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California DMV suspends Cruise self-driving taxis, effective immediately

Credit: Cruise

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The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has required Cruise to halt all operations of its driverless taxis in San Francisco after one of the company’s vehicles hit a pedestrian earlier this month.

Cruise’s self-driving suspension is effective immediately, and the DMV says that it doesn’t have a set timeline for the decision, according to a report from the San Francisco Chronicle. The DMV says it decided to suspend Cruise’s self-driving taxis after the agency determined that “the manufacturer’s vehicles are not safe for the public’s operation.”

The suspension will not fully ban Cruise’s operations, and the company will still be able to test operations with a safety driver present for free or paid rides. The ban comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the DMV both announced investigations into an accident in which a Cruise taxi hit a pedestrian.

“Public safety remains the California DMV’s top priority, and the department’s autonomous vehicle regulations provide a framework to facilitate the safe testing and deployment of this technology on California public roads,” the DMV said in a statement. “When there is an unreasonable risk to public safety, the DMV can immediately suspend or revoke permits.”

Earlier this month, a Cruise self-driving taxi hit and pinned a pedestrian that had been struck by another vehicle with a human driver, causing multiple traumatic injuries. The Cruise taxi immediately stopped and its hazard lights turned on, and the San Francisco Fire Department was deployed to lift the vehicle off the woman.

In August, the General Motors-owned Cruise and Alphabet-owned Waymo gained approval to operate driverless taxis in San Francisco 24 hours a day. Following two Cruise accidents in the city, authorities required the company to cut its fleet in half.

Cruise to reduce self-driving fleet by 50% in SF following robotaxi crash

What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send your tips to us at tips@teslarati.com.

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Zach is a renewable energy reporter who has been covering electric vehicles since 2020. He grew up in Fremont, California, and he currently lives in Colorado. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, KRON4 San Francisco, FOX31 Denver, InsideEVs, CleanTechnica, and many other publications. When he isn't covering Tesla or other EV companies, you can find him writing and performing music, drinking a good cup of coffee, or hanging out with his cats, Banks and Freddie. Reach out at zach@teslarati.com, find him on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

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Elon Musk

Tesla says it is working on rides for the handicapped and disabled with Robotaxi

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed that this was a focus by responding, “Absolutely,” to the embedded post on X above. Tesla said it is developing its own “wheelchair-accessible vehicle,” also known as a WAV. 

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Credit: Teslarati

Tesla says on its Robotaxi app that it is working on enabling “accessibility rides” that would give the handicapped and disabled the ability to hail a Robotaxi to get to an appointment.

While Robotaxi will obviously revolutionize the way we travel for our work commutes, daily activities, and other things, but there is true potential to enable serious change for those who cannot drive.

Autonomous transportation would make life easier for those who are unable to obtain a driver’s license. Of course, with today’s ride-sharing platforms, things are much easier than they once were.

However, rides from Uber and Lyft, while plentiful, always have an opportunity to be unavailable in some regions, especially rural ones, due to a lack of drivers.

Robotaxi aims to solve this problem through autonomous transportation, a technology that Tesla has been developing for years.

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However, new language in the Robotaxi app shows that Tesla is working on a solution for people who need rides for medical reasons, and it uses a picture of the Robovan to hammer this point home:

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed that this was a focus by responding, “Absolutely,” to the embedded post on X above. Tesla said it is developing its own “wheelchair-accessible vehicle,” also known as a WAV.

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This is likely the Robovan, which was unveiled on October 10 at the Robotaxi event last year:

Tesla unveils the Robovan at ‘We, Robot’ event

It is pretty interesting to see two Musk ventures working on solutions for those who are physically impaired or have other disabilities. With Tesla, Robotaxi will unlock immense potential for those who are unable to drive themselves, addressing a genuine need in today’s world.

Additionally, Neuralink is continuing its development of technology to fight against various physical and mental disabilities. A great question to ask is, “Which will be more beneficial for humans?”

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Cybertruck

Tesla gives big hint that it will build Cyber SUV, smaller Cybertruck

“Those are definitely things we’ve considered. Wait & see is probably the best way I can answer that. We’re working on so many innovative & fun things.”

