Articles tagged with "driverless-technology"
Waymo raises $16B to scale robotaxi fleet internationally
Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company owned by Alphabet, has raised $16 billion in a funding round led by Dragoneer Investment Group, DST Global, and Sequoia Capital, valuing the company at $126 billion. Alphabet remains the majority investor, with additional participation from major firms including Andreessen Horowitz, Mubadala Capital, and Tiger Global. The capital will support Waymo’s aggressive expansion plans to scale its driverless taxi fleet internationally, targeting over 20 new cities in 2026, including major global hubs like London and Tokyo. Domestically, Waymo has rapidly grown its robotaxi service across several U.S. metropolitan areas such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, Miami, and Atlanta, providing around 400,000 rides weekly and surpassing 20 million rides in total. Since its early testing phase in Phoenix, Waymo has transitioned from a proof-of-concept to a commercial operation, notably receiving permits in California in 2023 that allowed it to
robotautonomous-vehiclesrobotaxiWaymodriverless-technologytransportation-technologyAI-roboticsTesla launches robotaxi rides in Austin with no human safety driver
Tesla has launched robotaxi rides in Austin, Texas, that operate without a human safety driver in the front seat, marking a significant milestone in autonomous vehicle deployment. The announcement was made via Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s social media post, congratulating the Tesla AI team and simultaneously recruiting engineers to work on advancing real-world AI toward artificial general intelligence (AGI). Previously, Tesla had offered robotaxi rides with a safety operator present and initially limited these rides to influencers and select customers. Currently, only a portion of Tesla’s Austin robotaxi fleet operates fully driverless, with unsupervised vehicles mixed among those still monitored by safety drivers. Tesla plans to gradually increase the ratio of fully autonomous vehicles over time. It remains unclear whether Tesla is charging passengers for these driverless rides, as the company has not provided details on pricing. This cautious rollout contrasts with some competitors like Zoox and Waymo, which initially offered free driverless rides during their early deployments. Tesla has not responded to requests for further clarification.
robotautonomous-vehiclesTeslaAIrobotaxidriverless-technologytransportation-innovationHow Motional’s Robotaxi is Making Driverless Vehicles a Safe, Reliable and Accessible Reality - CleanTechnica
Motional, Hyundai Motor Group’s autonomous driving joint venture, is set to launch a fully driverless Level 4 robotaxi service in Las Vegas by the end of 2026. The company emphasizes a "Safety First" philosophy, ensuring its IONIQ 5 robotaxi and systems comply with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and undergo rigorous independent validation, including assessments by TÜV SÜD. Motional’s phased validation program includes extensive simulation, closed-environment testing, and gradual public road deployment to build public trust and confirm operational readiness, balancing technological progress with robust safety measures. A key innovation in Motional’s approach is the transition from traditional modular autonomous driving systems to an end-to-end (E2E) AI-driven motion planning framework. This integrated system combines perception, decision-making, and control into a single learned process, enabling more natural and adaptable driving behavior. The company aims to develop Large Driving Models (LDM) trained on vast datasets to enhance performance in complex traffic
robotautonomous-vehiclesAIdriverless-technologyMotionalrobotaxiautomotive-innovationMotional puts AI at center of robotaxi reboot as it targets 2026 for driverless service
Motional, a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv, has rebooted its autonomous robotaxi program with a new AI-first strategy, targeting a fully driverless commercial service launch in Las Vegas by the end of 2026. After missing earlier deadlines and undergoing significant layoffs that reduced its workforce from about 1,400 to under 600 employees, the company shifted from a traditional robotics approach to integrating large-scale AI models inspired by advances in transformer architectures, similar to those behind ChatGPT. This transition aims to create a more generalized, scalable, and cost-effective self-driving system capable of adapting to new cities and environments without extensive redevelopment. Previously, Motional’s system relied on multiple individual machine learning models combined with rule-based software, resulting in a complex architecture. The new approach consolidates these smaller models into a single backbone while retaining them for developer use, enhancing flexibility and efficiency. Motional has already launched a robotaxi service with human safety operators for employees and plans to extend this to the
