Lyft Will Use Chinese Driverless Cars In Britain and Germany (techcrunch.com) 24
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the New York Times: China's automakers have teamed up with software companies togo global with their driverless cars, which are poised to claim a big share of a growing market as Western manufacturers are still preparing to compete. The industry in China is expanding despite tariffs imposed last year by the European Union on electric cars, and despite some worries in Europe about the security implications of relying on Chinese suppliers. Baidu, one of China's biggest software companies, said on Monday that it would supply Lyft, an American ride-hailing service, with self-driving cars assembled by Jiangling Motors of China (source paywalled; alternative source). Lyft is expected to begin operating them next year in Germany and Britain, subject to regulatory approval, the companies said.
The announcement comes three months after Uber and Momenta, a Chinese autonomous driving company, announced their own plans to begin offering self-driving cars in an unspecified European city early next year. Momenta will soon provide assisted driving technology to the Chinese company IM Motors for its cars sold in Britain. While Momenta has not specified the model that Uber will be using, it has already signaled it will choose a Chinese model. In China, "the pace of development and the pressure to deliver at scale push companies to improve quickly," said Gerhard Steiger, the chairman of Momenta Europe. China's state-controlled banking system has been lending money at low interest rates to the country's electric car industry in a bid for global leadership. [...]
Expanding robotaxi services to new cities, not to mention new countries, is not easy. While the individual cars do not have drivers, they typically require one controller for every several cars to handle difficulties and answer questions from users. And the cars often need to be specially programmed for traffic conditions unique to each city. Lyft and Baidu nonetheless said that they had plans for "the fleet scaling to thousands of vehicles across Europe in the following years."
The announcement comes three months after Uber and Momenta, a Chinese autonomous driving company, announced their own plans to begin offering self-driving cars in an unspecified European city early next year. Momenta will soon provide assisted driving technology to the Chinese company IM Motors for its cars sold in Britain. While Momenta has not specified the model that Uber will be using, it has already signaled it will choose a Chinese model. In China, "the pace of development and the pressure to deliver at scale push companies to improve quickly," said Gerhard Steiger, the chairman of Momenta Europe. China's state-controlled banking system has been lending money at low interest rates to the country's electric car industry in a bid for global leadership. [...]
Expanding robotaxi services to new cities, not to mention new countries, is not easy. While the individual cars do not have drivers, they typically require one controller for every several cars to handle difficulties and answer questions from users. And the cars often need to be specially programmed for traffic conditions unique to each city. Lyft and Baidu nonetheless said that they had plans for "the fleet scaling to thousands of vehicles across Europe in the following years."
I love Togo's (Score:1, Troll)
China's automakers have teamed up with software companies togo global
Try the large #9 with avocado on it, to die for.
Speaking of which, is car automation to die for? We had the technology for self-steering vehicles in the 1800s. It's called rail.
Re:I love Togo's (Score:4)
We had the technology for self-steering vehicles in the 1800s. It's called rail.
By gosh you're right. Now we just need to build a rail to everyone's house. Why didn't anyone think of that!
Re: (Score:3)
By gosh you're right. Now we just need to build a rail to everyone's house. Why didn't anyone think of that!
You see those two fleshy appendages on the lower half of your body? They're not just for looks or pressing pedals. If you wiggle them just right you can perambulate to the station.
Next up: why this is impossible for the low income disabled plumber who urgently needs to take his elderly fridge to hospital.
Re: (Score:2)
To be fair, the UK destroyed much of its rail infrastructure in the 1960s and 70s, and it would be very difficult/expensive to replace it now. And even if we try to fix them, eventually we will get another Tory/Reform government that destroys all the progress anyway.
In places that have really good public transport, it's ideal. Never bother renting a car in Japan, for example. But for countries like the UK, outside of a few places like inner London... I'm not sure it's ever going to be possible to make publi
Re: (Score:1)
By gosh you're right. Now we just need to build a rail to everyone's house. Why didn't anyone think of that!
People did think of that. It's called PRT. We can't have it because of the influence of the worldwide automobile industry's lobbying on various governments.
Re: (Score:2)
Sure yep that's the reason. The evil automobile lobby is preventing your completely unrealistic pie in the sky idea from working. Damn them!
Re: (Score:2)
Sure yep that's the reason. The evil automobile lobby is preventing your completely unrealistic pie in the sky idea from working. Damn them!
Explain why you think it's unrealistic, without using a LLM.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
We had the technology for self-steering vehicles in the 1800s. It's called rail.
By gosh you're right. Now we just need to build a rail to everyone's house. Why didn't anyone think of that!
The idea of rail is that you have rail that goes near your home so you can access it by non-motorised means of transport. Erm.. you know, walking.
However conservatives did the opposite. Closing most of the local rail lines down (then privatised the rail companies). There's a reason so many streets in Britain are called "Beechings Close", it refers to the Beeching report which started the consolidation of rail lines.
That being said, I doubt this will get very far in the UK or Europe as we tend not to l
Re: (Score:2)
Came to this thread expecting some racist knee-jerk anti-Chinese conspiracy crap, thanks for restoring (a little bit of) my faith in SlashDot.
Re: (Score:2)
Check out the moderation and you can lose it again :)
Re: (Score:2)
Coincidentally the #9 used to be my wife's favorite when we still had a Togo's in our area.
Re: (Score:2)
We had several of them in Santa Cruz county, including a really huge one in Capitola, and a super tiny one in the inland side of the Beach Flats just off Ocean Street. I think there are still two there.
Large #9, two scoops of avo, on wheat. Just absolutely my favorite sandwich anywhere.
Driverless? Not in the UK they won't (Score:2)
Here auto drive/land follow isn't even allowed to be hands free - hands must be on the wheel - so good luck getting those driverless cars on the road Lyft!
Re: (Score:2)
subject to regulatory approval
reading is difficult
Re: (Score:3)
https://www.gov.uk/government/... [www.gov.uk]
Re: (Score:2)
Trust me, isn't going to happen for a number of legal reasons. Its just government puff.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Driverless cars are going to create jobs? More trips on the UK crowded roads are going to improve life in the UK?
so lyft will pay the costs of owning an fleet? Tha (Score:2)
so lyft will pay the costs of owning an fleet? That alone will cost more then under paying drivers to use there own cars!
Re: (Score:2)
so lyft will pay the costs of owning an fleet? That alone will cost more then under paying drivers to use there own cars!
Those will become assets that they own (with depreciation). Super rich people love putting their money into things they can get at least some back out of, rather than "giving it away" to others who won't produce cash when squeezed. Apples and oranges. Plus, I guess if you look at things from the right angle, wages are theft?
tea party (Score:1)