Monday, July 7, 2025
SmartDrivingCar.com/13.08-Henry&Elon-7.7.25
8th edition of the 13th year of SmartDrivingCars eLetter
Is Elon Musk the Henry Ford of our day, and if he is, which Henry Ford, the myth, or the man?
M. Sena, July 1, “My latest Musings is not about John Kenneth Galbraith, …. It is about attributing accomplishments of heroic proportions to men like Henry Ford and Elon Musk, sometimes erring on what it was they actually did and why it was important. I made the mistake of allowing my fondness for JKG’s writing, and my general agreement with his views on politics and the business of government, color my description of his personality in the letter I sent that accompanied the Musings. I said Galbraith was “modest”. I was apparently alone in this belief, as my good friend, faithful reader…, pointed out. Having scoured the online sources for comments on his notable personality traits, I found that the word ‘arrogant’ predominates. The clincher was a quote attributed to him by his Harvard University peers in a memorial following his death: “Modesty is a much overrated virtue.”
So, in spite of not being modest, he delivers a balanced view of Henry Ford in his chapter on the myth and the man, and it was that chapter that inspired my comparison of Ford and Musk. I shall attempt to be more careful with my words of praise in the future.
… . I hope you will find time to read Musings on Mobility…. Read more Hmmmm… Very informative and enjoyable!!! Alain
The Real Case for Driverless Mobility 
Narrated by Fred Fishkin, Available now
Published in 2024 (but still relevant)!!! Go to Amazon.com…
SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 393 / PodCast 393w/ Michael Sena: Is Elon Musk the Henry Ford of our day?
F. Fishkin, July 6, “Is Elon Musk the Henry Ford of our day? In which ways? Some surprises, perhaps, in a Mobility Musings essay from Michael Sena who joins Alain and Fred for episode 393 of Smart Driving Cars. Plus- the Tesla robotaxi rollout and the coverage of it, Waymo, VW, driverless systems in China, Malcolm Gladwell and more.
0:00 open
0:35 Musings on Mobility: Is Elon Musk the Henry Ford of Our Day? Essay by Michael Sena.
14:00 What will Musk’s legacy be?
16:56 Should consumer look at the man or the car?
18:14 Alain’s take on the coverage of Tesla’s robotaxi rollout
21:40 What are the really significant accomplishments of Ford and Musk?
27:30 Alain recommends book An Immense World – How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us 29:00 Alain is also linking to PBS NOVA report on new images from the Rubin Observatory
30:25 South China Morning Post- How does a Chinese driverless system compare with Tesla’s?
31:05 Volkswagen’s MOIA unveils ID Buzz turnkey solution for full autonomous mobility services
32:40 Back to the question- why pursue driverless mobility?
37:05 Malcolm Gladwell is saying driverless cars are too safe..
41:02 Brief…very brief…update on HandyRides
42:00 GM’s Cruise Cars are back on the road?
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How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us
By Ed Yong ; Narrated by Ed Yong, “ NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A “thrilling” (The New York Times), “dazzling” (The Wall Street Journal) tour of the radically different ways that animals perceive the world that will fill you with wonder and forever alter your perspective, by Pulitzer Prize–winning science journalist Ed Yong…”, …
Listen more… Hmmmm… Absolutely mind blowing! This is Real Intelligence (RI)! Alain
How does a Chinese driverless system compare with Tesla’s?
T. Yau, July 4, “Chinese carmakers are surging ahead in the race for autonomous driving, with over 60 per cent of new vehicles in China boasting self-driving capabilities, compared to less than 40 per cent for US cars. Post staff conducted road tests during the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show to pit one Chinese-made car against Tesla’s Model 3. While impressive, the systems for handling actions such as merging, parking and obstacles are currently at Level 2 autonomy – and require driver attention. So, what does this mean for the future of driverless cars, and where does China truly stand in the autonomous car revolution?…” Read more Hmmmm… Watch Video. Very good. (and the videos that are teed up to follow.) But again, what challenge are they trying to address, especially wrt driverless?. If you are a good driver and can afford a car, then driverless is not going to be for you any time soon. If you are not a good driver, aren’t permitted to drive, don’t wish to drive and/or can’t afford to drive. Then, near term driverless may well improve your quality-of-life. Alain.
