Uber to Buy Controlling Stake in Turkish Food Delivery Platform Trendyol Go for $700 Million
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Los Angeles Times
2 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Tesla will start testing its robotaxis in the Bay Area, report says
Elon Musk may be bringing his robotaxis to the Bay Area soon to compete head to head with the other leaders in the driverless vehicle market. Tesla plans to launch an invite-only service in the Bay Area as soon as this weekend, according to a Business Insider report citing an internal company memo. The move comes about a month after Tesla robotaxis hit the roads in Austin, Texas. The vehicles, which are still being tested using human co-pilots to monitor their movements and help them get out of tough traffic situations, have drawn scrutiny for behaving oddly. Musk has touted the abilities and potential of his company's self-driving technology for years. The pressure to deliver on his promises has risen as Tesla's electric vehicle sales decline. The chief executive has increasingly banked the future of the company on a successful robotaxi service and developing other robotics, including the humanoid robot Optimus. On Thursday, Musk shared a post on his social media platform X, discussing how Tesla's latest self-driving software is able to take into account 10 times more parameters as it guides cars. In theory this should give vehicles more awareness of their surroundings to drive better. On Wednesday, the company reported a 16% year over year decline in automotive sales for the second quarter. Total revenue fell 12% to $22.5 billion. Musk faces a crowded field of competitors in the robotaxi space, including Waymo, which has operated in San Francisco since 2022 and began service in Los Angeles late last year. Waymo is owned by Google's parent company Alphabet. Amazon is testing its own robotaxi effort, Zoox, in several cities. In the U.S., Waymo is well ahead of the competition, having already completed millions of driverless rides. Its vehicles are operating without backup human co-pilots. As Tesla scrambles to catch up, the company also faces a lawsuit from the Department of Motor Vehicles accusing Tesla of leading buyers to believe that its vehicles can operate autonomously. A semi-autonomous feature known as Full Self-Drive mode is widely available in Tesla vehicles, but it cannot be used without a human in the driver's seat. Several incidents have been reported by Tesla drivers using FSD, leading to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation that begun last year. Musk has lofty ambitions for the feature, claiming that one day customers will be able to sleep in the back of their Tesla as it drives across the country. Musk has also advertised an Uber-like service in which Tesla owners can earn money by deploying their autonomous vehicle as a taxi. Last October, Musk unveiled a prototype for the Cybercab, a self-driving vehicle that lacks a steering wheel and pedals. Although he made promises that a fleet of Cybercabs would soon transport customers in several cities, the robotaxis currently operating in Austin are Model Y Teslas. Musk has not updated his timeline for launching the Cybercab. Tesla shares have fallen more than 16% this year following a series of setbacks for the company, including brand damage and plateauing interest in electric vehicles. Tesla fell out of favor with many potential buyers while Musk served a prominent role in the Trump administration earlier this year. His subsequent feuds with the president have further alienated customers, especially those who are liberal-leaning. On an earnings call this week, Musk warned that the company could have 'a few rough quarters,' partially in response to an expiring electric vehicle tax credit that makes it more affordable to purchase a new or used EV. The $7,500 credit will be eliminated at the end of September as dictated in President Trump's recent megabill. Tesla bull Dan Ives predicted that autonomous technology could be a $1 trillion venture for Tesla. Musk aims to have robotaxi services available to half the U.S. population by the end of 2025, Ives said in a note.
