Tesla in Seattle-area crash that killed motorcyclist was using self-driving system, authorities say (AP, July 30, 2024)

Investigators in Washington state have determined that an April crash in which a Tesla Model S hit and killed a motorcyclist about 15 miles north of Seattle was engaged in Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system at the time of the incident, according to EDR data from the vehicle. The Tesla driver told a state trooper that he was looking at his phone while Autopilot was engaged, and “the next thing he knew there was a bang and the vehicle lurched forward as it accelerated and collided with the motorcycle in front of him.”

The death of the motorcyclist, Jeffrey Nilsen, is the second fatality in the United States involving Full Self-Driving according to investigation documents from NHTSA. The investigation is ongoing, and it currently is unclear if FSD is at fault in the fatality.

Tesla has not commented on this recent development in the investigation, but this news comes only a week after Elon Musk stated that he expects FSD to run without human supervision by the end of 2024.

Volkswagen And Rivian Are Teaming Up On Software In $5 Billion Deal (Inside EVs, July 29, 2024)

On Tuesday, automakers Rivian and Volkswagen announced they are partnering to create software for their future electric vehicles.  Volkswagen has a long history of producing cars and making a profit, however they have struggled with their software.  Rivian is widely regarded for its software and user experience but lacks funding.  The money VW plans to invest does come with some strings attached.  Rivian will need to meet certain financial and technological milestones.  Volkswagen will invest an initial $1 billion with plans to invest another $4 billion in the future.  

Rivian CEO R.J. Scaringe said during a conference call on Tuesday. “Each company will continue to separately operate their respective vehicle businesses.”

Automakers Sold Driver Data To Insurance Companies For Next To Nothing (Jalopnik, July 26, 2024)

Two U.S. Senators, Ron Wyden and Edward J. Markey, are urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate how automakers are collecting and selling driver data to insurance companies at low prices. This follows a report by The New York Times indicating General Motors, Hyundai, and Honda are involved in selling data such as acceleration patterns, braking habits, and speeding frequencies to insurance companies to assess driver risk. Highlights from the investigation revealed automakers made minimal profits from these sales, with Honda receiving 26 cents per car from Verisk, and Hyundai earning 61 cents per car. GM declined to specify exact figures, but sources confirm low millions of dollars for data on eight million cars. The senators criticize the vague and often deceptive ways drivers are informed about data collection, with some automakers still sharing location data without clear consent. This marks the third congressional appeal to the FTC to scrutinize such data practices.

Waymo issues software and mapping recall after robotaxi crashes into a telephone pole (The Verge, June 12, 2024)

Waymo issued its second ever recall after one of its robotaxis collided with a telephone pole in Phoenix, Arizona last month. Waymo issued the voluntary recall with NHTSA after the carmaker released a software update to all vehicles in its driverless fleet. The software update changed the error that “assigned a low damage score” to the telephone pole and updated its map for the area. “We have already deployed mapping and software updates across our entire fleet, and this does not impact our current operations,” stated Waymo spokesperson Katherine Barna. “As we serve more riders in more cities, we will continue our safety first approach, working to each trust with our riders, community members, regulators, and policymakers.”

The vehicle suffered some damage after hitting the telephone poll at 8 mph, but no passengers or pedestrians were injured in the incident.

Tesla’s DMV self-driving false advertising case must go to trial, CA judge rules (Fox Business, June 11, 2024)

Tesla has made headlines this week as Judge Juliet Cox has denied the company’s attempt to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the California DMV. The lawsuit accuses Tesla of falsely advertising its vehicles’ self-driving capabilities. Tesla has promoted its cars by claiming that Autopilot is an “advanced driver assistance system” and that Full Self-Driving (FSD) can “drive itself almost anywhere with minimal driver attention.” If Tesla is found liable, it could face a suspension of its license to sell vehicles in California and may have to provide restitution to Tesla owners residing in the state.

