What We’re Reading
May Mobility launches first driverless transit service for Early Riders in Arizona, takes next step toward transforming the way riders get around cities and urban environments (PR Newswire, December 18, 2023)
Another AV startup attempting to buck the trend of recent scale backs in the space is May Mobility, which recently announced that it will launch its first commercial driverless service on public roads in Sun City, Arizona, a retirement community northwest of Phoenix. The company is starting slowly, with just two autonomous minivans operating within a 4.5-mile service area within Sun City. Early riders can use May Mobility’s app to request a driverless shuttle pickup to and from a variety of popular stops, including resident complexes, grocery stores, pharmacies and medical centers. After an initial phase, May Mobility plans to add more vehicles and riders in a larger area.
“Today, we take the key step of beginning rider-only operations, a cornerstone for our commercial growth and expansion moving forward,” said Edwin Olson, CEO and co-founder of May Mobility. “We believe it is critical to work closely with our key strategic partners, regulators, insurers, and riders, as we roll out our technology step-by-step.”
Mercedes Permitted to Use Turquoise Marker Lights for Drive Pilot (Car and Driver, December 19, 2023)
Mercedes-Benz has officially received approval in California and Nevada to add a fourth color of external lights on its vehicles to indicate when a Mercedes vehicle is driving itself. In addition to the standard three colors – red for brake lights and rear lights, white for headlights and reverse lights, and gold for turn signals – the blue lights will indicate when a Mercedes vehicle has Drive Pilot engaged. Unlike Tesla’s Full Self-Driving or GM’s Super Cruise, a driver in a vehicle equipped with Drive Pilot can remove their hands from the steering wheel, feet from the pedals, and eyes from the road under certain conditions until the system alerts the driver to take over.
The specific turquoise blue shade was first recommended by the Society of Automotive Engineers because the color is unlikely to be confused with any other vehicle lights, police lights, or traffic lights. Mercedes is the first automaker to receive approval for the use of the blue lights on the headlights, taillights, and side mirrors, which will alert passing vehicles that the car is driving itself. The 2026 EQS Sedan and S-Class will be the first vehicles produced with the new lights.
GM’s Cruise robotaxi lays off 900 workers with investigation into San Francisco crash ongoing (AP, December 14, 2023)
Dominoes continue to fall this week in General Motors’ troubled Cruise autonomous vehicle unit with the announcement that it will be cutting over 900 jobs, about a quarter of its workforce. These cuts come a day after reports that nine key leaders are no longer with the company as a result of corporate restructuring due to the October crash involving one of its driverless robotaxis that forced it to suspend operations. The executive departures included leaders from legal, government affairs, commercial operations and safety and systems teams, Cruise said. These departures come just weeks after Kyle Vogt resigned as Cruise’s CEO.
“We are simplifying and focusing our efforts to return with an exceptional service in one city to start with,” said President and Chief Technical Officer Mo ElShenawy. “As a result of our decision to slow down commercialization, we are restructuring to focus on delivering the improvements to our tech and vehicle performance that will build trust in our AVs (autonomous vehicles),” ElShenawy added.