Author: Maya Rios

Tesla said its Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised driver-assistance system is now available in several markets including China, marking the company’s first official announcement of the technology’s rollout in the world’s largest electric vehicle market. Tesla disclosed the update on Thursday through a post on social media platform X. The rollout comes about a week after U.S. President Donald Trump visited China accompanied by a delegation of American business executives that included Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk. https://twitter.com/Tesla/status/2057226337010745348 Earlier this week, Tesla China published multiple job openings related to autonomous driving development, including positions for autopilot test engineers and data labelers,…

Kodiak AI has begun autonomous freight operations for Roehl Transport on a Dallas-Houston route, marking another step in the commercialization of self-driving trucking technology in the United States. The Mountain View, California-based company said the service launched in April 2026 and currently operates four roundtrips per week using trucks equipped with the Kodiak Driver autonomous driving system. The partnership expands Kodiak AI’s commercial freight network across the southern United States, where the company already operates routes connecting Dallas, Houston, Oklahoma City, Atlanta and El Paso. Kodiak said its autonomous trucking operations also include deployments in West Texas’s Permian Basin, where…

Swedish freight technology company Einride and U.S. carrier EASE Logistics are preparing a pilot project involving autonomous electric trucks operating in the U.S. state of Ohio. The project will deploy two units of Einride’s autonomous battery-electric eBot truck between EASE Logistics facilities as part of real-world freight transport operations. The eBot, previously introduced by Einride as the Gen 2 Rigid Large platform in 2022, differs from conventional trucks by eliminating the driver’s cab entirely, allowing more space for cargo capacity. The vehicle uses a box-body configuration and is designed specifically for autonomous freight transport. Einride has not publicly disclosed detailed…

Nuro has received regulatory approval to begin testing autonomous vehicles with passengers on public roads in California, marking another milestone in its planned robotaxi partnership with Uber and Lucid. The approval allows Nuro to conduct test drives with passengers while a safety driver remains behind the wheel. The company also received separate approval to test vehicles on public roads without occupants, meaning no safety driver or passengers are required during those operations. The permits expand Nuro’s testing capabilities but stop short of authorising a fully commercial robotaxi service. Under current rules, the company is not yet permitted to operate fully…

Humble Robotics has introduced the Humble Hauler, an autonomous electric freight vehicle designed without a traditional driver’s cabin and aimed initially at container transport operations. The San Francisco-based startup is taking a different approach from established autonomous truck developers such as Sweden’s Einride by focusing on a flatbed container chassis rather than a box-body truck design. The Humble Hauler replaces the conventional cab with a narrow front section equipped with cameras and sensors, allowing more space for payload capacity. Humble Robotics said the vehicle was designed specifically for autonomous freight operations rather than adapted from an existing truck platform. “Trucks…

Norway is set to introduce Europe’s first autonomous public bus service operating without a safety driver on board, following regulatory approval for deployment in the city of Stavanger. The approval was granted by Statens Vegvesen to transport operator Vy Buss, allowing the company to place an autonomous electric bus into regular service within the Kolumbus network. See also: Bertrandt Tests BumbleB Autonomous Shuttle in Stuttgart Mobility Project The project has been under development since 2022 and uses the autonomous Karsan e-ATAK bus manufactured by Karsan and equipped with autonomous driving technology from Adastec. The vehicle operates with Level 4 autonomy,…

An autonomous electric shuttle developed by Bertrandt has entered real-world testing in Stuttgart as part of a research initiative aimed at transforming corporate mobility and reducing reliance on private cars. The shuttle, named BumbleB, is being deployed within the IZSMO (Institutszentrum Stuttgart Mobility) project, led by Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO in collaboration with Esslingen University. The project focuses on improving commuting options for employees at the Fraunhofer IZS campus by integrating multiple transport modes into a more sustainable system. See also: Bertrandt Unveils ‘BumbleB’ Autonomous Shuttle for Rural Mobility As part of the initiative, approximately 700 parking spaces…

Volkswagen Group’s mobility brand Moia is partnering with Beep, an Orlando-based operator of autonomous transport systems, to deploy large-scale shared autonomous shuttle services across the United States. The companies say their long-term ambition is to build a fleet of up to 5,000 vehicles, aimed primarily at public transportation use cases rather than private robotaxi rides. If realized, the deployment would rival the scale of Moia’s separate collaboration with Uber, which is targeting “thousands of vehicles” for robotaxi services. However, the Beep partnership diverges in its approach: instead of focusing on individual ride-hailing, the companies are prioritizing multi-passenger autonomous shuttles designed…

Waymo and Waze have launched a pilot program to provide pothole detection data gathered by autonomous vehicles to city transportation authorities across five U.S. metropolitan areas, in a move aimed at helping municipalities identify and repair road damage more quickly. The initiative integrates Waymo’s road condition detection data into the Waze for Cities platform, adding autonomous vehicle-generated information to the platform’s existing pool of user-submitted traffic and road reports. Waymo said its autonomous vehicles use perception systems and physical feedback sensors to detect potholes while operating on public roads. The data will be shared free of charge with participating municipal…

Turkish electric bus maker Karsan said its autonomous e-ATAK electric bus has received nationwide testing approval in France following a six-month pilot program in Paris. The approval was granted by France’s Directorate-General for Energy and Climate, the agency within the Ministry of Transport responsible for autonomous mobility authorization, Karsan said. The Level 4 autonomous electric bus completed testing with RATP Group on Paris Route 393, covering around 3,000 kilometers in real-world urban traffic conditions. Karsan said the vehicle achieved a 98% autonomous driving success rate without driver intervention during the trial. The project was carried out in partnership with autonomous…

