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CARB Files ACF Repeal Ahead of Court-Ordered August 31 Deadline

California’s repeal of the private and drayage portions of the Advanced Clean Fleets regulation is now at the Office of Administrative Law, the last procedural step before those requirements come off the books. OAL’s list of proposed regulations under review shows file 2026-0729-02, submitted by the California Air Resources Board and titled “Proposed Amendments to the ACF and LCFS Rulemaking.” The file does not appear on OAL’s recent actions list, which covers the past 45 days, so the office has neither approved nor disapproved it. The review list is current through August 28. The filing satisfies a court-ordered deadline. Under the settlement in State of Nebraska et al. v. Steven S. Cliff and Rob Bonta, “CARB staff will submit that rulemaking action to California’s Office of Administrative Law (OAL) for approval no later than August 31, 2026.” The same settlement required CARB to bring a repeal proposal to its board by October 31, 2025. The board acted on September of last year, voting to repeal the parts of the regulation applying to federal and private fleets, including the drayage requirements, while keeping requirements for state and local government fleets. As CARB described the vote at the time, the repeal was intended to reduce confusion for federal and private fleet operators. The package before OAL repeals two sections of Title 13 of the California Code of Regulations: section 2014, the drayage truck requirements, and section 2015, the high priority and federal fleet requirements. It amends sections 2013 through 2013.4 and adds new sections 2013.5, 2013.6, and 2013.7, which carry the state and local government fleet provisions. It also amends section 95486.3 of Title 17, the Low Carbon Fuel Standard’s hydrogen refueling infrastructure crediting provision, which travels with the ACF changes in the same rulemaking. Public agency fleets keep their obligations, on

AI Cuts Gate Dwell to 30 Seconds as Eagle Grows 350%

AI gate automation cut dwell times to under 30 seconds while EAIGLE posted 350% year-over-year growth. CEO Amir Hoss explains how the company uses existing security cameras and computer vision to automate gate, yard and dock workflows. On site at a live facility, Hoss breaks down how EAIGLE went from a customer problem to a fully automated, paperless gate and yard operation. He also explains why the next growth phase matters for carriers, shippers and warehouse operators trying to move trucks through the yard faster. #GateAutomation #YardManagement #SupplyChainAI EAIGLE, an automation company focused on gate-to-dock logistics, has closed a growth funding round on the heels of 350% year-over-year revenue growth, CEO and founder Amir Hoss said in an interview with FreightWaves. The company’s computer vision platform reduces gate dwell times that previously ranged from 7.5 to 18 minutes down to under 30 seconds — and sometimes under one minute — by tapping into camera infrastructure that facilities already own. The technology matters to carriers, brokers, and shippers because gate congestion and yard opacity have long been among the most stubborn inefficiencies in distribution operations. EAIGLE’s system automates the full check-in and check-out process, validates bills of lading, purchase orders, appointments, and USDOT numbers in real time, and feeds clean data directly into yard management, warehouse management, and transportation management systems via APIs. At one active facility where Hoss spoke — a site processing roughly 1,100 trucks per day across two gates and four lanes — EAIGLE replaced 18 full-time staff across three shifts with a fully unmanned, paperless operation. “We didn’t validate here, we just log,” Hoss recalled a security guard telling him five or six years ago, a dynamic he said rendered downstream YMS data unreliable. “It becomes garbage in and garbage out,” he said. “The bar is really