Indianapolis Star
2 hours ago
- Indianapolis Star
Uber rolling out feature to pair female riders with female drivers
Uber is launching a new feature aimed at making women feel safer while using the ride-sharing service, the company shared this week. The initiative called the Women's Preferences program, which pairs female riders with female drivers, is set to pilot over the next few weeks in Detroit, Los Angeles and San Francisco, Uber announced in a release Wednesday, July 23. 'Women riders and drivers have told us they want the option to be matched with other women on trips," VP of Operations for US and Canada Camiel Irving said in the news release. "We've heard them − and now we're introducing new ways to give them even more control over how they ride and drive.' Here's what to know about the new feature − and how customers can use it. Once the new preferences roll out, riders will see an option for female drivers. However, the company notes that if the wait time for a the preferred driver is longer than expected, riders will still be able to change their selection for a different ride. Female riders will be able to reserve a female driver in advance by pre-booking a trip, Uber says. They can also adjust their settings to default to "women drivers" for future rides. The company warns it's not guaranteed women will be paired with each other, but making the change in settings increases the odds of a match. For female Uber drivers, the change presents an opportunity to solely work with female riders, specifically during peak evening hours, Uber says. Drivers will be able to toggle on the 'Women Rider Preference' in their Uber app settings. To receive requests from all riders, drivers can turn the preference off at any time. According to Uber, the feature is launching in the next few weeks, first in Detroit, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Uber doesn't have specific plans to expand just yet, the company told USA TODAY, but noted possible plans to bring the feature to new cities following the pilot programs. The company has already implemented similar features in other parts of the world. In 2019, Uber launched Women Rider Preference in Saudi Arabia, a year after the country granted women the right to drive following an approximate 60-year ban. Riders in the country had a positive response, the company said. That same feature is now in use in 40 countries and has led to over 100 million Uber rides. 'Making this work reliably − not just symbolically − required thoughtful design. Most drivers are men, so we've worked to ensure this feature was truly usable in different places around the world,' said Irving, noting Uber has tested and refined the product in markets including Germany and France. 'As a result, in a first for the industry, we're able to launch more reliable features that offer women riders multiple ways to be matched with a woman driver." On Thursday, July 24, Uber's competitor Lyft, announced a different, but similar concept that will allow riders to "favorite" a driver so they can match with them in the future. That feature will begin rolling out in select cities in the coming weeks and will launch in the U.S. and Canada by the end of August, the company said in a release.
USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
Uber rolling out feature to pair female riders with female drivers
Uber is launching a new feature aimed at making women feel safer while using the ride-sharing service, the company shared this week. The initiative called the Women's Preferences program, which pairs female riders with female drivers, is set to pilot over the next few weeks in Detroit, Los Angeles and San Francisco, Uber announced in a release Wednesday, July 23. 'Women riders and drivers have told us they want the option to be matched with other women on trips," VP of Operations for US and Canada Camiel Irving said in the news release. "We've heard them − and now we're introducing new ways to give them even more control over how they ride and drive.' Here's what to know about the new feature − and how customers can use it. How riders can request a female Uber driver Once the new preferences roll out, riders will see an option for female drivers. However, the company notes that if the wait time for a the preferred driver is longer than expected, riders will still be able to change their selection for a different ride. Female riders will be able to reserve a female driver in advance by pre-booking a trip, Uber says. They can also adjust their settings to default to "women drivers" for future rides. The company warns it's not guaranteed women will be paired with each other, but making the change in settings increases the odds of a match. How the feature works for Uber drivers For female Uber drivers, the change presents an opportunity to solely work with female riders, specifically during peak evening hours, Uber says. Drivers will be able to toggle on the 'Women Rider Preference' in their Uber app settings. To receive requests from all riders, drivers can turn the preference off at any time. Where will Uber's Women Rider Preferences be available? According to Uber, the feature is launching in the next few weeks, first in Detroit, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Uber doesn't have specific plans to expand just yet, the company told USA TODAY, but noted possible plans to bring the feature to new cities following the pilot programs. Uber touts success of feature in other countries The company has already implemented similar features in other parts of the world. In 2019, Uber launched Women Rider Preference in Saudi Arabia, a year after the country granted women the right to drive following an approximate 60-year ban. Riders in the country had a positive response, the company said. That same feature is now in use in 40 countries and has led to over 100 million Uber rides. 'Making this work reliably − not just symbolically − required thoughtful design. Most drivers are men, so we've worked to ensure this feature was truly usable in different places around the world,' said Irving, noting Uber has tested and refined the product in markets including Germany and France. 'As a result, in a first for the industry, we're able to launch more reliable features that offer women riders multiple ways to be matched with a woman driver." Lyft adding 'favorite' drivers feature On Thursday, July 24, Uber's competitor Lyft, announced a different, but similar concept that will allow riders to "favorite" a driver so they can match with them in the future. That feature will begin rolling out in select cities in the coming weeks and will launch in the U.S. and Canada by the end of August, the company said in a release. Drivers will receive early access to ride requests from returning passengers. The feature was inspired by relationships passengers and riders developed through the app, such as Monika Hannibal, who has taken over 350 rides to medical appointments with Phoenix-based driver Dina Garrett. The pair are now friends, the company said.