EV slump, Hertz fire sale take used Teslas to ‘no haggle’ $25,000 price (CNBC, June 10, 2024)

Hertz is offloading 20,000 electric vehicles (EVs) after it acquired approximately 100,000 Teslas to expand its electric fleet in 2021. To facilitate the sale of these EVs, which make up one-third of its EV inventory, Hertz has announced a no-haggle pricing strategy with average prices around $25,000. Although EV sales have more than quadrupled from 2020 to 2023, the growth rate has decelerated as automakers are currently shifting their focus to hybrid vehicles.

Used Hertz Certified EVs undergo a comprehensive 115-point inspection and come with a 12-month/12,000-mile limited powertrain warranty. Additionally, Hertz offers extended warranty options, trade-ins, financing, and the ability to rent the car for a few hours or up to three days, with the rental fee waived if the car is purchased. For those preferring online transactions, Hertz provides the option to buy cars online and even delivers the vehicle for an additional fee.

Toyota shows ‘an engine reborn’ with green fuel despite global push for battery electric cars (AP News, May 28, 2024)

While many manufacturers in the auto industry are pushing for electric vehicles, Toyota has announced “an engine reborn,” at a Tokyo hall on Tuesday, offering compact engines that run on green fuels, like hydrogen and bioethanol. In hybrids, Toyota plans for the electric motor to become the main driving force, with the new “reborn” engine to take a lesser role. 

Toyota’s Chief Executive Koji Sato stated that the “engine is optimized for the electrification era,” with goals to meet emissions standards and to push for “carbon neutrality” globally. Officials for the Japanese automaker have repeatedly stated that a complete shift to electric vehicles is not economically possible due to the millions of jobs in vehicle production at stake. “The carbon neutrality the world is aspiring toward isn’t likely attainable for decades to come. It’s going to be a long marathon race,” stated business professor at Waseda University, Takahiro Fujimoto.

Major robotaxi firms face federal safety investigations after crashes (The Washington Post, May 24, 2024)

The self-driving vehicle industry faces increased scrutiny as federal investigations into Amazon’s Zoox, Google’s Waymo, and GM’s Cruise highlight potential flaws linked to numerous collisions. NHTSA is probing incidents involving rear-end collisions with Zoox vehicles, erratic behavior by Waymo robotaxis, and an ongoing investigation into Cruise after a pedestrian accident in San Francisco. Despite the industry’s rapid expansion, with around 40 companies testing autonomous vehicles in California and significant investments aiming to revolutionize transportation, these incidents challenge claims of superior safety compared to human drivers.

Matthew Wansley, an expert on automotive technologies, notes that the period of unrealistic expectations is over, with companies under increased scrutiny. This scrutiny comes as NHTSA uses crash data to identify potential safety risks in autonomous driving technologies. As incidents involving self-driving cars accumulate, the NHTSA faces growing pressure to preemptively regulate rather than react post-incident.

Hyundai Motor and Plus Announce Collaboration to Demonstrate First Level 4 Autonomous Fuel Cell Electric Truck in the U.S. (Morningstar, May 22, 2024)

Hyundai Motor and autonomous driving software leader Plus have debuted the first Level 4 autonomous Class 8 hydrogen fuel cell electric truck in the U.S. at the ACT Expo. This collaboration aims to enhance road safety and freight efficiency. The truck, a Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell model, is equipped with Plus’s Level 4 SuperDrive™ system and is undergoing initial autonomous driving assessments in the U.S. By integrating Plus’s advanced autonomous driving technology, Hyundai seeks to provide safer, more efficient, and sustainable solutions in trucking. The XCIENT Fuel Cell truck has already proven its reliability in real-world applications across eight countries since its introduction in 2020.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Hyundai Motor Company on this important initiative to create more sustainable and safe transportation options. A decarbonized future with autonomous hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks that also improve safety and efficiency is one that Plus is proud to support with our cutting-edge autonomous driving technology,” said Shawn Kerrigan, COO and Co-Founder at Plus.

Waymo Is Latest Company Under Investigation for Autonomous or Partially Automated Technology (US News, May 14, 2024)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened another investigation into Waymo’s self-driving vehicles after 22 reports of crashes or traffic law violations. This has become the fourth investigation into automated driving technology announced by NHTSA within the past month, joining Amazon’s Zoox, Ford, and Tesla.

