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Technology Stocks : Drones, Autonomous Vehicles and Flying Cars

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From: sunabeach

5/15/2024 8:14:58 AM

of 3610

(MorningBrew)

AUTO
Driverless cars are in the regulatory hot seat

Alex Castro

Self-driving cars are feeling the jolt from red and blue lights flashing in their rearview mirror. Alphabet’s Waymo is the latest autonomous vehicle company under federal investigation after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a probe earlier this week into 22 incidents involving its robotaxis.

The agency tasked with ensuring your road trips are boring plans to scrutinize all the times Waymo’s cars did reckless things like drive in a lane with oncoming traffic, crash into parked vehicles, or hit other stationary objects.

Probe pileup

The investigation into Waymo makes Uncle Sam’s file on the industry too thick to fit in a glove compartment:

A flurry of federal probes descended on GM-owned Cruise after one of its autonomous cars dragged a pedestrian over 20 feet last fall. The infamous incident prompted the company to pull all its driverless cars off the road.
The NHTSA is investigating Amazon over two of its Zoox driverless cars getting rear-ended after inexplicably braking.

Tesla is likewise under the microscope as federal investigators try to determine if it misled drivers and investors into believing the Autopilot function makes its EVs fully self-driving. The NHTSA is also looking into whether a recent Tesla software recall went far enough to ensure drivers stay alert, following several serious accidents involving vehicles using Autopilot.

Pushing ahead

Even as Americans have grown more apprehensive about getting in a car with no driver, the companies developing them are determined to make computer chauffeurs mainstream.

Waymo is cooperating with the NHTSA, and pointed out that its robotaxis are making 50,000 trips a week with a strong safety record. Meanwhile, Cruise’s driverless cars hit the road again this week with human safety supervisors on board.

Big picture: Despite federal authorities stepping up to show that they’re not asleep at the wheel, most driverless car rules come from states.—SK

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