A self-driving car seems like some amazing stuff in a science fiction movie. Thankfully, today's technology revolution makes it possible to own or experience such vehicles. Recently, Baidu launched a new model Apollo RT6, a robotaxi/self-driving cab in China. Nearly one million rides have already been taken in China via robotaxis in almost ten cities. However, this new model is supposed to be the next big thing in the car market.

Imagine Elon Musk getting dragged to trial every time a Tesla car runs a red light? Well, watchdogs around the globe are proposing legislation to hold the manufacturers accountable, and not the human behind the wheel, in the event of offences involving self-driving cars. According to Annual Global Road Crash Statistics, around 1.35 million people die in road crashes each year globally. Around 3,700 people lose their lives daily on the roads, the research said. In India, around 375,000 accidental deaths were registered in 2020, of which 35% were in road crashes, data from National Crime Records Bureau showed.

Apple is continuing efforts to advance internal self-driving car technology, with the iPhone maker recently registering more drivers to pilot technology test beds on California roads. In early August, Apple's autonomous vehicle program consisted of 69 test vehicles and 92 pilots, according to filings with California's Department of Motor Vehicles. The number of testbeds has not increased as of Sept. 10, but Apple is now permitted to field 114 registered drivers. As noted by macReports, the increase does not match a peak of 154 driver permits reached in October 2020. It does appear, however, that the tech giant is slowly rebuilding its ranks after nearly halving the number of licensed drivers attached to the program earlier this year.

Tesla executives defended the automaker's semi-self-driving system on Monday after it came under scrutiny following a deadly crash involving a Tesla Model S in Texas this month. CEO Elon Musk rejected suggestions that the company's Autopilot was to blame. "This is completely false," he said, adding that journalists who suggested Autopilot was at fault "should be ashamed of themselves." After the crash, Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman told multiple outlets, including the Wall Street Journal and Consumer Reports, that investigators were 99.9% sure that no one was behind the wheel when the vehicle crashed. The National Transportation Safety Board and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are investigating the crash.

Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving car subsidiary, has reshuffled its top executive lineup. John Krafcik, Waymo's CEO since 2015, announced on April 2 that he would be stepping down from his role. Krafcik is being replaced by former COO Tekedra Mawakana and former CTO Dmitri Dolgov and will remain as an advisor to the company. "[With] the fully autonomous Waymo One ride-hailing service open to all in our launch area of Metro Phoenix, and with the fifth generation of the Waymo Driver being prepared for deployment in ride-hailing and goods delivery, it's a wonderful opportunity for me to pass the baton to Tekedra and Dmitri as Waymo's co-CEOs," Krafcik wrote on LinkedIn. The change in leadership could have significant implications for Waymo, which has seen many ups and downs as it develops its driverless car business.

The perception that self-driving cars can really operate themselves without driver involvement is worrying automotive watchdogs, who say that some Americans have grown dangerously confident in the capabilities of semi-autonomous vehicles. Their comments come as electric vehicle maker Tesla's so-called Autopilot system is under scrutiny once again following a crash that killed two passengers in the Houston area late Saturday. "I would start by saying there are no self-driving cars despite what you may read about or what you've seen advertised," said Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing for Consumer Reports. "And there's certainly nothing anywhere close to self-driving that is in production right now." Tesla has been the most common target of critics for marketing that its vehicles are capable of "full self-driving" with an upgrade. They are not capable of full self-driving – and, in fact, Tesla says on its website that drivers are supposed to keep their hands on the wheel at all times, ready to take over when the system is not able to steer, accelerate or brake on its own.

Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving car subsidiary, is reshuffling its top executive lineup. On April 2, John Krafcik, Waymo's CEO since 2015, declared that he will be stepping down from his role. He will be replaced by Tekedra Mawakana and Dmitri Dolgov, the company's former COO and CTO. Krafcik will remain as an advisor to the company. "[With] the fully autonomous Waymo One ride-hailing service open to all in our launch area of Metro Phoenix, and with the fifth generation of the Waymo Driver being prepared for deployment in ride-hailing and goods delivery, it's a wonderful opportunity for me to pass the baton to Tekedra and Dmitri as Waymo's co-CEOs," Krafcik wrote on LinkedIn as he declared his departure.

Uber is selling its self-driving car unit, reflecting the culmination of a rocky tenure marked by ambitions of revolutionary technology, accusations of stolen trade secrets, a deadly accident and government scrutiny. The ride-hailing app has negotiated a deal to sell its Advanced Technologies Group to self-driving car start-up Aurora, which is headed by Chris Urmson, the former leader of Google's autonomous vehicle efforts. The move doesn't mean Uber is abandoning self-driving cars. The company is investing $400 million in Amazon-backed Aurora and is forming a technology partnership with Uber, while Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is joining the start-up's board. The deal reflects an admission by Uber that its once-ambitious self-driving car division had faltered, burning cash and failing to achieve its goal of revolutionizing transportation and boosting profits by removing the need for a human driver.

Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda, left, speaks with Suzuki Motor Corp. Chairman Osamu Suzuki during a news conference in Tokyo on Oct. 12, 2016. The two automakers announced Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019, they are partnering in the development of self-driving car technology. TOKYO – Japan's top automaker, Toyota, and smaller rival Suzuki are partnering in the development of self-driving car technology, as manufacturers around the world grapple with innovations in the industry. Under the deal, announced Wednesday, Toyota will take a 4.9% stake in Suzuki Motor Corp. valued at 96 billion yen ($908 million), and Suzuki will make a 48 billion yen ($454 million) investment in Toyota. In 2017, Toyota Motor Corp. and Suzuki agreed to work together in ecological and safety technology.

The judge is recommending a criminal probe be opened up into the technology exchange to Uber. Former Google engineer Anthony Levandowski, who quit the tech giant before merging his own startup with Uber, has been charged with stealing Google's self-driving car trade secrets, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday. Levandowski, 39, who served as the head of Uber's self-driving project, had been named in a 2017 lawsuit brought against Uber by Waymo, Google's former self-driving car unit, claiming that the popular ride-sharing app stole trade secrets from Google. That suit ended in a settlement of $245 million. At the time, federal judge William Alsup, who was overseeing the case, recommended criminal charges against Levandowski.