How an orange cone has become the symbol of opposition to the robotaxi in California
A select group of protestors in the San Francisco Bay area are demobilizing robotaxi EVs operated by companies like Waymo and Cruise by placing orange construction cones over their sensors. While opposition to this technology has been present in small doses for years, the resistance against autonomous vehicles has recently gotten more press following a recent vote to expand the services in California. Is this a fear of autonomy or just a fear of change in general?
Self-driving cars, currently present in today’s automotive landscape in several varying tiers of true autonomy, remain a polarizing form of technology for a multitude of reasons. The most often discussed is probably whether we can truly reach full autonomy to the point of humans not operating their vehicles at all anymore.
Some automakers like Tesla have been overpromising and underdelivering on this prospect for years, while others have adopted a less radical approach to driver assistance, settling for Level 2+ or even Level 3 autonomous driving, leaving the others to try and sort out Level 4 and perhaps, one day, Level 5.
One segment in electric mobility that has made the most headway in self-driving vehicles is the robotaxi – led by startups empowered by big innovation and even bigger investments from legacy automakers like GM and capital venture firms who see the potential in rideshares without human error.
While other cities like Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Austin start to lure startups away from Northern California, Silicon Valley remains a major hub for nascent technologies, including robotaxis. While companies like Motional, Cruise, Waymo, and Zoox have made commendable progress in the segment, not everyone around town is clapping.
In San Francisco, a group of robotaxi vigilantes believes the EVs do more harm to traffic conditions than good and have begun immobilizing the cars using traffic cones.
Safe Street Rebels choose the cone as a robotaxi weapon
This act of rideshare deterrence is being referred to as “coning” by a group of Bay Area NIMBYs (although I doubt too many people have a yard in SF), who refer to themselves as the “Safe Street Rebels.”
For the last month or so, the “Rebels” have been placing traffic cones atop robotaxis, rendering them stationary until the orange rubber is removed or the system is rebooted. One could argue that removing a cone from a construction zone or freezing a vehicle in the middle of the street could create more danger for others in traffic, but not according to the “Safe Street” posse.
Robotaxis donning these new debilitating cone crowns is the result of tantrums opposition to a recent vote of approval by the California Public Utilities Commission to expand commercial robotaxi rides throughout San Francisco, allowing startups like Waymo to begin charging passengers for rides.
The cone head protestors have been emboldened by the local transport agency, alongside some city and fire officials in San Francisco, who have said the robotaxis can interfere with emergency responders… just like human drivers, bicyclists, and the occasional pedestrian strolling around on their phone.
Although companies like Cruise and Waymo have not shared how many robotaxis have been coned since the August 10 approval vote, a representative for the former said the number of incidents has already significantly declined. Perhaps the Safe Street Rebels ran out of cones or, better yet, has begun refocusing its energy on helping the people of San Francisco who are actually living on the street and are so desperately in need of assistance and care.
Electrek’s Take
We cover robotaxis all the time, and this narrative never changes. There are hundreds of traffic incidents in a given city each day, brought on by human error, yet a driverless car makes one wrong turn or freezes up, and the technology is suddenly the real danger out there in the streets.
Change the record.
Obviously, this remains a new and emerging technology that will not come without its fair share of bugs, but the progress made to date has been staggering. I’m sure this group of self-proclaimed “rebels” is a very small sample of opposition compared to the general population that supports fewer cars on roads, less pollution, and less of a necessity to own a vehicle in a large city, but unfortunately, negative news like this often gets the spotlight.
I’m guilty as I write this, giving attention to a group that is, in my opinion, a nonstarter in the overall history of autonomous driving, but I feel it’s important to point out that this technology will continue to improve and expand. Whether you embrace safer and more efficient transportation or use paper-thin examples to hide the fact that you simply fear change is up to you.
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On today’s battle-ready episode of Quick Charge, it’s Elon Musk vs. the world as big players position themselves for control of enough lithium to build 600 million electric cars and the rest of the industry squares up to Tesla in the battle for market leadership.
