Autonomy pivots to gas vehicles to keep the dream of car subscriptions alive

Good news! Competition is good, more competition is better!

I like the idea of car subscriptions! Seems to be long overdue. Another business model besides leasing or renting a car, purchasing a used car.

Caveat I am not familiar with the offerings of this company nor with the company itself.

"Four years ago, California startup Autonomy pledged to buy 23,000 EVs from 17 automakers, including Tesla, and make them available as part of a vehicle subscription service. It was a combination of two trends that had taken off in the early 2020s.

It didn’t work out. ..."

Autonomy pivots to gas vehicles to keep the dream of car subscriptions alive | TechCrunch

As electric two-wheelers gain a foothold, Belgian startup Any bets on cargo space

Amazing stuff!

Even though there are hundreds of millions electric motorcycles in operation in China, I have not seen one like this.

"... The startup’s “designed for real life” belief inspired its first product, a modular electric motorcycle called the LUV1 that has the capacity of a cargo bike, but can reach a top speed of 100 km/h, or 62 mph. ...

Starting at €7,000 (about $8,150), the LUV1 will be less expensive than cars and closer to the cost of higher-end electric cargo bikes. ..."

As electric two-wheelers gain a foothold, Belgian startup Any bets on cargo space | TechCrunch

I am not sure I would store a dog in this cargo space

California regulators have approved a major expansion of Waymo’s driverless taxi service across parts of 18 counties including new areas

Good news!

"... The company is now authorized to offer paid robotaxi rides across parts of 18 counties, including new areas around Sacramento, San Diego, Orange County, Napa, and the East Bay of San Francisco."

Doomslayer: Progress Roundup - by Malcolm Cochran

Texas Governor Greg Abbott asks US Department of Justice to investigate accommodations for Muslim foot washing at two major airports

Food for thought! When doe religious accommodations go too far?

Why does the airport have to provide this and not a Muslim organisation/mosque e.g. by renting a space on the airport for this purpose?

"Gov. Greg Abbott is escalating his fight against foot-washing stations used by Muslim passengers at Texas’ biggest airports, requesting on Friday that the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the matter. ...

Abbott threatened last week to pull state funding from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston over their ablution stations, saying they amounted to religious discrimination. The stations are used by Muslim passengers who perform ritual washings before their daily prayers. ..."

Greg Abbott asks DOJ to investigate Muslim airport accommodations

The solution for Israel's jammed roads: smart traffic lights

Good news! An idea whose time is long overdue!

"... in the past few years Netivei Israel - the National Transport Infrastructure Company has deployed some 170 AI-based adaptive traffic lights in an attempt to analyze demand and adapt in real time to the situation on the roads. ...

Netivei Israel’s sample comprises 25 junctions presenting different scenarios. The average time saving at those junctions over the course of the day was 25 seconds per vehicle. 

At Furedeis junction, traversed by some 80,000 vehicles daily, the total daily time saving was estimated at 771 hours.

At the junction at the entrance to Kiryat Tiv’on, the time saving was measured at up to 56 seconds on average per vehicle, or a total of 679 hours per day. ..."

The solution for Israel's jammed roads: smart traffic lights - Globes "Netivei Israel is introducing traffic lights that adapt to traffic conditions in real time, saving drivers hours and the economy millions."

Electric air taxis to begin real-world tests in US, cargo before passengers

Good news! Waymo move over! Lift me up! Exciting times! 😊

"Electric air taxis are closer to reality as companies such as Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation and Beta Technologies prepare for real-world tests under the Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing and Advanced Air Mobility Integration Pilot Program. Joby, backed by Toyota, Uber and Delta Air Lines, plans to start with cargo transport before moving to passenger tests, while Archer aims to begin commercial operations by the 2028 Summer Olympics."

IEEE-USA SmartBrief

Electric air taxis are finally ready for takeoff (behind paywall)

Deutschlands Verfall fährt Deutsche Bahn

Wie bitte! Unglaublich! Was ist da los? Neues aus der Bananenrepublik D!

Aus der Deutschen Bahn ist wohl ein Tollhaus geworden!

"Berlin – Frankfurt: Noch vor einem halben Jahr dauerte die Fahrt gut drei Stunden. ... Heute sind es fahrplanmäßig mehr als fünf, mit Verspätungszuschlag sieben Stunden. „Zugfahrten über vier Stunden sind eine Tortur“ sagte der frühere Bahnchef Hartmut Mehdorn. Wo er Recht hat, hat er Recht.

In derselben Woche: München – Frankfurt. Statt drei Stunden das Doppelte. Klimaanlage ausgefallen, Personal verschwunden. ... 