Waymo seeks more than $3B in first debt deal to fund growth - TT

[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.] Waymo seeks more than $3B in first debt deal to fund growth Pimco, Blackstone, Sixth Street among lenders set to provide the loan to autonomous driving company Bloomberg News Key Takeaways: - Waymo is nearing its first debt financing, seeking more than $3 billion from lenders including Pimco, Blackstone and Sixth Street Partners. - The move broadens Waymo’s funding as it expands beyond 500,000 weekly paid trips and confronts rising artificial intelligence costs. - Waymo, working with Goldman Sachs, aims to finalize the unrated loan in coming days, though terms could change, people familiar with talks said. Waymo is in the final stages of talks to raise debt for the first time, tapping lenders including Pacific Investment Management Co. for more than $3 billion as it looks to become the leading robotaxi company globally. Blackstone Inc. and Sixth Street Partners are among other lenders providing the loan to Alphabet Inc.’s autonomous driving unit, according to people with knowledge of the transaction. The debt will be unrated and could price at more than 500 basis points over the benchmark, the people said, asking not to be identified as the details are private. Waymo, which has been working with Goldman Sachs Group, is looking to finalize the deal in the coming days, the people said. The discussions are ongoing and details may change, they added. Representatives for Waymo, Goldman Sachs, Pimco, Blackstone and Sixth Street declined to comment. Waymo has traditionally relied on the equity markets to help fund its growth, raising $16 billion earlier this year at a valuation of $126 billion. But as Waymo continues to expand its driverless fleet and grapples with rising AI costs, it is looking for other forms of capital that’ll allow it to grow

California Loosens <b>Self Driving Truck</b> Rules

California is loosening its restrictions on autonomous trucking, paving the way for much heavier driverless vehicles to be tested on public roads. Under the new rules, self-driving trucks weighing as much as 80,000 lbs will be eligible for public-road testing, a major increase from the previous 10,000-lb limit.   The regulatory change follows California’s Department of Motor Vehicles granting Aurora Innovation and Kodiak AI approval to test their autonomous driving systems on public roads. The DMV introduced the updated rules in April, creating a regulatory framework specifically designed to accommodate heavy-duty autonomous vehicles.   Read Article

A “<b>Driverless</b>” Car Crashed in Pakistan. The Viral Moment Exposed Why People Still Don't ...

A “Driverless” Car Crashed in Pakistan. The Viral Moment Exposed Why People Still Don’t Trust Autonomous Vehicles A car with no one behind the wheel rolled through Islamabad, headed toward a parked police van, and crashed. The moment was meant to showcase a futuristic transportation idea. Instead, the footage quickly spread online as viewers debated whether they had just watched a self-driving car fail in real time. The demonstration took place at D-Chowk in Islamabad, where journalist Muhammad Aalijah was inside the vehicle recording the test. Video from the event showed the car moving before striking a police vehicle. No injuries were reported, and the damage appeared minor. But the viral clip left out an important detail. The vehicle was not fully autonomous. It was a remotely operated prototype, meaning a human operator was controlling the vehicle from outside through a communication system. That put the focus on a different issue facing the future of driverless technology: how machines respond when the connection between a vehicle and the person controlling it breaks down. The Crash Centered on a Communication Failure The Islamabad demonstration depended on internet and satellite connectivity to transmit commands between the remote operator and the vehicle. Speaking after the demonstration, Aalijah said the vehicle moved unexpectedly after an internet disruption affected the connection. Developer Ehsan Zafar Abbasi gave a different explanation, saying the vehicle received an incorrect left-turn command when it was supposed to turn right. The exact cause has not been independently confirmed. Researchers studying teleoperated vehicles have long focused on the risks created by communication delays. A 2024 review found that latency, bandwidth limitations, and connection failures can affect operator performance and vehicle control, especially during situations requiring quick reactions. The National Institute of Standards and Technology has recommended that remotely operated vehicles should be