robotautonomous-vehiclesAIdriverless-technologyrobotaxiMotionalself-driving-carsZoox issues software recall over lane crossings
Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company Zoox has issued a voluntary software recall affecting 332 vehicles due to concerns that its self-driving system caused vehicles to cross center lane lines near intersections or block crosswalks. Although no collisions have been reported, Zoox acknowledged in its National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) filing that these behaviors could increase crash risk. The issues included robotaxis stopping in crosswalks at red lights and making wide turns that partially entered opposing lanes. The problem was first identified on August 26, and Zoox found 62 similar instances through December 5. The company updated its software twice—in November and mid-December—to address these problems and is in ongoing discussions with NHTSA regarding their frequency and severity. The recall covers Zoox vehicles operating on public roads between March 13 and December 18. Zoox emphasized transparency and safety as reasons for the recall, stating it continually refines its technology. This is not the first software recall for Zoox this year;
robotautonomous-vehiclessoftware-recalldriverless-technologysafetyZooxtransportation-technologyTwo Driverless Teslas Testing In Austin Caught On Camera - CleanTechnica
Two driverless Tesla robotaxis without human safety monitors were recently spotted testing on the roads of Austin, Texas, confirming earlier reports that fully autonomous Tesla vehicles would be operational there before the end of 2025. Elon Musk acknowledged the sightings, stating that testing is underway with no occupants inside the cars. At least two vehicles with different license plates were observed driving without anyone behind the wheel, marking a significant step toward Tesla's goal of human-less robotaxi service. However, the exact number of such vehicles currently testing remains unclear. Despite this progress, skepticism remains regarding the readiness and safety of Tesla’s autonomous technology. Past data shows Tesla has experienced at least seven robotaxi accidents with fewer than 30 vehicles on the road in Austin, raising questions about the system’s reliability. Experts emphasize that proving autonomy safe across diverse environments requires billions of miles of data, far beyond Tesla’s current logged mileage. The future of Tesla’s robotaxi deployment will likely hinge on accident rates and public and regulatory responses. Tesla’s
robotautonomous-vehiclesTesladriverless-technologyrobotaxiself-driving-carsautomotive-roboticsTesla To Reach Huge Robotaxi Milestone Just In Time, Elon Musk Says - CleanTechnica
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has reiterated that the company will begin operating fully driverless robotaxis in Austin within about three weeks, removing human safety monitors from the vehicles entirely. This marks a significant milestone beyond the current phase where roughly 30 Tesla robotaxis operate in cities like Austin and San Francisco but still require human safety drivers to supervise and intervene when necessary. Musk stated at the xAI Hackathon that “unsupervised is pretty much solved,” signaling Tesla’s confidence in its Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology to handle passenger transport without onboard human supervision. However, skepticism remains about whether Tesla is truly ready to deploy fully autonomous robotaxis at scale or if the initial rollout will be limited and closely monitored remotely, similar to other companies like Waymo and Zoox. Observers note Tesla’s history of cautious public demonstrations, such as with its Optimus humanoid robot, where remote operators have intervened behind the scenes. The year 2026 is seen as a critical juncture for Tesla’s
robotTeslarobotaxiautonomous-vehiclesElon-MuskOptimus-robotdriverless-technologyAutolane is building ‘air traffic control’ for autonomous vehicles
Autolane, a Palo Alto-based startup, is developing an “air traffic control” system for autonomous vehicles aimed at coordinating critical handoff moments such as pickup and drop-off locations. With $7.4 million in new funding from investors including Draper Associates and Hyperplane, Autolane plans to create both physical infrastructure—like signage at designated spots—and software to manage autonomous vehicle arrivals on private properties. The company has already partnered with Simon Property Group to implement this system at shopping centers in Austin and San Francisco, focusing initially on robotaxi services but with ambitions to support a broader range of autonomous vehicle tasks in the future. Autolane’s CEO, Ben Seidl, emphasizes that the startup operates as an “application layer” in the autonomous vehicle ecosystem, orchestrating and coordinating vehicle movements rather than building the vehicles or fundamental technology themselves. Seidl points to real-world challenges, such as a Waymo robotaxi getting stuck in a Chick-fil-A drive-through, as examples of the operational chaos
