CHARTRES-DE-BRETAGNE, France, Aug. 17, 2026 — Alstef Mobile Robotics, the mobile robotics subsidiary of Alstef Group, is building a 13,000 sqm production facility in Rennes Métropole dedicated to manufacturing its new generation of autonomous intelligent vehicles (AIV). The site will support a ramp-up to 300 automated guided vehicles a year by 2027. Works are due to begin in August 2026, in an investment of around EUR 20 million. The vehicles being industrialized at the site come out of the company's "Road to 2026" R&D programme. Alstef introduced the AIV platform earlier in 2026, built around a perception dome — a continuously updated awareness zone that combines on-board cameras with AI models to classify objects in the vehicle's environment, distinguishing pedestrians from manual carts, pallets and fixed infrastructure. The perception system is offered in a front-and-rear configuration and a full 360-degree version. Consolidating two sites The facility occupies 3.2 hectares of the former Stellantis site at the La Janais Industrial Excellence Hub, an area of Rennes Métropole undergoing reindustrialization. It brings together activities currently split between the company's Mordelles and Pacé locations, and comprises 11,000 sqm of workshop space and 2,000 sqm of offices. Production workshops are scheduled for delivery in August 2027 and offices in September 2027. Alstef Mobile Robotics will be tenant of the building under a twelve-year firm lease. Alstef Group is delivering the project with construction company Legendre, with Linovim acting as advisor. Consolidation is intended to improve operational efficiency and logistics coordination between departments as production volumes rise. “This is a major milestone for our company: tangible recognition of the work accomplished, and above all a key driver to keep growing, further industrialize our operations and prepare for the future under the best possible conditions,” said Olivier Imbert, managing director of Alstef Mobile Robotics. Building design
Aug 17, 2026 · via automation.com
Tesla Readies August Launch of Cybercab, Its Robotaxi Without a Steering WheelBy Grace Kay Subscribe to unlock
Aug 17, 2026 · via theinformation.com
Tesla‘s Robotaxi fleet recorded no at-fault crashes with other vehicles between mid-June and mid-July, according to the latest incident reports published under the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Standing General Order. The pattern was first flagged by Tesla shareholder Sawyer Merritt on X this Monday. Three incidents were logged, all dated June 2026 and all classified as property damage with no injuries reported. In each, the narrative Tesla submitted describes another vehicle striking a stationary Robotaxi. The first happened in Austin. A Robotaxi was stopped at a red left-turn arrow, in the dedicated left-turn lane of a four-lane street. An SUV behind it signaled right, moved into the neighboring through-lane, and struck a car already traveling straight in that lane. The SUV then continued into the stationary Robotaxi, hitting its right side. No one was riding in the Tesla. The second happened in Dallas, when a Robotaxi was pulled over and in park on the right side of an alleyway. A vehicle parked to the right reversed and collided with the Robotaxi’s right side. The Tesla was again empty and stationary throughout. The third, also in Austin, was more serious as one passenger was present inside the vehicle. In both cases, the ADS made no maneuver that contributed to the collision, according to the narratives Tesla submitted to NHTSA. Tesla said that “the construction truck stopped abruptly, forcing the Tesla ADS to stop in the area of reduced roadway width, then the truck reversed into the Tesla ADS’s front right.” The third one, also in Austin, was more serious as one passenger was present inside the vehicle. According to Tesla, its Model Y “was proceeding straight in a parking lot behind an SUV. As the SUV came to stop, the ADS came to a stop behind the SUV.”
Aug 17, 2026 · via eletric-vehicles.com
Waymo on Friday got the green light from state regulators (opens in new tab)to expand its driverless taxi routes from San Francisco to the East Bay and Sacramento, up into Sonoma County and down through the Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve. The new territory would include rural areas that could pose new challenges for the robotaxis, including narrow two-lane highways with hairpin turns, unpredictable wildlife, and long distances from the nearest emergency services. For now, the farthest you can take a Waymo from San Francisco is San Jose. While it is unlikely Waymos will be ferrying you to wine country or hugging the curves of Highway 1 beyond Pacifica anytime soon, the state approval is a necessary first step. As it does for all new locations, the company first needs to send manned cars to collect data and map out the area. And there’s no guarantee the company will add service to all the new areas. “While we are excited to receive these permits today, we will not launch in these new cities immediately,” a Waymo spokesperson said. Waymo, Amazon’s Zoox, and other autonomous vehicles are regulated by two state agencies: the Department of Motor Vehicles and the California Public Utilities Commission. The latter granted Waymo’s new approval and has given the company the all-clear to offer paid rides in its Ojai driverless vans. Since it started in Phoenix and San Francisco, Alphabet-owned Waymo has been steadily expanding its service areas, mainly in urban and suburban zones. This expansion would be one of the first in such a large rural area. The newly approved zones include Walnut Creek, Brentwood, Livermore, and Fremont to the east of San Francisco. It covers the coastline south past Pescadero and goes as far north as Sea Ranch — more than 100 miles from
