Telefónica advances AI automation and enterprise edge
Telefónica has reported advances in AI-driven network automation and has expanded enterprise edge compute in Spain, stating 12 level‑4 autonomous use cases, a joint AI innovation hub with Mavenir, and a plan to deploy 17 edge nodes by end‑2026.
Hyundai negotiating supply of 50,000 EVs to Waymo
Hyundai has been negotiating a multi‑year deal to supply up to 50,000 IONIQ 5 electric vehicles to Waymo, integrating Waymo’s autonomous stack and signalling a potential shift towards large‑scale production of robotaxis pending regulatory and technical approvals.
Toyota, Pony.ai start bZ4X robotaxi mass production
Toyota and Pony.ai have begun mass production of the bZ4X Robotaxi in Guangzhou, aiming to produce over 1,000 units in 2026 and to deploy them across major Chinese Tier‑1 cities, integrating Pony.ai’s Gen‑7 autonomy and Toyota’s production standards.
CaoCao plans 100,000 robotaxis by 2030
CaoCao has unveiled a strategy to deploy 100,000 purpose‑built robotaxis by 2030 and has outlined plans for AI fleet management, charging and battery‑swap infrastructure, and overseas expansion including a strategic memorandum in Abu Dhabi.
Waymo raises $16bn to fund global robotaxi expansion
Waymo has secured $16bn to scale robotaxi operations, has planned launches in over 20 cities including London and Tokyo, and has designated funds for vehicles, infrastructure and commercial rollout while encountering regulatory scrutiny.
Waymo raises US$16bn to expand global operations
Waymo has completed a US$16 billion financing round that has valued the company at about US$126 billion, and has said the funds have been earmarked to scale Waymo Driver deployments in additional US and international cities.
Tesla shifts investment to AI and robots with $20bn plan
Tesla has announced a $20 billion capex plan and has ended production of the Model S and Model X, signalling a strategic pivot towards AI, driverless services, humanoid robots and expanded chip and battery manufacturing capacity.
NHTSA opens probe after Waymo vehicle struck child
Waymo has reported that a driverless vehicle has struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica; the child has sustained minor injuries, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a preliminary investigation into vehicle behaviour.
Waabi raises $750m to expand into robotaxi market
Waabi has raised $750m in a Series C and has received a $250m commitment from Uber to deploy robotaxis exclusively; the Toronto startup has signalled a strategic expansion from autonomous trucks into light‑duty passenger services.
Waabi raises $750m Series C, secures $1bn funding
Toronto-based Waabi has closed a $750m Series C and secured milestone funding from Uber, bringing available capital to $1bn. The investment has been earmarked to advance its Physical AI Platform and support expansion from trucking into robotaxis.
Gatik begins fully driverless commercial trucking operations
Gatik has deployed fully driverless trucks in commercial operations at scale, has completed 60,000 driverless orders and has secured over $600 million in contracted revenue, operating across multiple US states with partners including Isuzu, NVIDIA and Ryder.
Cyngn receives notice of allowance for 24th US patent
Cyngn received a notice of allowance for its 24th US patent, strengthening its autonomous vehicle IP portfolio and supporting commercial deployment of DriveMod in industrial logistics, manufacturing and material handling.
Waymo launches robotaxi service in Miami
Waymo has launched its robotaxi service in Miami, its sixth US market, and has opened operations across a 60-square-mile area. It has reported nearly 10,000 sign-ups and has outlined further US and international expansion plans.
STEER Tech and KINEXON partner on industrial AV systems
STEER Tech and KINEXON will integrate RTLS with autonomy and fleet software to improve indoor localisation, fleet coordination, safety and scalability for industrial autonomous vehicles and robots.
Aurora, McLeod launch TMS link for driverless trucking
Aurora and McLeod have deployed an API-based TMS integration to enable carriers to tender, dispatch and track autonomous trucks within existing workflows; availability is immediate for eligible McLeod customers.
Pony.ai and BAIC BJEV deepen Robotaxi partnership
Pony.ai and BAIC BJEV expanded their partnership to co-design and produce Level 4 robotaxis, scale manufacturing and pursue international commercial deployment while optimising operations and costs.
Nvidia expected to challenge Tesla's FSD in several years
Musk said Nvidia's Alpamayo models could pressure Tesla's Full Self‑Driving in five to six years, noting long‑tail safety challenges and delayed manufacturer adoption.
Product liability risks in autonomous trucking
Autonomous trucking advances outpace legal frameworks, raising product liability exposure for manufacturers, software providers and fleets and risking substantial financial awards and litigation uncertainty across supply chains.
Seeing Machines forms Future Mobility Group
Seeing Machines established a Future Mobility Group to support OEMs and autonomous-vehicle programmes by integrating driver and occupant monitoring systems for scaled commercial deployment across robotaxi, logistics and remote-operation platforms.
IIIT-A develops semantic communication for vehicles
IIIT-A develops semantic communication to reduce sensor data bandwidth for autonomous vehicles, with IIIT Gwalior and Jabalpur; funded by a ₹1.46 crore grant and applicable to traffic control and 6G.
Kodiak AI and Bosch to scale autonomous truck platform
Kodiak AI has partnered with Bosch to scale manufacturing and integration of a safety-redundant autonomous truck platform, targeting commercial upfitter and factory installations and driverless highway operations by H2 2026.
Autonomous Trucking, EV Charging and Logistics News
Multiple developments across autonomous trucking, EV charging, logistics and fleet operations, including financing, partnerships, regulatory updates and infrastructure deployments affecting commercial transport and supply‑chain efficiency.
CiDi expands autonomous commercial deployments; Hong Kong IPO
CiDi is scaling autonomous vehicle deployments in closed environments, delivered 414 trucks with 647 indicative orders, pursuing international expansion and commenced Hong Kong IPO on 11 December 2025.
California advances draft rules for driverless heavy trucks
California's DMV advanced draft regulations propose phased permits for driverless heavy trucks, requiring 500,000 driverless and 1,000,000 cumulative miles before commercial deployment; testing permits may arrive by late 2026.
Trucking technology industry developments and partnerships
Compilation of recent trucking-technology developments: partnerships, funding, product launches, autonomous and electric vehicle deployments, infrastructure projects, regulatory issues and commercial milestones affecting fleet operators and suppliers.
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.