Related: Uber Launches Self-Driving Vehicles
Uber's Self-Driving Experiment Sours in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh has begun to reevaluate its relationship with Uber and the self-driving cars the company has been testing in the city, claiming the ride hailing company has reneged on several promises made to city officials and Mayor Bill Peduto.

File screenshot

File screenshot
Pittsburgh has begun to reevaluate its relationship with Uber and the self-driving cars the company has been testing in the city, claiming the ride hailing company has reneged on several promises made to city officials and Mayor Bill Peduto, reports the New York Times.
Since starting testing in September, Uber has apparently begun charging for rides that were initially pitched as free. It has also withdrawn support for the city's application for a $50 million federal transportation grant. Uber has also not created jobs it promised for a struggling neighborhood with its autonomous testing track.
There have also been reports that Uber's self-driving vehicles have been involved in wrong-way collisions and other accidents, according to a Quartz report.
Uber has been using Volvo XC90 mid-size SUVs and Ford Fusion sedans equipped with 3D cameras, GPS, and a lidar system that uses lasers to detect objects.
Originally posted on Automotive Fleet
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