James A. Richardson, Author at Driverless Commute

The Driverless Commute: Is it still too soon for parking lot deployment? South Korea plans massive smart-road investment ahead of AVs; and European carmakers beginning to bristle at tough regs

Welcome again to the Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons, a digest clocking the most important technical, legal and regulatory developments shaping […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute: The four policy areas that cities must address to make the autonomous era people-centric; AVs positively last-century bugs; and robo-race car sets world record on speed.

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute: Urban planning nightmares with AV deployment; AV industry’s diversity and inclusion crisis; and how bogus satellite data could hack an AVs operation.

1. When AVs are king Cities were once highly compact, walkable places that blended residences and workplaces and where people […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute: GM, like Waymo before it, missed an AV deadline, but what does it mean for the industry going forward?; tension building between AV, transit advocates

1. The big question before AV makers: first, or best? As the unit economics of driverless cars continue to spiral, […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute: VW and Ford to partner on AVs, latest in long string of tie-ups; 11 companies unveil safety-as-design principles, offering closest thing to industry standard; and Lyft tests its cars on blind passengers

1. Big tabs and hard realities. Going-it-alone is, like, so 2018. Volkswagen and Ford, one-time rivals fast sobering to the […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute: Apple stuns with Drive.AI acquisition; did Florida go too far in new AV bill?; Toyota throws in with Baidu’s Apollo project; and Waymo rolls out limited partnership with Lyft in Arizona

1. Assumptions and expectations Apple, the famously secretive consumer electronics giant, said this week it had acquired self-driving startup Drive.AI, […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute: Finally out of dark days of early 2000s, do airlines need to be scared of AV disruption threat?; Florida OKs fully self-driving cars; and the long list of new tie-ups and break-ups

1. Disruption The years that followed the September 11, 2001 terror attacks were uniquely challenging for airlines, but consolidation, cheap […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute: Cities aren’t planning for AV deployment and that’s a problem; NHTSA is weighing rewrites of car and commercial vehicle rules; US lags global rivals over lack of national legislation

1. Urban (not)planning Cities were once highly compact and walkable places that blended residences and workplaces and where people commanded […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute: Groups ask NHTSA to pump brakes on GM AV petition; USPS goes driverless; the last-ten-feet problem; and Cruise can make left turns in San Fran better than you

1. Public comment season Groups representing property and life insurance providers, car dealers and consumer safety advocates were among those […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute: Senior Senate GOPer pledges to renew push for federal AV bill, again; is China going to leapfrog the US in the AV leaderboard?; and a RI cop pulled over an AV shuttle because it looked weird.

1. New hope for federal AV framework? Doubtful. Senate Republicans will rev consideration of a long-stalled comprehensive federal framework for […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute: If AVs take more risks now in early-phase deployment, will they be safer in the long-term?; big electrification news on both coasts; an electrified future for LA while Trump is open to spending on EV charging networks.

1. Humans can’t stop rear-ending slow-moving autonomous vehicles. But who’s to blame: the human, whose behavior mirrors norms if not […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute: A light pollution solution in AVs; Tesla-taxis; and Waymo’s app is up for download

1. Seeing in the dark A new paper published this month in the journal of Science and Engineering Ethics posits […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute: Is 2019 a bear turn for AVs?; the fight over connected car communication divides car makers in Europe; cheaper, lighter LiDAR and machine-learning for lane-keeping.

1. A bear year 2018 was the year of the driverless car. No, they didn’t become commercially available and they […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute: Disengagement reports from China to California and lessons for AV sector in jet crashes

1. Beijing just issued AV report cards. Here’s why you should use California’s instead. Beijing transportation officials offered this week […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute: GM’s driverless exemption petition advances, but key questions for industry remains; a driver’s test for driverless cars; and robo-race car to edge test

1. NHTSA advances GM’s FMVSS exemption bid. But we still don’t have answers on liability. The National Highway Traffic Safety […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute: Trump doesn’t like AVs. He’s not alone. So what does it mean for his administration?

1. Rage against the machine(s) Donald Trump doesn’t use a computer. He doesn’t send or receive text messages or emails, […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: How programmer bias will be reflected in AI platforms; a case for public investment in AV access; and Waymo, GM & Ford top new AV leaderboard

1. When an engineer’s implicit bias becomes a computer’s Can the machine learning algorithms that underpin the operation of autonomous […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: When a race for the moon becomes a carpool: AV tie-ups signal retrenchment, sobering up

Welcome to the all new, web-only version of The Driverless Commute, which we launched in 2017 as one of the […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: Waymo can understand cops’ hand signals (even if you can’t); Brits come out against loose AV marketing; and Apple discloses tough standards for its AV testers

1. Talk to the hand Edge cases continue to frustrate makers of self-driving vehicles because coding a database of basic […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: Report cards are in for California AV operators; how local nuance will influence global AV deployment; Ford and VW near AV deal

1. Better beat the mailman home, kids California transportation authorities released this week the state’s annual disengagements report, a report […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: AVs are finally (almost) here (or still a decade off); logistics networks look to AV tech; and Waymo makes friends with legacy car makers

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: IP theft in AVs roils US-China relationship; Tesla driver filmed sleeping while traveling highway; Singapore adopts national AV rules; and Vegas is starting to digitize its roads.

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: As goes California, so goes the nation?; AVs’ road sign conundrum; Apple pumps brakes on Project Titan; and Waymo picks Motor City site for new plant.

