VISION mobility kostenlos Probelesen
Die Zeitschrift VISION mobility richtet sich an mobilitätsbegeisterte Menschen bzw. Flottenmanager und begleitet den Technologiewandel in Sachen Automotive und Mobilität.
Aktueller Termin
Meist gelesen
Between Aspiration and Reality: Robotaxis in the Rearview Mirror
The current incident occurred on May 8 in San Francisco. An unoccupied robotaxi from Zoox collided with an e-scooter rider while turning. According to company reports, the vehicle had stopped at an intersection to yield the right of way when the e-scooter crashed into the stationary vehicle. The rider fell but was largely uninjured and declined medical treatment.
Despite the robotaxi's low speed, the accident prompted a voluntary software recall, similar to one the company recently conducted following a similar incident in Las Vegas. At that time, a robotaxi was involved in a collision with a car. The cause in both cases: inaccurate predictions by the vehicle software about the behavior of other road users.
Over-the-air Software Update
Zoox reacted quickly: The affected vehicles received a software update intended to improve "perception tracking" and prevent unintended vehicle movements in close proximity to hazards. However, exactly how many vehicles are affected by the recall remains unclear.
Unlike traditional recalls for combustion vehicles that require workshop visits, updates for robotaxis can be implemented via remote access. This allows for quicker responses—provided the vehicles, like with Zoox, are owned by the company itself. Yet even with this technical advancement, there are still limits that are occasionally encountered.
Recall of 1,200 Vehicles at Waymo
Zoox is not alone with its problems. Waymo, the Alphabet subsidiary and perhaps the most prominent robotaxi provider, is also under the scrutiny of the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) due to similar incidents. Just recently, Waymo had to recall over 1,200 vehicles to fix a problem with parked vehicles. The investigations are ongoing.
GM Subsidiary Cruise Bankrupt, Tesla Under Observation
Last autumn, it hit Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors, even harder. Following an accident in San Francisco, the company was sentenced to a million-dollar fine. Tesla is also still under observation with its so-called autopilot. Around 2.4 million vehicles are to be inspected. The announced introduction of a robotaxi service in June is likely to be under special observation.
The robotaxi industry is at a critical point: The expectations are high, but the reality is still marked by significant "teething problems" to some extent. There seems to be a fine line between safety, technological ambition, and public acceptance.
Content automatically translated.
Taxi-Fahrzeuge (Pkw) , Taxi-Newsletter, Taxameter, Taxi-Fahrer , BZP – Deutscher Taxi- und Mietwagenverband , Straßenverkehrsordnung (StVO) , Krankenbeförderung , Weiterbildung , Taxi-Konzessionen , Verkehrspolitik , Mietwagenbranche , Taxi-Apps , Berufskraftfahrer-Qualifikations-Gesetz BKrFQG) , Taxizentralen , Personal, Gehälter, Arbeitsschutz , Wirtschaftsnachrichten , Werbung , Taxi-Folierung , Taxi-Umrüster , Straßenverkehr , Elektromobilität, Taxifuhrpark und -flottenmanagement , Taxi-Versicherungen , Hybrid, Diesel, Erdgas , Taxi-Magazin