California Just Dramatically Expanded <b>Autonomous Truck</b> Testing

From 10,000 to 80,000 Lbs: California Just Dramatically Expanded Autonomous Truck Testing California is loosening its restrictions on autonomous trucking, paving the way for much heavier driverless vehicles to be tested on public roads. Under the new rules, self-driving trucks weighing as much as 80,000 lbs will be eligible for public-road testing, a major increase from the previous 10,000-lb limit. The regulatory change follows California's Department of Motor Vehicles granting Aurora Innovation and Kodiak AI approval to test their autonomous driving systems on public roads. The DMV introduced the updated rules in April, creating a regulatory framework specifically designed to accommodate heavy-duty autonomous vehicles. The new framework expands testing beyond the smaller robotaxis already seen on California roads, allowing much larger trucks to operate on public streets and highways. Kodiak has already begun conducting a limited amount of testing on public roads under the new regulations. However, just because these companies have been permitted, it does not mean they can operate semi-trucks on highways without drivers. According to a report by Gadget Review, the newly approved testing will still require a trained human safety operator to remain behind the wheel. That means these trucks will operate under supervision, rather than as fully autonomous vehicles, with testing limited primarily to major freight routes such as I-5, SR-99, I-10, and I-15. They will also generally be prohibited from using roads with speed limits of 25 mph or lower, aside from certain direct-route exceptions. Image credit: Kodiak.ai California has also set a demanding mileage threshold before companies can even seek permission for fully driverless operations. A company must first complete 500,000 miles of testing with a safety driver, including at least 100,000 miles within the state, before logging another 500,000 miles without one. For heavy-duty autonomous trucks, these requirements are roughly ten times

6 Pickup <b>Trucks</b> That Could Still Be Running Strong in 20 Years

6 Pickup Trucks That Could Still Be Running Strong in 20 Years A pickup truck is an investment that most buyers want to last as long as possible. And some models have a much stronger track record for longevity than others. An iSeeCars study analyzed nearly 400 million vehicles and found that the average vehicle has just a 4.8% chance of reaching 250,000 miles. Several pickup trucks performed significantly better than average, so if you're focused on long-term value, here are six trucks to look into. Toyota Tundra According to iSeeCars, the Toyota Tundra has a 30% chance of reaching 250,000 miles, which makes it the highest rate among light-duty pickup trucks in the study. That helps explain why the Tundra has become a go-to choice for buyers who prioritize longevity. Toyota Tacoma The Toyota Tacoma had a 25.3% chance of reaching 250,000 miles in the iSeeCars study. Many truck buyers already know the Tacoma's reputation. The iSeeCars ranking feels more like confirmation than a surprise as happy Tacoma owners often keep them for years. Honda Ridgeline The Honda Ridgeline earned a 14.7% chance of reaching 250,000 miles in the iSeeCars analysis. That means it is one of the longest-lasting non-Toyota pickups, according to the study. The Ridgeline doesn't get as much attention as some competitors, but the numbers suggest it can hold its own when it comes to longevity. Chevrolet Silverado 1500 The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 posted a 12.9% chance of reaching 250,000 miles in the iSeeCars study. There's a good chance you've seen older Silverados still on the road. The truck has been a fixture on job sites and in driveways for decades, and many owners report putting hundreds of thousands of miles on them before moving on to something else. GMC Sierra 1500 The GMC Sierra 1500

Leap's first two days bring in a string of data center agreements - Logistics

Saudi Arabia is building out the infrastructure needed to turn its AI ambitions into a functioning industrial stack. A string of agreements announced around this week’s Leap conference spans capacity, connectivity, computing, and AI applications, as the Kingdom moves to build the physical backbone for an AI economy. The build starts with data center capacity: Humain and digital infrastructure firm DataVolt have started construction on 100 MW of an AI-ready data center at Oxagon, Neom’s industrial city on the Red Sea coast, according to a statement. The capacity forms part of DataVolt’s 360 MW first phase within a planned 1.5 GW AI data center campus, with the first 100 MW expected to come online in 2028. There’s more: Al Moammar Information Systems said it will spend USD 1.2 bn expanding its data centers to 192 MW of total capacity; NHC Innovation will invest USD 880 mn in data centers at Khuzam Digital Valley, targeting 65 MW by 2033; and Zain KSA signed a non-binding MoU with DataVolt to explore building data centers in the Kingdom, capacity it would share with government, enterprise, and cloud providers. The infrastructure to deliver it is coming next: Amazon Web Services (AWS) is targeting a December launch of its Saudi cloud region and has committed up to 50 MW to the Humain AI Zone by 2028, according to a statement. AWS announced back in 2024 that it woul launch a “hyper-scale” cloud region in Saudi Arabia by 2026 as part of a USD 5.3 bn investment ticket. Microsoft plans to open its own Saudi cloud region in November. And the AI is starting to leave the data center: Humain is partnering with US autonomous-vehicle software company Applied Intuition to deploy thousands of self-driving trucks across Saudi logistics corridors by 2030, Bloomberg reports. Autonomous trucks can

