Three major defense companies, Epirus, General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS), and Kodiak AI, have teamed up to develop a new autonomous vehicle for counter-uncrewed aerial vehicles (Counter-UAV) missions: the Leonidas Autonomous Ground Vehicle (AGV). The vehicle was unveiled at the recent AUSA Global Force Symposium & Exhibition expo in Alabama. Zona Militar spoke with Andrew Wargofchik, spokesperson for Epirus, about the Leonidas AGV and the company’s projects in Latin America. Regarding Colombia, Wargofchik explained that Epirus is engaging the Colombian Ministry of Defense regarding the “potential of integrating” the company’s high-power microwave (HPM) platform “into their counter-UAS shield.” The company is confident that other Latin American militaries and security services will similarly be interested in Epirus’s systems to combat drones operated by criminal gangs and narco-insurgents. The so-called narco-drones can transport explosives, drugs, or be utilized for surveillance missions. “The Leonidas high-power microwave platform is capable of supporting the Latin American counter-UAS initiatives” aimed at eliminating these threats. Wargofchik explained that the company’s technology is “scalable and modular, and works by injecting high levels of microwave energy into a precise volume of space, coupling directly into the electronics of incoming threats. Latin American militaries are very interested in counter-UAV technologies. Case in point, the Colombian Ministry of Defense is seeking to develop a counter-UAV “national shield,” while the Ecuadorian air force recently completed a training course on counter-UAV missions. As for the Leonidas AGV, the platform combines technologies from the three companies: GDLS provides the commercial-grade truck platform, Kodiak AI provides the autonomous driving system, and the payload is Epirus’ Leonidas high-power microwave system, designed to counter UAV threats. A press release issued by the three companies describes the AGV as a “mobile counter-UAS capability that can be operated without human intervention or teleoperated to extend the counter-UAS line of
Apr 11, 2026 · via zona-militar.com
Can Waymo and Waze fix cities' potholes? Transportation companies Waymo and Waze announced a new, pothole-patching pilot today, harnessing their troves of street data to map out areas in need of fixing. The program will rely on the perception and physical feedback systems built into Waymo's autonomous fleet vehicles to detect the location and condition of city potholes. That data will then be sent to city and state Departments of Transportation through the free Waze for Cities program, which provides real-time road data to partners. Waze users will be able to access and verify the data in the app, starting with riders in Los Angeles, when driving through areas with Waymo fleets. You May Also Like Waymo will pilot the data partnership in five cities to start: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta, and plans to expand to cities with more complex transportation conditions, including harsh winters and freeze-thaw cycles. The company says it has already identified 500 potholes in need of filling. It says the partnership will "help fill reporting gaps and support cities’ efforts to maintain safer streets." Waymo recently launched its driverless fleet to riders in Nashville, part of an aggressive expansion across the U.S., including cities like Chicago and Charlotte — it's expected to debut in dozens more cities this year. Waymo is in direct competition with Tesla's robotaxi fleet and recently had a $16 billion financing round. Tesla, meanwhile, is reportedly accelerating its autonomous fleet plans outside of its base in Austin, Texas. Topics Self-Driving Cars Social Good Cars Chase joined Mashable's Social Good team in 2020, covering online stories about digital activism, climate justice, accessibility, and media representation. Her work also captures how these conversations manifest in politics, popular culture, and fandom. Sometimes she's very funny.
