Are AV shuttles the key to on-demand transit?
(4min read) Plus, New Yorkers wonder when the bus lanes are coming.
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The city of Hamburg is launching the first batch of what it hopes will eventually be thousands of on-demand autonomous shuttles. The city believes that eliminating the driver will allow on-demand transit to become financially feasible.
Meanwhile, Uber is in the news a lot these days. It's battling a big competitor in South Korea and a big fine in Europe. And it continues to make moves in autonomy. Speaking of robotaxis, Waymo has achieved yet another milestone by launching 24/7 pickup at the Phoenix airport.
In New York, transit advocates are wondering when the mayor is going to make good on his promise to build bus lanes. The U.S. now has twice as many public EV chargers as it did when Joe Biden took office, but what’s going to happen to all that money for EVs and green energy if Trump wins in November? The answer is more complicated than you may think. Finally, our MD Tim Gribaudi sits down with The Planning Report to discuss how the success of the Paris Olympics could inform LA’s Olympics strategy.
What you need to know
Uber seeks to dethrone Korean competitor: The American ride-hailing giant is gearing up for a high-octane showdown in South Korea, setting its sights on toppling Kakao Mobility's near-total market domination. It is certainly moving in the right direction: the company claims that ridership has grown 80% in just the first half of 2024.
…and expands AV ambitions: Days after announcing that it would welcome Cruise robotaxis to its platform next year, Uber makes a “strategic investment” in Wayve, a UK startup that is developing AI-driven self-driving technology. The details of the investment are not yet publicly available.
…and gets hit with a big EU fine: The European Union fines Uber $347 million for improperly transferring EU user data to the U.S. The company plans to appeal and said that the practice for which it was faulted occurred “during a 3-year period of immense uncertainty between the EU and US.” It is no longer storing EU user data on U.S.-based servers.
More Waymo at the airport: You’ll now be able to get picked up or dropped off by a Waymo robotaxi at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport 24/7. The Alphabet-owned company has been gradually increasing its offerings in the Phoenix area since it first kicked off fully driverless rides in nearby Chandler, Ariz. four years ago. Two years ago it began offering rides to the airport, but only to and from a shuttle stop away from the chaos of the terminal. This next step is a big one towards establishing Waymo’s credibility as a robotaxi service.
Hamburg kicks off driverless shuttles: The German city is launching a fleet of on-demand autonomous shuttles that can be hailed by app as part of its ambitious goal to reduce personal vehicles to 20% of trips by 2030. The initiative is jointly funded by the federal government and by Hamburg's public transit operator. It’s starting with just 20 vehicles, but the city hopes to eventually scale it to 10,000. Public on-demand transit has thus far proven to be difficult to make work on a large scale simply due to the expense, but Hamburg hopes that the absence of a driver will make it financially feasible.
An e-bike for the mailman: Australia Post adds 175 rugged electric UBCO motorbikes to its fleet. The motorbikes, which can go up to 60 mph, will help mail carriers navigate rural areas that are either hard to reach by van or where there simply isn’t enough demand to justify a large delivery vehicle.
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EV chargers have doubled since Biden took office: The Biden administration says the number of public EV chargers has doubled since the president took office three-and-a-half years ago. The total number of public ports stands at 192,000. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says much of the credit is due to the $521 million investment in charging infrastructure that has been dispersed from the infrastructure law that Congress approved in 2021.
An electric microcar in India: Wings EV, a startup based in Indore, India, announces that it will begin deliveries of a two-seat electric microcar in April. The car –– Robin –– is about as bare bones as it gets. The base model doesn’t even have air conditioning and has a battery range of 55 miles. But it only costs $2,400 and its tiny dimensions make it ideal for navigating India’s famously congested urban roadways.
Tesla deletes the record: The EV maker deletes all of its pre-2019 blog posts, including one from 2016 titled, “All Tesla Cars Being Produced Now Have Full Self-Driving Hardware.”
A budget cargo e-bike: Budget e-bike brand Heybike unveils its newest product: a cargo e-bike for only $1,500. It claims a cargo limit of 440 lbs and a battery range of up to 55 miles. Not bad!
GM’s huge new battery plant: The auto giant finalizes a deal with Samsung to build a $3.5 billion battery plant in Indiana, with production scheduled to kick off in 2027.
What we’re reading
The Planning Report sits down with our Managing Director Tim Gribaudi to discuss what LA28 might learn from the recently concluded Paris 2024 Olympic games, particularly related to mobility and ground transportation. Gribaudi draws parallels between the Paris and Los Angeles metropolises, emphasizing that while LA’s multi-centered nature differs from Paris’s core density, the Paris Games showcased both the value of advanced planning and how host Cities can best integrate transportation systems.
Buses need some love: New York City’s massive bus system has long lived in the shadow of the subway. But when it takes billions of dollars and decades to build a new subway line, maybe it’s time to pay more attention to buses. Unfortunately, among other problems, buses are still getting stuck in traffic because Mayor Eric Adams’ ambitious goal to build 150 miles of bus lanes is not close to materializing.
What could the elections mean for the IRA? CTVC models the effect of different election outcomes on the Inflation Reduction Act. It’s not just about who wins the presidency, of course, but who is controlling the House and the Senate. As much as Republicans bemoan the IRA, there are some provisions of the law that even a unified GOP federal government may have a hard time finding the votes to repeal.
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Editor, CoMotion NEWS
jcraver@comotionglobal.com
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