Pakistan's Homemade <b>Driverless</b> Car Just Crashed Into a Police Van

Journalist Muhammad Aalijah sits in the passenger seat, camera rolling, praising Pakistani talent in words to the effect of “no shortage of talent in Pakistan.” The steering wheel turns on its own. Nobody’s driving. Then the internet drops. What happened next landed on every timeline. Before the memes bury the real story, though: this wasn’t a driverless Tesla. It wasn’t autonomous. Abbottabad-based tech enthusiast Ehsan Zafar built a remotely operated vehicle — drive-by-wire actuators, human operator elsewhere, controls running over an internet or satellite link. When that connection cut out during a live demo near Parliament House in Islamabad’s D-Chowk on August 31, the steering malfunctioned. Aalijah grabbed the handbrake. It wasn’t enough. What “Driverless” Actually Meant The system reportedly functioned as designed — until the safety architecture met a dropped connection. Per reporting from News18, Times of India, and Latestly: - Zafar built the car - D-Chowk — directly outside Parliament House and inside Islamabad’s high-security red zone — was the demo location - An internet dropout caused the steering failure - The resulting low-speed collision left both vehicles with minor damage and zero injuries Islamabad police temporarily detained the vehicle but did not formally penalize Zafar, with some regional outlets reporting that authorities used the moment to encourage youth innovation while flagging safety concerns. The video supports a drive-by-wire setup: the steering wheel turns visibly on its own, guided remotely from somewhere else entirely. That’s not science fiction — it’s a known engineering approach used in mining vehicles, logistics yards, and military applications, where redundant low-latency networks and physical safety perimeters are non-negotiable, much like the remote-operated approach seen in Snake Robots built with proper failsafes. Zafar had none of that infrastructure. He had a public road, a satellite link, and a journalist filming from the passenger seat.

Saudi Arabia Legalized <b>Driverless Trucks</b> Nationally; Now HUMAIN Deploys Camera-Radar L4 Fleet

Saudi Arabia's state-backed AI company HUMAIN announced a partnership with Sunnyvale-based Applied Intuition on Monday to deploy thousands of self-driving trucks across the Kingdom's key freight corridors by 2030 — a deal the companies say will constitute the largest autonomous trucking network ever assembled — and the technical architecture at its center is a significant departure from the LiDAR-dependent stacks that have defined most North American L4 programs. The details were formalized in a joint August 31 press release from the two companies. The announcement arrived on the first day of LEAP 2026, the fifth edition of Riyadh's major annual technology conference, alongside over $15 billion in investment commitments — including a separate $5 billion joint commitment between HUMAIN and AWS. Applied Intuition's deal was described by Arab News LEAP 2026 correspondents as the final announcement of a dense opening day. What HUMAIN Is — and Why This Deal Is Different HUMAIN was launched in May 2025 under the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), the sovereign wealth fund managing approximately $940 billion in assets and chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The company was designed as a full-stack AI operating company covering compute infrastructure, cloud services, advanced Arabic-language foundation models including ALLaM, and enterprise applications, all oriented around Saudi Arabia's stated goal of becoming a top-tier global AI power by 2030. A HUMAIN company profile confirms the PIF ownership structure and the Crown Prince's role as chair. Until this announcement, HUMAIN's most visible initiatives had been digital: chip and cloud partnerships with Nvidia, AMD, AWS, Qualcomm, and xAI, and the development of its Arabic large language model. The Applied Intuition partnership represents HUMAIN's first major initiative specifically designated as a "physical AI" play — the company's term for AI deployed in real-world machines and systems rather than in data