NHTSA announced it would be investigating the 22 Waymo incidents “to more closely assess any commonalities in these incidents.” The federal agency will be evaluating the automated driving system’s performance in responding to traffic control devices and crash avoidance with both stationary and moving objects and vehicles.

“Ultimately, I think it’s a good thing [NHTSA is] taking these steps, trying to figure out why these vehicles are acting the way they are,” said Michael Brooks, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety.

GM’s self-driving car unit restarts testing on public roads (CNN, May 13, 2024)

After shutting down last October due to an accident involving a pedestrian, Cruise robotaxis are hitting the roads again.  The self-driving vehicles will begin testing in Phoenix and will have a safety driver at the wheel of the modified Chevrolet Bolt EV ready to take over if needed.    As you may recall, Cruise was forced to halt operations last fall after the California Department of Motor Vehicles suspended Cruise’s permits to operate vehicles in the state.  Cruise then made the decision to stop all operations nationwide.  Since then, “Cruise said it has updated its software to better respond to such incidents in the future”.  

 Tesla Rehires North America Charging Director, Report (EV, May 13, 2024)

Tesla has taken steps to rehire some of the approximately 500 members of its Supercharging team who were laid off in April, including Max de Zegher, former director of charging for North America. De Zegher, along with Rebecca Tinucci, a senior director, was part of the management let go by Elon Musk during the restructuring. De Zegher initially joined Tesla in 2013 as a Product Specialist in London and later became a Project Manager for Charging Infrastructure in the Northeast & Canada. Recently, Musk also announced plans to invest over $500 million in expanding the Supercharger network by adding thousands of new chargers in 2024. The exact number of rehired employees is currently unclear. Tesla reassured Australian customers via email that Supercharging services will be expanded and ongoing construction sites will be completed.

In Tesla Autopilot probe, US prosecutors focus on securities, wire fraud (Reuters, May 8, 2024)

Reuters reported this morning that prosecutors are investigating whether Tesla committed securities fraud by deceiving investors or wire fraud by deceiving consumers about its driver-assistance features. Despite the name “Full Self-Driving,” Tesla’s driving assistance feature is not fully autonomous, and Tesla warns drivers to be prepared to take over driving at any moment. However, Elon Musk has been promoting the “prowess of Tesla’s driver-assistance technology for nearly a decade.” This probe could potentially result in criminal charges or civil sanctions, but Tesla has produced “voluminous documents” in response to subpoenas, and prosecutors are not close to coming to any kind of decision on how to proceed.

US seeks information from Tesla on how it developed and verified whether Autopilot recall worked (WEAU News, May 7, 2024)

NHTSA is seeking detailed information from Tesla regarding its December recall of over 2 million vehicles equipped with Autopilot. Concerns have arisen about the effectiveness of the recall, with Tesla reporting 20 crashes post-remedy. The focus is on whether Autopilot should operate beyond limited access highways, leading to increased driver warnings on roads with intersections. The agency is scrutinizing Tesla’s response to driver confusion and enhancement of safety features post-recall, while considering further actions if necessary to ensure Autopilot’s safe functioning.

“As clunky as our government is, the feedback loop is working,” said Missy Cummings a professor of engineering and computing at George Mason University who studies automated vehicles. “I think the NHTSA leadership is convinced now that this is a problem,” Cummings added. Phil Koopman, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University who studies automated driving safety, stated that “NHTSA has to respond forcefully or other car companies will start pushing out inadequate remedies.”

Tesla (TSLA) launches another round of layoffs (Electrek, May 6, 2024)

Tesla has launched its fourth round of layoffs in only four weeks after the company’s announcement that it would be laying off around 10% of its workforce. However, it appears that number may be closer to 20% after the most recent round of layoffs occurred this past weekend. Elon Musk has stated the layoffs are largely due to role duplication and hiring inefficiencies, while also telling investors that the layoffs occurred for “restructuring for the next phase of growth.” These layoffs also are occurring after Tesla’s weakest financial performance due to low vehicle sales and deliveries.