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Credit: @ApexRedPanda

Tesla appears to have given a significant hint that it plans to build two highly anticipated and requested vehicles: the Cyber SUV and a smaller Cybertruck. This potentially indicates that two new cars could be added to the lineup soon.

For some time, Tesla fans have been requesting two things: a true SUV and a more compact Cybertruck. The SUV has been on the minds of fans and owners for some time, as Tesla does not currently build a full-size SUV that competes with vehicles like the Chevrolet Tahoe or Ford Expedition.

Tesla’s longer Model Y did not scale back requests for this vehicle type from fans

Meanwhile, the compact and smaller Cybertruck has been teased for years, especially since the all-electric pickup seems to be a viable option for international markets; however, its size does not seem ideal for the tight roadways in other regions.

Lately, there have been more hints than ever that Tesla is finally considering these two vehicles. It’s all but confirmed, but Tesla has always left breadcrumbs for fans to find and speculate over.

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In an interview with Bloomberg, Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen said that the company has considered these two vehicles for its lineup, but he would not give a definitive “yes” or “no” regarding their development:

“Those are definitely things we’ve considered. Wait & see is probably the best way I can answer that. We’re working on so many innovative & fun things.”

Recently, the speculation regarding the Cyber SUV has been well-fueled, as a recent promotional video Tesla released seemed to show a mock-up design hiding in plain sight:

Credit: Tesla

Interestingly, Tesla said in a regulatory filing early this year that it would not adopt the Cybertruck’s stainless steel exoskeleton for new vehicles. However, it could still launch a design inspired by the Cybertruck, but using different materials.

As far as the more compact Cybertruck design, this would enable fans in Europe and Asia to purchase the all-electric pickup.

There have been concerns from a regulatory perspective in some countries outside of North America, as the sheer size and sharp edges have caused some concern for other governments:

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Tesla Cybertruck gets pushback in Europe, increasing need for ‘international’ version

However, back in 2019, just after the Cybertruck’s unveiling, CEO Elon Musk admitted that there was a place for a smaller version.

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Tesla Robotaxi is headed to a new U.S. state following latest approval

“Only a trained employee, contractor, or other person authorized by the company can operate or monitor the vehicles.”

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Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer | X

Tesla Robotaxi is headed to a new U.S. state following its latest approval, which was revealed on Friday night.

Tesla has been operating its Robotaxi platform in Texas and California, with Austin being the first city where the company could test a ride-hailing platform without anyone in the driver’s seat.

First launching in Austin in late June, Tesla’s focus has been expanding its service area, its fleet of Robotaxi vehicles, and its rider population, which has grown most recently due to its public launch.

However, Tesla is also filing applications in states where these autonomous driving programs can operate, aiming to expand to all 50 states eventually. CEO Elon Musk said earlier this year that the company should be able to offer Robotaxi rides to roughly half of the U.S. population.

Alongside Texas and California, Tesla recently gained permission to test its Robotaxi in Nevada, marking the third state where it had some form of regulatory permission to perform rides using an unreleased version of the Full Self-Driving suite.

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Tesla adjusts one key detail of Robotaxi operations in Austin

Now, Tesla has gained another approval in a new state, its fourth, marking a significant step in its expansion across the U.S.

In Arizona, Tesla gained regulatory approval to begin testing autonomous vehicles on public roads.

The vehicles in Austin and the Bay Area of California both use what Tesla has been referring to as “Safety Monitors” in the cars. During city operation in Texas, the Safety Monitor sits in the passenger’s seat. When the route takes the car on the highway, the Safety Monitor jumps into the driver’s seat.

Tesla explains why Robotaxis now have safety monitors in the driver’s seat

In California, the Safety Monitor is always in the driver’s seat.

In Arizona, Tesla will also utilize what a communication said was “Safety Drivers,” insinuating that the monitor would be in the driver’s seat. However, another line in the email states:

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“Only a trained employee, contractor, or other person authorized by the company can operate or monitor the vehicles.”

It sounds as if there is the potential for the Safety Monitor to be in either seat, much like Tesla’s process in Austin. However, this is currently unconfirmed.

The new approval marks a drastic step forward for Tesla as it has received two new approvals in just two weeks. Regulatory hurdles seem to still be the biggest bottleneck for Tesla in terms of gaining permissions to operate in new states, but things seem to be moving along pretty well so far.

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