Volkswagen subsidiary MOIA America and Uber have started testing autonomous microbuses in Los Angeles, as part of preparations to launch a commercial robotaxi service by late 2026. The companies said initial testing will begin in the coming weeks with around 10 autonomous versions of the Volkswagen ID. Buzz. The production-ready vehicle is designed to carry up to four passengers. The Los Angeles rollout is the first phase of a broader plan announced last year to deploy autonomous ID. Buzz-based robotaxis across multiple U.S. cities over the next decade. https://twitter.com/Uber/status/2041960274375192686 “Los Angeles is a natural market to introduce our autonomous vehicles…

A major European research initiative led by Volkswagen AG has found that automated driving could significantly reduce road fatalities while improving energy efficiency, according to results from the Hi-Drive EU Flagship project. The study, conducted over 53 months using simulations based on real-world driving data, indicates that a 30% penetration of automated vehicles could reduce fatal motorway accidents by around 20%. In urban environments, fatalities could fall by approximately 22%, alongside even greater reductions in minor injury incidents. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland played a central role in assessing the broader impacts of automation on traffic systems, including safety,…

Waymo has launched its fully driverless ride-hailing service in Nashville, marking its 11th active market in the United States as the company continues to expand its commercial footprint. Starting April 7, selected users in the city can begin booking rides without a human driver via the Waymo app. Access will initially be limited, with invitations issued gradually to ensure what the company described as a “consistent, comfortable, and especially safe rider experience from day one.” https://twitter.com/Waymo/status/2041502503850619119 The service covers an area of approximately 60 square miles, including key districts such as Downtown, Midtown, Music Row and East Nashville. Waymo said…

Collect&Go will begin testing driverless delivery vehicles in central Leuven from mid-May through August, as part of a pilot project aimed at improving last-mile logistics. The initiative is being conducted in partnership with Telenet, which will provide mobile network connectivity linking the vehicles to a remote security control centre. The pilot will use the Clevon 1, an autonomous delivery vehicle developed by Clevon and acquired in 2025 by indiGOtech. The compact electric vehicle, described by its developer as an “autonomous delivery robot,” operates without a steering wheel or pedals and is designed for urban environments, measuring 2.50 metres in length,…

Also, a company spun off from Rivian, has entered a strategic partnership with DoorDash to develop and deploy small autonomous electric vehicles for last-mile delivery in urban environments. The collaboration includes investment, joint product development, and plans for commercial deployment, focusing on purpose-built vehicles designed to operate in dense city areas such as cycle lanes, kerbsides, and road shoulders—spaces often inaccessible to conventional delivery vans. “ALSO is building purpose-built EVs that are designed to unlock new ways to meet customers and merchants where they are,” said Stanley Tang, co-founder and head of DoorDash Labs. “We’re excited to invest and partner…

Waymo said it is now providing 500,000 paid robotaxi rides per week across 10 U.S. cities, marking a significant milestone in the company’s commercial expansion of autonomous ride-hailing services. The company disclosed the figure in a social media post, highlighting a tenfold increase in weekly paid trips from around 50,000 in May 2024. The growth reflects both rising demand and an expanding operational footprint across the United States. See also: Waymo Expands Robotaxi Service to Four Additional U.S. Cities Over the past two years, Waymo has scaled beyond its initial markets of Phoenix, San Francisco and Los Angeles to include…

General Motors is moving forward with the development of Level 3 automated driving technology, announcing plans to begin road testing in the United States using its flagship electric SUV, the Cadillac Escalade IQ, even as European rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz pull back from similar systems. The Detroit-based automaker said it will deploy a fleet of around 200 test vehicles equipped with the new system, each accompanied by a human safety driver. The trials mark a shift from earlier data-gathering efforts to active testing in real-world traffic conditions. Unlike GM’s existing Super Cruise, which operates at SAE Level 2 and requires…

Ride-hailing platform Uber has announced a partnership with electric vehicle maker Rivian to deploy a large-scale fleet of robotaxis, as part of its broader push into autonomous mobility. Under the agreement, Uber plans to invest up to $1.25 billion in Rivian over the coming years, with the goal of bringing as many as 50,000 autonomous vehicles based on Rivian’s R2 electric SUV onto its platform. The deal includes an initial investment of $300 million, with additional funding tied to the achievement of development milestones in autonomous driving. The partnership marks Uber’s latest move in a series of collaborations aimed at…

Pony AI has partnered with Uber and Croatian startup Verne to launch what the companies describe as Europe’s first commercial robotaxi service, starting in Zagreb. The collaboration will initially deploy an autonomous vehicle fleet in Zagreb, where public road validation and testing are already underway. Pony AI will provide its autonomous driving technology, while Verne will own the fleet and oversee day-to-day operations. Uber will integrate the robotaxi offering into its global ride-hailing platform, alongside Verne’s own user-facing services. The partners plan to expand the fleet to thousands of vehicles over the coming years, with a broader rollout across additional…

Epiroc has secured a major order for autonomous and electric open-pit mining equipment in Africa, as mining companies increasingly adopt low-emission and automated solutions. The order, valued at 380 million Swedish kronor (approximately €35 million), includes a fleet of electrically powered Pit Viper 275 E rotary blast hole drill rigs. Epiroc said deliveries are set to begin shortly and are expected to be completed by the end of 2027. The company did not disclose the identity of the customer, the project location, or the specific country where the equipment will be deployed. “Epiroc is on the forefront of mining automation…