Opening
Lane: Seven stories are on our radar tonight.
Otto: Seven deep dives for a very busy Friday.
Lane: I'm Lane.
Otto: And I'm Otto.
Tesla to wind down Cybertruck production as Elon Musk focuses on robotics and AI
Reported by The Guardian
Lane: Our top story, Tesla is set to wind down Cybertruck production by the middle of next year.
Lane: The Guardian reports that Elon Musk is shifting focus to the self-driving taxi service, Cybercab, and using the Texas plant for the Optimus humanoid robot. This news is being covered by the BBC, TechCrunch, The Verge, Electrek, South China Morning Post, and the SelfDrivingCars subreddit.
Lane: Musk also noted the truck was not expected to reach sales targets, and while production of the Semi and the 2028 Roadster are ramping up, the Cybertruck was not sold in Europe due to safety standards.
Otto: It sounds like the hardware is taking a backseat to the software.
Waymo Used Uber to Build Scale. Now It Wants Robotaxi Riders on Its Own App
Reported by Inc.com
Otto: Up next, Waymo is looking to move its riders directly into its own ecosystem.
Otto: According to Inc, Waymo used Uber to build scale, but now it wants robotaxi riders on its own app. Los Angeles Times, InsideEVs and TechCrunch are on this story too.
Lane: The era of the middleman might be ending.
"Not Ready To Be Uploaded Yet": Woman's Waymo Ride Takes a Frightening Turn in San Francisco, Leaving Her Questioning Self-Driving Cars
Reported by Yahoo Autos
Lane: This just in, a passenger in San Francisco had a frightening experience during a Waymo ride.
Lane: Yahoo Autos reports that a woman's ride ended abruptly, leaving her questioning the safety of self-driving cars.
Otto: That is the kind of moment that makes for much harder conversations with regulators.
Zero To Sixty: Fort Worth Gets Tesla Robotaxi While UBS Upgrades Rivian And Citigroup Shuffles EV Holdings
Reported by Yahoo Finance
Otto: Our next story, Fort Worth is entering the autonomous era.
Otto: Yahoo Finance reports that Fort Worth has become the first U.S. city to offer Tesla Robotaxi service. CultureMap Fort Worth and https://tech-insider.org/ are on this story too.
Otto: This is happening alongside news that UBS is upgrading its holdings in Rivian and shifting its EV investment strategy.
Lane: A new frontier for the Cybercab.
Aurora Innovation delays 200-truck goal to February amid supply chain issues
Reported by Yahoo Finance
Lane: Now, to the logistics of autonomous trucking.
Lane: Yahoo Finance says Aurora Innovation is delaying its 200-truck goal to February due to supply chain issues.
Otto: The physical supply chain is still catching up to the digital ambitions.
Some self-driving car systems have trouble detecting darker skin, study says
Reported by Mashable
Otto: Up next, a critical study on sensor perception.
Otto: Mashable reports that some self-driving car systems have trouble detecting darker skin.
Lane: Safety and equity must be built into the code from the start.
WeRide CEO sees Hong Kong robotaxi rides within five years, if regulators approve
Reported by CNBC
Lane: This just in, a new horizon for WeRide in Asia.
Lane: CNBC reports that the WeRide CEO sees Hong Kong robotaxi rides becoming available within five years, if regulators approve.
Otto: The timeline depends entirely on the people writing the rules.
Sign-off
Lane: That's all for tonight.
Otto: See you tomorrow.