Apr 11, 2026 · via mashable.com
News Tesla Full Self-Driving gets first-ever European approval Tesla owners in the Netherlands with a Full Self-Driving subscription will receive a software update “shortly,” the company said, activating the operation of the company’s semi-autonomous driving tech for the first time in Europe. Tesla Full Self-Driving (Supervised) got its first-ever European approval, as the Netherlands gave the suite the green light to begin operation. Tesla owners in the Netherlands with a Full Self-Driving subscription will receive a software update “shortly,” the company said, activating the operation of the company’s semi-autonomous driving tech for the first time in Europe. The Dutch vehicle authority RDW granted the type approval after more than 18 months of rigorous testing on both closed tracks and public roads. FSD Supervised complies with UN R-171 standards and benefits from Article 39 exemptions under EU Regulation 2018/858. Importantly, it is not a fully autonomous vehicle. The RDW stressed that the driver remains fully responsible and must maintain attention at all times. “Safety is paramount for the RDW,” the authority stated. “Proper use of this driver assistance system contributes positively to road safety.” Sensors monitor driver alertness, issuing warnings if eyes leave the road or hands are unavailable to take control immediately. CEO Elon Musk also commented on the approval in a post on X, saying: “First (supervised) FSD approval in Europe! Congratulations to the Tesla team and thank you to the regulatory authorities in the Netherlands for all of the hard work required to make this happen.” First (supervised) FSD approval in Europe! Congratulations to the Tesla team and thank you to the regulatory authorities in the Netherlands for all the hard work required to make this happen. https://t.co/8hidEOPSxm — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 10, 2026 Trained on billions of kilometers of real-world driving data, FSD Supervised allows the
Apr 11, 2026 · via teslarati.com
Tech Bytes: Tesla works on a new kind of vehicle
In today’s Tech Bytes, Tesla is reportedly working on a new vehicle. Reuters reports the company is developing a smaller, more affordable electric SUV. There’s no word yet on whether it would be a traditional or autonomous vehicle, though Tesla is reportedly looking to add a driverless option to its lineup.
Meta is now allowing comments to be edited on Instagram, but there are some rules. You can only edit your own comments, and you’ll have just 15 minutes to make a change. Meta says comments can be edited multiple times within that grace period.
Apple is closing three retail stores, including its first unionized location in Maryland. While non-union staff are being relocated, the Maryland union is considering legal action, claiming Apple is forcing its members to apply for open positions rather than automatically transferring them to new stores.
Apr 11, 2026 · via wdio.com
The Dutch vehicle authority RDW has granted Tesla a type approval for its “Full Self-Driving” Supervised system in the Netherlands, marking the first European country to officially approve the driver-assist technology. The approval, which falls under the UN R-171 regulation for Driver Control Assistance Systems, comes after more than 18 months of testing and is currently valid only in the Netherlands. Other EU member states can choose to recognize it nationally, but that process is not automatic. The approval Tesla Europe announced the news on X, stating that “FSD Supervised has been approved in the Netherlands & will begin rolling out in the country shortly.” The company described the system as “trained on billions of kilometers of real-world driving data” and claimed that “no other vehicle can do this.” The RDW confirmed the approval in its own statement, describing it as a “European type approval with provisional validity in the Netherlands.” The Dutch authority stressed that FSD Supervised is a driver assistance system — not an autonomous or self-driving system. The driver remains legally responsible and must be able to take over immediately at all times. The testing program involved over 1.6 million kilometers of driving on EU roads, more than 13,000 customer ride-alongs, and over 4,500 track test scenarios. Tesla submitted documentation covering more than 400 compliance requirements under UN R-171 and Article 39 exemptions. This approval was originally expected by March 20 but was delayed by about three weeks. Back in late March, the RDW actually pushed back on Tesla’s earlier announcements, saying it had not yet completed its review — a pattern that highlights the disconnect between Tesla’s marketing timeline and the regulator’s actual process. What it means for Europe The Netherlands approval does not automatically extend to the rest of Europe. Under EU regulations, other member
Apr 11, 2026 · via electrek.co