Staff, June 17, “The technology company MOIA marks a major milestone: with the ID. Buzz AD, the company presents the first fully i production vehicle from Volkswagen, specifically optimized for use in mobility services. The vehicle is part of a comprehensive end-to-end solution that also includes a software ecosystem and services for operators of autonomous mobility services. With this, MOIA offers public and private mobility providers a turnkey package to launch autonomous services quickly, safely, and at scale. “With our fully autonomous complete solution, we are creating a mobility offering that is unique in this form: cities, municipalities, and fleet operators can provide autonomous mobility for all simply and reliably. Our driverless ID. Buzz shuttles are part of a fully connected 360-degree package made up of leading technology, an attractive vehicle fleet, intelligent fleet management, and a customer centric booking system—all from a single source and quickly scalable to fleet size on the road. ….” Read more Hmmmm… Form factor looks great, but in the end, price will matter for some use cases. For those in which LiDAR is highly desirable, Waymo may be in trouble. For those in which LiDAR is luxury, this may be an unaffordable luxury. Alain
The Volkswagen Robotaxi That Wants to Rival Waymo and Tesla
S. Wilmot, July 5, “The self-driving taxi carefully steered around the delivery vehicle that blocked its path—and straight into oncoming traffic.
“Not the best driving decision,” sighed Christian Senger, head of autonomous vehicles at Volkswagen VOW3 -1.19%decrease; red down pointing triangle, which built the robotaxi.
The incident, during an otherwise smooth test drive last month, underlines how Europe—once the world leader in automotive engineering—is playing catch-up with the U.S. and China.
Alphabet’s Waymo has run fully driverless taxis in the U.S. for almost five years without serious mishap and now operates more than 250,000 rides a week. Similar services are available in cities across China, run by local tech companies such as Baidu.
With no homegrown tech giants and more onerous regulations, Europe has largely stayed out of the autonomous-driving race. Now, it’s hitting the gas, eager to hedge its bets on the future of the auto industry and foster innovation after years of sluggish growth.
Hamburg is the emerging epicenter of the region’s robotaxi push. About 30 specially adapted versions of the Volkswagen ID.Buzz electric minivan drive themselves around the city’s crowded streets, bearing the black-and-bronze livery of the company’s ride-pooling service, Moia.
With the technology still in test mode, human backup drivers sit behind the wheel ready to take over if it misfires, and rides are only bookable by staff. Moia plans to start carrying regular Hamburgers in the coming months.
Americans will likely be next. In April, Volkswagen said it would deploy thousands of self-driving minivans in the U.S. through an agreement with Uber UBER 1.72%increase; green up pointing triangle, starting in Los Angeles in 2026. ….
Volkswagen’s wholly owned robotaxi project is less expensive than others, according to Senger, because it can join together with group brands Porsche and Audi to source sensors and software at scale. Putting the ID.Buzz AV on a production line will further cut costs relative to the EVs retrofitted with extra cameras and computing used by Waymo and others.
But the company is reluctant to say how many of the vehicles it hopes to make or sell.
“We will scale at the speed of trust,” said Moia CEO Sascha Meyer.” Read more Hmmmm… Nice informative article. Alain
Did Tesla Just Say “Checkmate” to Waymo?
A. Spatacco, July 3, “Autonomous driving is emerging as one of the most exciting opportunities in the artificial intelligence (AI) landscape. Developing self-driving vehicles stitches together semiconductors, software development, and robotics. Hence, there are several different ways to invest in the technology.
For now, the most mainstream opportunities in the autonomous vehicle market seem to be through Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) and Alphabet, which owns self-driving car business Waymo. What most investors likely overlook is that Waymo and Tesla have approached building fleets of self-driving cars through different lenses…
Autonomous driving is emerging as one of the most exciting opportunities in the artificial intelligence (AI) landscape. Developing self-driving vehicles stitches together semiconductors, software development, and robotics. Hence, there are several different ways to invest in the technology.
