Waymo is now allowed to transport passengers in its self-driving vehicles on California roads (2 minute read)
Alphabet's self-driving venture, Waymo, has officially been given permission to transport passengers in its robotaxis by the California Public Utilities Commission. The initial pilot program will allow Waymo employees to hail vehicles and bring guests on rides within a specific South Bay territory. Certain restrictions on the permit issued to Waymo include not allowing the company to charge for the rides and a requirement for a safety driver to be behind the wheel. The permit will allow Waymo to hire third-party safety drivers. Waymo has confirmed that all safety drivers will go through a proprietary driver training program.
Tesla Says Deliveries in Quarter Set a Record (3 minute read)
Tesla announced that it had delivered 95,200 vehicles in the last quarter, making it the best quarter on record for the company. The Model 3 was released in Europe and China halfway through the first quarter, resulting in 77,550 Model 3 deliveries worldwide. A total of 87,048 vehicles were produced in the second quarter. The company is set to increase production and deliveries in the third quarter. Tesla’s sales target for the year is 400,000 vehicles, but it has been cutting prices to reach sales targets, which could result in losses for the company. The federal tax credit available to Tesla customers fell by half at the start of the financial year, which effectively raised the price of the vehicles.