After Tesla layoffs, price cuts and Cybertruck recall, earnings call finds Musk focused on AI USA Today, April 23, 2024

During a Tesla earnings call on Tuesday, Elon Musk stated that he wants Tesla to become known as an artificial intelligence technology company, rather than being a car manufacturer after reporting a 9% decline in revenue. “Global EV sales continue to be under pressure as many carmakers prioritize hybrids over EVs,” the Tesla investor deck stated. Musk seems focused on developing the Full Self-Driving program, stating “If someone does not believe that Tesla can solve autonomy, I don’t think they should be an investor in the company.”

However, despite the shift in focus to AI and AVs, the deck also included a “ramp up” of the Cybertruck, and continued research for the development of a Model 3 update and new Tesla models. “We have updated our future vehicle line-up to accelerate the launch of new models ahead of our previously communicated start of production in the second half of 2025,” the investor deck reads.

Senators urge NHTSA to regulate autonomous vehicles Land Line, April 22, 2024

On April 18, Senators Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) issued a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, urging the agency to regulate autonomous vehicles and “to take more proactive and aggressive action to address the safety concerns of” autonomous vehicles. The letter also references several crashes involving partially automated driving systems, including Tesla vehicles and Cruise’s driverless cars, arguing that these vehicles have unique challenges that cannot be governed by the same regulations as other vehicles. “We cannot allow partially automated driving systems and automated driving systems to accelerate the road safety crisis…NHTSA must take firm control of the wheel and steer manufactures toward prioritizing safety,” the letter states.

The letter also urges NHTSA to address the misleading marketing of these driving systems and to create a new set of rules and standards for AVs. “While (automated driving systems) and partially automated driving systems present unique safety issues, we urge NHTSA to use its expertise and problem-solving capabilities to find proactive, effective solutions that prevent tragedies before investigations and recalls are necessary,” the letter states.

Kentucky Lawmakers Override Veto, OK Fully Autonomous Vehicles Transport Topics, April 16, 2024

Earlier this month we reported that Kentucky governor Andy Beshar vetoed House Bill 7, an autonomous vehicle bill that would allow fully autonomous vehicles, including commercial vehicles, on the roads and highways.  After revisions, the house and senate voted in favor to override the governor’s veto.

The new law takes effect on June 15th of this year.  Some highlights of the bill include a human driver behind the wheel of vehicles having a declared gross vehicle weight and any towed unit weighing more than 62,000 pounds to monitor performance and intervene, if necessary, (this restriction is lifted after August 1, 2026), and proof of insurance of at least $1 million of total liability for death of/injury of persons resulting from an accident and $1 million worth of property damage.  As part of the legislation, public agencies are prohibited from banning the operation of fully autonomous vehicles or automated driving systems or imposing any restrictions on how these vehicles/systems are treated in comparison to traditional automobiles.  The law also prevents state agencies from imposing taxes, fees, or other requirements, including performance standards, on fully autonomous vehicles and automated driving systems.

EV battery giants BYD, CATL form Chinese powerhouse to build solid-state batteries (Electrek, February 12, 2024)

Who will win the race to commercialize all-solid-state EV batteries?  China, if they have anything to say about it.  Several leading Chinese automakers and battery manufacturers are joining forces to commercialize solid-state batteries, which could revolutionize the EV market.  The government led, China All-Solid-State Battery Collaborative Innovation Platform (CASIP), was formed last month and includes academia and industry leaders like BYD, Contemporary Amperex Technology, and NIO.  BYD and CATL already make up over 50% of the global EV battery market and are used by Tesla, BMW, Toyota, Kia, Ford, and other leading EV makers.  China sees this new alliance as a way of ensuring they will become an “automotive powerhouse.”

Waymo recalls and update robotaxi software after two cars crashed into the same towed truck (Tech Crunch, February 13, 2024)

Self-driving vehicles continue to face ongoing scrutiny with the latest news of Waymo issuing its very first recall after two of the carmaker’s robotaxis crashed into a towed pickup truck in Arizona this past December. According to Waymo, the pickup truck was improperly towed, “angled across a center turn lane and a traffic lane,” which resulted in the robotaxis being unable to correctly predict the motion of the vehicle.  While the crashes were considered “minor” with no injuries,according to Mauricio Peña, Waymo’s chief safety officer, the company has developed and tested a software update that was deployed to its entire fleet by January 12.

