Google Self-Driving Car Accident Reports

[Anaxagoras]

speeding.
drunk driving
distracted driving (texting, eating, getting a handjob, etc)
talking on a cell phone
bad weather
trying to beat the red light.
falling asleep

which of those is a problem for autonomous cars?

Bad weather I suppose, at this point. Has it been tested in the snow? In a blizzard?

[Rob Lister]

Bad weather I suppose, at this point. Has it been tested in the snow? In a blizzard?

It might refuse to drive ... which is what humans should do!

[Anaxagoras]

Uber sells off its money-losing self-driving car business:

Uber sells its self-driving unit to Aurora

Bottom line is they are giving up.

Not clear how much they sold it for. Seems to involve receiving shares in the company buying the division, rather than a cash price.

Uber’s self-driving unit, Advanced Technologies Group (ATG), is being acquired by its start-up competitor Aurora Innovation, the companies announced Monday.

The deal, expected to close in the first quarter of 2021, values ATG at approximately $4 billion. The unit was valued at $7.25 billion in Apr. 2019 when Softbank, Denso and Toyota took a stake.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi will join the company’s board, and the ride-sharing giant will invest $400 million into the company.

Overall, Uber and ATG investors and employees are expected to own a 40% stake in Aurora, according to a regulatory filing accompanying the deal; Uber alone will hold a 26% stake. The start-up is being valued at $10 billion in the transaction, according to a person familiar with the terms of the deal.

Also, they're giving up on "flying taxis":

Uber sells its flying taxi business

The air taxi business is at least a couple of years from taking off, but it’s already seeing consolidation among start-ups. California-based Joby Aviation, which is developing all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, is acquiring Uber Elevate, the aerial ride-hailing division of Uber.

The move will allow Joby to use Uber’s app to offer air taxi rides when the company’s aircraft eventually enters service, which could be as soon as 2023. While terms of the transaction were not released, Uber has agreed to invest $75 million in Joby Aviation. Earlier this year, Uber invested $50 million in Joby as part of the company’s Series C financing round.

This looks a similar deal. In both deals, the only cash changing hands seems to be going the other way, and Uber receives equity in exchange.

Maybe selling off these divisions will allow Uber to start turning a profit next year. To date, it has yet to make any profit.