Author: Brandon Mitchell

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…

Kodiak AI Wins U.S. Marine Corps Contract For Autonomous ROGUE-Fires Vehicle Integration Project Expands Company’s Defense Work Into Expeditionary Operations In Indo-Pacific Region WASHINGTON, Feb 13 — Autonomous driving firm Kodiak AI has secured a contract from the U.S. Marine Corps to integrate its self-driving technology into an unmanned military ground vehicle designed for expeditionary missions. See also: Kodiak AI Partners With Bosch to Scale Manufacturing of Autonomous Truck Platform The Mountain View, California-based company will deploy its Kodiak Driver system into the Marines’ Remotely Operated Ground Unit for Expeditionary Fires (ROGUE-Fires), a platform intended to support distributed maritime operations…

Waymo has begun testing fully driverless robotaxis in Nashville, expanding its autonomous vehicle operations beyond its established markets in California and Arizona, the company said. The Alphabet-owned company has deployed a fleet of electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles in the city as part of an initial testing phase. Waymo typically starts operations in new markets with extensive on-road testing before transitioning to commercial services, which in past launches has taken several months. See also: Waymo Turns to Generative AI Simulations to Prepare Robotaxis for Rare Road Scenarios Nashville marks Waymo’s latest geographic expansion and reflects a focus on states with less…

Waymo said on Friday it is introducing a new generative artificial intelligence system, called the Waymo World Model, to simulate rare and extreme driving scenarios as the Alphabet-owned company seeks to improve the safety and resilience of its autonomous vehicles. The move comes after Waymo’s vehicles have accumulated more than 200 million miles of autonomous driving on public roads, providing the company with one of the largest real-world datasets in the self-driving industry. Still, Waymo said some events are so uncommon that they are unlikely to appear even in hundreds of millions of miles of real-world testing. See also: Waymo…

Honda and DriveOhio have completed a two-year pilot program demonstrating an AI-powered roadway maintenance system capable of identifying infrastructure defects with high accuracy using real-time vehicle data, the partners said. The project, funded by the Ohio Department of Transportation, tested automated detection technology across roughly 3,000 miles of roads in Ohio. Results showed detection accuracy of 99% for damaged or obstructed road signs, 93% for guardrails and an average of 89% for potholes, according to the project team. See also: Honda to Debut Redesigned H Mark on Next-Generation EVs and Hybrids From 2027 Honda led system development in collaboration with…

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a preliminary investigation into a self-driving vehicle operated by Waymo after it struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica, California, during morning drop-off hours in January. In a filing published on Jan. 28, the agency said it had launched Preliminary Evaluation PE26001 to assess whether the autonomous driving system exercised appropriate caution given the presence of children, crossing guards and double-parked vehicles in the school zone. The incident occurred on Jan. 23, 2026, within two blocks of an elementary school. See also: U.S. State Safety Board Probes Waymo…

Mobility app Freenow by Lyft has announced plans to introduce autonomous taxis in Hamburg in cooperation with local taxi companies, marking the city’s third major initiative involving self-driving passenger transport. The project has the backing of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, which has signed a letter of intent with Freenow by Lyft. Unlike U.S.-based robotaxi operators such as Waymo or Uber, the company said it does not intend to run autonomous vehicles as a standalone ride-hailing service. Instead, the self-driving taxis would operate within Hamburg’s regulated taxi system and be integrated with public transport services. “Autonomous taxis can…

Innoviz Technologies said it has begun general availability of InnovizSMART, an automotive-grade LiDAR sensor designed for smart infrastructure applications, as the company expands beyond vehicle manufacturing into urban and industrial sensing markets. Innoviz said the off-the-shelf sensor is now ramping to full industrial-scale production, with short lead times and no need for customer-specific customization. The company said it has scaled production capacity to meet both current and anticipated demand from infrastructure operators and system integrators. See also: Innoviz Unveils Third-Generation LiDAR as It Targets Scalable Autonomous Driving Adoption InnovizSMART provides a detection range of up to 450 metres and is…

WeRide said on Jan. 26 that its autonomous shuttle, Robobus, has entered commercial operation in Leuven, Belgium, marking a step forward in the company’s overseas expansion and in Europe’s adoption of automated public transport. The autonomous shuttle has been integrated into Line 16 of De Lijn, the regional public transport operator, and is now operating as part of Leuven’s regular bus network. According to WeRide, the deployment represents Europe’s first commercial operation of autonomous vehicles in a dense city centre with mixed and complex traffic conditions. See also: WeRide Robotaxi Fleet Tops 1,000 Vehicles as Global Expansion Accelerates The route…

European transport and mobility groups have warned the European Commission against allowing a pause in EU funding for heavy-duty charging and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, arguing that a gap in support in 2026–2027 could slow the adoption of zero-emission trucks despite recent investment momentum. In a joint letter, the International Road Transport Union (IRU), the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) and campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E) urged Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas to ensure continuity of funding beyond the current framework. The groups pointed to the expected exhaustion of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility…

Mercedes-Benz Trucks said it has begun a long-distance test drive to advance the implementation of the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) for its battery-electric eActros 600, as the industry moves toward ultra-fast charging solutions for long-haul transport. The trial involves two eActros 600 trucks, each equipped with MCS ports that will be offered as an optional feature in the series-production version of the vehicle. Development engineers are driving the trucks on a roughly 2,400-kilometre route starting at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth am Rhein, Germany, and ending in Linköping, southern Sweden, passing through the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark. Charging is being…