robotautonomous-vehiclesrobotaxitransportation-infrastructuredriverless-technologymobilitysmart-cities"Big Short" Investor Michael Burry Says Tesla "Ridiculously Overvalued" - CleanTechnica
Michael Burry, the investor known for "The Big Short," has publicly stated that Tesla is "ridiculously overvalued," a position he elaborated on in his newly launched Substack column. Burry criticizes Tesla's stock-based compensation practices, arguing that these costs are not properly accounted for under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). He contends that Tesla dilutes shareholders by about 3.6% annually without conducting buybacks, which, when factored into true profit calculations, should lead to a lower valuation for the company. This perspective aligns with Warren Buffett’s earlier criticism of stock-based compensation as a real expense that companies often obscure. The article also highlights Tesla’s current critical juncture related to its Full Self Driving (FSD) technology. While some investors are optimistic that achieving truly driverless capabilities will dramatically increase vehicle demand and revenue, the technology faces significant challenges, including rising hardware and AI costs and recent accidents involving Tesla’s limited robotaxi fleet. The company is under
robotautonomous-vehiclesTeslaFull-Self-DrivingAIdriverless-technologyrobotaxisWaymo launching driverless robotaxis in 5 more cities
Waymo is expanding its driverless robotaxi services by removing human safety drivers in Miami starting immediately and plans to do the same in four additional cities over the coming weeks. Initially, these fully autonomous rides will be available only to Waymo employees, with public access expected to begin in 2026. This expansion doubles the number of cities where Waymo operates without human specialists in the vehicle, reflecting advancements in their AI, hardware, and operational safety. To date, Waymo’s robotaxis have driven over 100 million fully autonomous miles and completed more than 10 million paid rides, currently providing over 250,000 rides per week. In 2025, Waymo has broadened its service conditions by enabling robotaxi rides on freeways in the San Francisco Bay Area, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, and expanded its coverage in the Bay Area to include San Jose and airport curbside service. The company is also testing operations in challenging environments such as New York City, Washington, D.C.,
robotautonomous-vehiclesrobotaxiAIWaymodriverless-technologysmart-transportationWaymo plans to bring driverless robotaxis to London in 2026 - The Robot Report
Waymo LLC announced plans to launch its fully driverless robotaxi services in London by 2026, aiming to integrate with the city's extensive public transportation infrastructure. The company, which has already accumulated over 100 million autonomous miles and provided more than 10 million paid rides in the U.S., intends to collaborate with its fleet partner Moove and engage local authorities to secure necessary permissions. Waymo’s existing presence in the U.K. includes engineering hubs in London and Oxford, and partnerships with British automaker Jaguar Land Rover, whose electric I-PACE vehicles are equipped with Waymo’s autonomous driving technology. The initiative aligns with London’s transportation goals, particularly reducing road injuries and fatalities, as Waymo’s data indicates its vehicles are involved in significantly fewer injury-causing collisions compared to human drivers. The U.K. government supports the move, highlighting the potential for job creation, investment, and technological leadership. Beyond London, Waymo is expanding its robotaxi services globally, with ongoing testing in Tokyo and
robotautonomous-vehiclesrobotaxiWaymoelectric-vehiclesdriverless-technologytransportation-innovationBYD-Led Consortium Awarded Contract for Autonomous Buses in Singapore - CleanTechnica
