This week's EV/AV Report takes a look at the governments, automakers and technology firms addressing the challenges caused by the transition toward electric and self-driving vehicles.
U.S. Senate questions safety of self-driving cars
Executives from Waymo and Tesla testified before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee in Washington on Feb. 4.
The hearing was led by committee chair Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, with Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington also questioning witnesses. The lawmakers examined how autonomous vehicles were tested and monitored following incidents involving Waymo robotaxis operating in California, including cases near schools.
Senators discussed whether federal standards should replace the current system in which individual states regulate autonomous vehicles. No legislation was introduced during the hearing.
At the hearing, Lars Moravy, vice-president of vehicle engineering at Tesla, and Dr. Mauricio Peña, chief safety officer at Waymo, told lawmakers that unclear federal rules made it harder to plan and invest with confidence, slowing broader deployment of self-driving systems.
Electric vehicles outsell petrol cars in Europe
Registration data published Jan. 27 shows battery-electric vehicles accounted for 22.6% of new passenger car registrations in the European Union in December, compared with 22.5% for petrol-powered vehicles.
The figures covered all EU member states and reflected a growing number of available EV models alongside emissions regulations affecting automakers. Hybrid vehicles still represented the largest share of new registrations overall. The data was compiled by the European automobile industry association.
Uber launches data program for autonomous vehicle partners
Uber announced on Jan. 27 that it had created a new internal group to collect real-world driving data for autonomous vehicle developers.
The program gathered data from trips completed on Uber’s ride-hailing platform in multiple countries. The information was intended to help self-driving systems learn how to respond to uncommon or complex road situations that are difficult to model in simulations.
Waymo raises US$16 billion to expand robotaxi operations
Waymo said on Feb. 2 that it had raised US$16 billion to support expansion of its autonomous taxi business.
The Mountain View, California-based company planned to use the funding for vehicle purchases, operating costs and launches in additional cities.
At the time of the announcement, Waymo already operated commercial robotaxi services in several U.S. markets using fully driverless vehicles.
