Andrew J. Hawkins
While we wait,
Elon is tweeting about Howard Stern and NYC Mayor Eric Adams. Meanwhile, we’re 45 minutes past the start time.
Andrew J. Hawkins
Transportation editor
Transportation editor
More From Andrew J. Hawkins
Andrew J. Hawkins
Andrew J. Hawkins
Livestream cautiously, my friends.
Apparently there are a lot of crypto scams masking as Tesla robotaxi livestream on YouTube — a problem we have reported on in the past.
Andrew J. Hawkins
There’s parody versions of popular movie posters.
Back to the Future, E.T., and The Mask have all received the robotaxi treatment. The question I have: were these done by human artists, or AI?
Andrew J. Hawkins
Musk says someone in the audience needs medical attention.
Apparently that’s what’s holding up the event. Hope they’re ok!
Andrew J. Hawkins
Musk’s mother and brother arrive.
It’s a family affair at Tesla’s robotaxi event, as the rest of us wait for it to start. We’re already 20 minutes late.
Andrew J. Hawkins
The livestream commences.
And the vibes, they are ambient.
Once upon a time, Tesla used to invite media organizations like The Verge to its product events. But after the disastrous Cybertruck reveal (remember the smashed window?), Musk shut down the company’s PR division and stopped inviting us to his parties. So it goes!
Andrew J. Hawkins
It’s Tesla robotaxi day — for real this time.
Guest have been pouring into Warner Bros. Studio lot in anticipation of Elon Musk’s big day. The parking garage is crammed with Cybertrucks. The crowd appears to be mostly men. And the event appears to be quite extensive, complete with its own map to all the locations. Now, we wait for Elon, who’s supposed to take the stage at 7PM PT (though he has a reputation for lateness).
Andrew J. Hawkins
Trump: we’re going to stop autonomous cars.
In a speech in Detroit, former President Donald Trump seemed to suggest that he would “stop [self-driving cars] from operating” if he was elected in November. Not exactly the message his pal Elon Musk wants to hear on the eve of his big Tesla robotaxi event in Hollywood. Maybe Trump’s invitation was lost in the mail.
Andrew J. Hawkins
‘I have significant doubts.’
That’s what Aurora CEO (and ex-Google self-driving car project lead) Chris Urmson had to say about Elon Musk’s technological approach to autonomous vehicles. Musk is gearing up to reveal Tesla’s first robotaxi at an event in Hollywood Thursday. But Urmson’s been working on this problem for his entire career, having led Carnegie Mellon’s team during the original DARPA challenges. Listen to this interview to get a more thoughtful idea of the challenges of autonomous driving.