[Ein Mädchen] hat die ganze Nacht auf der Strecke Hannover – Frankfurt verbracht von. 12 Stunden. Zum Teil auf offener Strecke, weil der Zugführer nicht mehr weiter arbeiten durfte. Heimkunft statt 21:00 Uhr 4:15 Uhr. ....“ ...

„15 Stunden gefangen zwischen Hannover und Hamburg.“ ...

Der neue Verkehrsminister Patrick Schnieder holte eine neue Bahnchefin. Mittlerweile ist Schnieder weg, die neue Bahnchefin noch da, die Verspätungen nehmen zu, die Entschädigungen für Bahnkunden werden umgangen: Die Bahn baut die Verspätung in den Fahrplan ein. ...

Die Verspätungen sind hausgemacht. Schlechte Wartung, technische Defekte, verstopfte Klos, wachsige Weichen – sowie ständiger Personalmangel und Fahrverbote wegen Arbeitszeitüberschreitung: Zugführer, die nicht zum Bahnhof kommen, Zugchefs, die nicht mehr arbeiten dürfen, selbst wenn sie wollen. ..."

Tichys Einblick Newsletter

Quelle

The National Highway Traffic Safety ‌Administration has approved a Robotaxi design without human controls

Good news! About time!

"“Amazon's Zoox unit has won U.S. approval for limited commercial deployment of its novel steering-wheel-free robotaxis, ​a first for the autonomous ride industry, the U.S. auto safety agency said on Thursday. ..."

Doomslayer: Progress Roundup - by Malcolm Cochran

US Approves Zoox Robotaxis Without Human Controls

Trump’s Transportation Department Cuts Red Tape to Safely Fast-Track Automated Vehicle Innovation (original news release) "NHTSA is accelerating development of first-ever AV performance standards, streamlining testing exemptions, and allowing Zoox to commercially deploy robotaxis"

Uber is building an autonomous vehicle empire of over 30 companies in the US, Europe, Middle East, Japan and China

Recommendable! Impressive! This is kind of a survey article. Going far beyond traditional car rental.

I am ready to give up my own car (no mor car insurance payments, car repair costs, groceries by home delivery etc.). 😊

Uber is building an autonomous vehicle empire, and here's every company it's using to do it | TechCrunch "Uber has partnered with — and in some cases made direct investments in — more than 30 autonomous vehicle companies over the past two years. And it’s taking a global approach."

Source

Electric flying VTOL taxis near reality, but US infrastructure lags

Good news!

"Electric air taxis are set to debut in select US cities through a government pilot program, but infrastructure is lagging, experts say.

Archer Aviation, the official air taxi provider for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, is advancing toward Federal Aviation Administration certification with its Midnight air taxi, but the main challenge remains the development of vertiports and charging stations."

"... This new dual-use autonomous VTOL aircraft platform, highlighted by its Halo (commercial) and Thunder (defense) variants, builds on eight years of eVTOL development and flight testing by Archer. It features a clean-sheet design, bringing the commercial VTOL sector's rapid innovation in electric propulsion and rotor design directly into a performance-optimized configuration. ..."

VTOL = vertical take off and landing

IEEE-USA SmartBrief

Flying Taxis Are Coming, But Infrastructure Improvements Must Catch Up

Introducing Halo: Archer’s Commercial Variant of Dual-Use Autonomous VTOL Aircraft Platform Developed With Anduril (original news release)

Archer Aviation's Midnight air taxi is nearing completed certification from the FAA.

US Lyft and Chinese Baidu enter London's robotaxi battleground

Good news! Competition is good, more competition is better!

Where is Waymo? "Waymo robotaxis are currently testing on public roads in London, but they are not yet open for commercial public rides." (Google Search)

Do I still need to own my car?

"Chinese tech giant Baidu has started testing autonomous vehicles in London as part of its partnership with Lyft and Freenow, the German taxi and multi-mobility app that Lyft now owns. Baidu is the latest in a string of companies to test self-driving technology in the U.K. ahead of commercial robotaxi deployments. ..."

Lyft and Baidu enter London's robotaxi battleground as testing begins | TechCrunch

E-bikes, e-scooters are a burgeoning pediatric public health emergency

Given the fact how fast some of the Ebikes and escooters are this is no surprise!

Besides, they are often parked in public spaces to obstruct pedestrians!

Global Health NOW: Hope and Headwinds in the HIV Fight; and Unlocking the Medical Potential of Menstrual Blood

E-bikes, e-scooters are a burgeoning pediatric public health emergency (behind paywall) "Accidents with severe, life-threatening injuries are on the rise"

Ducati’s $165,000 Superleggera V4 Centenario motorcycl has already sold out the 500 units

Amazing stuff! Would you buy a motorcycle for over $160,000?