A consortium led by BYD, alongside MKX Technologies and Zhidao Network Technology, has secured a contract with Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) to introduce autonomous buses into public operation by the second half of 2026. The initial pilot will deploy six autonomous buses on existing routes 191 and 400, with plans to potentially add 14 more during the trial phase and expand further thereafter. The buses, similar to BYD’s J6 model designed for narrow, congested streets, will complement existing services by maintaining routes with lower ridership and enabling new routes constrained by manpower shortages. The autonomous buses will employ advanced technologies including cameras, radar, LiDAR, and remote operation capabilities, with rigorous safety testing and phased deployment starting with onboard safety operators before transitioning to remote monitoring. This initiative marks a significant step for autonomous public transit, as Singapore’s dense urban environment, short travel distances, and slow speeds create favorable conditions for early adoption. The LTA emphasized the consortium’s proven international
robotautonomous-vehicleselectric-busessmart-transportationLiDARdriverless-technologypublic-transit-innovationKodiak Robotics to use NXP processors in autonomous trucks - The Robot Report
Kodiak Robotics has announced the integration of NXP Semiconductors’ automotive processors and in-vehicle networking interfaces into its autonomous driving system, the Kodiak Driver. This integration aims to enhance the system’s performance, robustness, and reliability, particularly in safety-critical computing functions. Kodiak’s custom-designed Kodiak Actuation Control Engine (ACE) will incorporate NXP’s S32G3 vehicle network processor, S32K3 microcontroller, VR5510 power management IC, and PF53 regulator to manage vehicle actuation independently and enable safe fallback maneuvers if any critical component fails. The system evaluates over 1,000 safety-critical processes ten times per second, supporting real-time performance and self-diagnostic capabilities to improve vehicle uptime. NXP’s processors are compliant with the highest automotive safety standard, ISO 26262 ASIL-D, which corresponds to an extremely low failure rate, reinforcing Kodiak’s commitment to safety. The integration also provides flexibility and cost-effectiveness for adapting the Kodi
robotautonomous-trucksNXP-processorsautomotive-safetydriverless-technologyAI-in-transportationvehicle-networkingDriverless Trucks Now Certified To Drive Day and Night
Aurora’s commercial self-driving trucks have recently received certification to operate during both day and night, marking a significant milestone in autonomous vehicle technology. This validation expands the operational capabilities of Aurora’s driverless trucks, allowing for continuous, around-the-clock freight transport. The development promises to enhance efficiency and flexibility within the American transportation industry by enabling longer haul times without the limitations imposed by daylight-only operation. Looking ahead, Aurora plans further improvements and expansions to its autonomous trucking technology. These advancements are expected to bolster the reliability and scalability of driverless freight solutions, potentially transforming logistics and supply chain operations across the United States. The certification for night driving represents a crucial step toward broader adoption of autonomous trucks, which could lead to reduced costs, improved safety, and increased productivity in American transport.
robotautonomous-vehiclesself-driving-truckstransportation-technologyautomationdriverless-technologycommercial-trucksAurora’s autonomous trucks are now driving at night. Its next big challenge is rain.
Aurora Innovation is advancing its autonomous trucking operations in the U.S. Sunbelt region, focusing on routes between Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, and Fort Worth. As of mid-2024, the company has three self-driving trucks commercially operating on the Dallas-Houston route, logging over 20,000 driverless miles. These trucks include human observers who do not intervene in driving. Aurora has also established a terminal in Phoenix and is piloting a 15-hour autonomous route from Fort Worth to Phoenix, requiring trucks to navigate highway exits and surface streets. A key breakthrough enabling longer routes is the trucks’ validated ability to operate safely at night, surpassing human driver limits regulated by federal hours-of-service rules. Aurora credits its proprietary long-range lidar technology, capable of detecting objects over 450 meters away in the dark, for enabling nighttime operation. This lidar can identify hazards up to 11 seconds earlier than a human driver. The company has acquired two lidar startups to bolster this capability. The
robotautonomous-truckslidar-technologyself-driving-vehiclestransportation-innovationAurora-Innovationdriverless-technologyUber’s latest robotaxi partner is China’s Baidu