TFI's <b>autonomous</b> LTL linehaul logic is sound, analysts say - TT

[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.] TFI’s autonomous LTL linehaul logic is sound, analysts say Use of longer lanes seen benefiting economics of deployment Staff Reporter Key Takeaways: - TFI International plans to introduce autonomous Class 8 trucks in LTL linehaul operations in 2027 with an undisclosed technology developer. - Analysts said predictable highway routes favor automation, though cost-effectiveness depends on route length, freight volume, utilization and limited empty miles. - Saia emphasized safety applications, while Old Dominion questioned per-mile technology costs and said it would not lead autonomous truck investment. Plans by TFI International to initially roll out autonomous Class 8 trucks in its less-than-truckload linehaul operations are logical for a carrier with such ambitions, according to independent analysts. However, one prominent industry executive is skeptical about the cost-effectiveness of the application. TFI is working with an as-yet-undisclosed autonomous truck developer ahead of the technology’s introduction in LTL linehaul and then perhaps wider use, Chief Financial Officer David Saperstein told analysts during the carrier’s second-quarter 2026 earnings call July 27. The technology had improved a lot faster than the executive and his peers expected. It makes sense to start in linehaul, given the few touch points, multiple sources said. “This approach concentrates automation in the operating environment where it currently has the greatest advantages,” said Arman Sargolzaei, director of the University of South Florida’s Resilient, Autonomous, Networked Control Systems research group. “The terminal-to-terminal linehaul portion is particularly attractive because routes are predictable, frequently traveled and largely highway based,” he added. Sector Rankings LTL | TL/Dedicated Intermodal/Drayage Package/Courier | Air/Expedited Refrigerated | Flatbed/Heavy Tank/Bulk | Household/Commercial Montreal-based TFI, which ranks No. 6 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America and whose LTL unit ranks No. 8 in

Thousands of <b>driverless trucks</b> could reach North Texas

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LEAP Opens With $15 Billion in Tech Investments, Partnerships

LEAP Opens With $15 Billion in Tech Investments, Partnerships Launching its fifth edition, LEAP commenced with over $15 billion in tech investments and strategic pledges, solidifying the event's role as a global innovation platform and showcasing the swift expansion of Saudi Arabia's tech industry since its first edition in 2022. During the opening of LEAP 5, Eng Abdullah Alswaha, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, underscored the swift growth of the technology sector in Saudi Arabia. Also Read: Vietnam Strengthens Ties With East African Countries Since the launch of LEAP, the Kingdom's digital economy has expanded by 69 percent, increasing from $118 billion to $199 billion, and women now make up 36 percent of the tech workforce. The inaugural day included a range of significant announcements related to AI infrastructure, cloud computing, and autonomous technologies. In the major announcements, HUMAIN introduced HUMAIN M3, a new open-weights Arabic language model trained on over one trillion Arabic tokens, along with HUMAIN Voice, a conversational AI platform tailored for various Arabic dialects such as Saudi, Maghrebi, Egyptian, and Levantine Arabic. Tareq Amin, Chief Executive Officer of HUMAIN says, "No company delivers something at this scale on its own. What you are seeing is a country rallied around a mission, with partners across the Kingdom building alongside us". "The leadership understood early that AI is a foundational technology rather than an additive one, and everything we are building serves that vision". HUMAIN announced a strategic alliance with Applied Intuition to implement physical AI technologies throughout Saudi Arabia, starting with self-driving trucks. The partnership seeks to create the biggest autonomous trucking network globally, with thousands of self-driving vehicles projected to function along crucial logistics routes in Saudi Arabia by 2030. Also Read: Saudi Arabia Homeownership Rises 66.24 Percent, Exceeds Target Further announcements featured a

Applied Intuition, US, and HUMAIN partner to deploy <b>autonomous trucks</b> in Saudi Arabia

Applied Intuition, US, and HUMAIN partner to deploy autonomous trucks in Saudi Arabia On August 31, Applied Intuition and HUMAIN, a PIF company, announced a collaboration to deploy thousands of autonomous trucks throughout key logistics corridors by 2030 in Saudi Arabia. They will establish a foundational framework for autonomy across the Kingdom. Future phases of the collaboration will explore expans.... This news is for paid members only. If you register as a free member, you can read the rest of this article for a limited time. In addition, you can also enjoy the following content for free: - Market & Tech Reports - Global automotive production/sales - Launch schedule forecasts - Latest news on the automotive industry - Market share and supply information of 300 automotive parts (Who Supplies Whom)