Eight years ago, a self-driving Uber test vehicle struck and killed a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona. The company suspended testing, eventually sold its self-driving unit to Aurora Innovation in December 2020, and spent the next several years insisting it was a marketplace, a neutral platform connecting riders with cars, not a fleet operator building robots. That argument ended on March 19. Uber Technologies announced a deal to invest up to $1.25 billion in electric vehicle maker Rivian Automotive, with plans to deploy as many as 50,000 fully autonomous robotaxis across 25 cities in the United States, Canada, and Europe by the end of 2031. The first 10,000 autonomous versions of Rivian's upcoming R2 SUV are planned for San Francisco and Miami in 2028. Uber, or its fleet partners, will have the option to purchase up to 40,000 more beginning in 2030. The entire fleet will run exclusively through the Uber app. Uber has now made its position clear: it intends to be the operator of autonomous vehicles at scale, not just the distributor of them. What the company has not addressed publicly is what happens to the people who currently drive for it when the cars no longer need them. For the roughly 850,000 people who drive for Uber in the United States, a workforce that is disproportionately Black, Latino, and immigrant, rideshare driving is not a side hustle. It is a primary source of income. In cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul, it is one of the few flexible, accessible pathways to economic stability available to workers who face barriers to traditional employment. The deal and what it actually means The financial structure of the Uber-Rivian agreement is milestone-driven. An initial $300 million investment follows regulatory approval, with the remaining $950 million tied to undisclosed autonomous driving performance benchmarks
Apr 11, 2026 · via insightnews.com
Moia America and Uber have begun on-road validation testing of autonomous ID. Buzz vehicles in Los Angeles, with plans to launch rides on the Uber platform in late 2026. Moia America, renamed from Volkswagen ADMT in early 2026, is scaling its test fleet to more than 100 vehicles staffed with onboard human operators during the validation phase. The partnership, first announced in April 2025, includes a joint facility in Los Angeles for fleet operations. Moia America and Uber have said they plan to scale to thousands of autonomous ID. Buzz vehicles across multiple US markets, with Los Angeles serving as the initial deployment city. Moia’s European affiliate operates one of Europe’s largest ride-pooling services and conducts autonomous vehicle testing in Hamburg, Berlin, Munich and Oslo. The American operation draws on this foundation as it builds toward driverless ride-hailing services in the US. Sascha Meyer, Chief Commercial Officer for Volkswagen Autonomous Mobility, said: “By combining MOIA’s turnkey autonomous mobility solution with Uber’s global network, MOIA America is creating a scalable path toward driverless ride-hailing services, starting in Los Angeles and expanding to additional markets in the years ahead.” Sarfraz Maredia, Global Head of Autonomous Mobility and Delivery at Uber, added: “By combining the autonomous-ready version of Volkswagen’s iconic ID. Buzz vehicle with MOIA’s advanced autonomous technology and Uber’s global platform, we’re setting the foundation to bring autonomous rides to more riders in Los Angeles and, over time, cities around the world.” Source: Uber
Apr 10, 2026 · via automotiveworld.com
- Indicative Price Range Set at KRW 12,400–14,800 per Share SEOUL, South Korea, April 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- STRADVISION, a global provider of AI-based vision perception software for the automotive industry, announced today that it has filed a registration statement with Korea's Financial Services Commission (FSC) for its planned initial public offering (IPO) on the KOSDAQ market. The company intends to offer 7 million shares at an indicative price range of KRW 12,400 to KRW 14,800 per share, implying a total offering size of approximately KRW 86.8 billion to KRW 103.6 billion. STRADVISION previously received preliminary approval from the Korea Exchange (KRX) on April 2 and will proceed with institutional book-building followed by a public offering ahead of its KOSDAQ listing. KB Securities will serve as the lead underwriter. STRADVISION develops AI-based vision perception software for automotive applications. Its flagship solution, SVNet, has been adopted in mass production programs with global automotive OEMs, supporting the company's expanding footprint in the global mobility market. SVNet is a camera-based perception solution that processes visual data in real time to accurately detect and recognize road objects, including pedestrians, vehicles, and lane markings. It serves as a core enabling technology for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving. Built on a lightweight architecture, SVNet delivers reliable performance even in resource-constrained environments while maintaining compatibility across a broad range of hardware platforms. In addition, STRADVISION has developed its proprietary integrated data pipeline, SVDataFlow, which automates key data processing tasks such as auto-labeling. This enables faster model development cycles while enhancing data-driven performance improvements and responsiveness to customer deployment requirements. Leveraging technology designed to meet global vehicle safety assessment frameworks such as EURONCAP and regulatory requirements, including FMVSS, STRADVISION's solutions have been deployed across multiple OEM production programs. The company's software is compatible with more
Apr 10, 2026 · via winchesterstar.com