For now, the most mainstream opportunities in the autonomous vehicle market seem to be through Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) and Alphabet, which owns self-driving car business Waymo. What most investors likely overlook is that Waymo and Tesla have approached building fleets of self-driving cars through different lenses. ….” Read more Hamm… This won’t come as a surprise, but existing ridehail is a very small niche market, less than 1% of daily personTrips. The big unserved market is Latent Demand (That is why it is latent… It is unserved.) Serve that market and “Ya got sumtin”. Why hasn’t rideHailing gotten it? Unaffordable. Oh, I see the opportunity! Q.E.D. Alain
Tesla Updates Robotaxi App: Adds Adjustable Pick Up Locations, Shows Wait Time and More [VIDEO]
K. Singh, July 5, “Tesla is rolling out a fairly big update for its iOS and early-access-only Robotaxi app, delivering a suite of improvements that address user feedback from the initial launch last month. The update improves the user experience with increased flexibility, more information, and overall design polish.
The most prominent feature in this update is that Tesla now allows you to adjust your pickup location. Once a Robotaxi arrives at your pickup location, you have 15 minutes to start the ride. ….” Read more Hmmmm… The pickup process is “easy” some of the time but is often not at all easy. At HandyRides, we are viewing it as a real-time rendezvous problem with both the customer and the vehicle needing to take advantage of real-time opportunities to accomplish a boarding that tends to minimize disruption. The same is true about the alighting process with the added requirement that the customer needs help getting to their ultimate destination.
Waiting up to 15 minutes to depart on a trip priced at $4.20 seems enormously generous and unsustainable economically. Alain
Malcolm Gladwell Says Driverless Cars Are Too Safe. Here’s Why
C. Aiello, July 2, “Fear of death is the only thing keeping pedestrians in line in cities, at least that’s what Malcolm Gladwell would have you believe.
“Driverless cars in an urban setting don’t work because they work too well,” the journalist, best-selling author, and speaker said onstage at The Wall Street Journal’s Leadership Institute at Cannes Lions late last month.
“If every car on the road is a driverless car, then there is no penalty whatsoever to pedestrians misbehaving,” Gladwell later said….” Read more Hmmmm… He makes a valid point here, as does Raj. We also have the insurance fraud issue; however, driverless vehicles have a data advantage that should allow the courts to readily adjudicate these situations. Alain
Alain
GM’s Cruise Cars Are Back on the Road in Three US States—But Not for Ride-Hailing
P. Dave, July 4, “Cruise robotaxis are back on the road … well, kind of. Though General Motors pulled the plug on its self-driving taxi business last year, the automaker has been quietly repurposing a few of the vehicles as it seeks to develop new driver-assistance technologies.….” Read more Hmmmm… OK! Alain
This Giant Telescope Will Map the Universe in Unbelievable Detail | NOVA | PBS
Staff, July 3, “Go behind the scenes as NOVA visits the Vera Rubin Observatory in Chile, where scientists fire up the world’s largest digital camera for the first time. Equipped with an 8.4-meter mirror and a 3.2-billion-pixel camera—the largest digital camera ever built for astronomy—the Rubin Observatory is poised to revolutionize how we see the cosmos. In just 10 hours of test observations, the telescope detected over 2,100 new asteroids.” Read more Hmmmm… So impressive and mind boggling! Alain
Autonomous Driving Experts Weigh in on Tesla Robotaxi …
K. Li, July 5, “…” Read more Hmmmm… Behind pay wall so I could not see what she wrote as a follow-up to what she wrote last week after contacting me with the email exchange below. What I do know is that I didn’t make her list of experts. If you’ve justified the expense of getting through the pay wall to get this “Insider Information” ( I thought real insider information could send you to jail. Or send women to jail. One can’t be too cynical here 😊.)… I digress… Anyway, I didn’t make K. Li’s list of the inside definition of experts.