“This voluntary recall reflects how seriously we take our responsibility to safely deploy our technology and to transparently communicate with the public,” Peña wrote in a blog post.

AV restrictions bill reintroduced in California (Trucking Dive, February 13, 2024)

The ongoing battle between labor and autonomous tech in California witnessed another salvo last week when California legislators reintroduced a bill seeking to give state legislators more oversight over the AV sector.  Specifically, the bill aims to shift the responsibility for keeping safety operators onboard autonomous heavy-duty trucks to politicians, rather than state regulators. The proposed law is aligned with another Teamsters-supported bill, which seeks to require the passage of local ordinances before autonomous vehicles are allowed to operate.  “California must implement real AV safety standards and ensure local municipalities have a say in AV deployment,” said Peter Finn, president of Teamsters Joint Council 7.

Elon Musk has to recall nearly every Tesla sold in the U.S. because some warning lights are too small (Fortune, February 2, 2024)

In yet another sign of stepped-up scrutiny, NHTSA announced a recall of nearly all of the 2.2 million vehicles Tesla has sold in the U.S. because some warning lights on the instrument panel have a smaller font size than required by federal safety standards. The agency also announced that it has upgraded a 2023 investigation into Tesla steering concerns to an engineering analysis, which is the procedural step prior to an actual recall. Tesla has already started releasing software updates to address the warning light issue, and owners will be notified by letter starting March 30.

NHTSA maintains that the added controls and alerts will “further encourage the driver to adhere to their continuous driving responsibility.” Safety experts, however, remain skeptical that Tesla’s over-the-air updates are sufficient to address the underlying problems associated with Tesla’s Autopilot and driver monitoring systems.

A Waymo robotaxi hit a cyclist in San Francisco – here’s what happened (Electrek, February 7, 2024)

Yesterday, February 6, a Waymo robotaxi hit a cyclist after the autonomous vehicle did not see the cyclist behind a large truck at an intersection in San Francisco. Immediately following the accident, the robotaxi company contacted the police. Luckily the cyclist sustained only minor injuries and was able to leave the scene of the accident on their own without any medical treatment.

This incident comes after Waymo announced its plans to expand its driverless robotaxi services in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin. While the situation was handled in a “counter-Cruise fashion,” the accident is still a setback for Waymo, who has already been getting pushack for its expansion into Los Angeles by labor organizations and Teamsters. Waymo may face some hardships moving forward distancing itself from the Cruise accident, even with the significantly smaller-scale incident.

GM to cut spending by $1 billion on robotaxi unit Cruise in 2024 (Reuters, January 30, 2024)

Dominoes continue to fall in the wake of the Oct. 2 accident involving a Cruise robotaxi. After disclosing probes last week by the U.S. Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission, GM announced that it is cutting spending for the troubled self-driving unit by approximately $1 billion in 2024.

GM CEO Mary Barra stated that the automaker will “refocus and relaunch Cruise,” and would announce a specific timetable for the relaunch of operations shortly. Despite more than $8 billion in losses on robotaxi operations, Barra added that going forward Cruise will continue striving to make self-driving safer than human operation after learning the hard way that “humans expect computers to be much more safe” than human drivers.

Tesla warns that the Model 3 is about to lose half of its tax credit in the US (The Verge, December 4, 2023)

The Clean Vehicle Tax Credit, funded through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), of up to $7,500 off the price of an electric vehicle is about to fall to $3,750 on January 1st for Tesla’s cheapest model, the Model 3.

It appears that Tesla has not been able to meet sourcing requirements under the IRA, which were revised by the Department of the Treasury just last week. In 2024, “an eligible clean vehicle may not contain any battery components that are manufactured or assembled by a FEOC.” A FEOC, or foreign entity of concern, includes entities under the jurisdiction of the governments of China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. It is still unknown how this may affect tax credits for Model Ys and Model Xs in the new year.