Pony.ai Launches PonyWorld 2.0, a Self-Improving Physical AI Engine for Autonomous Driving - New world model upgrade enables AI to diagnose its own weaknesses, guide targeted data collection, and support the next phase of large-scale L4 commercialization Pony AI Inc., a global leader in the large-scale commercialization of autonomous driving technology, announced the launch of PonyWorld 2.0, the latest upgrade to its proprietary world model and a major advancement in the core training system behind the company’s autonomous driving stack. PonyWorld 2.0’s most important advance is its ability to diagnose its own weaknesses and guide targeted improvement. The upgrade brings three core capabilities: self-diagnosis, targeted data collection in scenarios where the model still falls short, and more efficient training focused on the hardest cases. The launch comes as the autonomous driving industry enters a new commercial phase. The challenge is no longer just proving that driverless technology works. It is now about improving performance quickly and consistently enough to support broader deployment, stronger unit economics, and sustained technical leadership. Since 2020, Pony.ai has been building PonyWorld not as a basic simulation tool for generating synthetic data, but as a full reinforcement learning training system spanning cloud-side training and vehicle-side deployment. As the system matured, improving the capabilities of Pony.ai’s “Virtual Driver” increasingly came to depend on improving the world model that trains it, particularly its ability to represent real-world dynamics and interactions with sufficient accuracy and realism. “PonyWorld 2.0 is an important step toward a more self-improving approach to autonomous driving development,” said Dr. Tiancheng Lou, Founder and CTO of Pony.ai. “As AI systems become more capable, they can play a larger role not only in learning to drive, but also in guiding their own improvement — making L4 development more scalable over time.” PonyWorld 2.0 is already being applied
Apr 10, 2026 · via aithority.com
California bill aims to put more human operators on robotaxis like Waymo’s; company says proposal would be crippling A Silicon Valley lawmaker wants to require robotaxis like Google’s Waymo to hire human operators to be on standby locally in case the system goes haywire – like it did last winter when a blackout in San Francisco created a logjam of paralyzed robot cars. The legislative push — which Waymo described as potentially crippling — comes after the company’s chief safety officer Mauricio Peña sparked outrage for admitting in US Senate testimony that the crucial human helpers it relies on live in the Philippines. The admission came as lawmakers grilled the company after one of its vehicles struck a child walking to school in Santa Monica. State Sen. David Cortese, a San Jose Dem, says his new bill would ensure tech companies react more quickly during emergencies and keep robotaxis from blocking the path of emergency vehicles. “Unfortunately, reports of AVs obstructing traffic, competing with first responders, and driving through active law enforcement activities continue to abound,” Cortese said as he introduced the legislation earlier this week. Humans need to be based nearby to address “ambiguous situations” in real time, he added. Cortese’s bill would require autonomous-vehicle companies to hire remote drivers and assistants based in the US and licensed in California, and mandate a staffing ratio of one human for every three vehicles. Under the proposed legislation, a trained autonomous-vehicle worker would be required to arrive on scene within 10 minutes if called. Each robotaxi would also need a manual override option to allow public-safety officials to take over, though similar capabilities already exist. The proposal advanced out of the state Senate Transportation Committee with a 7-2 vote. Waymo, run by co-CEOs Tekedra Mawakana and Dmitri Dolgov, currently operates about
Apr 10, 2026 · via nypost.com
THE STAND Blog is the place to find personal insights and perspectives from writers who respond to current cultural topics by promoting faith and defending the family. THE STAND Magazine is AFA’s monthly publication that filters the culture’s endless stream of information through a grid of scriptural truth. It is chock-full of new stories, feature articles, commentaries, and more that encourage Christians to step out in faith and action. Sign up for a six month free trial of The Stand Magazine! I just saw my first driverless vehicle on our recent trip to Florida. I had to look twice over at the vehicle to make sure I was not mistaken in what I thought I saw. But sure enough, the lone passenger was the only human in the vehicle. I probably would have missed the novel sight altogether since I was starting to doze off as my husband drove us homeward. But as we cruised along the right side of this northbound interstate, the road curved a bit and seemed to narrow a little as we came upon a bridge. Perhaps those three combined changes occurring simultaneously – the curve, the narrowed lane, and the bridge – threw the driverless car for a loop, because it unexpectedly swerved into our lane. My husband immediately responded correctly to this lane intrusion by also moving to the right and speeding up slightly, without jerking the wheel to the right and running off the road altogether. Almost as quickly, the other driverless vehicle corrected itself as well, but not fast enough that I did not sit up and take notice. My first response was a little nervous laugh, but when I realized that Randy had the entire occurrence well in hand, I said, “I bet the driver is on the phone. What do
Apr 10, 2026 · via afa.net