Swiss public transport operator PostAuto has signed a framework agreement with Solaris Bus & Coach for the supply of up to 115 battery-electric buses, the companies said, marking another step in the electrification of public transport across Switzerland. Solaris was selected through competitive tender procedures for both 12-metre and 18-metre vehicles. Under the agreement, PostAuto will place orders for buses to be delivered in 2026 and 2027 to multiple cities across Switzerland. The framework allows orders to be placed until the end of 2026, with deliveries continuing through the end of 2027. PostAuto has already made an initial commitment for…

MAN Truck & Bus has signed a new framework agreement with European commercial vehicle rental company TIP Group that provides for the delivery of up to 600 trucks per year over a three-year period, including battery-electric models, the companies said. The agreement covers up to 1,800 vehicles across all weight classes, from 7.5 tonnes to 42 tonnes, and applies to operations in 18 European countries. Financial terms were not disclosed, but MAN said the total value of the deal could reach up to €160 million, depending on the mix of vehicles and models ordered. See also: MAN Truck & Bus…

Los Angeles-based logistics company Nevoya has begun deploying 40 battery-electric semi trucks on a new commercial freight route between Houston and Dallas, expanding the use of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles on one of Texas’ busiest highway corridors. The rollout includes Class 8 Freightliner eCascadia day cab trucks, configured with optional battery packs of up to 438 kWh. According to the company, the vehicles are capable of a fully loaded range of around 220 miles, making them suitable for regional freight operations between the two cities. See also: Nevoya Raises $9.3 Million to Expand AI-Driven Electric Freight Network To support operations, charging…

Heidelberg Materials has autonomously hauled more than two million tons of limestone at its Lake Bridgeport quarry in Texas, marking a North American first for a fully autonomous mixed-fleet quarry operation, the company said. The milestone was achieved in less than eight months using an Autonomous Haulage System developed by Pronto, which enables trucks from different manufacturers to operate on a single platform. The fleet at the Texas site includes Caterpillar 775G rigid-frame trucks alongside Komatsu HD605-8 and HD605-10 models. See also: Heidelberg Materials and Volvo Group Collaborate to Test Electric Vehicles, Aiming to Reduce CO2 Emissions “True scalability in…

MAN Truck & Bus SE said it has reached a comprehensive agreement with employee representatives on its long-term “MAN2030+” restructuring program, aiming to strengthen competitiveness, secure German production sites and cut costs by around €900 million by 2028. The deal follows plans announced in late 2025 by parent group Traton to reduce about 2,300 jobs across three German locations over the next decade, a move that had drawn scepticism from the trade union IG Metall. Employee representatives have now approved the framework through Germany’s co-determination process, with the company reiterating that compulsory redundancies in Germany remain excluded. See also: MAN…

A German government-funded project testing automated battery swapping for electric trucks has completed a two-year real-world trial, with partners now moving to commercialise the technology and develop a second-generation system, project leaders said. The eHaul project, led by TU Berlin, has been developing an automated battery swap station for heavy-duty trucks since 2020. After an initial development phase, the consortium operated a pilot station in Lübbenau, Brandenburg, which TU Berlin describes as Europe’s first automated battery swap facility for electric trucks approved for public-road use. Project partners said the trial confirmed that battery swapping using standardised packs could serve as…

The Haller Group, a long-established German commercial vehicle specialist, is repositioning itself as a platform provider for zero-emission mobility solutions, betting on a new business model it calls Fleet-Transformation-as-a-Service (FTaaS). The strategy is being led by Andreas Haller, who is seeking to reinvent the family-owned group by integrating battery-electric and hydrogen technologies across vehicle supply, fleet conversion, infrastructure, digital services and financing. Central to the shift is the revival of the Quantron and Pepper brands, both of which had largely disappeared from public view following insolvency proceedings. Under FTaaS, the Haller Group aims to manage the drivetrain transition for customers,…

Frequent use of high-power fast charging can accelerate electric vehicle battery degradation, but the overall effect remains modest and generally within manufacturer warranty limits, according to a new study by Geotab. The Canada-based telematics and fleet management company analysed battery health data from more than 22,700 electric vehicles across 21 brands, using several years of aggregated real-world usage information. The study found that average annual battery degradation rose to about 2.3%, up from 1.8% recorded in 2023, a change Geotab attributes in part to the increasing use of high-power DC fast chargers. See also: Design Plays Key Role in Attracting…

PlusAI has formed a strategic partnership with Tokyo-based T2 Inc. to deploy Level 4 autonomous trucks in Japan, as the country looks to address chronic driver shortages and rising freight volumes. The collaboration brings together T2’s local logistics expertise and system design capabilities with PlusAI’s experience deploying autonomous trucking solutions with global manufacturers. PlusAI said the partnership is supported by a strategic investment from Mitsui & Co., underscoring growing interest from Japanese industry in next-generation freight mobility. See also: IVECO and PlusAI Plan Level 4 Autonomous Truck Trials in Southern Europe “Backed by Mitsui, this partnership is about bringing the…