Author: Elliot Harrison

Hesai Group reported third-quarter 2026 revenue growth of 34.3% as demand for lidar sensors from automotive and robotics customers increased, bringing total shipments to 729,673 units. The Chinese technology company generated net revenues of RMB1,068.3 million ($159.3 million) for the three months ended September 30, according to its results announced on November 10. Despite higher sales and shipment volumes, net income declined 68.5% year over year to RMB80.8 million ($12.1 million). The decrease was primarily attributed to significant one-time income recorded in the same quarter of 2025 from the disposal of an equity investment and the transfer of intellectual property.…

Aurora Innovation is accelerating production of its autonomous trucking fleet, with more than 20 driverless trucks already built and being added to its operations. The company expects to reach a production rate of 20 trucks per week in early December 2026, as it works towards deploying more than 1,000 driverless vehicles by the end of 2027. The update came alongside Aurora’s third-quarter 2026 results, announced on October 28. The autonomous trucking company reported revenue of $3 million for the July-September period and a net loss of $234 million, according to its shareholder letter. Driverless Truck Production Ramps Up Aurora is…

Mobileye reported third-quarter 2026 revenue of $492 million, down 2% from $504 million a year earlier, while adjusted operating income increased 20% to $89 million. The autonomous driving technology company also raised the lower end of its full-year revenue forecast, citing progress across its advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) business and autonomous mobility programs. The results, announced on October 29, put Mobileye’s revised 2026 revenue guidance at $1.995 billion to $2.020 billion, compared with its previous range of $1.970 billion to $2.020 billion. Profitability and Full-Year Financial Outlook Mobileye’s GAAP gross margin increased to 53% in the third quarter from…

Uber plans to invest $10 billion to expand its autonomous vehicle operations, targeting a fleet of 2,000 robotaxis across 20 cities by the end of 2027. The deployment will cover markets in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, supported by partnerships with multiple autonomous driving companies. The company expects approximately half of the planned vehicles to operate in the United States, with the remaining units distributed across the other three regions. Uber aims to have around 700 robotaxis available on its platform by the end of 2026, marking an intermediate step toward its 2027 target. Autonomous Partners…

Waymo plans to begin testing autonomous Toyota bZ4X electric vehicles in Japan in 2027, expanding its partnership with Toyota as the companies explore opportunities to deploy robotaxis in international markets, including the United Kingdom. Under the agreement announced on Friday, Toyota will manufacture the 2027 bZ4X vehicles and integrate Waymo’s autonomous driving system at its Takaoka factory in Japan. The electric SUV is marketed as the bZ in North America. Japan Testing to Support International Expansion The vehicles will initially undergo testing in Japan, where Waymo has expressed ambitions to eventually introduce a robotaxi service. The partnership also targets other…

Researchers at Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology have developed an optimisation method designed to improve the coordination of autonomous electric taxi fleets in urban environments. Developed in collaboration with Volvo Cars, the approach combines machine learning-based forecasts with mathematical optimisation to manage passenger demand, vehicle movements and charging requirements while accounting for uncertainty in real-world conditions. Autonomous electric taxis could make urban transport more efficient and reduce operating costs. A report from Stanford University indicates that autonomous taxi services have the potential to lower costs per kilometre by up to 60% compared with conventional taxis. However, coordinating large fleets remains…

inDrive has signed a memorandum of understanding with NVIDIA and Pony.ai to explore autonomous ride-hailing in Kazakhstan, with the capital, Astana, identified as the first test market. The initiative will assess the technical, operational, regulatory and commercial feasibility of offering Level 4-ready robotaxis through the inDrive app. Astana Selected as the First Test Market Kazakhstan was selected for its regulatory progress following the establishment of a legal framework for driverless transportation as part of the country’s digitalization and artificial intelligence initiatives. https://twitter.com/PonyAI_tech/status/2113480534466933220 The companies plan to launch robotaxi services in Astana following an agreement with the Kazakh government. The city…

South Korea’s HD Hyundai and US defence technology company Anduril have completed an autonomous ship technology demonstration near Long Beach, California, testing systems developed through their two-year collaboration on artificial intelligence and uncrewed maritime operations. The approximately 3.5-hour trial used a 368-tonne offshore support vessel previously operated by the US Navy. Representatives from the US Navy, American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), the South Korean Navy and South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration attended the demonstration. According to the companies, the trial evaluated autonomous navigation, mission reassignment, coordinated operations involving multiple vessels and responses to system failures. Shore-based control stations monitored…

Uber’s global head of autonomous mobility and delivery, Sarfraz Maredia, will leave the company on November 16, according to Bloomberg. An Uber spokesperson confirmed that Maredia, who has worked at the company for more than 12 years, plans to take a senior position at a company in another industry. His next employer has not been publicly identified. Maredia’s responsibilities will be divided between two colleagues. Samarth Kejriwal, a senior director responsible for driverless vehicle operations, will take on part of his portfolio, while Aaron Emrich, head of autonomous delivery, will oversee the remaining responsibilities. Further Leadership Changes in Autonomous Operations…

TomTom and Chinese automated-driving technology provider DeepRoute.ai have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on artificial intelligence-based driving systems, building on earlier integration of TomTom’s location data into DeepRoute.ai’s driving software. A demonstration vehicle equipped with the combined technology is offering test drives on public roads in Paris during the Paris Motor Show 2026. The collaboration focuses on supporting Level 2+ and Level 2++ advanced driver-assistance functions, which require drivers to remain responsible for supervision and control as applicable to the system’s capabilities. The companies aim to combine onboard sensor information with location data covering road geometry, local…

Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV), Deutsche Bahn (DB) and Holon have launched the KIRA+ project to test SAE Level 4 autonomous driving in local public transportation in Germany, with preparations for test operations now under way. Initial mapping drives are scheduled for 2027 in parts of Darmstadt and the Offenbach district, covering areas served by local project partners HEAG mobilo and Kreisverkehrsgesellschaft Offenbach. Testing Autonomous Public Transport Prof. Knut Ringat, chairman of the RMV management board, said KIRA+ builds on experience gained through previous autonomous driving trials and will test further-developed technology in vehicles designed specifically for public transport. “With KIRA+ we build…

Waymo has received regulatory approval for its largest expansion of robotaxi operations to date in California, adding San Diego and Sacramento along with communities across Marin, Napa, Orange and Riverside counties. The approval from the California Public Utilities Commission expands the Alphabet-owned company’s permitted operating area across 18 districts, extending from Sonoma County in the north to San Diego in the south. The company plans to introduce the newly approved areas gradually, with driverless rides rolled out in phases under a safety-focused deployment approach. Waymo Expands Across Northern and Southern California The new approval significantly increases Waymo’s permitted operating footprint…

Motional is targeting the launch of driverless commercial robotaxi operations on the Uber platform in Las Vegas by the end of 2026, supported by a new artificial intelligence-based autonomous driving architecture centered on Large Driving Models (LDMs). AI-Centered Autonomous Driving Strategy The company, backed by Hyundai Motor Group, has redesigned its autonomous driving software around an AI-first approach intended to improve scalability and reduce deployment costs. https://evmagz.com/hesai-named-exclusive-lidar-supplier-for-motionals-ioniq-5-robotaxi/ Laura Major, who became Motional’s President and Chief Executive Officer in 2025 after serving as Chief Technology Officer, said the transition required short-term trade-offs to establish a stronger long-term technology foundation. At the…

Aidoptation has received approval from Belgian federal and regional authorities to begin Level 4 autonomous driving tests on public highways, allowing the company to evaluate its technology across 100 kilometers of the E313 and E314 motorways in the province of Limburg. The permit was issued by Belgium’s Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport (FOD) and the Flemish Agency for Roads and Traffic (AWV). According to Aidoptation, the authorization marks the first approval for Level 4 autonomous driving tests at highway speeds on public roads within the European Union. Testing will be conducted at speeds of up to 120 kilometers per…

HTEC and Embotech have entered into a strategic partnership aimed at accelerating the deployment of Level 4 autonomous driving technology across industrial vehicles, logistics facilities and multiple vehicle platforms. Under the agreement, HTEC will provide engineering resources to support Embotech’s safety-certified autonomous driving platform, while Embotech will retain ownership of its core autonomy software, certified safety architecture and product development roadmap. The companies said the collaboration is intended to help original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), logistics providers and industrial fleet operators deploy autonomous vehicle systems more efficiently across different operational environments. Engineering Support to Accelerate Deployment As part of the partnership,…

Germany’s STADT:up research initiative has concluded after bringing together 20 automotive companies, technology suppliers, universities, and research institutions to develop artificial intelligence technologies for automated driving in urban environments. Supported by €62.2 million in funding, the project culminated with a two-day demonstration event at the Aldenhoven Testing Centre, where participants showcased the automated driving technologies and research outcomes developed during the programme. AI Developed for Complex Urban Traffic The STADT:up project—short for Solutions and Technologies for Automated Driving in Town—was established to address one of the most difficult challenges facing autonomous vehicles: navigating busy city streets. While automated driving functions…

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has proposed removing the requirement for manual brake pedals in vehicles designed to operate exclusively with automated driving systems (ADS), marking the agency’s fifth update to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) under its Automated Vehicle Framework. The proposed rule would amend FMVSS No. 135 by eliminating the requirement for hand- and foot-operated brake controls in vehicles that are never intended to be driven by a human. Vehicles equipped with automated driving systems that continue to include manual driving controls would remain subject to the existing requirements. Performance Standards Would Remain…

Autonomous logistics company Neolix has stepped up its expansion in Europe, highlighting its Level 4 autonomous delivery technology at the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026 in Vienna and EUROBIKE 2026 in Frankfurt. The company is targeting retailers and logistics operators seeking autonomous last-mile delivery solutions, building on a fleet of approximately 21,000 autonomous delivery vehicles operating across more than 15 countries. According to Neolix, its autonomous fleet has accumulated more than 170 million kilometres of driving, while its largest deployment in a single city exceeds 2,000 vehicles. European Expansion Gains Momentum Neolix said its vehicles have obtained TÜV Rheinland…

ZF has unveiled a software-defined commercial vehicle demonstrator capable of connecting directly with logistics yard infrastructure, allowing operators to remotely control vehicle safety functions such as the parking brake from outside the cab. The proof-of-concept vehicle was presented during ZF’s CV Tech Day 2026 near Hanover, Germany, as part of the company’s efforts to prepare its chassis technologies for the next generation of software-defined commercial vehicles (SdCVs). Vehicle Connects Directly to Yard Infrastructure The demonstrator uses a service-oriented architecture, middleware, and standardized vehicle application programming interfaces (APIs) to enable vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication. According to ZF, the system automatically connects to…

Waymo has issued a voluntary recall affecting nearly 4,000 robotaxis after identifying incidents in which its autonomous vehicles entered highway sections closed for construction. The Alphabet-owned autonomous driving company said it has temporarily restricted freeway operations across its fleet while developing software improvements to address the issue. According to filings submitted to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Waymo identified 13 incidents involving robotaxis driving into highway construction zones between April and May. Incidents Occurred in Arizona and California The company reported six incidents in Phoenix, Arizona, during April and seven incidents in the San Francisco Bay Area…