News
Waymo One opens to the public in Los Angeles
Waymo, the self-driving arm of Google parent company Alphabet, has officially opened its driverless ride-hailing to the public in Los Angeles, after the company expanded to the Southern California city earlier this year.
On Tuesday, Waymo announced in a press release that its Waymo One self-driving taxi service is now open to anyone in LA, offering its ride-hailing services 24 hours a day. Riders will no longer need to join a waitlist to take rides in Waymo’s self-driving vehicles across 80 square miles of LA County, coming after the company first expanded to the city in August.
In that time, almost 300,000 users joined the company’s waitlist, and Waymo says that rides were rated an average of 4.7 out of 5 stars. Of the riders who were surveyed, 98 percent also said that that they were satisfied with the service, while 96 percent said that they found it to be useful.
“Now is an exciting time to welcome everyone in Los Angeles along for the ride,” said Tekedra Mawakana, Waymo’s Co-CEO. “Our service has matured quickly and our riders are embracing the many benefits of fully autonomous driving. We’re so grateful to all of our first riders in LA, and we can’t wait to serve more riders soon.”
The company also announced that it will be the Official Ride-Hail Partner of the LA Auto Show running from November 22 to December 1.
Waymo One services in San Francisco and Phoenix
Waymo has also been offering ride-hailing services in both San Francisco and Phoenix, and it was initially approved to expand to Los Angeles in March after applying in January. In June, Waymo dropped its waitlist for riders in San Francisco, along with multiple expansions to additional parts of the Bay Area throughout this year.
Last month, Waymo closed on its most recent funding round valued at $5.6 billion, reportedly bringing the company’s total valuation to over $45 billion.
What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.
Need accessories for your Tesla? Check out the Teslarati Marketplace:
Elon Musk
After moving Tesla to Texas, Elon Musk is back in the Bay Area with Neuralink expansion
The news marks a noticeable step in Musk’s expanding presence in the Bay Area, despite the move of his biggest companies, Tesla and SpaceX, to Texas.
Recent reports have indicated that Elon Musk’s brain-implant startup, Neuralink, has leased a five-story, 144,000-square-foot building in South San Francisco. At the same time, Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI is reportedly also looking around for a Bay Area office.
The news marks a noticeable step in Musk’s expanding presence in the Bay Area, despite the move of his biggest companies, Tesla and SpaceX, to Texas.
Neuralink’s Bay Area expansion
As noted in a report from the San Francisco Business Times, the property that Neuralink has leased is located at 499 Forbes Boulevard, and it was built by Aralon Properties before it was leased to cancer test developer InterVenn Biosciences. The site, however, had remained vacant since 2023 after InterVenn canceled its 10-year lease.
xAI, Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, is reportedly scouting for an even larger Bay Area office as well, as noted in a report from the San Francisco Chronicle. Combined, the two ventures could secure nearly 400,000 square feet of local workspace, a move seen as a symbolic return of sorts for Musk-led innovation to Silicon Valley.
Neuralink’s momentum
Founded in 2016, Neuralink develops brain-computer interfaces intended to help paralyzed patients control digital devices through thought. The company received U.S. regulatory approval in 2023 to begin human trials, with its first patient, quadriplegic Noland Arbaugh, making headlines for his stunning ability to control a computer cursor and play games using only his mind. Since receiving his implant, Arbaugh has stated that he now browses the web, plays video games like Mario Kart, studies neuroscience, and operates his smart home without lifting a finger.
Nauralink is only just getting started, with Elon Musk noting on X that the company is busy preparing its next product, Blindsight, for human trials. As per Musk, Neuralink is “aiming to restore (limited) sight to the completely blind next year,” an aggressive target for a potentially life-changing device.
News
Tesla Cybercab tests seem to be ramping up again
Elon Musk has stated that he expects the company to achieve a run rate of 2 million Cybercabs annually.
Tesla seems to be ramping the tests of its autonomous two-seater, the Cybercab, once more. This was hinted at in recent drone footage from both the Fremont Factory and Gigafactory Texas.
The fresh sightings of the Cybercab in the Fremont Factory and Giga Texas have renewed conversations about the vehicle potentially being built with manual controls today.
