Author: Brandon Mitchell

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…

Solera has launched SmartDrive Pedestrian Collision Warning, an artificial intelligence-powered driver assistance feature designed to detect pedestrians in front of fleet vehicles and provide audible in-cab alerts to drivers. The capability is integrated into the company’s SmartDrive video safety platform and operates using the existing SR5 AI-powered smart camera, eliminating the need for additional hardware installations, Solera said from its headquarters in Westlake. The system combines computer vision technology, vehicle sensors and vehicle data to identify pedestrians ahead of the vehicle and assess potential risk based on factors including distance and vehicle speed. When a potential collision risk is detected,…

Hesai Group reported higher first-quarter profit and revenue as strong demand for automotive and robotics LiDAR systems drove a sharp increase in shipments. The company posted net income of 18.3 million yuan ($2.7 million) for the three months ended March 31, marking its fourth consecutive quarter of profitability under U.S. GAAP accounting standards. That compared with a net loss of 17.5 million yuan during the same period a year earlier. First-quarter revenue rose 29.6% year-on-year to 680.6 million yuan. Hesai said the results were supported by a 140.9% increase in total LiDAR shipments, which reached 471,723 units during the quarter.…

Self-driving technology company Waymo said it has begun early preparations to launch its service in Portland, Oregon, starting with manually driven vehicles mapping the city’s streets. The company said its vehicles began operating on public roads this week with human drivers behind the wheel to collect data and familiarize its autonomous system, known as the Waymo Driver, with local conditions. See also: Waymo, Waze Launch U.S. Pilot to Share Autonomous Vehicle Pothole Data With Cities “Portland has always been a pioneer in urban design, balancing its independent spirit with a deep commitment to sustainable, forward-thinking living,” Waymo said in a…

Pony AI has launched what it described as Europe’s first commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb, following a partnership with Verne and Uber. From today, users in Zagreb can book and pay for autonomous rides through the Verne app, with integration into the Uber platform expected in the near term. The initial service area covers approximately 90 square kilometres, including key districts in the city centre and Zagreb Airport. The robotaxi service operates daily between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m., offering continuous commercial rides for local passengers. The rollout comes just weeks after the three companies formally announced their European collaboration.…

Zoox is expanding its robotaxi operations in its first two U.S. markets, Las Vegas and San Francisco, while preparing to launch services in Miami and Austin. The company is positioning itself as a major competitor in the U.S. robotaxi sector, behind Waymo, part of Alphabet Inc.. Zoox operates a purpose-built autonomous vehicle designed without a steering wheel, pedals or driver’s seat, capable of carrying up to four passengers. Since launching its driverless ride-hailing service in Las Vegas in September 2025 and in San Francisco in November, Zoox has been gradually scaling operations. The company now plans to significantly expand service…

StradVision said its SVNet vision perception software is gaining momentum in China as automakers and suppliers accelerate development of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) for next-generation vehicles. The company said the artificial intelligence-based perception platform is being adopted across China’s automotive ecosystem, including original equipment manufacturers, tier-one suppliers and system-on-chip developers. StradVision described SVNet as a lightweight perception software stack designed to meet cost, performance and integration requirements for large-scale vehicle production. The company said the platform’s flexibility allows it to be adapted across different vehicle models, sensor configurations and regulatory environments. China has become one of the fastest-moving markets…

Macnica and Applied Electric Vehicles Ltd. have formed a strategic partnership to develop and commercialize autonomous vehicle solutions for logistics and industrial transport operations. The collaboration will combine Applied EV’s Blanc Robot modular electric vehicle platform with Macnica’s everfleet remote fleet management system, aiming to support the deployment of Level 4 autonomous transport in industrial environments and last-mile logistics. According to the companies, the initiative is intended to address labor shortages and rising operational costs by enabling purpose-built electric vehicles to operate autonomously in locations such as factories, warehouses and logistics hubs. The Blanc Robot platform is a cabinless electric…

Helm.ai has expanded its autonomous driving software platform, introducing a vision-based system designed to scale from Level 2+ driver assistance to Level 4 urban autonomy without relying on lidar sensors or high-definition maps. The updated platform, known as Helm.ai Driver, is built on the company’s Factored Embodied AI architecture. The system uses camera-based perception and machine learning to enable automated driving capabilities in complex urban environments. According to Helm.ai, the software is designed to allow automakers to deploy Level 2+ driver assistance features today and later expand toward Level 3 and Level 4 autonomy using the same core architecture as…

Oxa, a self-driving technology startup based in Oxford, has secured $103 million in new funding to expand its autonomous vehicle technology for industrial environments such as ports, airports and logistics facilities. The investment forms part of the company’s Series D funding round. According to Oxa, $50 million of the capital was provided by the UK National Wealth Fund. Other investors participating in the round include NVentures, the venture capital arm of Nvidia, and bp Ventures, the investment arm of BP. The latest financing increases Oxa’s total funding to more than $250 million. Unlike many autonomous driving companies focusing on robotaxis…

Autonomous trucking company Kodiak AI has appointed defense industry veteran Chet Gryczan as Vice President and Managing Director of Defense, signaling a broader push into military autonomous vehicle programs. Gryczan brings more than two decades of experience in defense and automotive technology. Most recently, he served as president of Detroit Defense, an engineering and systems integration firm supporting U.S. military programs. Under his leadership, the company expanded from a pre-profit startup into an organization generating $157 million in annual revenue with more than 230 employees across 30 locations. During his tenure, Gryczan helped secure a congressional modernization initiative valued at…

A German consortium led by Uedelhoven Studios (UE Studios) has unveiled an autonomous electric shuttle designed for public transport applications, marking a step toward deploying self-driving vehicles in everyday mobility services. The vehicle, called SUE — short for “Self-Driving Urban E-Shuttle” — was developed with ten partners from industry, research institutions and the public sector. Built on a road-legal 48-volt skateboard platform, the shuttle is intended to operate in areas underserved by conventional transport. UE Studios said the prototype was “entirely developed in Germany” and represents a practical solution rather than a conceptual study. Based in Gaimersheim, UE Studios acted…