Pony.ai Launches PonyWorld 2.0, a Self-Improving Physical AI Engine for Autonomous Driving - New world model upgrade enables AI to diagnose its own weaknesses, guide targeted data collection, and support the next phase of large-scale L4 commercialization GUANGZHOU, China, April 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Pony AI Inc. ("Pony.ai") (NASDAQ: PONY; HKEX: 2026), a global leader in the large-scale commercialization of autonomous driving technology, today announced the launch of PonyWorld 2.0, the latest upgrade to its proprietary world model and a major advancement in the core training system behind the company's autonomous driving stack. PonyWorld 2.0's most important advance is its ability to diagnose its own weaknesses and guide targeted improvement. The upgrade brings three core capabilities: self-diagnosis, targeted data collection in scenarios where the model still falls short, and more efficient training focused on the hardest cases. The launch comes as the autonomous driving industry enters a new commercial phase. The challenge is no longer just proving that driverless technology works. It is now about improving performance quickly and consistently enough to support broader deployment, stronger unit economics, and sustained technical leadership. Since 2020, Pony.ai has been building PonyWorld not as a basic simulation tool for generating synthetic data, but as a full reinforcement learning training system spanning cloud-side training and vehicle-side deployment. As the system matured, improving the capabilities of Pony.ai's "Virtual Driver" increasingly came to depend on improving the world model that trains it, particularly its ability to represent real-world dynamics and interactions with sufficient accuracy and realism. "PonyWorld 2.0 is an important step toward a more self-improving approach to autonomous driving development," said Dr. Tiancheng Lou, Founder and CTO of Pony.ai. "As AI systems become more capable, they can play a larger role not only in learning to drive, but also in guiding their own improvement —
Apr 10, 2026 · via aap.com.au
Waymo has announced it will be working with the navigation app Waze to turn its autonomous fleet of vehicles into a rolling network of road inspectors, launching a pilot program aimed at helping cities identify and fix potholes more quickly. The move pairs Waymo’s sensor-based detection capabilities with Waze’s crowdsourced reporting platform, giving municipalities a real-time picture of road conditions. The data would then be shared through Waze’s platform, where it will sit alongside reports submitted by everyday drivers. Waymo says its vehicles use a combination of cameras, sensors systems, and actual physical feedback to detect irregularities in the road surface. That includes potholes, which can damage vehicles and endanger cyclists and pedestrians. The pilot will see information automatically recorded and shared with local agencies, and could lead to a reduction in the need for traditional reporting methods like 311 calls and manual inspections, says Waymo. “Waymo is already making roads safer where we operate,” said Arielle Fleisher, the company’s policy development and research manager. “We want to build on that by partnering with cities to improve the infrastructure we all depend on.” The program will first roll out in five regions where Waymo already operates: the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta. Across those areas, the company says it has already identified roughly 500 potholes. For Waze users in those areas, drivers will receive alerts as they approach potholes, similar to other hazard notifications in the app, like accidents, road construction, or even speed traps. Users will also be able to confirm or dismiss those alerts, helping to build the system’s accuracy. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan pointed to the potential for faster response times and better allocation of resources, especially in cities already experimenting with camera-based detection on municipal vehicles. The pilot is expected
Apr 10, 2026 · via autoweek.com
Waymo and Waze announced Wednesday a pilot program to help cities more efficiently identify and repair potholes using data collected by Waymo's autonomous vehicle fleet. The program uses Waymo's onboard perception and physical feedback systems to detect potholes in real time. That data will be shared with cities and state Departments of Transportation through the Waze for Cities platform — a free service — alongside user-reported pothole information. Waze users will also receive alerts when approaching a Waymo-identified pothole, and can verify reported hazards to improve data accuracy. The pilot will launch in five metro areas where Waymo already operates: the San Francisco Bay Area and the Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin and Atlanta metros. Waymo said it has already identified approximately 500 potholes across those markets. The company said it plans to expand the partnership to additional cities over time, including those with freeze-thaw cycles that worsen road conditions. Many cities currently depend on 311 calls from residents and manual inspections to identify pothole problems — an approach officials say can leave gaps in road condition reporting and complicate equitable allocation of maintenance resources. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said his city already uses object detection on municipal vehicles and welcomed the added data. "We appreciate the collaboration with Waymo and Waze as we explore how technology can help identify issues like potholes faster so we can respond more efficiently," he said. Sarah Kaufman, director of the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation, said the program reflects a broader responsibility companies bear when operating on public streets. "It's a simple step," she said, "but it reflects a broader principle of responsibility." Waymo said it will seek feedback from participating cities and explore expanding the types of actionable road data it provides.