On a more serious note… her request to me (and I assume the others) “begs the question”… It assumes the truth of a proposition while seeking to answer it. Is speeding an “error”??? Essentially everybody does it and it is well known that speeding in many situations is “worse” than adhering to the speed limit. Hopefully the “insider” expert information dealt in depth with this issue. (I can’t wait to learn how LiDAR can help with this issue, Sorry, cynical again). My bottom line on these inquisitions is that “nothing is perfect”. Things can be very useful to address some challenges even if they aren’t perfect for a lot of challenges, even if not perfect for doing the thing that they are being used to do. (My iPhone is not perfect, (but my wife is perfect!)). Waymo, Tesla, MobilEye, Chines, … aren’t perfect! Can they deliver more good than bad?… Absolutely! Let’s find/discuss the places/challenges where they contribute high (not necessarily even the highest) net good in the many good (not necessarily best) ways/algorithms can compute/construct that net. And let’s implement those solutions. Those that need LiDAR … Waymo is top dog. For those that don’t, maybe Tesla wins. What societal Problem(s)/Challenges(s) are these insider technologies chasing? By the way… this isn’t any “insider” information… This is “business insider” information. Why isn’t the headline…. “Elon is offering rides for $4.20”. Is that predatory or Schumpeter-like disruptive?
I reprint here our original brief exchange. On 6/26/2025 8:00 AM, Katherine Li wrote:
Dear Professor Alain Kornhauser,
Hello, my name is Katherine Li, and I’m a reporter with Business Insider.
We’re reaching out to gain some insights on some of the errors that Tesla’s newly launched robotaxis are making. Most early access rides have gone pretty smoothly so far, but we have also seen a running list of errors it has made, such as speeding, random braking, and difficulty parking or pulling over. We would love to hear from you on how lidar or Tesla’s radar, or any other tech out there, may be able to help prevent these errors.
I can be reached at this email at all times or by phone at XXXXXX. Thank you!
To which I responded:
Thanks for reaching out, Katherine.
I am happy to talk with you about the advances Tesla has made, and the incredible, life-improving opportunities it presents for the thousands, millions of people who need affordable, safe transportation.
I am also happy to talk with you about ways human behaviors (both inadvertent and deliberate – drunk driving, texting, speeding, in addition to reckless undermining of full self-driving technology, etc) will need to change in order to fulfill the promise of FSD to improve the lives of many people who lack equitable transportation options.
In other words, if you are only looking to repeat sensationalized, hand-wringing, “gotcha” stories, then I am not your source.But if you are interested in learning and in reporting a more visionary and inclusive version of this story that focuses on people who actually need rides to improve their lives, then, by all means, let’s talk.
Alain
She did not call. I didn’t even make it to the cutting room floor. Oh well!?
Alain
HandyRides Update
A. Kornhauser, July 4, “Bought 2 cars on June 30..” Read more Hmmmm… OK! Alain
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Previous SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast/PodCasts
SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 392 / PodCast 392 – 7Tesla, Ford, Waymo and more
F. Fishkin, July 1, “What is the significance of a Tesla Model Y delivering itself to a consumer? What happened when Reuters and Business Insider reached out to Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser for comment on Tesla’s robotaxi launch issues in Austin? Join Alain and co-host Fred Fishkin for that plus Ford, Waymo and more on episode 392 of Smart Driving Cars. Tune in and subscribe!
0:00 open
0:40 Tesla Model Y delivers itself to consumer
5:18 With Tesla robotaxi launch in Austin … Reuters and then Business Insider contact Alain for comments on reported problems
17:30 Ford CEO favors Waymo’s LiDAR approach over Tesla’s vision only self driving
20:55 OBI lists pricing insights on Waymo, Uber and Lyft..
25:55 Upcoming online conference from Bridging Transportation Researchers
SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 391 / PodCast 391 – Robotaxis from VW-Waymo-Tesla
F. Fishkin, June 19 “VW ID.Buzz Robotaxis coming? Waymo expands. Tesla robotaxis launching. All that and more on epsidoe 391 of Smart Driving Cars. Join Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin and subscribe!