How China's top 2 container ports became the world's busiest – and beat Singapore

How China’s top 2 container ports became the world’s busiest – and beat Singapore The nation’s ports claimed six of the top 10 busiest worldwide, according to a prominent data provider China’s Yangtze River Delta is now home to the world’s two busiest container ports, a milestone that one industry analyst said reflects the continued resilience of the country’s export sector and the tech-driven efficiency of its maritime hubs. The Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in eastern China’s Zhejiang province overtook the Port of Singapore to become the world’s second-busiest container port in the first half of 2026, according to France-based shipping data provider Alphaliner. During the period, Ningbo-Zhoushan handled 22.9 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) – a standard measure for cargo container volume – compared with Singapore’s 22.74 million TEU. Shanghai, which has held the top spot for years, saw 28.7 million TEU flow through its berths. The two Chinese ports sit less than 100km (62.1 miles) apart. Qu Ke, a transport analyst at CCB International in Hong Kong, said the strength of Chinese ports had been propelled by efficiency gains and the large-scale adoption of smart technologies. “Autonomous trucks, cranes and automatic loading and unloading are becoming a usual sight at Chinese ports, leading to better safety and efficiency,” Qu said. “This is also supported by sound infrastructure, including roads and railways, for seamless, intermodal logistics to continuously feed containers to these ports.”

<b>Autonomous</b> Freight Is Moving From Experimentation Toward Commercial Logistics

Autonomous Freight Is Moving From Experimentation Toward Commercial Logistics Autonomous trucking has spent years occupying an uncomfortable position in logistics. The technology has advanced rapidly, demonstrations have become increasingly sophisticated, and investment has remained substantial. But the central question for logistics operators has always been more practical: when does autonomous freight become a repeatable commercial operation rather than a technology demonstration? Recent developments suggest that transition is beginning to become more visible. Autonomous trucking company Gatik announced a $200 million Series D financing round on August 25. The size of the investment is significant, but the more consequential story for logistics is the operating activity behind it. The company says it has completed approximately 85,000 fully driverless commercial orders and has accumulated more than $600 million in contracted revenue. Those figures are company-reported and should not be treated as independently verified operating benchmarks. Nevertheless, they illustrate the increasing commercial maturity of a segment that has historically been dominated by pilots and demonstrations. A Different Approach to Autonomous Trucking Gatik’s approach differs from some of the more ambitious autonomous-trucking strategies pursued over the past decade. Rather than beginning with the objective of automating virtually any long-haul trucking environment, the company has concentrated on high-frequency regional movements between distribution centers, warehouses, and stores—more constrained operating environments than generalized long-haul trucking. The distinction matters because logistics environments vary considerably in complexity. A truck repeatedly traveling between known facilities along established routes presents a more bounded operating problem than a vehicle expected to operate across a broad range of origins, destinations, road conditions, and transportation scenarios. For autonomous freight, these constrained operating domains can create an important path toward commercialization. Companies can concentrate technology, mapping, operating procedures, and exception management around routes where shipment frequency is high and operating conditions are comparatively predictable. The

Tech Tuesday: <b>Driverless</b> semis could soon be on roadways | WOSU Public Media

