A Speed Bump for Autonomous Vehicles?
This week served up some setbacks for mobility giants. New York State slams the door in Waymo’s face, delaying its long-anticipated entry into NYC. Meanwhile, a judge upholds a nine-figure judgment against Tesla for a 2019 fatal crash involving its Autopilot function. And yet, these are likely very small obstacles for what appears to be an unstoppable expansion of autonomous mobility.
What you need to know
A setback for robotaxis in NYC: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul withdraws legislation that would have legalized autonomous ride-hailing in America’s largest city, saying that there is not enough support in the legislature for it to pass.
Tesla loses bid to overturn $243M Autopilot judgment: A judge upholds a $243 million judgment that a jury awarded to the family of a man killed in a crash when his Tesla was operating in Autopilot. The jury awarded the judgement despite assigning two-thirds of the blame to the driver and one-third to Tesla.
Once electric, always electric: A survey of EV owners by JD Power finds only 4% would not consider buying an EV again in the future. The poll also reveals a big increase in satisfaction with EV charging availability.
CoMotion MIAMI ‘26 isn’t just an event, it’s where investors, public agencies and industry partners align on funding, pilots, deployments, and policy. Don’t miss out on the 7th, and most impactful edition yet: Urban Mobility in the Age of AI, on April 28–29.
🌟 Join the all-star line up:
- Mayor Eileen Higgins, City of Miami
- Stacy Miller, Director, Miami-Dade County DTPW
- Ray Martinez, COO, FIFA World Cup 2026 (Miami Host Committee)
- Benjamin Limmer, CEO & Managing Director, QC MetroLINK
- Aileen Bouclé, Executive Director, Miami-Dade TPO
- Andy Boenau, Director of Transportation, City of Richmond
AI is creating major demand for energy storage: Redwood Materials, a startup that shifted focus from battery recycling to energy storage, is one of many companies rushing to meet the growing demand for data centers.
Pritzker joins the YIMBY cause: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker wants to implement statewide zoning standards that will require cities and towns to allow various types of “missing middle” housing, such as duplexes, townhouses and small-scale apartments.
What we’re reading
The humanoid robots are here: Logan Kugler, in an article for the Association for Computing Machinery, explains in detail how the “convergence of generative AI and mature hardware is pushing humanoid robots out of the lab and into the real world.” One question: why does everyone assume our robot servants should look like humans? Why do they need faces?
The challenge for China’s EV industry: The New York Times examines a paradox: China’s leading automakers appear on the cusp of world domination but are struggling to turn a profit due to intense domestic competition. BYD, the world’s leading EV maker, has seen its stock price drop 40% since May. Meanwhile, Tesla’s stock price has continued to rise despite falling sales.
