358 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

Tesla Korea Confirms Supervised FSD Launch in South Korea

 

Tesla's Domestic Sales Surge 92.8%, Securing Third in Imported Car Market

 

https://www.chosun.c...RN45TSLZSQL53U/

 

 

Industry observers predict Tesla’s FSD introduction could disrupt the domestic imported car market. Even amid uncertainty over the FSD release timeline, the Model Y Juniper, launched in April, has gained significant popularity. Thanks to this, Tesla’s domestic sales from January to October this year (47,962 units) surged 92.8% compared to last year, securing third place in the imported car market behind BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 11 November 2025 - 11:27 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Waymo is taking its driverless taxi service to the freeway, at least in parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, Phoenix and Los Angeles. The company says that the new service will be available to more riders in those markets, so what you’re seeing is a move away from predominantly surface-street routes to higher-speed, cross-town travel that is closer to how people actually traverse these big metro areas.

 

https://www.findarti...in-some-cities/

 

 

 

 

 

Fear, Anxiety, and Jokes: Reactions to Waymo Robotaxis Being Allowed on Freeways

 

Many folks aren't sure what to think about this new development.

 

https://www.motorbis...lowed-freeways/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 14 November 2025 - 01:28 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Tesla Robotaxi Access Goes Wide With New Wave of Users in Canada and the U.S.

https://driveteslaca...da-and-the-u-s/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 18 November 2025 - 10:22 PM.

[splashflash]

Robotaxis as public transit? Waymo thinks so
The company is partnering with Via to introduce its robotaxis to city-run microtransit services, starting in Arizona.

https://www.theverge...t-chandler-flex

"In Chandler, Arizona, Waymo’s robotaxis will soon join the town’s Flex microtransit service. Users book rides on the Chandler Flex app to be picked up by a shared vehicle and taken to their destination, often connecting to Valley Metro bus routes. Soon, users may be matched with Waymo’s fully autonomous vehicles as part of the service.

"The service will run Monday through Friday, 6AM-9PM, with rides booked through Chandler Flex costing just $2 for regular riders, $1 for seniors and wheelchair users, and free for middle and high school kids. (Waymo recently introduced teen accounts in Phoenix so kids as young as 14 can ride without their parents.)

"The partnership has the potential to open up more passengers to Waymo’s driverless technology. Phoenix residents have been able to hail a Waymo via the Waymo or Uber apps for years now, with rides priced comparably to human-driven rideshare trips. But autonomous rides along a planned route for a low-cost, flat fare is sure to open up the technology to a new segment of the population.

Edited by splashflash, 22 November 2025 - 02:36 PM.

[dasmo]

The benefit of Robo taxis as public transit is immense. 

[max.bravo]

I agree. But our woke government will never allow it (for some unknown reason).

[splashflash]

I agree. But our woke government will never allow it (for some unknown reason).

Unknown? First, same reason as Uber permitting was delayed for years - appeasing the taxi industry.
Second, an erosion of labour with fixed benefits, albeit heavily subsidized by provincial and local taxpayers, could also erode support at polls, especially with the low municipal turnout making that support that much more crucial.
Local tax increases have outstripped inflation, so there could be support for this, perhaps ironically even higher support, with transit being downloaded to the region?

[dasmo]

I agree. But our woke government will never allow it (for some unknown reason).

They ruin everything! 

[LJ]

The benefit of Robo taxis as public transit is immense. 

How do you envision that working?

 

Would the passenger pay a bus-type fare or a taxi-type fare?

 

Wouldn't this be quite a bit more expensive, although much more pleasant, than riding a bus?

 

Would Waymo type busses work?

[Victoria Watcher]

How do you envision that working?

 

Would the passenger pay a bus-type fare or a taxi-type fare?

 

Wouldn't this be quite a bit more expensive, although much more pleasant, than riding a bus?

 

Would Waymo type busses work?

 

 

 

Moving the Town of Innisfil with Uber

Since 2017, the Town of Innisfil and Uber have come together to bring on-demand, affordable and stress-free transportation to a community of 43,000+ residents in Canada’s first ridesharing and transit partnership.

