says Tesla will sell 5 million cars by 2030 — math says otherwise

On Tesla’s earnings call Wednesday, Elon Musk made one of his patented pie-in-the-sky predictions that typically sends his fans into paroxysms of ecstasy: 5 million vehicle deliveries by 2030. “We were aiming for 5 million vehicles a year by approximately 2030,” he said. “And I think we’ve got a good shot of achieving that goal.” […]

Tesla wants you to ride its Cybercab, not own one, and Musk just made that painfully clear

Tesla hopes to deliver Cybercabs to customers this year, but Musk says almost all will stay in its own fleet.

Tesla says customers can add their own vehicles to the robotaxi fleet next year — will it happen?
Tesla says customers can add their own vehicles to the robotaxi fleet next year — will it happen?

For years, Elon Musk has been making big promises to Tesla owners about unsupervised autonomous driving and the ability to add their own vehicles to the company’s robotaxi fleet. During today’s third-quarter earnings call, the company finally gave itself a deadline. According to Tesla VP for Autonomous Driving Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla owners will be able […]

GM promises smarter cars, faster updates, and autonomous dry-cleaning runs
GM promises smarter cars, faster updates, and autonomous dry-cleaning runs

General Motors is still very much in the business of selling gas-guzzling trucks and massive SUVs. But if you listen to its leadership, the Detroit giant is rapidly transforming into a nimble, software-defined tech player with a tightened grip on AI. That was the pitch today, when GM hosted its tech-focused Forward event to unveil […]

Cities want to put the boot on robotaxis
Cities want to put the boot on robotaxis

This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on autonomous vehicles, policy, and road rules, follow Andrew J. Hawkins. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. How it started The first state to pass a law […]

Volvo will use Nvidia’s tech for hands-free, point-to-point driving
Volvo will use Nvidia’s tech for hands-free, point-to-point driving

Volvo plans to launch hands-free, point-to-point driving by 2030, powered by Nvidia’s latest AI technology. The Chinese-owned, Swedish-designed automaker said Thursday it would use Nvidia’s autonomous driving stack to power a new partially automated driving system similar to Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised). Volvo says the new point-to-point system will be Level 2++, meaning it can […]

The feds are looking into reports of Tesla’s robotaxis speeding through school zones
The feds are looking into reports of Tesla’s robotaxis speeding through school zones

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it’s evaluating allegations that Tesla’s 1,000 or so robotaxis using its automated driving system are exceeding “posted speed limits in active school zones.” Waymo’s robotaxis have also faced similar inquiries, including for illegally passing school buses and hitting a child near a California elementary school. NHTSA: The Office […]

Your car’s data privacy problems are worse than you think
Your car’s data privacy problems are worse than you think

You hear it all the time: Modern cars are basically smartphones on wheels. And just like the phone in your pocket, the car in your driveway collects vast amounts of data – tracking where you drive, how fast you accelerate, how hard you brake, how aggressively you turn, and much more. The legality of this […]