DRIVERLESS CARS


CRUISE PAYS WOMAN MILLIONS AFTER SHE WAS DRAGGED ACROSS SAN FRANCISCO STREET


A General Motors AV company has settled a lawsuit for millions with a woman who was hit by one of its self-driving taxis and dragged along a San Francisco street. The woman was struck by


a


human hit-and-run driver last year and propelled into the path of a Cruise robo-taxi. In a statement posted to X, the company said the vehicle detected a collision and attempted to pull over to avoid more safety issues. As the car tried to pull over, it continued for about 20 feet before


coming to a stop with the woman pinned to the bottom of the car. She sustained “traumatic injuries” and was taken to the hospital for treatment. Now, the company is set to pay the woman between $8 to $12m in a settlement. Cruise stopped its taxi service in San Francisco following the crash after regulators found the com- pany had not been forthcoming with information. Later,


Cruise


pulled all of its self-driving taxis in the US off the market. It is now starting to reintroduce


them with human drivers that can take over in case of an emergency. The company will start testing out the cars in Phoenix before moving to other Arizona cities. Cruise is in the process of getting its permit reinstated in California, where the crash happened. The application is still under review. Cruise was acquired by GM in 2016 and has since reported $9.2bn in losses. Following the incident, GM cut Cruise’s annual budget by $1 billion and replaced the company’s management team.


HONDA TO JOIN FORCES WITH JAPANESE TAXI COMPANIES ON DRIVERLESS SERVICE


Honda Motor will team up with taxi companies to roll out self-driving cabs in Japan, supplying vehicles and systems to existing operators. The automaker is looking to start putting driverless taxis on Tokyo roads in 2026 in partnership with Teito Motor Transportation and Kokusai Motorcars. Honda is lobbying the government to make the necessary regulatory changes. In the U.S. and China, the com- panies that develop the vehicles and systems - such as Alphabet unit Waymo and Baidu - often also operate the cabs themselves. Honda’s plan splits these roles, with existing taxi operators running the cabs while Honda offers a comprehensive support package that includes ride-hailing apps and remote monitoring. The taxis will have Level 4 self- driving capabilities, meaning that they will be capable of fully auto-


PHTM JUNE 2024


nomous driving under specified conditions. Japan requires that these vehicles be operated under human supervision. Japan requires remote monitoring be handled by designated safety personnel and does not allow outsourcing of work


involving


driving-related decisions. Liability is an issue as the cab company would be held respon- sible for any accidents. Proposed solutions include having Honda obtain a taxi business permit and having the relevant regulations changed. The Ministry


of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is considering how to handle the matter. The plan is for the taxi service to use the Cruise Origin, a specialised AV that completely lacks a driver’s seat, developed by Honda jointly with General Motors and its Cruise subsidiary. The project is slated to start with 500 or so cars to gauge its feasibility.


Honda announced last October plans to launch a driverless ride- hailing service under a joint venture that it would set up with GM and Cruise in 2024, with Honda holding a majority stake. Japan began allowing Level 4 self- driving autos on public roads in 2023. The country’s first transport service using the vehicles, in the town of Eiheiji, was suspended that October after a minor collision with a bicycle.


67


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76