Apr 10, 2026 · via smdp.com
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Autonomous vehicle company Waymo says it is partnering with sister company Waze to share data on potholes its vehicles encounter with local cities in the Bay Area. Burlingame City Councilmember Donna Colson said the information could help smaller cities with limited staff. "We can't be everywhere at all times. Little cities like ours have smaller staffs. So if there's any way for people to collect and give data to us, we love it," Colson said. MORE: San Jose pilot program using AI to detect roadway obstructions sees positive results Colson said Burlingame would welcome the input, especially as many municipalities face budget constraints. She added that public-private partnerships could become increasingly valuable. Waymo currently operates in San Mateo County, Santa Clara County and San Francisco. Some officials, however, are skeptical. State Sen. Dave Cortese, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, said the proposal does not address the main challenge of paying for repairs. "It seems like they just want to tell us where to go do, what we already know we need to do," Cortese said. Cortese called the plan a public relations move and said Waymo has been reluctant to share certain information with government agencies in the past. He added that financial contributions from Waymo's parent company, Alphabet, would be more helpful. "They don't coordinate with emergency responders at all, as you know. We saw in December, Waymo vehicles completely shut down the city of San Francisco," Cortese said. MORE: Pothole problems: Vallejo ranks as having the worst roads in the Bay Area, again Colson said Burlingame has funds set aside for road repairs through voter-approved tax measures. She believes the data-sharing effort could lead to a lasting collaboration. "It's so much easier to be preventative and be aggressive about keeping these down when
Apr 10, 2026 · via abc7news.com
Philly’s Driverless Future Is Here, Whether We’re Ready or Not As Waymo taxis prepare to launch here, urgent questions about safety, jobs, and who this technology actually serves still need to be answered. Mamadu Barry — a 28-year-old structural engineer and part-time Uber driver — was behind the wheel this past February when he first spotted the future, tucked away in a parking lot in University City. It was a white Jaguar SUV, though not straight from the factory: This model had sensors protruding from the hood like bug eyes. The back windows were pitch black; the front ones were clear. Most distinctively, a 360-degree rotational apparatus was rigged to the roof, striking a passing resemblance to a baby-bottle nipple. Emblazoned on the side of the car, rather than the automaker’s name, was the name of the company responsible for gussying it up: Waymo. “I’m guessing they’re hiding them in there for now, getting ready to take over the world,” Barry said, when he spotted the vehicle. He’s not wrong. Waymo — the self-driving car company owned by Google parent Alphabet — has rapidly scaled up its conquests in the past year. Today, Waymo robotaxis are zipping around 10 cities, including Los Angeles and Austin, where they can be hailed via an app. In some places, you can simply order one through Uber. On a recent visit to Phoenix, where Waymo launched first, I shared the road with several driverless cars. I found their presence unsettling — the stuff of sci-fi — but my friend who lives in the city had actual horror stories, like the night a robotaxi erroneously dropped her off on the opposite side of town. And there was no stopping it. Ever since, that friend’s husband has been exacting a bit of humanist revenge: throwing wood
Apr 10, 2026 · via phillymag.com
