Latest news with #Part555
Auto Blog
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Driverless Cars Just Got a Boost
The NHTSA cuts autonomous carmakers some slack The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced that it is making significant changes to the approval process for vehicles without human controls. The overhaul, primarily aimed toward assisting carmakers and tech companies deploying self-driving vehicles without traditional controls like steering wheels or pedals, will include streamlined reviews of requests for exemptions from safety rules requiring these parts. Cars built without a steering wheel or brake pedals automatically require an NHTSA exemption, and previously, an application could take years. According to The Verge, the NHTSA has even spent years reviewing some manufacturers' applications without taking action, such as General Motors' now-defunct Cruise robotaxi. NHTSA exemptions will now be capped at 2,500 per automaker, and the approval process is expected to take months. Companies will apply for exemptions through the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), part of the NHTSA, and can produce vehicles over two or three years. Nuro, an American robotics company, is the only organization that the FMVSS has granted an exemption to so far, since its low-speed delivery robots can't accommodate humans. Tesla Cybercab — Source: Tesla How the NHTSA is improving its exemption process NHTSA officials stated in a release that they anticipate 'publishing the enhanced instructions shortly and will begin implementing the modified approach to evaluating exemption requests immediately.' These instructions will help manufacturers better understand application requirements and give companies more insight into the information most helpful to the NHTSA during their review. The NHTSA noted that its altered approach aims to help automated driving systems (ADS) reach their full potential in advancing road safety. Companies gain exemptions through the NHTSA's Part 555 process, but the NHTSA's recent release says this process's current state was designed for traditional vehicles and doesn't apply to ADS-equipped cars like robotaxis. Changes to modernize the Part 555 process include focusing on sections of exemption reviews that took extensive time, such as prolonged applicant follow-ups. How Tesla benefits from the NHTSA's recent changes While several companies benefit from the NHTSA's recent changes, the shift in practices is a significant development for Tesla, which is manufacturing its Cybercab, an autonomous, purpose-built vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals. Tesla CEO Elon Musk explained during the company's Q1 investor call that a Robotaxi could be any Tesla operating completely autonomously, which he claims most of the company's fleet is capable of. In contrast, the Cybercab refers to a specific upcoming model. Vice President of Vehicle Engineering at Tesla, Lars Moravy, said during the Q1 call that the Robotaxi is in sample B validation, meaning Tesla is validating a nearly finalized design and will begin its first big builds for the model at the end of Q2, with full-scale production launching next year. Tesla's robotaxi service launching next week with a limited fleet won't include Cybercabs. Instead, the autonomous rideshare service will consist entirely of Tesla's Model Y SUV. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. Tesla Cybercab — Source: Tesla Final thoughts The NHTSA's new approach to granting companies exemptions on vehicles without human controls means applicants receive an answer in months instead of years, or not at all, and have more insight into the necessary information for proper submission. In turn, we should start seeing more autonomous vehicles on the road without steering wheels or pedals within the next couple of years, and Tesla is more likely to meet its Cybercab release timeline. About the Author Cody Carlson View Profile
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
TechCrunch Mobility: The cost of Waymo
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced late this week that it plans to streamline the Part 555 exemption process to make it faster for automakers that want to deploy self-driving vehicles built without human controls like a steering wheel or pedals. The letter sent to 'stakeholders' (meaning those companies working on AVs) is fairly opaque still. And manufacturers will still have to demonstrate that vehicles without traditional steering wheels, driver-operated brakes, or rearview mirrors provide an equivalent safety level as compliant vehicles and that the exemption is in the public interest. The main gist here is that the NHTSA contends the current Part 555 exemption process is not well suited for automated driving system-equipped vehicles and that it is a lengthy and complex process. In short: The agency wants to speed things up. In other federal agency-related news, Trump issued a few executive orders related to drones and fast-tracking supersonic travel. Side note: I see that my predictions (from last edition) that the Trump-Elon Musk fallout would turn into one of those on-again, off-again relationships was correct. Let's get into the rest of the news. Last week, I shared our scoop about Jony Ive's LoveFrom firm working alongside Rivian designers and a skunkworks team that would end up spinning out into Also, a micromobility startup. Well, a few more little birds have popped up to share a bit more and to clarify the relationship. I learned that the project was code-named Inder. Rivian actually applied for a trademark of the name Inder but later abandoned it. Sources also shared that while the LoveFrom team brought its industrial design expertise to the effort — and apparently a cool motor design — it was not involved in any UI/UX. Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at or my Signal at kkorosec.07, Sean O'Kane at or Rebecca Bellan at Or check out these instructions to learn how to contact us via encrypted messaging apps or SecureDrop. JetZero, the Long Beach, California-based zero-emissions jet aircraft company working on blended wing airplanes, plans to build a factory in Greensboro, North Carolina. The company, which has backing from a variety of venture capital (like Trucks VC) and from strategic investors like United Airlines and Alaska Airlines, said it will invest $4.7 billion over the next decade on the project, The Wall Street Journal reported. Construction on the facility is expected to begin in the first half of 2026, with first customer deliveries in the early 2030s, the company said. There is an important detail in this deal: It includes more than $1.1 billion in state performance incentives that would be paid over nearly 40 years and are contingent on JetZero creating over 14,000 jobs between 2027 and 2036, Reuters reported. Mitra Chem, a battery material startup, raised $15.6 million of a planned $50 million funding round. Waymo rides cost more than Uber or Lyft — and people are paying anyway, according to Obi, an app that aggregates real-time pricing and pickup times across multiple ride-hailing services. The company published what it's calling the 'first in-depth examination of Waymo's pricing strategy.' The TL;DR: Waymo's self-driving car rides are consistently more expensive than comparative offerings from Uber and Lyft — and it doesn't seem to matter. Waymo robotaxis became a symbol of the LA protests after imagery showing several driverless vehicles — with anti-ICE graffiti and slashed tires — on fire. Waymo removed its remaining vehicles from the downtown LA area and plans to pursue criminal prosecution of and collect damages from those who vandalized its robotaxis. The incident raises some important surveillance questions about how the numerous cameras and sensors on Waymo vehicles are used and whether it is providing camera footage to authorities to identify protesters. Waymo didn't answer our questions about that. June 22 is the big Tesla robotaxi launch day in Austin, Texas, at least according to Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Wayve and Uber announced plans to launch a fully driverless robotaxi service in London. This isn't happening right away, though, and the timing is notable here: The U.K. government recently announced an accelerated framework for self-driving commercial pilots to roll out in spring 2026, up from late 2027. Infinite Machine, the New York-based micromobility startup backed by a16z, revealed a seated scooter called Olto that will cost $3,495 when it starts shipping later this year. The Olto will feature 40 miles of range, pulled from an easily swappable 48V lithium-ion battery. During Apple's WWDC 2025 event, a few car-related items were revealed, including that the company is adding widgets and message tapbacks to CarPlay with iOS 26.
