Over the past several weeks, we have seen the expansion of autonomous vehicles in several new cities. In Las Vegas, Amazon-owned Zoox expanded their operation where robotaxis are allowed to operate. The company now is running within a larger, five-mile radius of the company’s headquarters. With the expanded radius, Zoox has also boosted the speed limit of their vehicles from 35 mph to 45 mph and will now drive in various light weather conditions. Los Angeles is the second city that we will highlight. Waymo has expanded their service in the city. After more than a year of testing, around 50 driverless robotaxis will be in operation. The rides will first be free and open to people who signed up on the waitlist. The coverage area is from Santa Monica to downtown. In addition to Los Angeles, Waymo also plans to begin offering rides in Austin, Texas, this year. This will include 43 square miles around downtown.
In addition to cities that have begun implementing autonomous vehicles on their roads, more state legislatures are debating bills regarding the regulation of driverless vehicles. In Kentucky, the House Transportation Committee passed a resolution to set up a task force to study self-driving cars. The Kentucky House also passed a bill to establish a regulatory framework for self-driving cars and trucks. Some are concerned that this technology will eliminate jobs. Moving across the country, Montana is also considering how to regulate self-driving vehicles. The state’s Transportation Interim Committee heard from industry experts and members of the public. The state legislature is taking into account safety, potential job impact, and how AI handles split-second decisions. Next, we will take a short drive to North Dakota where HB 1095 was signed by Governor Noem. The bill outlines multiple rules concerning level 4 and 5 autonomous vehicles. The language in the law effectively says that AVs will be governed the same way that a regular driver and vehicle will be governed. AVs must operate within state traffic laws, operators must still be licensed, and must remain at the scene of a crash.
Even with the expansion of AVs and state legislatures beginning to enact legislation, sentiment remains wary at best surrounding the future of transportation. According to AAA, most U.S. drivers either express fear or uncertainty about fully self-driving cars. This has not decreased since last year’s survey. However, the survey does not show all bad results. Optimism in Automatic Emergency Braking and Lane Keeping Assistance remains high. You can read the full AAA survey on Autonomous vehicles here.
Lastly, a major player is about to enter the autonomous vehicle space. Nvidia, whose stock has seen historic growth year over year due to their artificial intelligence capabilities, is becoming a significant player in the AV space. Three Bay Area commercial driving companies will use the technology to test sensors and make intelligent driving decisions. The company’s new platform is DRIVE Thor. This software is “an in-vehicle computing platform architected for generative AI applications.” The processor will also allow AV companies to integrate new Nvidia architecture, which can be used for autonomous driving. The companies partnering with Nvidia are Nuro, Plus Inc, and WeRide Corp.
