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Self-driving technology is advancing with regulatory approvals for paid robotaxi services in Nevada and California, while companies like Waymo and Zoox are deploying new fleets and testing frameworks. Tesla is implementing driver monitoring systems and facing scrutiny over its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software features and hardware upgrades.
Answers synthesised from 12 recent sources · updated 19h ago
Nevada has officially authorized the commencement of paid autonomous vehicle rides within Clark County, including the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The California Department of Motor Vehicles has issued inaugural permits for testing heavy autonomous vehicles on public roadways. The NHTSA has granted Zoox a temporary exemption for commercial deployment of its steering wheel-free robotaxis.
Waymo has commenced transporting paying passengers in its new fleet of Zeekr minivans. Zoox will commence charging for rides on August 10, transitioning its service to commercial operation. Nevada's approval allows companies to begin charging passengers for autonomous rides.
Tesla is initiating a recall of 2,740,642 vehicles in China to implement a more robust driver monitoring system for its assisted-driving features. This action follows findings by Chinese regulators that the existing system, which primarily checks for a hand on the steering wheel, was insufficient.
Tesla's implementation of gamification features within its FSD software, such as a 'streak' feature rewarding drivers for accumulating miles without disengaging, has drawn significant criticism from safety advocates. Some owners have also reported that the recent FSD V14 Lite software update is causing their vehicle's onboard computers to overheat.
One Tesla owner has successfully upgraded their vehicle's computer system to Hardware 4 (HW4). This aftermarket modification bypasses Tesla's own rollout schedule, which has reportedly been delaying the availability of HW4 to existing car owners.
Zoox has released a detailed safety testing framework for its robotaxis. This framework outlines the company's approach to ensuring the safety and reliability of its autonomous vehicles, following its recent approval to charge customers for rides.