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: China leapfrogs a laggard US; AV sector tightens its belt; Stop & Shop, Robomart partner on self-driving bodega

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important technical, […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: Top 5 things to watch for in 2019; Japan might allow TV consumption in AVs; BMW unveils self-driving motorcycle

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important technical, […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

INSIGHT: Five Things to Watch in 2019 for Self-Driving Cars

(Editorial note: This article first appeared in Bloomberg Law) As self-driving cars gain traction on the roads across the country, […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: Toyota’s trunk space tease, GM’s blockchain solution for AV data, and a parade of last-mile delivery pilots announced in California

Happy New Year and welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: Arizonans are attacking Waymo’s fleet; Lyft wants AVs to communicate with pedestrians; and SAE revises its five tiers of autonomy

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important technical, […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: Volvo’s crystal (lidar) ball; how AVs will change urban demographics, how we shop and commercial real estate; and Waymo’s paid service launches

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important technical, […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: GM prepares for its post-car future; Volvo goes to a car show without any cars; CA doesn’t want you to own an AV; and West London may have AVs before Xmas

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important technical, […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: Waymo to launch world’s first AV car service next month; a brewing spectrum fight; and UAE, S. Korea move to adopt national AV standards

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important technical, […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

Autonomous Vehicles Start Act Legislative Update

Bracing for a chaotic four-week period during which Republicans hope to clear the legislative decks before unified GOP control expires […]

By Eric Tanenblatt, James A. Richardson, and Crawford Schneider

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: Will Republicans make a lame duck deal on AV bill?; the very human challenge of going autonomous; and The Simpsons parody AV tech giants

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: Three carmakers just teamed up with this Chinese company; broad global disagreement on AV ethics; and what the US elections might mean for AV safety

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important technical, […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

Would you perish in this AV ethics thought exercise?; Ford, lagging rivals, will be first to bring AVs to US capital; and Apple’s new caravanning patent.

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: 71 percent of drivers believe they can buy an AV today; new hopes for Senate legislation in Waymo’s first commercial pilot; and how cities are readying for AVs.

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important technical, […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: A driver’s license for the robot; why partial automation could lead to carnage on our roads; and Waymo’s new big milestone

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important technical, […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: What the GM-Honda tie-up really signifies; Tesla delays Autopilot update, again; and USDOT revises AV policy in a win for big trucks

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important technical, […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: Is China going to eclipse the US in AV race?; Or is Silicon Valley too big to fail?; Florida town testing an autonomous school bus; looking back at the first car-related death in 1999; and Lyft’s plan to get y

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important technical, […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: VW looks to create industry consensus on safety/liability through new coalition; passenger-less pods the next chapter in big rig trucking; Nuro becomes fourth company to release voluntary safety report.

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important technical, […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: Apple’s AV fleet just suffered its first driverless crash; are AVs too cautious to drive alongside reckless humans?; Volvo’s AV concept car is a rolling house; and the rise of AV shuttles

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important technical, […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: New report questions Waymo’s tech stack, road readiness; humans responsible for 98 percent of crashes involving AVs; Toyota makes huge investment in Uber; and Land Rover’s “virtual eyes”

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important technical, […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: Why driverless cars are snowbirds—and why that’s a problem for global deployment; Waymo lifts curtain on fleet management hurdles; Ford outlines its AV ethics; and a tie-up for Mobileye and Baidu

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: Has the Apple Car been counted out too soon?; Amazon, Apple file new AV patents; state safety offices want physical drivers in AVs; and Modi becomes first world leader to go driverless

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: Can AVs solve public transit’s first/last mile problem?; Waymo’s $175 billion valuation; Audi not bringing ADS system to US (for now); and Sacramento to get AVs with no human driver

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: Will Trump’s tariff threat stifle AV development?; AV design dilemma: blend or go bold?; Ford hives out AV efforts in new firm; and Walmart grocery goes driverless

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important technical, […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: How driverless cars are creating headaches for city planners; Waymo is driving 25K miles every day; why Asia could have the advantage over the West; and Apple quietly grows its CA driverless fleet

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: Digitizing the rules of the road; Zoox’s mobility trifecta; What 5,000 Apple workers know about its AV project; China narrows AV gap with US; and NHTSA says it’s still premature to drop driverless regs

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: Daimler wins OK from PRC to test in Beijing; NH guv blocks AV bill; Baidu ramps up AV bus production; and new study suggests AVs to worsen traffic

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: Grocery delivery enters realm of the autonomous; Waymo eyes major European expansion; Uber to resume testing this summer; and Detroit gets first AV shuttle

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: NuTonomy wins the heart of Boston regulators as Mass. makes a national bid for AV pilots; $800 billion in economic, social benefits from AVs by 2050; the risks of distracted driving in era of partial autonomy

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: UK vehicle rater putting AV/ADS marketers on notice; a Voyage-Enterprise tie-up; Volvo makes first VC investment in lidar startup; and Insuremaggedon?

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: UC-Berkeley makes driverless data set public; Win your chance to get married inside a driverless shuttle; Innoviz eyes China expansion; and Caddy sets big 2020 ADAS goal

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: What Waymo’s 62,000-unit purchase really means; GM stock rises on AV hopes; US senators press for transparency as federal bill lingers; Asia-Pacifc dominating West in AV regulation; and an Uber-Waymo partnership

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons: a weekly digest clocking the most important […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

Driverless Commute – June 1

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: The preliminary report from the NTSB finds the autonomous Uber that fatally struck a pedestrian suffered a software collapse; and public confidence is beginning to sour on autonomous vehicles

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important technical, […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson

The Driverless Commute, presented by Dentons: Driverless cars will make driving more pleasant for human drivers, too; Mobileye to subject its tech to rigors of Jerusalem’s streets; Apple quietly gaining in AV race?; and Drive.AI’s ride-along footage

Welcome again to The Driverless Commute, presented by the global law firm Dentons, a weekly digest clocking the most important technical, […]

By Eric Tanenblatt and James A. Richardson