00:00 open
00:39 VW ID. BUZZ robotaxis coming? Alain says call me!
3:30 Teslas safer than Waymo?
7:20 Waymo expanding…
9:49 to NYC too?
10:12 Some Texas legislators ask for a delay in Tesla robotaxi launch
21:20 Elektrek reports Amazon to test humanoid robot deliveries with Rivian vans
24:55 The Verge reports US DOT wants more self driving cars without pedals or steering wheels
27:47 Yahoo Finance headline..Nearly 75 percent of riders fear robotaxi safety, yet pay more for Waymo
29:45 The Times of London headline on UN report that terrorists could hijack AI driven vehicles
32:15 Techcrunch report on Wayve and Uber plan robotaxi launch in UK
33:15 Tesla robotaxi rollout can be tracked online
35:00 Real case for driverless mobility… and update on ITN America
38:00 MSN report on FRA and FTA project to receive funds from previously awarded grants
SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 390 / PodCast 390 – w/ Michael Sena: Gov’t. roles-Musk-Waymo-Uber & more
F. Fishkin, June 6 “What should governments be doing for robotic vehicles? What did they do for human driven vehicles? Mobility Industry Insights publisher Michael Sena joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin to explore that plus the latest on Elon Musk as robotaxis are readied, Waymo, Uber, TRB and more. Tune in and subscribe.
0:00 open
0:44 Mobility Industry Insights: Should governments do any more for robot driven cars than they did for human driven vehicles?
16:20 What governments could do if they wanted to make driving more safe
18:18 Governments are doing things…but doing the wrong things
24:14 In Japan they are planning for some separate roadways for robotic vehicles
26:17 Tesla has planned to launch robotaxis in Austin next week- how would they be controlled? Differences from Waymo?
33:00 FinanceBuzz report on autonomous vehicle safety, accidents and reporting
39:00 Why aren’t intelligent cruise control and automatic emergency braking systems working together?
44:20 How old does a person really need to be to drive? Why is age relevant? Does it need to be a human? What about responsibility in robotic vehicles?
50:29 From TechCrunch …a patent infringement case that could disrupt Uber and others
51:22 The Transportation Research Board revamping committee structure and activities- TRB value.
1:02:00 What is needed to solve the safety problem?
1:08:00 Space X posts video titled Elon Musk, Mars and Beyond: The Road to Making Humanity Interplanetary
SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 389 / PodCast 389 – Tesla, Aurora, Waymo and more
F. Fishkin, May 29 “We’re back with episode 389 of Smart Driving Cars as Alain Kornhauser wraps up his 53rd year teaching at Princeton University. Today, Alain and co-host Fred Fishkin looks at the coming launch of Tesla’s robotaxis, Musks departure from Washington and the company’s safety report. Plus, Aurora brings back human drivers, a battle over autonomous farm equipment in California, Waymo continues to grow and more. Plus…a tip of the cap to some great senior thesis work by Alain’s students. Tune in and subscribe.
0:00 open
0:37 Tesla sets June 12 date for robotaxi launch
2:24 Tesla hiring humans to control robotaxis
4:13 Battle over automated farm equipment in California
6:03 Tesla safety report claims autopilot 10 times better at avoiding crashes
12:03 Aurora putting humans in driver seats again
13:40 NY Times reports driverless trucks are here with big promises
17:46 Way expanding to San Antonio and Houston
21:10 Warren Buffet asked about insurance shift with self driving cars
29:27 Senior Thesis work highlight in Smart Driving Car newslettter
SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 388 / PodCast 388 – Aurora, Waymo, NHTSA & more
F. Fishkin, May 4 “Commercial driverless trucks are on the road in Texas. A big accomplishment for Aurora! Plus.. a DOT research grant gets terminated, Waymo’s safety study and partnership with Toyota and NHTSA amends ADAS reporting rules. Join Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for episode 388 of Smart Driving Cars.