Aug 17, 2026 · via sfstandard.com
Nevada’s Transportation Authority granted Tesla a permit to run driverless vehicles in Las Vegas last month and capped the fleet at 10 cars. Tesla’s application had asked for 5,000. The permit also confines Tesla to an approved stretch of the Strip, bans pickups at Harry Reid International Airport, and limits the vehicles to 45 mph. Tesla asked for all of Clark County Tesla Robotaxi, LLC filed docket 26-05015 with the Nevada Transportation Authority in early June, seeking an Autonomous Vehicle Network Company permit. The application covered all of Clark County and requested authority for up to 5,000 vehicles during the first 12 months. It specifically named Harry Reid International Airport and Henderson Executive Airport as pickup locations. The Authority signed off on July 27. Ten fully autonomous vehicles, operating only inside a geofence the regulator has to approve, with a 45 mph ceiling and no airport service. There are conditions beyond the fleet cap. Every vehicle has to be labeled “robotaxi,” passengers have to be told they’re riding driverless, and the trips require “appropriate human supervision.” Growing the fleet past 10 means going back to the Authority for a new approval. Nevada regulators haven’t publicly explained how a 5,000-vehicle request became a 10-vehicle permit. Zoox is authorized for 100 Amazon’s Zoox holds AVNC Permit 001 in Nevada. Its most recent amendment, issued July 16, eleven days before Tesla’s, authorizes a “fleet limited to no more than one hundred (100) vehicles.” Zoox is currently running roughly 50 on the Strip and started charging for rides this month after clearing its federal hurdle. Waymo filed its own Nevada application in June, docket 26-06007. Uber’s Aviari Services subsidiary filed in July. Both are pending, and Waymo already went fully driverless in Las Vegas in early July. Tesla is the third autonomous operator to
Aug 17, 2026 · via electrek.co
First Batch of Xiaozhu A6 Pro Autonomous Cold-Chain Vehicles Rolls Off Production Line
Shenzhen Youjia Innov Tech Co., Ltd. (MINIEYE) announced that the first batch of Xiaozhu A6 Pro L4 autonomous cold-chain vehicles, jointly developed with Kunming Yunnei Power Co., Ltd. (Yunnei Power), has rolled off the production line at Yunnei Power’s Kunming plant. The vehicles will be deployed in Kunming, Chuxion....
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Aug 17, 2026 · via marklines.com
Uber said it added more first-time users during the past 12 months than in any comparable period over the previous five years, while trailing-12-month free cash flow exceeded $10 billion for the first time in company history, pairing record platform engagement with a substantially larger cash-generation base. Monthly Active Platform Consumers increased 16% year-over-year to 208 million during Q2 2026. Trips increased 18% to approximately 3.87 billion, while monthly trips per consumer increased another 2%. Gross bookings increased 24% to approximately $58.0 billion, or 22% on a constant-currency basis. Revenue increased 12% to $14.19 billion, with business-model changes reducing reported and constant-currency revenue growth by eight percentage points. Growth was broad across Uber’s major marketplaces. Mobility gross bookings increased 22% to approximately $28.99 billion, Delivery gross bookings grew 26% to $27.46 billion and Freight bookings increased 25% to $1.57 billion. Delivery revenue increased 28% to $5.25 billion, while Mobility revenue increased 1% to $7.36 billion and was flat in constant currency. Freight revenue increased 26% to $1.58 billion. Profit growth continued to outpace revenue. GAAP income from operations increased 30% to $1.89 billion, while non-GAAP operating income increased 40% to $2.14 billion. Adjusted EBITDA increased 33% to $2.82 billion. Uber generated approximately $2.86 billion of operating cash flow and $2.79 billion of free cash flow in Q2. During the first half of 2026, operating cash flow reached $5.21 billion and free cash flow totaled $5.08 billion. That quarterly generation helped push trailing-12-month free cash flow above $10 billion for the first time. Management said the expanding cash base provides flexibility to continue investing in future growth, pursue strategic opportunities and reduce the company’s share count. Uber spent approximately $518 million repurchasing common stock during Q2 and about $3.53 billion during the first six months of 2026. The company ended Q2
Aug 16, 2026 · via pulse2.com
EVgo recently announced it generated $61 million in charging network revenue in Q2 2026, up 19% year over year and marking the company’s 18th consecutive quarter of double-digit charging network revenue growth, as its fast-charging footprint expanded to 5,380 operating stalls. Network throughput reached 99 GWh during the quarter, increasing 13% from 88 GWh a year earlier. Total stalls in operation increased 24% to 5,380 from 4,350. The network expansion spanned several operating models. EVgo’s public network increased 13% to 3,930 stalls, its autonomous-vehicle network increased 9% to 120 stalls and EVgo eXtend grew 75% to 1,330 stalls. EVgo added 280 new DC fast-charging stalls during Q2, although that was partially offset by the removal of 175 legacy stalls through its Renew program. Average daily throughput per public-network stall was 276 kilowatt-hours per day compared with 281 kilowatt-hours a year earlier, meaning aggregate throughput growth was driven more by the larger network than by higher utilization per individual public-network stall during the quarter. Customer