Author: Elliot Harrison

Amazon’s self-driving vehicle unit Zoox is recalling 332 vehicles in the United States due to an automated driving systems (ADS) software error, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Tuesday. The recall affects Zoox vehicles running ADS software versions released before Dec. 19, the regulator said. NHTSA warned that in certain situations, particularly at or near intersections, the vehicles could cross the yellow centre line or stop in front of oncoming traffic, increasing the risk of a collision. Zoox has addressed the issue through a software update provided free of charge, NHTSA said. The latest action follows an earlier…

A fire at a substation caused a widespread power outage in San Francisco on Saturday, disrupting traffic across large parts of the city and temporarily sidelining autonomous taxis operated by Waymo, according to local media reports. The outage left much of the city without electricity, including traffic lights at major intersections, creating confusion for road users and automated systems alike. Several Waymo vehicles were reported to have become immobilised at junctions, contributing to congestion rather than alleviating it. Waymo subsequently suspended its self-driving taxi service in the city as conditions deteriorated. See also: Waymo Said to Seek New Funding at…

Automotive software specialist Embotech and Cariad, the software arm of Volkswagen Group, said they have successfully completed a proof of concept for Automated Vehicle Marshalling (AVM), demonstrating autonomous vehicle movement in complex production and logistics settings. The project used a Volkswagen ID.3 to validate the software’s ability to plan trajectories in real time and adapt dynamically to changing conditions, including mixed traffic and confined spaces. The companies said the trial confirms the feasibility of deploying autonomous driving functions within factory and logistics operations. See also: Volkswagen Group Begins Urban Autonomous Testing of Gen.Urban Research Vehicle in Wolfsburg During testing, the…

Alphabet’s autonomous driving unit Waymo is in talks with potential investors to raise fresh funding at a valuation of at least $100 billion, as competition intensifies in the emerging robotaxi market, the Information reported on Tuesday. The financing round could exceed $10 billion and is expected to be arranged early next year, the report said, citing people familiar with the company’s plans. Bloomberg News separately reported that Waymo is seeking to raise more than $15 billion at a valuation close to $100 billion, in a funding round led by its parent company, Alphabet. See also: Waymo Data Shows Most Robotaxi…

Volkswagen Group has started a new phase of autonomous driving tests with its Gen.Urban research vehicle in Wolfsburg, Germany, focusing on passenger interaction and trust in real-world urban traffic conditions. The Gen.Urban is a fully autonomous research platform designed without a steering wheel or pedals and is not intended for commercial use. The trials are being conducted on public roads in Wolfsburg to better understand how passengers experience and interact with self-driving vehicles in everyday traffic environments. See also: Norway’s Ruter Partners with Volkswagen’s Moia to Deploy Autonomous ID. Buzz Shuttles in Oslo According to Volkswagen, the testing program aims…

Foretellix and Voxel51 said they have launched a joint solution designed to improve the validation of autonomous vehicle systems by transforming real-world driving data into high-fidelity three-dimensional simulations. The integration combines Foretellix’s Physical AI toolchain with Voxel51’s visual AI data platform, enabling automated data curation, auditing, neural reconstruction and scenario variation within a single workflow. The companies said the approach addresses a growing challenge in autonomous vehicle development, where end-to-end AI architectures require large volumes of high-quality data that is costly and time-consuming to collect. See also: China Autonomous-Driving Developer CiDi Opens IPO Subscription in Hong Kong Under the joint…

Einride AB and IonQ have reported promising initial results from their ongoing collaboration to apply quantum computing to commercial freight operations. The companies are integrating quantum optimization into Einride’s Saga platform, marking what they describe as the first real-world use of quantum technology to analyze transport data for electric and autonomous logistics systems. The partnership, launched in May 2025, aims to strengthen Einride’s vertically integrated transport ecosystem by improving route planning, shipment allocation and overall fleet efficiency. Saga aggregates data from electric trucks, autonomous vehicles and charging networks to reduce energy use and minimize the number of vehicles required to…

Uber selected Lucid’s Gravity electric sport utility vehicle for its next-generation robotaxi fleet because the vehicle required minimal structural and electrical modification to support fully autonomous operations, Lucid’s chief financial officer said this week. Under the three-way partnership announced earlier this year, Uber will deploy driverless ride-hailing services using more than 20,000 Lucid Gravity vehicles equipped with autonomous systems from startup Nuro. Uber has also agreed to invest $300 million in Lucid as part of the arrangement. The robotaxis are expected to begin entering service next year. See also: Uber Invests in Lucid and Nuro to Launch Premium Robotaxi Service…

Aurora Innovation announced a commercial agreement with Detmar Logistics, a leading provider in dry bulk and frac sand solutions, to autonomously transport proppants, including frac sand, for a major multinational oil and gas company in the Permian Basin. The deployment, which will operate on public roads and highways, marks the first time frac sand will be hauled autonomously in the Permian Basin. It also establishes one of Aurora’s initial routes between customer sites, signaling an expansion beyond its current terminal-to-terminal operations. https://twitter.com/aurora_inno/status/1998021037339107709 Supervised autonomous operations between Detmar’s facility in Midland, Texas, and Capital Sand’s mining site in Monahans are scheduled…