0:00 open
0:30 Aurora launches commercial driverless trucks
6:05 DOT cancels grant to Research Foundation of CUNY
7:50 Waymo releases study showing reduction in serious crashes and improved safety
13:45 Waymo partnering with Toyota
16:12 NHTSA amends order for ADAS reporting
19:40 Star Base now an official city in Texas
21:50 Alain wrapping up another semester at Princeton
SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 387/ PodCast 387– The Last(?)Dispatcher w Michael Sena
F. Fishkin, Feb. 25 “Keeping cars out of cities? The parking meter is turning 90 this year. We learn more about that and more from The Dispatcher publisher Michael Sena. Plus ..self driving cars, AI, the Black Hawk tragedy and more. Join Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for episode 387 of Smart Driving Cars.
0:00 open
1:10 Michael Sena on parking meters turning 90 and what they are being used for now
8:15 The Pope and a cautionary approach to AI
13:05 For now…at least…the last edition of The Dispatcher
16:57 There’s another book on the way
18:30 Henry Ford…and the road today to driverless mobility
29:35 AI and Deep Research
37:10 the Black Hawk – American Airlines tragedy. What we’re learning.
SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 386 / PodCast 386 – DeepSeek, HandyRides, Waymo, Tesla & more
F. Fishkin, Feb. 2 “DeepSeek and AI, HandyRides Inc. arrives, women providing taxi rides on motorcycles in Kenya, Waymo expanding to more cities and Tesla bringing front bumper camera to Model Y. Welcome back to Smart Driving Cars! Join Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for all of that and more on episode 386. And remember to subscribe.
0:00 Open
1:21 AI code editor, DeepSeek and more
6:22 HandyRides Inc. now exists
7:05 From NY Times: Women on motorcycle taxis giving rides in Kenya and a piece on driving in Vietnam
14:36 Timothy Lee piece…speculating DeepSeek not responsible for crashing NVIDIA stock
16:50 Waymo expanding to more cities including Las Vegas and San Diego
19:58 More DeepSeek discussion
25:16 new edition of The Dispatcher out from Michael Sena
26:17 The work that lies ahead to provide mobility to those who need it
29:15 Why are there still rear ending crashes
29:35 New Tesla Model Y will have front bumper camera
SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 385 / PodCast 385 – w Michael Sena … GM Cancels Cruise, Waymo progresses and NHTSA’s New Rules for Driverless
F. Fishkin, Dec. 22 “With GM putting an end to the Cruise robotaxi venture, Waymo reaching 5 million rides and NHTSA proposing new rules for driverless vehicles, there’s plenty of news to end the year. The Dispatcher publisher Michael Sena joins Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for a look at those stories and more on episode 385 of Smart Driving Cars! Tune in and subscribe.
0:00 open
1:17 Nobel Prize for Physics awarded to Princeton’s John Hopfield. Alain’s tribute.
1:54 GM shutters Cruise robotaxi venture
13:26 Waymo has now delivered over 5 million driverless rides
26:49 NHTSA proposes new rules for self driving cars
34:55 The Dispatcher Musings…back to Scranton
38:14 Closing out the year with long time friends and kudos to Alain’s students
SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 384 / PodCast 384 – The Election, Musk, Tesla, Waymo & more with guest Michael Sena
On episode 384 of Smart Driving Cars, Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin are joined by The Dispatcher publisher Michael Sena. This time out- the election, Elon Musk, Tesla, Waymo, Aurora and a tribute to the late Paul Michel Lion III
0:00 open
0:55 From The Dispatcher -a look at the presidential election and the process
10:01 Princeton’s Bob Vanderbei maps out the electorate one again
14:30 The involvement of Elon Musk, pre-election and post-election and Michael’s look at the Robotaxi event.
42:20 Tesla’s quarterly vehicle safety report 47:48 A tribute Alain’s PHD Advisor at Princeton, Paul Michel Lion III.
48:28 Waymo is now valued at 45 billion dollars 49:59 Aurora’s Chris Urmson says we are on the brink of a new era in mobility and logistics 52:25 Michael comments further on Waymo and its role at Alphabet (Google)
59:54 The Autopian report on Google/Waymo patent application for system to take over automatically if it detects a bad driver behind the wheel.
