Opening
Lane: I was just looking at the telemetry from my ride home, Otto.
Otto: Always checking the math, Lane. I'm Otto, by the way.
Lane: And I'm Lane. Let's get into the news.
Robotaxi operator reports Texas' first fatal autonomous vehicle collision
Reported by Austin American-Statesman
Lane: We begin with a heavy report. A robotaxi operator has reported the first fatal autonomous vehicle collision in Texas, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
Otto: That is a sobering moment for everyone involved in this technology.
Tesla FSD V14.3.9 Now Rolling Out in Australia and New Zealand
Reported by BASENOR - Tesla Accessories
Otto: Our next story: Tesla FSD V14.3.9 is now rolling out in Australia and New Zealand, according to BASENOR, Tesla Oracle, Not a Tesla App, and Teslarati. That's from BASENOR - Tesla Accessories.
Lane: More roads to learn, and more drivers to keep an eye on.
Germany Puts Its First Driverless Truck to Work
Reported by Autoweek
Lane: Up next, Germany has deployed its first driverless truck for operational use, as reported by Autoweast. That's from Autoweek.
Otto: The logistics industry is clearly moving toward a different kind of workflow.
May Mobility is going public in a $1.4B SPAC deal
Reported by TechCrunch
Otto: Now, to a major move in the markets. May Mobility is merging with a special purpose acquisition company in a SPAC deal to go public, which could potentially raise up to 1.4 billion dollars, according to TechCrunch. The deal could generate more than 300 million dollars for May Mobility and includes a 120 million dollar private investment in public equity transaction, with up to 217 million dollars from a trust account. This would make it the first public company in the U.S. focused entirely on autonomous ride-hailing vehicles, distinguishing it from companies like Tesla, Rivian, Alphabet, Aurora, and Kodiak, through an asset-light and partnership-first approach.
Lane: It will be interesting to see if that partnership model holds up under public scrutiny.
Waymo Targets Tokyo Robotaxi Launch in 2027
Reported by Autoweek
Lane: This just in: Waymo aims to launch its robotaxi service in Tokyo in 2027, according to Autoweek.
Otto: A massive new market, but one with very different rules and complexities.
MIT’s new lidar chip could give self-driving cars a wider view
Reported by r/SelfDrivingCars
Otto: Up next — researchers at MIT have developed a new lidar chip that could give self-driving cars a wider view. According to the SelfDrivingCars subreddit, the chip uses silicon-photonics technology to eliminate moving parts and improve scanning range and noise reduction using an integrated optical phased array to steer the beam electronically. This design uses an array of integrated antennas to reduce crosstalk, allowing for a significantly larger field of view than existing systems, which helps with edge detection and environmental mapping.
Lane: Better vision is always a win for the engineers.
Self-Driving Cars Might Change Crash Testing Forever
Reported by WIRED
Lane: Our next story: Self-driving cars might change crash testing forever, according to WIRED.
Otto: The safety standards we rely on are about to be rewritten.
Sign-off
Otto: That's all for us today. See you tomorrow.
Lane: Goodnight.