Waymo deploys software update after San Francisco blackout
Waymo issued a software update after a San Francisco power outage left several driverless taxis stranded; the patch improves vehicle decision-making at unlit intersections and emergency coordination with city agencies.
Mercedes-Benz acquires 3% stake in Geely-backed Qianli
Mercedes-Benz acquired a 3% stake in Geely-backed Qianli after integrating its autonomous-driving business; Qianli will consolidate technology and management to pursue model‑centric systems, with no deployment timelines disclosed.
Tier IV to lead NEDO-backed autonomous driving dataset
Tier IV, supported by NEDO, will assemble large-scale real and synthetic multimodal sensor datasets and an AI data platform to support autonomous vehicle development and validation in Japan.
Uber and Lyft to trial Baidu robotaxis in London
Uber and Lyft will trial Baidu’s Apollo Go RT6 robotaxis in London in 2026, pending regulatory approval; pilots aim to gather safety and performance data under Automated Vehicles Act 2024.
Waymo robotaxis stalled in San Francisco blackout
A San Francisco power outage halted Waymo robotaxis at intersections, disrupting traffic; Waymo suspended service and is reviewing emergency protocols and software to address infrastructure and connectivity failures.
Waymo updates fleet, protocols after San Francisco blackout
Waymo will deploy fleet-wide navigation updates, revise emergency response protocols and enhance first-responder training after a San Francisco blackout disrupted driverless operations.
Waymo halts San Francisco robotaxi service after blackout
Waymo suspended driverless ride-hail operations in San Francisco after a widespread power outage; city services responded and restoration continued while Tesla said its supervised service was unaffected.
dSPACE integrates OMNIVISION camera models into AURELION
dSPACE and OMNIVISION will integrate sensor models into AURELION to enable virtual testing of camera-based ADAS and autonomous driving perception, aiming to reduce physical testing and accelerate development.
Panasonic Energy to supply 2170 cells for Zoox robotaxis
Panasonic Energy will supply 2170 lithium-ion cells to Zoox under a multi-year agreement, shipping from Japan starting early 2026 with planned expansion to production in Kansas.
Robotaxi market expansion and company rollouts, 2025
Waymo expanded robotaxi operations across multiple US and international markets in 2025, while Zoox, Tesla and Chinese firms increased pilot services amid regulatory, safety and commercial challenges.
NEC deploys vehicle management system at Haneda Airport
NEC has deployed a Vehicle Management Equipment system at Haneda Airport to support Level 4 autonomous ground vehicles, integrating signal controls and cameras for restricted-area operations.
Tesla confirms driverless Robotaxi tests in Austin
Tesla reported driverless Robotaxi tests are under way in Austin; the company previously operated limited services with safety supervisors. Shares rose 3.6% to $475.31.
NHTSA modernises safety standards for automated vehicles
NHTSA published final research on adapting 81 FMVSS to accommodate automated driving systems, soliciting public comment to inform rulemaking and facilitate safe deployment of ADS-equipped vehicles.
Helm.ai achieves vision-only zero-shot steering
Helm.ai reports a Factored Embodied AI framework enabling vision-only zero-shot steering in urban environments after 1,000 hours of real driving data, using semantic simulation and geometric world representations.
QCraft targets Saudi Arabia for autonomous driving
QCraft plans pilots and investments in Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East, offering Level 2-4 autonomous systems and commercial shuttles aligned with regional transport and logistics initiatives.
Rivian unveils autonomy hardware, AI models
Rivian unveiled in-house chips, lidar-enabled autonomy computers and AI models, and announced an Autonomy+ subscription priced at $2,500 or $49.99 monthly, targeting early 2026 availability.
Stellantis and Bolt to deploy Level 4 AVs across Europe
Stellantis will supply AV-Ready platforms to integrate with Bolt’s European ride-hailing network, with trials from 2026, initial production targeted for 2029 and regulatory alignment across EU markets.
Rivian highlights AI and autonomy amid sales slowdown
Rivian will host an Autonomy and AI Day to present in‑house software and autonomy plans as electric vehicle sales slow and investors seek future growth drivers.
Stellantis and Bolt to deploy Level-4 AVs in Europe
Stellantis and Bolt will introduce Level-4 autonomous vehicles across Europe, starting tests in 2026, scaling to production by 2029 and targeting up to 100,000 vehicles by 2035.
Autonomous vehicle collision in Zhuzhou injures two
An autonomous vehicle in Zhuzhou struck two pedestrians; both are in intensive care. Operator Hello is cooperating with authorities and local robotaxi services have been suspended pending investigation.
GM consolidates product and technology under Anderson
GM has centralised product, software, battery and manufacturing functions under Chief Product Officer Sterling Anderson to unify vehicle development, while several senior technology executives have departed amid the restructuring.
NVIDIA releases Alpamayo-R1 open-source AI for autonomy
NVIDIA released Alpamayo-R1, an open-source vision-language-action AI suite to integrate perception, reasoning and planning for autonomous vehicles and provide simulation and data tools for testing.
Abu Dhabi launches fully driverless robotaxi service
WeRide and Uber began fully driverless robotaxi operations on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, on 26 November 2025 under a city-level commercial permit enabling driverless, app-bookable autonomous rides.
