Robot Car Race Twists: Uber Leaves Arizona And Apple Said To Have VW Deal

National Transportation Safety Board investigators examine a driverless Uber SUV on March 20 that fatally struck a woman in Tempe, Ariz. The accident prompted Uber to suspend all road-testing of such autos in the Phoenix area, Pittsburgh, San... On the same day Uber said it's pulling the plug on autonomous vehicle tests in Arizona, Apple's on-again, off-again self-driving car initiative takes a step forward, a reminder that early-stage industries are nothing if not volatile. That may not be the case at Alphabet's Waymo, however, which looks to be on track with its robot ride-service plans. Uber's decision close its Tempe, Arizona, facility, where it tested Volvo XC90 SUVs outfitted with laser LiDAR sensors, cameras, radar and self-driving software, comes in the wake of a March crash in which one of those vehicles struck and killed a pedestrian as she crossed a dark suburban street. Governor Doug Ducey ordered Uber to stop testing indefinitely after the crash, and the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.