autonomous driving

Waymo is now offering paid robotaxi rides on freeways in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, marking a significant advancement in autonomous transportation. The service will initially be available where freeway routes offer time savings. This expansion follows extensive internal testing and collaboration with safety authorities. Waymo is also expanding its service area to include new cities and airports, including San Jose Mineta International Airport. Unlike Tesla, Waymo currently provides truly driverless commercial transport.

Pony.ai and WeRide, Chinese autonomous driving firms, experienced stock declines in Hong Kong after raising a combined $1.17 billion in IPOs. The companies aim to use the capital to advance Level 4 autonomy, expand globally, and compete with Baidu’s Apollo Go and Alphabet’s Waymo. Regulatory hurdles in the U.S. and allegations between the companies add to the challenges. They also aim to partner with Uber and expand in China, the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

Xpeng is aggressively expanding beyond EVs, unveiling a new humanoid robot and planning a robotaxi service launch next year. The robotaxis will utilize internally developed AI chips with substantial computing power, supported by Alibaba’s mapping expertise. Initial applications for the humanoid robot will focus on roles like tour guides. This move positions Xpeng against Tesla as a broader technology firm and reflects an industry trend towards integrating AI for new revenue streams in autonomous mobility.

Pony.ai is expanding into Europe through a partnership with Stellantis to deploy robotaxis, starting with testing in Luxembourg and aiming for a phased rollout across European cities from 2026. Stellantis will provide electric vehicles while Pony.ai contributes its autonomous driving software. This follows Pony.ai’s ongoing robotaxi testing in Beijing and reflects the increasing competition among companies like Waymo to commercialize autonomous driving technology in new global markets. Chinese regulatory clearance for Pony.ai and WeRide could further fuel their global expansion and AI development.

Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving unit, is expanding into Europe with its robotaxi service launching in London. Testing begins soon with human safety specialists, aiming for a commercial launch in 2026, pending regulatory approval. London will be Waymo’s second international city after Tokyo. The fleet will use Jaguar I-PACE EVs, with Moove managing vehicle operations. Waymo highlights safety benefits, reporting significantly fewer injury-causing collisions compared to human drivers, citing 100 million autonomous miles driven. The move aligns with the UK’s AV pilot framework and London’s “Vision Zero” initiative, while Wayve provides competition.

Pony.ai and WeRide, autonomous driving tech firms already listed in the US, have received approval from China’s regulator for secondary listings on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX). Each plans to issue approximately 102 million new shares. This move aims to secure capital for global expansion into regions like the Middle East and Europe. Pony.ai CEO cites Hong Kong’s proximity to China as a key factor. Both companies are also expanding robotaxi operations, partnering with Uber in the US and operating in Chinese cities.

The NHTSA is investigating Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system after reports of safety defects. The investigation covers roughly 2.9 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD (Supervised) or FSD (Beta). At least 44 incidents involve Tesla drivers using FSD reporting the system caused traffic violations resulting in collisions. The agency will evaluate the clarity of warnings, driver reaction time, and FSD’s ability to respond to traffic signals. The probe comes as Tesla continues to develop and test its FSD technology, including Robotaxi services.

Chinese autonomous driving startup Momenta is reportedly seeking a new funding round at a potential $6 billion valuation. The company specializes in ADAS and autonomous driving software, recently partnering with Mercedes-Benz and BMW to integrate its technology into their electric vehicle models in China. Momenta differentiates itself with a “data-driven” approach and is backed by investors like Tencent and Mercedes-Benz. The company is reportedly considering a Hong Kong IPO amid a competitive market including Nvidia, WeRide and Pony.ai.

BYD, the Chinese EV manufacturer, has a contingency plan to address potential disruptions to its Nvidia chip supply, despite no current directive from the Chinese government to cease their use. According to Executive VP Stella Li, BYD’s vertical integration and strong in-house technology offer backup solutions, similar to how they navigated the Covid-19 semiconductor shortage. While Nvidia’s automotive chips are currently unaffected, a potential ban in China could significantly impact the autonomous driving ecosystem, prompting domestic chip development and posing challenges for automakers reliant on Nvidia.

Pony.ai is entering the Singaporean market in partnership with ComfortDelGro to launch autonomous vehicle (AV) services, initially in the Punggol district. This move aligns with Singapore’s smart mobility vision and aims to address driver shortages. The partnership builds on a previous MoU and a successful pilot program in Guangzhou. The Singaporean government supports AV integration, with plans to deploy AVs within public housing estates. Pony.ai currently operates driverless Robotaxi services in multiple Chinese cities and is expanding globally, including partnerships in Qatar and Luxembourg.