Driverless trucks may seem to be a thing of the future, but it's coming faster than we think, and it's being tested right in our backyard. What does it mean for a truck to have no driver? How does it work? Is it safe? Meta will soon be signing a very large check: a $16.7 billion check to be exact with money flowing to dozens of states, including $319 million to Ohio. The tech giant also pledged to make substantial changes to the platform to protect kids. So what exactly will be different? Are you looking to upgrade your old iPhone? It might be best to wait to save on deals. Apple typically releases its new models in September. This year it might include a foldable iPhone. And what if earbuds could listen and hear? We're discussing all of these topics on this week's edition of Tech Tuesday. Guests: - Abbi Failla, chief administrative officer, EASE - Paresh Dave, senior writer, WIRED - Russell Holly, director of commerce content, CNET Transcript This transcript is generated with AI. To ensure its accuracy, review the audio file. Amy Juravich: Welcome to Tech Tuesday from All Sides with Amy Juravich, a show where we share stories about science, technology, and the future of our environment. Driverless trucks may seem like a thing from the future, but it's coming faster than we think, and it's being tested right in our own backyard. What does it mean for a truck to have no driver? How does it work? Is it safe? These questions and more will be answered by Abbi Failla, Chief Administrative Officer and Chief of Staff to the CEO of Ease Logistics. Welcome to the show, Abbi. Abbi Failla: Well, thank you for having me. Juravich: So firstly, can you tell me about

Is the <b>self-driving</b> car market growing?

(CLO) The self-driving car market is currently experiencing significant growth, primarily driven by Level 4 robotaxies and commercial autonomous trucks, while the market for personal vehicles remains limited. Công Luận•01/09/2026 The self-driving car market is entering a real growth phase with millions of automated rides per week performed by robotaxi services and commercial autonomous trucks, although the proportion of self-driving personal vehicles remains very small compared to the total number of vehicles. The current self-driving vehicle market is primarily developing in the Level 4 commercial segment, including robotaxies and autonomous trucks, while personal vehicles with Level 3 autonomous systems still account for a very small percentage. Robotaxi services have progressed through the testing phase, with Waymo completing over 500,000 autonomous rides per week and Apollo Go peaking at over 350,000 rides, totaling approximately one million rides per week globally. However, compared to the traditional transportation market, the market share of self-driving cars remains very small. For example, Uber handles nearly 300 million trips per week, of which self-driving cars account for less than 0.5%. This shows rapid growth but starting from a very low scale. The US and China have different approaches to developing self-driving cars. The US has Waymo as the largest commercial operator, while China has many competitors such as Apollo Go, Pony.ai, and WeRide with significant fleet sizes and revenues. Chinese companies have also made strides in reducing the cost of self-driving hardware by 50% to 70%. Fleet economics is becoming as important as autonomous driving performance. Pony.ai reports that some of its seventh-generation robotaxis have reached break-even in the cities of Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Meanwhile, autonomous trucks have also crossed a crucial commercial threshold, with Aurora completing hundreds of thousands of miles of unmanned transport, although revenue and vehicle numbers are still small compared to the

China accelerates AI integration with transportation

China accelerates AI integration with transportation Autonomous new energy mine trucks work in an open mine in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo/He Long) From autonomous vehicles navigating city streets and drones conducting inspections to robots sorting parcels at delivery centers, China is accelerating the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the transportation sector, opening up new applications across roads, railways, aviation, ports and postal services. From intelligent driving and smart highways to automated sorting and drone-based inspections, AI is increasingly being deployed to improve transport efficiency, safety and services. In June, China's Ministry of Transport, together with four other government departments, issued an action plan for innovation in typical application scenarios of "AI + transportation." The plan envisages that by 2030, a new wave of infrastructure, technical equipment, service models, and industrial forms driven by "AI + transportation" will emerge. How will innovation in these application scenarios be advanced? And how can AI help drive high-quality development in transportation? People's Daily spoke with officials and industry experts. On the Beijing-Xiong'an Expressway, AI-powered technologies are becoming part of the driving experience throughout the one-hour journey. A dedicated mini program provides drivers with real-time traffic updates. Smart roadside poles flash yellow in heavy fog, helping drivers identify their position on the road. At toll stations, robots dispense tickets automatically, helping shorten waiting times. "Through cooperation with Baidu AI Cloud and leveraging large-scale AI models, the Beijing-Xiong'an Expressway achieves second-level alert push and one-click notification for abnormal incidents, with an accuracy rate of over 95 percent in identifying emergencies," said an executive from Hebei Expressway Group, which manages the expressway. As roads become smarter, vehicles are becoming more intelligent, too. "In recent years, we have accelerated the integration of AI with transportation, focusing on infrastructure, vehicles and equipment, transport services and