5 ms·

Huh, Cruise got a permit for "between 10 PM and 6 AM" up to 30 MPH, while Waymo got no time limit and 65 MPH. Presumably Cruise's permit is actually for the 6 A

Huh, Cruise got a permit for "between 10 PM and 6 AM" up to 30 MPH, while Waymo got no time limit and 65 MPH. Presumably Cruise's permit is actually for the 6 AM to 10 PM time period and not the 10 PM to 6 AM one!

bberenberg 5y ago
Waymo has a safety driver, Cruise does not.
- modeless 5y ago
  This release does not indicate a requirement for Waymo to have a safety driver. I don't think there is such a requirement.
  - modeless 5y ago
    Too late to edit, but I was wrong, it seems that Waymo did not request a permit for cars without safety drivers.
- bagels 5y ago
  They have recently been operating without one.
  - flappysolutions 5y ago
    They've been operating without safety drivers in Phoenix, but not in SF. AFAIK, every Waymo car in SF has had a safety driver in it. Cruise has been testing driverless rides the past few months in that timeframe/speed limit.
mindslight 5y ago
Why presumably? 10PM-6AM is a much easier time to drive around. And it's not like they'd be going for daylight hours the other way.
- modeless 5y ago
  Well, because this is a permit for commercial service, not testing. They already have a testing permit. A commercial service that only operates in the middle of the night would not be very successful.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - toast0 5y ago
    A commercial service in the middle of the night would be a great complement to scheduled public transit which tapers off in the evening.
    - oblio 5y ago
      > great compliment Great complement. Otherwise your comment becomes very confusing :-)
    - modeless 5y ago
      Public transit tapers off because demand drops off. There will be a spike around closing time for bars but it seems unlikely that you'd want to launch a whole commercial service just based on that.
      - Vargohoat 5y ago
        > it seems unlikely that you'd want to launch a whole commercial service just based on that. You're thinking about this the wrong way. There's immense value in getting _any_ commercial service out there, not just in PR but in a full end-to-end test of all the ops/logistical/product/etc that come from having to deal with customers in reality. A good chunk of a decade and billions of dollars have been poured into the research behind these services. I doubt anyone at Cruise or Waymo cares or even expects these limited services to be profitable, but that's entirely missing the point.
      - dragonwriter 5y ago
tgsovlerkhgsel 5y ago
Why does night seem less likely? I'd expect many of the sensors work equally well or better (no sun interference) at night, and there will be a lot fewer other cars to crash into/cause a traffic jam when the car shuts down and has to be recovered.
- ehsankia 5y ago
  The fact that the speed limit is much lower I think backs up that Cruise's permit is actually less permissive, and is most likely for at-night only. Waymo has had driver-free cars in Phoenix for over a year, so it would be strange for Cruise (who doesn't have a driver-free robo-taxi service already) to get a more permissive permit than Waymo.
throwaway0a5e 5y ago
I suspect it's just a reflection of what they applied for.

bberenberg 5y ago

Waymo has a safety driver, Cruise does not.

modeless 5y ago
This release does not indicate a requirement for Waymo to have a safety driver. I don't think there is such a requirement.
- modeless 5y ago
  Too late to edit, but I was wrong, it seems that Waymo did not request a permit for cars without safety drivers.
bagels 5y ago
They have recently been operating without one.
- flappysolutions 5y ago
  They've been operating without safety drivers in Phoenix, but not in SF. AFAIK, every Waymo car in SF has had a safety driver in it. Cruise has been testing driverless rides the past few months in that timeframe/speed limit.

mindslight 5y ago

Why presumably? 10PM-6AM is a much easier time to drive around. And it's not like they'd be going for daylight hours the other way.

modeless 5y ago
Well, because this is a permit for commercial service, not testing. They already have a testing permit. A commercial service that only operates in the middle of the night would not be very successful.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- toast0 5y ago
  A commercial service in the middle of the night would be a great complement to scheduled public transit which tapers off in the evening.
  - oblio 5y ago
    > great compliment Great complement. Otherwise your comment becomes very confusing :-)
  - modeless 5y ago
    Public transit tapers off because demand drops off. There will be a spike around closing time for bars but it seems unlikely that you'd want to launch a whole commercial service just based on that.
    - Vargohoat 5y ago
      > it seems unlikely that you'd want to launch a whole commercial service just based on that. You're thinking about this the wrong way. There's immense value in getting _any_ commercial service out there, not just in PR but in a full end-to-end test of all the ops/logistical/product/etc that come from having to deal with customers in reality. A good chunk of a decade and billions of dollars have been poured into the research behind these services. I doubt anyone at Cruise or Waymo cares or even expects these limited services to be profitable, but that's entirely missing the point.
    - dragonwriter 5y ago

tgsovlerkhgsel 5y ago

Why does night seem less likely? I'd expect many of the sensors work equally well or better (no sun interference) at night, and there will be a lot fewer other cars to crash into/cause a traffic jam when the car shuts down and has to be recovered.

ehsankia 5y ago
The fact that the speed limit is much lower I think backs up that Cruise's permit is actually less permissive, and is most likely for at-night only. Waymo has had driver-free cars in Phoenix for over a year, so it would be strange for Cruise (who doesn't have a driver-free robo-taxi service already) to get a more permissive permit than Waymo.

throwaway0a5e 5y ago

I suspect it's just a reflection of what they applied for.