Fresh Cybercab tests
As noted by longtime drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer on social media platform X, he recently spotted a Cybercab driving on Giga Texas’ South River Road to the West side. Interestingly enough, the longtime Giga Texas watcher noted that this was the first Cybercab that he had seen conducting road tests in a while.
Over in the Fremont Factory, another Cybercab was spotted driving around the facility’s testing area. Similar to the Cybercab in the Giga Texas sighting, the vehicle that was spotted in the Fremont Factory seemed to be manually driven, at least based on the way it was being steered. This behavior has incited speculations among Tesla watchers that current Cybercab test units have manual controls, unlike their production version, which would have no steering wheel or pedals.
Cybercab production preparation
The sightings of Cybercabs around the Fremont Factory and Giga Texas bode well for the vehicle’s development and impending production. It does, if any, complement reports that Tesla has been busy setting up production equipment for Giga Texas’ Cybercab production line. At the same time, drone footage around the Giga Texas complex has also revealed that Tesla is stockpiling some Cybercab castings, a likely sign that initial test production of the vehicle might soon begin.
The Cybercab is expected to be Tesla’s highest volume vehicle, with CEO Elon Musk stating that he expects the company to achieve a run rate of 2 million Cybercabs annually. He also mentioned that the Cybercab will be easy to produce thanks to its Unboxed manufacturing process, so much so that its production would resemble a high-speed consumer electronics line instead of an automotive assembly line.
News
Tesla FSD gets first rave reviews from media outlets in Japan
As per the publication, FSD demonstrated excellent situational awareness and smooth control, at times even performing better than a human driver.
Tesla FSD may continue to get flak from mainstream media outlets in the United States, but in other countries such as Japan, Full Self-Driving is being welcomed with much appreciation.
This is, at least, as per recent reviews from domestic media outlets that have tried out the capabilities of FSD on real-world roads.
FSD gets recognition
FSD was recently reviewed by Japanese news outlet Nikkei, which experienced the system’s capabilities in Tokyo’s metropolitan area. As per the publication, FSD demonstrated excellent situational awareness and smooth control, at times even performing better than a human driver. FSD was also credited for properly reacting to sudden, unexpected things on the road.
As per the FSD review, for example, a bicyclist suddenly came barreling into a crosswalk at high speed from the Tesla’s blind spot. The vehicle recognized the cyclist immediately and responded in a safe and proper manner, prompting the reviewer to exclaim “Wow!” And when a vehicle ahead of the Tesla started backing up to perform a turnaround on a narrow street unexpectedly, FSD smoothly halted to avoid a collision. Overall, the reviewer noted that during the 30-minute drive, the Tesla Model 3 running FSD did not require a single intervention.
FSD’s impending Japan rollout
FSD is not yet rolled out in Japan, but the country seems to be paving the way for FSD to be released in the country. Just recently, reports emerged stating that Japan’s Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry has allowed artificial intelligence-powered vehicles to be retrofitted with a software update that could enable the activation of their self-driving features.
In a post on X, Tesla Board Member Hiro Mizuno noted that this decision is no small matter as it could pave the way for a smooth rollout of features like FSD to Tesla consumers in Japan. “The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s decision to allow retrofitting of autonomous driving through software updates is significant. Currently, Tesla is the only manufacturer actively pursuing this… this decision will make it easier for all manufacturers to introduce autonomous driving in Japan,” the former Tesla Board member wrote in his post.
After moving Tesla to Texas, Elon Musk is back in the Bay Area with Neuralink expansion
Tesla Cybercab tests seem to be ramping up again
Tesla FSD gets first rave reviews from media outlets in Japan
-
Elon Musk19 hours agoElon Musk was right all along about Tesla’s rivals and EV subsidies
-
News2 days agoTesla launches ‘Mad Max’ Full Self-Driving Speed Profile, its fastest yet
-
News2 days agoTesla just teased something crazy with the next Full Self-Driving update
-
News1 day agoTesla exec hints at FSD Mad Max mode’s killer feature
-
News2 days agoTesla reportedly places large order for robot parts, hinting that Optimus V3 design is all but finalized
-
Elon Musk2 days agoStarship’s next chapter: SpaceX eyes tower catch after flawless Flight 11
-
News2 days agoTesla makes big move with its Insurance program
-
News22 hours agoTesla widens rollout of new Full Self-Driving suite to more owners