While Windrose is making sales and expanding into new markets, the Tesla Semi is still in limited tests, Robotaxi launches as a “ride hailing service” in California with randos in the drivers’ seat and Academy Award nominated actor/noted college football analyst Timothée Chalamet teams up with Lucid to steal (even more) sales from the embattled Model S and X lines.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Retrospec, the makers of sleek, powerful e-bikes and outdoor gear built for everyday adventure. Quick Charge listeners can get 10% off their next e-bike ride through August 14 with the exclusive code ELECTREK10 only at retrospec.com.
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If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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EV charging company ezVOLTz has partnered with Driivz, the EV software arm of Vontier, to make its “Charging as a Service” platform even smarter and more reliable for fleets, businesses, and state and local governments across the US.
If you’re not familiar with ezVOLTz, it’s a full-service EV charging provider. It handles everything, from installing hardware-agnostic chargers to managing the backend with its software platform, ezCONNECT. Now, ezVOLTz is plugging into Driivz’s charging and energy management tech to help run things even more smoothly.
With Driivz’s help, ezVOLTz plans to keep its network humming with 24/7 monitoring and real-time issue detection. Driivz’s Alert Management System can auto-fix up to 80% of charger hiccups remotely without sending a tech on-site. That means more uptime and fewer headaches for drivers and site owners.
“EV adoption is surging, and drivers and the companies and entities that serve them need smart, connected, and reliable charging options,” said ezVOLTz CEO Sam Malhotra. “The Driivz team and their smart charging and energy management solutions are a natural fit in bolstering our services.”
The partnership also gives ezVOLTz new tools to grow its network. Driivz’s software tracks usage patterns and charger performance, helping pinpoint the best spots for new installations. Driivz will also support the ezVOLTz app, letting users plan road trips and find chargers nationwide.
“Reliability and ease-of-use are two of the most important considerations for EV drivers,” said Andrew Bennett, CEO of Driivz. “We’re proud to partner with ezVOLTz in delivering seamless and reliable charging to their customers.”
As more businesses, fleets, and municipalities plug into EVs, partnerships like this one aim to make sure the charging experience keeps up.
Read more: Driivz expands in the US EV charging market with a new HQ
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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The Subaru BRZ may live on as an EV after all. Subaru wants its share of the sports car market, and an electric BRZ could hit the sweet spot.
Is Subaru launching an electric BRZ?
Subaru discontinued the BRZ in Europe in 2020 after the first generation. Although its twin, the Toyota GR86, was sold until the 2024 model year, the BRZ was released as a US-only model.
In its third generation, it could return as an EV. Speaking with Autocar, Subaru’s European head, David Dello Stritto, said, “Our options are open,” hinting that the BRZ could make a comeback in electric form.
Subaru’s global EV product boss, Inoue Masahiko, confirmed an electric version of the sports car “was under consideration.” He added that Subaru has extensively looked into an EV version of the BRZ with its partner, Toyota.
Masahiko explained that “We did consider electrifying the BRZ and GR86, but the win-win relationship is more important.” So far, “We can’t get the kind of benefits from both sides,” he added.
Subaru is already launching several new electric vehicles in Europe, including the new Uncharted, E-Outback (known as Trailseeker in the US), and an updated Solterra SUV.
Stritto said that an electric sports car will depend on the success of these models first, especially the Uncharted. According to Subaru’s European boss, the Japanese automaker feels “very positively about Subaru enthusiasts, but we need to see how Uncharted does first.”
As for an “electrified” powertrain, or hybrid, Masahiko said the vehicle’s packaging “would make it difficult,” adding an EV version would be “easier” to create.
The comments come after Stritto told Autocar last week that a new entry-level EV could also be in the works. However, that will also depend on how well the Uncharted sells.
For those in the US, don’t worry – Subaru is not planning to discontinue the BRZ. If it did launch as an EV, would you consider one? It would go up against the new Hyundai IONIQ 6 N and Tesla Model 3 Performance.
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