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SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 382 / PodCast 382 – SpaceX, Cybercab and John Hopfield. Space X wows with catch, Tesla’s Cybercab event and the potential impact on mobility, and Princeton’s John Hopfield captures 2024 Nobel Physics Prize. Join Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for the takeaways from the latest headlines and more. Tune in and subscribe! 0:00 open 0:30 SpaceX wows with landing 8:38 Tesla’s Cybercab event-Alain’s take on the ups and downs 18:22 Elon uses the elevator analogy! 21:12 Forbes piece- Can’t Get a Cybercab? Wave Down a Waymo. 22:40 AutoEvolution: 5 Polarizing Facts from Tesla’s We Robot Cybercab Unveiling Event 26:26 Presentation from Alain’s students on shared mobility at Next Generation Systems Conference 27:45 More on Cybercabs and questions about insurance 39:02 Princeton’s John Hopfield wins Nobel Physics Prize! SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 381 / PodCast 381 – w Michael Sena: data privacy, Northvolt, Tesla and more. 0:00 open 0:54 Vehicle telecommunications and data privacy battle 22:40 What happened to Sweden’s Northvolt 27:17 The efforts to stop the importing of inexpensive Chinese vehicles. Is the rest of the world toast? 45:55 Tesla prepares for the robotaxi unveiling October 10 54:35 Reuters reports Waymo discussions with Hyundai on vehicle platform and remarks from Waymo co-CEO at University of Michigan 1:00:35 Two of Alain’s students deliver at the Next Generation Systems Conference SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 380 / PodCast 380 – w Michael Sena SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 379 / PodCast 379 – Time to Pivot-Hamburg-Waymo-Tesla & more SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 378 / PodCast 378 – Cry’n Shame GM’s Cruise abandons the Origin purposely designed robotaxi in favor of the Chevy Bolt. Former CEO Kyle Vogt calls it disappointing. Plus the audiobook version of The Real Case for Driverless Mobility arrives. Join Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for episode 378 of Smart Driving Cars. SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 377 / PodCast 377 – What would GreenVille MOVES look like The push towards affordable driverless mobility continues on episode 377 of Smart Driving Cars. Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin show what GreenVille Moves would look like. Plus ..the EU mandates speed limiters, Tesla adding parental controls for teen drivers and more. 0:00 open 0:49 Congrats to Alain’s students who took part in the Henley Royal Regatta 2:04 Launching of HandyRides continues for affordable mobility 3:15 Demo of what GreenVilleMOVES would look like 33:30 EU is mandating speed limiters 34:15 Tesla update to give parents control over teen driver speed and more 39:50 The Drive report on Mercedes engineer criticism of Tesla FSD and its impact on public attitudes toward autonomous driving tech. 42:04 The Verge report on Distance Technologies windshield AR heads up display 45:00 Ken Pyle’s Viodi piece on Smart Driving Car Summit SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 376 / PodCast 376 – a mobility start-up is launched July 1st marks the launch of a new mobility start-up! Join Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser and co-host Fred Fishkin for details. Plus..GM Cruise pays for crash report delays, Rimac robotaxis and automakers ask for reconsideration of automatic emergency braking rules. SmartDrivingCars ZoomCast 375 / PodCast 375 Elon Musk talks Tesla robotaxis and more. Maybe for Brownsville? F. Fishkin, June 15, ” With Elon Musk divulging more about how Telsa robotaxis may operate, Princeton’s Alain Kornhauser demonstrates how they could be used to serve Brownsville, Texas. And the plan could be replicated anywhere. Plus the latest on Waymo and Cruise. Join Alain and co-host Fred Fishkin for episode 375 of Smart Driving Cars. 0:00 open 0:30 Musk talks robotaxi business, Tesla Semis and more new vehicles 15:27 Alain shows how a Brownsville MOVES mobility service could work. 36:19 Waymo issues software and mapping recall following telephone pole crash in Phoenix 43:10 GM investing 850 million dollars in Cruise and resuming operations in Houston
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