Inside Uzbekistan’s nationwide license plate surveillance system
The Uzbek government’s national license plate scanning system was discovered exposed to the internet for anyone to access without a password.
Transportation
Uber and Lyft to test Baidu robotaxis in London next year, joining Waymo
The geographic expansions continue for the ride-hailing companies’ robotaxi plans.
A rough week for hardware companies
iRobot, Luminar, and Rad Power Bikes were very different companies, but they faced some similar challenges.
Frozen Waymos backed up San Francisco traffic during a widespread power outage
A power outage struck San Francisco on Saturday that blacked out about 130,000 customers at its peak, according to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, but also caused another problem: stranded Waymo vehicles. Posts all over social media showed the company’s autonomous SUVs sitting still in the streets and causing traffic jams. Some people posted videos […]
TechCrunch Mobility: Bankruptcy takes out two
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for all things “future of transportation.”
Waymo suspends service in San Francisco as robotaxis stall during blackout
Waymo suspended its SF robotaxi service on Saturday evening after a massive blackout appeared to leave many of its vehicles stalled on city streets.
As EU waters down 2035 EV goals, electric startups express concern
The future may be electric, but that future is being postponed. The European Commission, citing the need for flexibility, has softened its ambitious plan to ban the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035. Instead of requiring 100% of new cars to be zero-emission vehicles by that date, the revised plan would allow 10% of new […]
Humanoid robots are coming. Eventually?
This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on robotics and AI, follow Robert Hart. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. We’re taking a winter break! The Stepback will be back on January 11th, 2026. […]
Rivian’s AI pivot is about more than chasing Tesla
RJ Scaringe is sitting in Rivian’s Palo Alto offices, explaining why the adventure-themed EV company suddenly decided to build its own self-driving cars, when an unexpected guest glides by the window outside: Waymo. A robotaxi from the Alphabet-owned company pulls up outside the office. The passenger, an analyst from Goldman Sachs, briefly takes a selfie […]
Former Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario resigns from Rivian’s board
Marcario joined the board in 2021, and will maintain her position as chair overseeing the Rivian Foundation, which made its first grants last year.