This is the monthly edition of the Transport Workers Union’s Transportation Technology Newsletter. We aim to inform and educate our members, the labor movement, the public and policymakers about developments in transportation technology – and what the TWU is doing to ensure that new technology doesn’t undermine safety or harm the livelihoods of hard-working blue-collar workers. For suggestions and questions, please email ewytkind@gmail.com or adaugherty@twu.org.
ITEM OF THE MONTH
CHINA EXPANSION: Chinese robotaxi companies and traditional automakers are making moves in the autonomous vehicle space – raising additional concerns that their unproven technology could eventually wind up on American roads and transit systems.
Chinese electric automaker BYD introduced their new advanced self-driving system this week, exciting investors that low-priced Chinese autonomous driving technology could be on the way. BYD EVs have already gained a foothold in Mexico, according to the New York Times, and BYD electric buses have been in the United States for years – though the TWU supported a successful push to ban federal transit funds and more recently federal airport funds from being spent on BYD buses. But if BYD is able to implement autonomous tech on Chinese roads, it will put additional pressure on the rest of the market to follow suit.
“Autonomous tech has obvious appeal to the Chinese Communist Party as it seeks to compete for global influence with the United States. But the U.S. must not cave into Beijing if China tries to jump-start autonomous vehicles on their roads,” said TWU International President John Samuelsen. “Protecting jobs and keeping roads safe should be more important to the U.S. government than copying China. We successfully fought Chinese tech when it came to electric buses and we’ll do it again with autonomous vehicles.”
And China is also making significant moves in Europe when it comes to transit. China’s well capitalized robotaxi operator, WeRide, fresh off of $440 million in new investor funding last fall, is rapidly expanding with new service launching in Switzerland in partnership with that nation’s rail operator. This latest move follows expansion across the globe, from the Middle East to Japan and South Korea.
WeRide boasts “Level 4” capabilities in its vehicles, meaning it will likely push the robotaxi service as a strategy to eliminate on-board operators and eventually, to build “Level 5” automated vehicles without operational features such as steering wheels and brake pedals. WeRide already serves Zurich airport with driverless minibuses and has served the French Open tennis event with autonomous shuttles.
“We won’t let China copy its global playbook in the United States,” said TWU Administrative Vice President Curtis Tate. “Autonomous shuttles aren’t ready for our roads and will cause more headaches than they claim to solve.”
WHAT ELSE IS COOKING
CALIFORNIA CUTS: AV testing on California roads declined by 50% in 2024, according to TechCrunch, reflecting a driverless car industry with fewer players. The California Department of Motor Vehicles reported that 4.5 million autonomous vehicle test miles were driven in 2024, testing that covers autonomous vehicles with drivers behind the wheel and vehicles without a driver present.
Fully driverless miles decreased even more, with testing falling 83% in 2024 from 3.26 million miles driven in 2023 to 552,895 miles driven in 2024. Part of the decline is due to Cruise’s demise – the company went from logging 2.6 million test miles in 2023 to zero in 2024 before GM decided to end the company’s robotaxi arm late last year.
“The AV industry has consolidated in a similar pattern as other Big Tech fads – fewer players with more money,” Samuelsen said. “This makes it even more crucial for workers to be organized and fightback against Big Tech behemoths like Amazon and Waymo who are taking a bigger slice of the AV pie as smaller players fade out.”
UBER EXPANSION: Uber’s CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, announced plans to partner with Waymo to deploy hundreds of driverless robotaxis in Atlanta and Georgia this year, a move that defies the realities of robotaxis: they are a menace on our roads.
Khosrowshahi also claims that eventually, autonomous vehicles will “be a better driver than a human driver” and that drivers will no longer be needed for Uber’s ride-hail service within 10-15 years.
“It is bad enough that Uber mistreats and misclassifies its drivers,” Tate said. “But now Uber is taking aim at throwing its customers into unsafe, unproven driverless vehicle technology that crashes and malfunctions at a high rate.”
Uber already runs robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi with China’s WeRide and in Phoenix, through Uber’s app, utilizing Waymo vehicles.
HUMANS NEEDED: A new bill in Colorado would require a Commercial Drivers License holder to be present in a commercial motor vehicle that is operated by an automated driving system. The bill would require a driver to be physically present in a commercial motor vehicle with an automated driving system, require the driver to monitor the performance of the vehicle, and intervene if needed to avoid illegal or unsafe driving.
NO UNPROVEN TECH FOR DRIVERS: The Illinois General Assembly recently introduced a bill that would only allow level 2 automation systems to be sold or registered for consumers, while prohibiting level 3, 4, and 5 automation. Level 2 driving systems are partially automated, where a vehicle can perform steering and acceleration while a human driver monitors all tasks and can take over at any time. Level 3, 4, and 5 systems have an automated system monitoring the driving environment.
“Sensible, pro-worker legislation like these bills are essential to countering Big Tech,” Tate said. “We hope that Colorado and Illinois can pass these bills and provide a model for other states to follow.”
WHAT WE’RE READING:
“Honda Wants Drivers’ ‘Hands Off the Wheel.’” PC Mag.
“Volvo Teaming with Chip Sector Powerhouse Nvidia on Self-Driving Trucks.” Quartz.
“West Covina Introduces Free, On-Demand MicroTransit Pilot.” Streetsblog LA.