Baby, Friday’s Headlines Can Drive My Car

Tesla's Autopilot recall is too little, too late, and GM's robotaxi subsidiary Cruise fired nine executives after its own safety probe.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EST on December 15, 2023

Congress nixed an electric vehicle tax credit at the president’s request, which will make Teslas more expensive next year. Image: Wolfram Burner

|Wolfram Burner

Tesla recalled two million vehicles equipped with its much-maligned Autopilot technology, but it should have happened sooner, and a mere software update probably isn't going to fix the problem. (Bloomberg)
In the wake of Cruise's safety scandal, lobbyists for the driverless car industry are turning to the U.S. DOT for help (The Verge). Meanwhile, GM's robotaxi arm has fired nine executives (Reuters).
With federal regulation lacking, Urbanism Next has a guide for how cities should prepare for autonomous vehicles.
Drivers with gas-powered cars drive them 60 percent more miles than EV owners, which is a problem because it takes a lot of miles to fully realize EV's environmental benefits. (Scientific American)
Houston is experimenting with an electric self-driving shuttle bus. (Houston Public Media)
Houston (Chronicle), Philadelphia (Voice), Cleveland (Spectrum News) and Nashville (Tennessean) are among the communities that received safe streets grants from the Biden administration.
Southern California's housing crisis is making commutes even worse for low-income residents who keep getting pushed further out. (Los Angeles Times)
Baltimore lawmakers would rather raise sales taxes than agree to Gov. Wes Moore's proposal to cut the Maryland transportation budget by $3 billion. (Maryland Matters)
A new Seattle law requires the city DOT to include sidewalk construction and repairs in road-paving projects. (Seattle Times)
A lawsuit against Portland claiming that the city is violating a state law requiring investment in walking and biking infrastructure alongside road projects can move forward, a judge ruled. (BikePortland)
Bus manufacturer Proterra's bankruptcy is complicating efforts to electrify Austin's fleet. (KUT)
The Twin Cities' Metro Transit is using private security contractors to enforce fares and a new code of conduct for riders. (MinnPost)
SEPTA police are going on strike after contract talks with the Philadelphia transit agency failed. (Inquirer)
Construction is starting on a new Indianapolis bus rapid transit line amidst Black residents' concerns about displacement. (Indy Week)
Residents in the Cleveland neighborhood with the highest number of suspended licenses — also one of its poorest —are the most likely to call the city helpline for transportation assistance. (Scene)
A bull got loose in a Newark train station, wreaking havoc like a ... well, like a bull in a china shop. (NBC New York)