 

https://www.uber.com...low_id=6-VZqLmg

 

 

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 22 November 2025 - 07:31 PM.

[LJ]

^Probably not used for regular commuting then, just now and then?

[Victoria Watcher]

^Probably not used for regular commuting then, just now and then?

 

Well, return, it's $8 to $12 per day.  22 work days = $176 to $264.

 

Presumably some full-time workers find a way to pool (with a co-worker or family member etc.) one way or another.  But a monthly transit pass is:

 

 

And your own private on-demand Uber to and from your driveway is nicer than a bus or subway.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 22 November 2025 - 07:41 PM.

[Mike K.]

In Victoria, it’s like $30 or free

[Victoria Watcher]

[splashflash]

https://www.forbes.c...e-to-your-town/

"I’m often asked by cities and other regions how they can get a robotaxi company to come there. The problem is, the leading teams have many places asking them this. It will take a lot to get them to change their priorities, though one way is to clear regulatory hurdles and let them test is to clear and learn something important to their R&D plan.

"One thing that won’t happen is “everywhere at once.” Even if you can build a robotaxi that can drive on almost any street, that’s not the same as certifying it safe enough to bet customer lives on streets you’ve never tested on, or dealing with local regulators you haven’t done a lot of talking to. It’s a lot more work than just bringing Uber to a new city, and that was harder than they thought. It takes a lot of management effort, hiring and capital to bring a robotaxi fleet. Tesla’s plan that ordinary private car customers will hire out their own cars in an Uber-like network faces a lot of challenges.

[Victoria Watcher]

Even if you can build a robotaxi that can drive on almost any street, that’s not the same as certifying it safe enough to bet customer lives on streets you’ve never tested on, or dealing with local regulators you haven’t done a lot of talking to. It’s a lot more work than just bringing Uber to a new city, and that was harder than they thought. It takes a lot of management effort, hiring and capital to bring a robotaxi fleet. Tesla’s plan that ordinary private car customers will hire out their own cars in an Uber-like network faces a lot of challenges.

 

I don't think that's accurate.  When Tesla expanded their coverage in Austin by 100%, I doubt their cars drove even once every street they expanded to.

 

Teslas drive on FSD on every street in Canada - today.

[Victoria Watcher]

Tesla’s plan that ordinary private car customers will hire out their own cars in an Uber-like network faces a lot of challenges.

 

Maybe.  But Telsa also makes 4,800+ FSD new cars - every day. 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 November 2025 - 07:04 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Even if you can build a robotaxi that can drive on almost any street, that’s not the same as certifying it safe enough to bet customer lives on streets you’ve never tested on, or dealing with local regulators you haven’t done a lot of talking to.

 

The Tesla system does not rely on ever having been driven down a particular street, just like you don't when you drive in a new city or country for the first time.  There is no need to test every street, provided those streets have regular signage and built form.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 November 2025 - 07:08 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Tesla’s autonomous-driving lead is approaching an irreversible tipping point that could trigger one of the biggest value shifts in modern industrial history, according to a new report from Melius Research.

 

[...]

 

Melius argues that autonomy is nearing the moment when years of incremental progress suddenly give way to mass adoption, transforming what Wertheimer calls “a $7 trillion dollar sector.”

 

He adds that the next five years “will see hundreds of billions in value shift… to Tesla.”

 

Public awareness remains low. “Not even 1 out of 100 Americans have ridden in a self-driving car,” Wertheimer stated, adding that only “tens of thousands” have tried Tesla’s latest supervised FSD system. When widespread rollout arrives, “it will still shock most people.”

 

[...]

 

Crucially, Melius argues Tesla’s lead is widening, not shrinking. Strategic choices on “chips, vertical integration, software, and the decision to think of the vehicle differently” are said to have left legacy automakers struggling with outdated architectures and fragmented supplier systems.

 

As driverless adoption accelerates, Melius says, “the buggy whip metaphor used so often in investing is about to become relevant again, as driverless carriages take over.”

 

 

https://ca.finance.y...-150606829.html

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 November 2025 - 07:47 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Waymo races ahead of Tesla with robotaxi launches set for Miami, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando

 

https://seekingalpha...nio-and-orlando