Dive Brief: - In its 2030 mid- to long-term strategy update released Thursday, Kia Corp. confirmed the future launch of a body-on-frame pickup truck with hybrid and range-extended EV versions, as one of the centerpieces of U.S. sales growth by 2030. - Kia aims to top 1 million annual sales and claim a 6.2% market share in the U.S. by then, with a focus on strengthening SUV volume and doubling its lineup of hybrid vehicles to eight. Globally it aims for 1.1 million annual hybrid sales by then, by expanding the global lineup of hybrid models to 13. - The company has again lowered EV targets. It now aims for 1 million EVs by 2030, down from 1.6 million by 2030 just two years ago. Other targets included the rollout of an urban autonomous vehicle starting in early 2029 and a fully software-defined vehicle by late 2027. Dive Insight: Last year, Kia clarified that the upcoming U.S.-bound pickup would be a midsize truck and emphasized that the truck won’t be a version of the Tasman, a body-on-frame pickup offered in Australia, the Middle East and other markets. Now with powertrain details and Kia’s consideration of the model at the center of U.S. growth, it's looking like a potential rival to the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, and Chevrolet Colorado. Kia has been considering the idea of a pickup for the U.S. market for years. In 2022 Kia presented a broad EV product plan that included a dedicated electric pickup truck set to arrive by 2027. But in the time since, as the EV market has changed, the electric-truck project appears to have been sidelined. The Kia announcements broadly build on a 2026 business plan presented in March. There it detailed “flexible market strategies” for the U.S. to address tariffs, regulatory changes,
Apr 10, 2026 · via wardsauto.com
Waymo and Waze have launched a pilot programme to share autonomous vehicle-generated pothole data with city transport authorities across five US metro areas. The programme feeds Waymo’s on-road detection data into the Waze for Cities platform, giving municipal departments of transportation an additional source of road condition information alongside user-submitted reports.
Waymo’s perception and physical feedback systems identify potholes as its vehicles operate, with the data made freely available to city officials through the Waze for Cities platform. The information will also be visible to Waze app users in relevant areas, who can verify detections to improve accuracy.
The pilot launches across the San Francisco Bay Area and the Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin and Atlanta metro areas, where Waymo has already identified approximately 500 potholes. The company said it plans to expand the partnership to additional cities over time, including those with freeze-thaw cycles that increase road surface deterioration.
In a statement, Arielle Fleisher, Policy Development and Research Manager at Waymo, said: “Waymo is already making roads safer where we operate. We want to build on the safety benefits of our service by partnering with organisations and city officials to help improve the infrastructure we all depend on.”
Source: Waymo
Apr 10, 2026 · via automotiveworld.com
NI group wins grant to develop self-driving buses - Published Ballymena-based Wrightbus and Queen's University are part of a consortium which has won government funding to help develop self-driving buses. It is part of a government scheme which has awarded grants of up to £250,000 to self-driving feasibility studies. Other projects include studies into autonomous freight vehicles and driverless shuttle operations across NHS sites. Limited self-driving bus experiments have already been carried out in several cities around the UK. That included the Harlander, a self-driving minibus which operated on a short route in Belfast's Titanic Quarter. The Wrightbus feasibility study is not aimed at getting a fully self-driving vehicle on the road immediately. Instead it will take a "phased, evidence-driven approach to test what works" and use that to make it safer and easier to introduce self-driving passenger services in the future. Dr Andy Harris, head of research and data analytics at Wrightbus, said it was about developing a "credible, commercial business case for the future of autonomous public transport". A number of companies are aiming to have self-driving taxis on UK roads by the end of this year. Waymo, a US firm, said it hopes to be operating a robotaxi service in London by September. The firm, which is owned by Google-parent Alphabet, already has vehicles mapping the city's streets with a safety driver at the wheel. - Published22 July 2025 - Published28 January - Published16 February
Apr 10, 2026 · via bbc.co.uk
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Apr 10, 2026 · via youtube.com