DRIVERLESS CARS
HYUNDAI IONIQ 5 ROBOTAXI PASSES DRIVER’S TEST TO DEMONSTRATE ‘UNCOMPROMISED SAFETY’
Hyundai Motor Company has released a campaign film showing the all-electric, self-driving IONIQ 5 robotaxi successfully completing a process similar to a U.S. driver’s licence test. Created to convey the safety and trustworthiness of the IONIQ 5’s autonomous technology, the video features the robotaxi completing a series of public-level driving tests, including road driving in Las Vegas, demonstrating outstanding performance. This achievement underscores the robotaxi’s reliability
as well as the inclusivity of its autonomous vehicle technology, highlighting its potential to safely provide freedom of mobility to all. In the driving test, conducted by a highly experienced professional examiner, the IONIQ 5 robotaxi impressed with its speed control, lane changes and maneouver- ability, its ability to accurately stop at a stop sign, perform left turns, and its reaction time to developing hazards. Captured in the video, the IONIQ 5 robotaxi effortlessly navigated the
Las Vegas Strip, as well as the city’s suburban areas. The IONIQ 5 signifies the extensive collaboration between Hyundai Motor Group and autonomous driving technology developer Motional, spanning years of development and rigorous testing of advanced automotive plat- forms and self-driving technology. The vehcile achieves consistent driving performance in various environments thanks to its suite of advanced sensors, combining LiDAR, radar and cameras.
WAYMO LAUNCHES PAID ROBOTAXI SERVICE IN LOS ANGELES
Waymo began offering paid robotaxi rides in Los Angeles on Wednesday 10 April. The company already operates commercial robotaxi services in San Francisco and Phoenix. Waymo, a spinoff of Google, had announced plans for a service in Los Angeles in January as it sought state regulatory approval and local support. It’s been offering free “on tour” rides since, and in March it received approval for the expan- sion to a paid service, despite pushback from the Teamsters union and the LA Department of Transportation (DoT). Waymo said that more
than
50,000 people were on its waitlist to use the service, although it did not say how many users it would allow to fully use the app. However, in March the company said it was starting with an LA fleet of fewer than 50 cars covering a 63-square-
PHTM MAY 2024
mile area from Santa Monica to downtown LA. Los Angeles County has a population of 9.7m people. As Waymo’s vehicles have no human drivers present, riders follow instructions on the app and through the vehicle’s sound system, though Waymo workers can assist remotely. Robotaxis are getting more buzz as the technology advances in fits and starts. Cruise, a General Motors subsidiary that paused its robotaxi service last year after one of its vehicles failed to detect a pedestrian underneath it, has now said that it would reintroduce human-driven vehicles in select cities, including Phoenix, as a step back toward driverless operations. Various China-based tech startups are also testing self-driving cars on California roads, drawing scrutiny from lawmakers. But for now, Waymo’s only competition is
traditional, human-driven services. Robotaxis have faced criticism on multiple fronts, from the threat they pose to drivers’ jobs to the mistakes they’ve made blocking city buses or emergency vehicles. Under California law, driverless cars can’t be given traffic tickets, and could make congestion worse. Supporters of robotaxis have countered that human drivers have a terrible safety record, with traffic deaths topping 40,000 a year in the U.S. Waymo has not reported a death or serious injury from its tech, and Waymo vehicles appear to be generally more observant of traffic laws than human drivers, according to journ- alists who have ridden in them. A bill pending in the California Senate would give cities and counties authority over robotaxi services - a power currently held with state government agencies.
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