Uber has announced a multi-year strategic partnership with Chinese tech giant Baidu to deploy thousands of Baidu’s Apollo Go autonomous vehicles (AVs) on the Uber platform across multiple markets outside the U.S. and mainland China. Initial deployments are planned for Asia and the Middle East later in 2025. This deal is part of Uber’s broader strategy to integrate robotaxi services into its ride-hailing business, following recent partnerships with other AV providers such as Waymo, Volkswagen, May Mobility, Pony AI, and China’s WeRide, in which Uber has also made direct investments. Despite the ambitious scale of these collaborations, the integration of Baidu’s AVs into Uber’s platform will begin cautiously. Initially, riders will not be able to directly request Baidu’s autonomous vehicles; instead, they may be offered the option to have their trip fulfilled by a fully driverless Apollo Go vehicle, mirroring the approach Uber has taken with other AV partners. This reflects the early stage of deployment and the
robotautonomous-vehiclesrobotaxiBaidu-Apollo-GoUber-partnershipdriverless-technologytransportation-innovationKodiak is using Vay’s remote driving tech in its self-driving trucks
Kodiak Robotics has integrated remote-driving technology from Berlin-based startup Vay into its self-driving trucks, enhancing operational safety and control. The partnership, ongoing since last year, supports Kodiak’s autonomous trucks currently operating for Atlas Energy Solutions in the Permian Basin and will be crucial for Kodiak’s planned commercial driverless deliveries on Texas public highways starting in late 2026. Vay’s teleoperations system allows a remotely located human operator to control Kodiak’s trucks in low-speed or complex scenarios, such as navigating construction zones, using a rig with steering controls and real-time communication. However, Kodiak’s proprietary “assisted autonomy” system remains in control, imposing limits on the remote driver’s inputs to ensure safe and consistent operation regardless of vehicle type or load. The collaboration originated from Kodiak’s 2022 U.S. Army contract, which required remote-driving capabilities for military vehicles in unpredictable environments. While Kodiak initially developed its own teleoperation technology, it ultimately partnered with Vay,
robotautonomous-vehiclesremote-drivingteleoperationsself-driving-trucksKodiak-Roboticsdriverless-technologyWaymo robotaxis are pushing into even more California cities
Waymo is significantly expanding its robotaxi service area across California, adding 80 square miles in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Silicon Valley. This growth brings the total commercial service area to over 250 square miles, introducing driverless Jaguar I-Pace vehicles to new neighborhoods in three major metro regions. Despite recent setbacks—including vandalism and arson of Waymo vehicles during immigration-related protests in Los Angeles, which led to temporary service reductions—the company continues to push forward with its expansion plans. Waymo is still limiting service in some parts of Los Angeles, such as downtown, but plans to monitor conditions and gradually restore full operations. The expansion includes new service availability in Bay Area communities like Brisbane, South San Francisco, San Bruno, Millbrae, Burlingame, and Silicon Valley towns Palo Alto and Menlo Park. In Los Angeles, the service now covers Playa del Rey, Ladera Heights, Echo Park, Silver Lake, and the full stretch of Sunset Boulevard, connecting
robotautonomous-vehiclesWaymorobotaxisdriverless-technologyurban-mobilitytransportation-innovationTesla Full Self Driving Supervised V12.6.4 — Going on 6 Years with My Model 3 - CleanTechnica
The article chronicles the author's extensive experience—over 3.5 years and through about 20 versions—with Tesla's Full Self Driving (FSD) system on a 2019 Model 3. The author frequently uses FSD on busy multi-lane highways, long cross-country trips, and rural roads, praising its smooth, accurate driving that often matches or exceeds a highly attentive human driver. Recent software improvements have enhanced FSD’s ability to navigate complex scenarios, such as safely passing slow trucks, giving space to cyclists, and handling unexpected obstacles like deer or puddles. Tesla plans to launch fully driverless robotaxi services in geofenced areas soon, but the author doubts that truly unsupervised driving will be achievable on their older Model 3 anytime soon. Despite significant progress, the author highlights persistent limitations and failures in FSD’s supervised mode. For example, the system correctly recognizes and responds to stop signs, traffic lights, and speed limits but fails to slow down for school zone speed
robotautonomous-vehiclesTesla-Full-Self-Drivingdriverless-technologyAI-driving-systemsrobotaxiautomotive-roboticsShould We Be Afraid Of Driverless Vehicles On Our Roads? - CleanTechnica
robotautonomous-vehiclesdriverless-technologyTeslarobotaxisAItransportation