Cruise Could Face Fines for Allegedly Misleading Regulators (Transport Topics, December 4, 2023)

It appears the fallout from Cruise’s Oct. 2 incident is still not over. According to a ruling filed Dec. 1, the California Public Utilities Commission has ordered Cruise officials to present evidence at a hearing on Feb. 6, 2024, as to why Cruise should not be fined up to $100,000 per incident for “making misleading public comments regarding its interactions with the Commission.” In response to inquiries about the investigation, a Cruise spokesman stated that the company “is committed to rebuilding trust with our regulators and will respond in a timely manner to the CPUC.”

US Labor Groups Seek Greater DOT and NHTSA Oversight of Autonomous Vehicles (The National Law Review, November 30, 2023)

Numerous labor groups, including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the United Auto Workers recently went on the offensive by sending a joint letter to the Secretary of Transportation and the Acting Administrator of NHTSA urging federal regulators to dramatically increase oversight of the autonomous vehicle industry.

Citing numerous widely publicized reports of safety related issues with AVs and joining a growing contingent of opponents to unfettered AV expansion, the labor groups specifically requested an overhaul of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Automated Vehicle Policy, as well as more stringent industry-wide investigation of AV safety failures and increased federal data reporting requirements. 

Given the current public outrage over AV related incidents and the recent surge in approval ratings for labor unions, this joint effort is likely to garner the attention of DOT and NHTSA officials who may be more than willing to increase their scrutiny of current AV technology.

US Justice Department issues subpoenas to Tesla in ongoing probes (Reuters, October 23, 2023)

The U.S. Justice Department is continuing to turn up the heat on Tesla in its investigation over the automaker’s ADAS, claimed driving range, and other issues. Tesla disclosed in a regulatory filing Monday that it recently received subpoenas from the DOJ seeking “documents related to Tesla’s Autopilot and FSD features,” as well as other requests “associated with personal benefits, related parties, vehicle range and personnel decisions.”

Tesla has been under heavy scrutiny from numerous agencies, including criminal investigations by the Justice Department over deceptive vehicle performance claims and a purported secret project that diverted company funds to the construction of a home for Chief Executive Elon Musk. NHTSA has also been investigating Tesla’s Autopilot over numerous crashes involving emergency vehicles and whether its driver monitoring system adequately ensures driver engagement when using ADAS.

Despite these headwinds, Tesla also said its capital expenditure for 2023 would outpace previous targets, as it continues to ramp up production for new models, most notably the widely anticipated Cybertruck.

California DMV suspends Cruise’s self-driving car permits, effective immediately (CNBC, October 24, 2023)

The California DMV dealt a major blow to automation yesterday when it suspended Cruise’s deployment and testing permits, effective immediately. The suspension follows repeated incidents in which Cruise robotaxis blocked first responder vehicles, interfered with traffic, and caused injuries—prompting safety concerns, calls for the DMV to reverse its August decision to allow widespread operation of robotaxis in San Francisco, and a NHTSA investigation.

The DMV cited four regulations supporting its decision, including regulations that “allow suspension in the event ‘the Department determines the manufacturer’s vehicles are not safe for the public’s operation,’ and ‘the manufacturer has misrepresented any information related to safety of the autonomous technology of its vehicles.’” Cruise will have an opportunity to apply for reinstatement once it fulfills certain requirements. Cruise may continue to operate its vehicles with a safety driver in the meantime.

Tesla aware of Autopilot steering malfunction before fatal crash -lawyer (Reuters, October 24, 2023)

A jury will soon get to decide Tesla’s liability in for the 2019 collision that killed driver Micah Lee and severely injured his passengers. In closing arguments yesterday, Plaintiffs’ counsel “cited an internal safety analysis conducted by the company that showed it knew about a steering malfunction in its Autopilot driver assistant feature about two years earlier.” Counsel hopes the jury will agree that this and other evidence proves Tesla knew about the exact defect that he argues led to the crash, and even “instructed employees to accept no liability or responsibility for the problem.” Tesla continues to deny all liability, calling into question whether Autopilot was even in use at the time of the crash and pointing to Lee’s blood alcohol level. Tesla’s counsel is expected to continue his closing argument today.