The DMV Blog
After several months of testing self-driving trucks, Uber Freight has officially started moving cargo for actual customers.
Uber’s commercial cargo shipping on-demand app is running its first official trips in Arizona with regular hauls operating both human drivers and fully autonomous trucks.
"Arizona has become a hub for testing of self-driving vehicles," said Governor Doug Ducey. "And we welcome continued innovation and testing of new technologies."
Uber Freight initially began testing their autonomous truck technology in early 2017. After a few months of testing, they began contracting truck companies to use its own autonomous Volvo big rigs in order to transport loads throughout several U.S. states.
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Tesla Motors Inc., a California-based maker of battery powered vehicles, opened a dealership in the Richmond area of Virginia in mid-2017 after over a year of disputes with the Virginia Auto Dealers’ Association (VADA).
After the store’s successful opening, the court has allowed for a case to open that will challenge the legitimacy of the new location.
The Virginia Court of Appeals recently announced a decision that enables a legal challenge to proceed in Richmond Circuit Court regarding the new Tesla store. The appeals court has expressed that it lacks jurisdiction needed to overturn the circuit court’s decision supporting VADA’s legal stance
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Tuesday, February 20, California State Senator Josh Newman voiced interest in giving drivers the chance to choose the photo that is ultimately printed on their license to drive. However, it would cost drivers additional fees in return.
“I've had very few people who have said ‘Yeah, I love my photo,’ said state Sen. Newman of Fullerton. “And I'll say in my own experience, I think I blinked or something at the DMV, and I said to the nice woman who took the photo ‘I think that wasn't so good,' and she said, ‘Live with it.’”
The bill, which is referred to as SB 1407, would allow drivers to take multiple photos for their driver’s license at any local
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On Monday, February 5th, Google’s self-driving car unit Waymo officially entered a courtroom battle with Uber Technologies.
The trial, which is expected to last three to four weeks, began with long-awaited opening statements.
Waymo initiated the battle by claiming that Uber stole technology from it in efforts to take the lead in what has now become the race to develop autonomous ride-hailing cars.
Google’s self-driving hub began developing technology for the self-driving car service in late 2016. The claims state that Uber colluded with former Google engineer, Anthony Levandowski, in order to steal the former employee’s intellectual property, which served as a cheat code for further development
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The rise of self-driving software development within the last couple of years has forced automakers to narrow down the key elements of this new technology.
One autonomous aspect most competitors have leached on to is LIDAR, which is a laser sensor that is considered an essential component for driverless vehicles. LIDAR stands for light detection and ranging, and it has been embedded into self-driving cars operated by companies like General Motors and Alphabet’s Waymo.
Despite the reliance on LIDAR amongst most automakers engaging in self-driving technology, Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, still doesn’t believe it’s necessary.
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On Wednesday, January 24, the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles announced that it is ending its contract with the technology company hired to help upgrade the computer systems.
Tech Mahindra, the company working with the NV DMV, was hired in April 2016 after lawmakers approved a $114 million system upgrade during the 2015 legislative session.
“Due to a number of varying concerns, we have determined it is best to part ways,” said DMV Director Terri Albertson. “We will continue to dedicate ourselves to a modernization project. Without this upgrade, our ability to serve Nevadans will always be limited.”
The IT company signed a contract for $75
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With the ever-changing and fast-growing industry of technology influencing most aspects of today’s society, it’s only natural that vehicles start becoming a bit more upgraded themselves.
Nowadays, it’s rare to find a brand new car that doesn’t come equipped with fancy features such as backup cameras, large touchscreen controls and blind-spot sensors. While these features are meant to make drivers safer, auto insurance providers are still cranking up their prices.
Newer vehicle models from the year 2016 and on are set at fairly expensive prices, which thus drives up the rate at which auto insurance companies can charge for coverage.
"If they're damaged, they're much more expensive
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General Motors launched a new autonomous car model that doesn’t have a steering wheel, accelerator or brake pedals.
The automaker’s self-driving car company, Cruise Automation, announced last Friday that its new driverless car model would be without any type of manual control.
The new steering wheel-less vehicle comes in the shape of a Chevy Bolt, and the company expects to begin testing it in 2019.
“When you see this image for the first time it's quite striking," said Dan Ammann, president of GM. "That's why we believe this is a notable moment on the journey to full AV (autonomous vehicle) deployment."
GM has petitioned the federal government for approval to
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Ford Motor Co. is branching out its driverless technology to help out the logistics delivery service-based company, Postmates.
Postmates has been connecting consumers with drivers to deliver their take-out, groceries or other miscellaneous purchases since December 2014.
Ford announced its partnership with the ride service company last Tuesday. The partnership is intended to challenge companies like Uber Technologies Inc. in the race toward becoming fully autonomous driving services.
The pilot program is expected to roll out later this year, and it will explore how self-driving technology could help improve the delivery
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The California legislature is known for adding several new laws every year, and 2018 is no exception.
Starting January 2018, the California Department of Motor Vehicles will begin implementing several new laws that restrict certain driving behaviors.
One of the first new laws being placed is the restriction of driving while smoking or ingesting any form of marijuana. Californians will be able to legally use marijuana recreationally starting in 2018, so the DMV took matters into its own hands in order to prevent drivers from operating a motor vehicle while under the influence.
In addition to this law, motorists will also be restricted from allowing passengers to smoke or ingest marijuana. Passengers who do
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