Author: Brandon Mitchell

U.K.-based autonomous driving startup Wayve has launched an $85 million employee share sale, allowing staff to sell a portion of their vested equity in a tender offer backed by existing and new investors. The transaction values the company at $8.5 billion, matching the valuation established during its $1.2 billion Series D funding round completed in February. Second Employee Liquidity Event The latest tender offer gives employees an opportunity to realize part of the value of their equity without waiting for an initial public offering or acquisition. Wayve previously conducted a similar liquidity event alongside its $1.05 billion Series C funding…

General Motors is continuing to expand its Hands-Free Trailering technology, allowing drivers to tow trailers without keeping their hands on the steering wheel when using the company’s Super Cruise driver assistance system. Introduced in 2022, the feature automatically adjusts vehicle dynamics based on the trailer being towed and is available exclusively on vehicles equipped with Super Cruise. Designed for a Wide Range of Trailers According to GM, Hands-Free Trailering supports trailers weighing from less than 1,000 pounds to approximately 10,000 pounds. The technology first appeared on the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500 and GMC HUMMER EV Pickup before…

Karma Automotive has entered into a strategic partnership with Line Mobility to provide engineering, manufacturing and design services for an autonomous transit system that transports passengers on elevated guideways above city streets. The collaboration aims to support the development of Line Mobility’s on-demand transit platform, which uses dedicated overhead guideways instead of conventional roads shared with other traffic. Partnership Combines Engineering and Transit Technology Under the agreement, Karma Automotive will contribute expertise in battery systems, electric motors, vehicle engineering, manufacturing and product design. The company will also assist with passenger experience development as Line Mobility advances its zero-emission transportation platform.…

AVI-SPL and Volvo Autonomous Solutions (V.A.S.) have launched commercial autonomous freight operations between Dallas and Houston, marking another step in the deployment of self-driving trucks for real-world logistics applications. The service utilizes the Volvo VNL Autonomous truck powered by the Aurora Driver autonomous driving system to transport audio-visual equipment for AVI-SPL, a global technology solutions provider. Autonomous Freight Begins Commercial Service The new operation is running along the Dallas-Houston corridor, one of the busiest freight routes in the United States. According to Volvo Autonomous Solutions, the trucks are transporting both new audio-visual products and end-of-life equipment used by AVI-SPL. The…

Kodiak AI has introduced two advanced safety-engineering tools designed to identify and evaluate rare collision risks in its autonomous trucking system, drawing on methodologies commonly used in the aerospace and nuclear energy industries. The company said the tools have already demonstrated their value by uncovering a low-probability collision scenario within minutes that would likely have required tens of thousands of miles of real-world driving to encounter even once. The technologies — a Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) framework and an AI-powered analysis tool called BreakPoint — form a central part of Kodiak’s safety strategy as it expands driverless operations. Probabilistic Model…

Nvidia has introduced Alpamayo 2 Super, a 32-billion-parameter open reasoning model designed to support the development of Level 4 autonomous driving systems, alongside a suite of complementary tools intended to streamline training, simulation and deployment. The launch also includes AlpaGym, a closed-loop reinforcement learning framework, and OmniDreams, a scenario generation platform. Together, the technologies are intended to provide a development pipeline that spans real-world data collection, simulation, model training and deployment in autonomous vehicles. Expanded Reasoning Capabilities Alpamayo 2 Super expands Nvidia’s existing model family from 10 billion to 32 billion parameters and introduces enhanced capabilities for autonomous driving applications.…

The eFreight Autonomous consortium has identified hub-to-hub motorway transport and intermodal shuttle operations as potential early use cases for autonomous heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) in the United Kingdom. The findings stem from a nine-month feasibility study led by Voltempo and supported by UK government funding. Results were presented at the company’s Autonomous conference in Birmingham on 18 May. Study Examines Initial Deployment Scenarios According to the consortium, hub-to-hub trunking operations and intermodal shuttle services may offer suitable conditions for the introduction of autonomous freight vehicles due to their relatively predictable routes and controlled operating environments. The study assessed a range…

Einride has appointed TÜV SÜD to conduct an independent assessment of the Safety Management System that governs the development and operation of its autonomous freight technology, as regulators increasingly focus on organizational safety oversight alongside vehicle performance. The Swedish freight technology company announced the engagement on Wednesday, describing it as a step beyond traditional product audits toward a broader evaluation of how safety is managed across the organization. The review will focus on Einride’s Safety Governance Model, which forms the organizational foundation of the company’s Safety Management System. The assessment will examine how the company maintains its living safety case,…

Chinese autonomous driving company WeRide will operate its autonomous Robobus service during the 2026 French Open tournament for the third consecutive year, continuing its partnership with Renault Group at the Paris sporting event. The autonomous shuttle service will run daily from May 24 through June 7 along a 2.8-kilometre route within the Roland-Garros complex, according to the company. WeRide said the Robobus remains the only autonomous public shuttle service operating at the Grand Slam venue. The route connects three stops — Carrefour des Anciens Combattants, Gate 5 Village Welcome Desk and Porte d’Auteuil — along Avenue de la Porte d’Auteuil.…

Wayve has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UK Department for Business and Trade aimed at advancing the deployment of self-driving vehicle technology in Britain. The agreement, signed in London on May 12, establishes collaboration between government and industry on research areas including safety assurance, large-scale simulation and integration of autonomous driving systems into production-ready vehicle platforms. The partnership comes as Wayve prepares to launch passenger service trials on British roads and expand collaborations with global automakers. According to the agreement, Wayve will share insights gathered from real-world autonomous vehicle trials with UK regulators and government agencies to help…

Rivian has received Newsweek’s 2026 Technology Disruptor of the Year award after unveiling its proprietary in-house semiconductor development program for autonomous driving systems. The recognition was announced during Newsweek’s fifth annual World’s Greatest Auto Disruptors awards on May 20, 2026. Rivian said the custom silicon architecture powers its new Gen 3 Autonomy Computer, which is scheduled to debut later this year in production versions of the upcoming Rivian R2 sport utility vehicle. The company said the semiconductor project was developed over multiple years by a dedicated engineering team based in Palo Alto. According to Rivian, the custom chips are designed…

Autzu has announced a strategic shift toward autonomous mobility operations and is developing what it describes as an agnostic autonomous hub in San Francisco to support autonomous vehicle developers, robotaxi operators and fleet owners. The company said the facility is intended to function as shared operational infrastructure for multiple autonomous vehicle platforms and mobility operators rather than serving as a closed depot for a single fleet operator. Autzu, which was founded in 2017 as an electric vehicle fleet operator, said the initiative marks its transition toward becoming an autonomous operations company focused on infrastructure, robotics, fleet software and energy management…