HORIBA MIRA and TIER IV to trial L4 autonomous buses
HORIBA MIRA will provide UK test facilities and safety expertise; TIER IV supplies an open-source stack and L4 electric minibuses to validate autonomous bus operations in Europe.
LEO Satellite Constellations and Transport Connectivity
Expansion of LEO satellite constellations promises global mobility connectivity, enabling tolling, navigation and autonomous services while increasing GNSS resilience and hybrid satellite-terrestrial redundancy requirements.
Bolt and Pony.ai to pilot Level‑4 robotaxis in Europe
Bolt will integrate Pony.ai’s Level‑4 autonomous platform to conduct safety validation and user‑experience testing in select European cities, pending regulatory approvals and staged deployments.
Xiaomi releases open-source MiMo‑Embodied model
Xiaomi released MiMo‑Embodied, an open-source vision‑language foundation model for autonomous driving and embodied robotics, available on Hugging Face and GitHub to support cross‑domain developer integration.
QCraft and Chery partner on L4 autonomous logistics
QCraft and Chery will integrate QCraft’s Level 4 driving technology into Chery commercial vehicles to develop autonomous logistics solutions for short-distance deliveries and commercialise them at scale.
Chinese robotaxi firms expand internationally as sector scales
Chinese robotaxi companies are accelerating overseas expansion as Baidu reports driverless, staff‑free rides and per‑vehicle profitability in Wuhan; scale, partnerships and regulatory approvals will affect global commercialisation.
Pony.ai unveils Gen-4 autonomous trucks for 2026 production
Pony.ai announced Gen-4 battery-electric autonomous trucks, developed with SANY, targeting thousand-unit production in 2026; company cites bill-of-materials cost reductions, platooning economics and emissions metrics.
Tesla granted permit to operate ride-hail in Arizona
Arizona granted Tesla a transportation‑network permit; additional licences remain required before commercial robotaxi operations. Company seeks deployment by 2026 amid established competition in the autonomous ride‑hail sector.
Abu Dhabi launches Level 4 commercial robotaxi service
Abu Dhabi has authorised commercial Level 4 driverless robotaxi operations, permitting two operators to offer public rides following regulatory approval and safety validation.
Abu Dhabi starts commercial Level 4 robotaxi services
Abu Dhabi has authorised commercial Level 4 autonomous taxi services, issuing permits to two operators after safety assessments, with digital oversight and regulatory alignment.
Waymo begins driverless highway operations in US cities
Waymo initiated driverless highway operations in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Phoenix using a phased opt‑in rollout after extensive testing; company cites reduced travel times and plans further US expansion.
Baidu Apollo Go robotaxi: 17m rides, global expansion
Apollo Go has completed over 17 million driverless rides, operates in 22 cities, reports 250,000 weekly fully driverless orders and projects profitability by 2025 amid vehicle cost reductions.
Embodied AI: industrial competitive dynamics
Embodied AI shifts value from software to physical systems, creating chokepoints in materials, edge compute, integration and networks; winners will close the loop between algorithmic learning and manufacturing.
China's L4 Autonomous Driving Firms WeRide and Pony.ai List in Hong Kong
WeRide and Pony.ai debuted on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with over 10% share price declines, continuing their dual-listing strategy to access broader financing and investor bases.
Xpeng Unveils Navigation-Free L4 Driving, Partners with Volkswagen
Xpeng introduced its VLA 2.0 model featuring navigation-free assisted driving, partnering with Volkswagen and planning L4 Robo and Robotaxi models by 2026.
Bluedot Supports Avride with EV Charging and Fleet Management
Bluedot Technologies partners with Avride to deliver an integrated EV charging and fleet management platform, enhancing energy monitoring and operational efficiency for autonomous vehicles in the US.
Wipro and IISc Introduce Indian Driverless Car Prototype
Wipro, IISc and RV College unveiled WIRIN, a driverless car prototype designed for India's complex road conditions, marking progress in autonomous vehicle technology tailored for local mobility.
May Mobility and Grab to Launch Autonomous Taxis in Southeast Asia
May Mobility and Grab have formed a partnership to integrate autonomous vehicle technology into Grab's services, aiming to deploy self-driving taxis across Southeast Asian urban markets.
Uber and WeRide Introduce Robotaxi Service in Riyadh
Uber and WeRide have launched an autonomous robotaxi service in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, integrating with Uber's platform for pilot rides supported by local transport authorities.
China Targets 80% EV Penetration and L4 Autonomy by 2040
China’s latest automotive roadmap aims for over 80% new energy vehicle penetration, widespread L4 autonomy, and a 60% carbon emissions reduction by 2040, enhancing global industry competitiveness.
GM to Launch Advanced AI and Autonomous Driving Tech by 2028
General Motors plans to introduce Google AI-driven assistant and hands-free, eyes-off driver-assistance system by 2028, alongside new computing platforms and energy leasing services.
Baidu's Apollo Go to Launch Driverless Taxis in Switzerland
Baidu's Apollo Go plans to begin testing robotaxis in Switzerland by December, aiming for a public driverless service by early 2027 amid growing competition in Europe's robotaxi market.
Stellantis and Pony.ai Partner on European Robotaxi Development
Stellantis and Pony.ai have signed a non-binding MoU to develop robotaxi services in Europe, beginning with battery-electric vans and testing in Luxembourg, targeting rollout in 2026.
