Autonomous Vehicles

Legislation aimed at requiring the electrification of autonomous vehicles and bolstering offshore wind power have cleared the governor’s office, as the state pushes to be a leader in the transportation and energy sectors.

Tesla crashes and the investigations that follow generate a lot of headlines, but the dangers of automotive automation are industrywide. The common denominator is the human behind the wheel.

A self-driving tech company, a truck manufacturer and FedEx have teamed up to test autonomous vehicle deliveries between Dallas and Houston in Texas. The tests will have human safety drivers.

A six-mile traffic technology testbed in Tennessee will utilize some 300 high-definition cameras to analyze and understand traffic flow. The project will include researchers from major universities as well as automakers.

Detroit will be one of three cities to launch autonomous delivery programs using Kiwibots. The small, electric devices will travel on city sidewalks and partner with businesses to explore automated deliveries.

Ford Motor Co. and Argo AI have joined forces with Walmart to roll out an autonomous vehicle delivery service in Washington, D.C.; Miami, Fla.; and Austin, Texas. The service is expected to grow to other cities.

A citizen-centric parking payment platform in Austin, Texas, that works with connected vehicles’ in-dash systems and better manages curb space is a lesson for other cities on how to power ahead.

The Whitby Autonomous Vehicle Electric project is a nearly 4-mile autonomous electric shuttle route in Whitby, Ontario. The project integrates with local public transit and smart city technologies in the region.

The Legislature approved SB 500, which would require that autonomous vehicles be emissions free by 2030, nudging an industry that has been clearly trending toward electric. The bill awaits the governor’s signature.

Los Angeles, Calif., will soon see a test fleet of robotaxis, but no passengers will be picked up until the proper approvals are made. The cars, made by Hyundai, will be equipped with driverless tech from Motional.

In 11 instances, Tesla vehicles have crashed during "Autopilot" mode. As a result, two Democratic senators have asked the Federal Trade Commission to look into how Tesla is marketing this mode to customers.

The $1 trillion infrastructure bill moving through Congress has the potential to be a game-changer for cities as they consider projects in areas like broadband connectivity and other urban technology projects.

The first phase of the Autonomous Vehicles Colorado program took to the streets in Golden, home to the Colorado School of Mines, where nine of the self-navigating shuttles will serve three routes.

Planned development communities like New Haven in Ontario, Calif., are highlighting urban technology applications and features as signature amenities as consumer expectations reach well beyond standard pools and parks.

Later this year, Ford, Lyft and Argo AI will bring autonomous ride-hailing cars to Miami-Dade County, Fla., and Austin, Texas. For this rollout, safety drivers will be in the front seats of the cars just in case.

Research by Michigan State University and Ford Mobility examined connected vehicle data to gain insights into driving styles and incidents, potentially allowing for safety problems to be addressed before a crash occurs.

States like Arizona and Texas have positioned themselves as hubs for autonomous vehicle testing and deployments, in part, by creating regulatory landscapes that are easy for new companies to navigate.

The personal self-driving car has been derided as little more than whimsy by many transportation watchers, who see fleet vehicles and public transit as the real beneficiaries of autonomous vehicle technology.