self-driving cars


Photo: Jaguar MENA

When Will Autonomous Vehicles be Safe Enough? An interview with Professor Missy Cummings

, senior scientist, Clean Vehicles

September 25, 2018 2:02 PM EDT

Professor Mary “Missy” Cummings, former fighter pilot and current director of the Humans and Autonomy Lab at Duke University, is an expert on automated systems. Dr. Cummings has researched and written extensively on the interactions between humans and unmanned vehicles, regulation of AVs, and potential risks of driverless cars. I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Cummings and ask her a few questions about current technological limitations to AV safety and how to use regulation to ensure safety for all Americans, whether they are driving, walking, or biking. Read more >

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Photo: Dllu/Wikimedia Commons

Transitioning the Workforce in the Era of Autonomous Vehicles: Meet Dr. Algernon Austin

, Kendall Science Fellow

August 28, 2018 9:02 AM EDT

I spoke with Dr. Algernon Austin*, an economist with the think tank Dēmos and co-author of “Stick Shift: Autonomous Vehicles, Driving Jobs, and the Future of Work,” to get an expert’s opinions on the future of the driving workforce. I asked him about potential impacts of AVs on the labor market and he discussed ways to provide job training opportunities for transportation workers that will be affected by the AV revolution. Read more >

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Regulators Should Think Twice Before Handing Out Pollution Credits for Self-Driving Cars

, research and deputy director, Clean Vehicles

May 3, 2018 3:04 PM EDT

A new report out by Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) suggests that automakers should get credits towards meeting emission and fuel economy standards for connected and automated vehicles (AVs) and related advanced driver assist systems—technologies that may or may not save any fuel. Doing so would not only increase pollution and fuel use, but would seriously undermine the integrity and enforceability of regulations that have delivered enormous benefits to our environment, our pocketbooks, and our national security.  Read more >

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A Waymo self-driving car on the road in Mountain View, CA, making a left turn. CC-BY-2.0 (Wikicommons).

Self-Driving Vehicle Policy: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

, senior policy and legal analyst, Clean Vehicles

September 14, 2017 1:46 PM EDT

Automakers and their advocates have been busy in the halls of Congress and Department of Transportation. The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that will make it easier for self-driving cars to hit the road, the Department of Transportation replaced an Obama-era self-driving vehicle policy with a more industry-friendly approach, and the Senate had a hearing on a bill that would also speed the deployment of self-driving vehicles, including trucks.

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How Many Rides Do Lyft and Uber Give Per Day? New Data Help Cities Plan for the Future

, vehicles analyst

June 20, 2017 10:30 AM EDT

In the span of about 7 years, app-based ride-hailing (i.e. Lyft and Uber) has gone from non-existent to ubiquitous in major metro areas. But how are these services affecting important aspects of our transportation system like congestion, public transit, and vehicle emissions? The San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA) made a big first step last week towards answering these questions. The agency released data showing when, where, and how many rides start and end within San Francisco. These statistics are important because passenger vehicles are the largest source of climate emissions in California, a major source of air pollution, and play a central role in our transportation system, which greatly affects social equity. Read more >

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