"Ducati’s $165,000 Superleggera V4 Centenario motorcycle, which it calls the most extreme and expensive road-legal motorcycle it has ever built, has already sold out the 500 units it built for its 100th anniversary, as well as the $250,000 Tricolore variant."

Tuesday, March 31, 2026 - Join The Flyover

Ducati's $165,000 'no limits' Superleggera motorcycle is already sold out

The Ducati Superleggera V4 Centenario

Are Waymos driving significantly longer than humans to get to a destination?

Does it matter? How fair is the comparison?

"... it takes up to 30% longer for a Waymo robotaxi to get somewhere compared to a human driver because of how careful the robot car needs to be and its tendency to avoid potential challenges like unprotected left turns. ..."

When a robotaxi has to call 911

New York governor clears path for robotaxis everywhere except for New York City. Really!

One can only hope, the legislators of NY are smarter than Governor Hochul (D, age 67)!

Is this some kind of a horse trading deal by the Dimocratic Party Governor?

"New York Governor Kathy Hochul plans to introduce legislation that would effectively legalize robotaxis in the state — except for its most populous metropolis: New York City. 

Hochul, who made the comments Tuesday during her State of the State address, said the legislation would advance the next phase of the state’s autonomous vehicle pilot program.

Details on the proposed legislation and when it might be released are thin. However, there are some hints contained within a document that outlines an array of proposals and promises Hochul made in her State of the State address. 

Among them is language to expand the state’s existing AV pilot program to allow for “the limited deployment of commercial for-hire autonomous passenger vehicles outside New York City.”  ..."

New York governor clears path for robotaxis everywhere, with one notable exception | TechCrunch

Governor Hochul (official photo)

Warum in Deutschland immer mehr Privatflugzeuge abheben, kein Statussymbol

Na und! Warum nicht! Aber im Klimawahn der Bananenrepublik D ist das wohl anrüchig?

Warum in Deutschland immer mehr Privatflugzeuge abheben | FAZ "Der Unternehmer, der Anwalt, der Immobilienentwickler – immer mehr Menschen in Deutschland steigen statt in die Bahn lieber ins Privatflugzeug. Aber kaum einer will darüber reden."

Waymo’s driverless Cars Are Suddenly Behaving Like New York Cabbies

Just two days ago I witnessed myself and blogged here about a risky maneuver (U-turn) by a Waymo driverless car on a busy, four lane, bidirectional street in the Phoenix metro, Arizona area.

"... Waymo has been trying to make its cars ‘confidently assertive,’ says Chris Ludwick, a senior director of product management with Waymo, which is owned by Google parent Alphabet. ‘That was really necessary for us to actually scale this up in San Francisco, especially because of how busy it gets.’

Ludwick says when the vehicles are too passive, they become disruptive. Regular software updates ensure Waymos aren’t becoming a nuisance or creating chaos.”"

Waymo’s Cars Are Suddenly Behaving Like New York Cabbies - Human Progress

Waymo’s Self-Driving Cars Are Suddenly Behaving Like New York Cabbies "Autonomous vehicles are adopting humanlike qualities, making illegal U-turns and flooring it the second the light goes green"

Just observed a driverless Waymo car making a U-turn on a busy four lane, bi-directional inner city street in Phoenix, Arizona

I could not believe it. I was walking by on the sidewalk when it happened and I stopped to watch it. Unfortunately, no video and no photo to prove it. Too much shock & awe. 😊

There was no traffic light, no special turn lane, and no road median where the Waymo car made the U-turn. Only the usual painted divider, i.e. dashed marker lines on the ground separating the bidirectional traffic.

The U-turn was completed successfully and fairly safely given the traffic situation at that time (it was about 11:15 AM).

The posted speed limit is 45 mph on that road!

Iranian women defy motorcycle ban

Go ladies! Drive the mullahs nuts! 😊 Women ride without a license!

She is a tattoo artist in Tehran!

She is a motorcycle racer in competitions around the world! 

Schweizer Ex-Bahnaufseher: „In der Deutschen Bahn ist nur das Bier besser“

Neues zur Bananenrepublik D! Wenigstens gibt es gutes Bier zur Verspätung, wenn man dem Glauben darf! 😊

Oder ist das nur die Häme eines Schweizers! 😊

Schweizer Ex-Bahnaufseher: „In der Deutschen Bahn ist nur das Bier besser“ | FAZ "Wir sprechen mit dem ehemaligen Schweizer Bahnaufseher Peter Füglistaler über deutsche Fehler, Chancen und was wir von der Schweiz lernen können."