accounts continued expanding as well. EVgo added more than 99,000 accounts during Q2 and ended the quarter with more than 1.8 million total customer accounts. As of July 31, the company had 240 J3400, or NACS, connectors in operation. Total company revenue presented a different comparison from charging revenue because of fluctuations in EVgo’s non-charging businesses. Overall Q2 revenue declined 16% to $82.6 million from $98 million, while adjusted gross margin increased 290 basis points to 31.8% from 28.9%. GAAP gross margin declined to 8.9% from 14.2%, and EVgo recorded a $46.3 million net loss compared with a $29.8 million loss a year earlier. Adjusted EBITDA loss widened to $10.6 million from $1.9 million. Capital deployment is continuing as EVgo expands the network. Q2 capital expenditures were $33.8 million, and capital expenditures net of OEM infrastructure
Aug 16, 2026 · via pulse2.com
In EV, battery and charging news are dcbel, MassCEC, EVgo, GM, SparkCharge and Ford. In this Article Dcbel Joins MassCEC V2X Demonstration Program for Residential Deployment dcbel Inc. has partnered with TMH, Resource Innovation, and B2Q to participate in the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center V2X Pilot Program, deploying its Ara Home Energy Station to state residential sites. The fully subsidized initiative covers hardware and turn-key installation costs for qualifying single-family properties without existing solar or stationary energy storage systems. Eligible vehicle architectures are limited to bidirectional DC fast-charging compatible platforms, including the MY 2018-2025 Nissan LEAF, 2025 Polestar 3, and 2025 Volvo EX90. Applications remain open through September 30, 2026, or until program funding is exhausted. The dcbel Ara station serves as an integrated distributed energy resource gateway, enabling automated vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid bidirectional power flows. The system manages peak shaving, load shifting during high utility rate periods, and autonomous emergency power dispatch during outage events. The demonstration initiative will aggregate operational telemetry, user behavior metrics, and financial yield data to evaluate hardware interoperability and utility value streams across regional distribution grids. EVgo and GM Open Flagship Fast Charging Site in Metropolitan Detroit EVgo Inc. has opened its newest flagship high-power EV fast charging station at a Meijer retail store in Warren, Michigan, directly opposite the General Motors Global Technical Center. Developed in collaboration with GM, the site brings EVgo’s operational flagship charging stalls to over 40 nationwide, supporting a target of more than 100 stalls by year-end 2026 across key markets including California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, and Texas. The installation features an overhead canopy, pull-through trailer access, and 12 dual-protocol CCS and NACS stalls capable of up to 350 kW DC fast charging. The flagship program forms part of a broader infrastructure expansion between EVgo and GM, which
Aug 16, 2026 · via autoconnectedcar.com
GEORGIA — State Rep. Clinton Crowe discusses Georgia’s approach to school safety, drawing on his law enforcement background.
He highlights HB 268 provisions including panic alerts, campus maps, emergency access, suicide and violence prevention, and behavioral health resources.
Crowe also discusses Addy’s Law, which strengthens penalties for illegally passing school buses and calls for updated laws and accountability as autonomous vehicle technology evolves.
Aug 16, 2026 · via spectrumlocalnews.com
Are robotaxis finally here? Fully self-driving cars for hire have been hailed as the technology of the future for years now. That future has finally arrived — but only in some cities. ROB SCHMITZ, HOST: Robotaxis, fully self-driving cars for hire, have been hailed as the technology of the future for years now. Has that future finally arrived? NPR's car maven Camila Domonoske joins us right now. Camila, hey. CAMILA DOMONOSKE, BYLINE: Hi, Rob. SCHMITZ: So, you know, I keep hearing from my friends in San Francisco and Los Angeles that they are able to order these self-driving cabs, and they're sort of, like, appearing everywhere. Are we going to start seeing more of these in the rest of the country anytime soon? DOMONOSKE: Companies definitely have big plans for expansion. Currently, there are about a dozen big cities where these are everyday technology. A lot of them are Waymos. That's really the industry leader here. These are these white electric vehicles with a bunch of sensors perched on top that kind of looks like a spinning top hat. You might have... SCHMITZ: Right. DOMONOSKE: ...Seen them even in cities where they aren't available yet. They're doing testing. SCHMITZ: Yeah, I saw one the other day in D.C. here, and it didn't look like anyone is taking it for a ride. DOMONOSKE: Not yet. SCHMITZ: Yeah. DOMONOSKE: But that is on the long list of about 20 cities that Waymo plans to expand into. I asked David Margines, the head of product management at Waymo, about this question of whether the robotaxi era has finally arrived. DAVID MARGINES: I think the driverless future is absolutely here, and it's rolling out to more and more places. It's just not everywhere yet. DOMONOSKE: And then there are other companies with plans, too.
Aug 16, 2026 · via npr.org
News Tesla V2L adapter for Model Y stirs up a new complaint among owners On Friday, Tesla launched the Outlet Adapter that enabled Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) energy transfer, meaning owners could essentially utilize their cars as a power source for things like laptops, electric grills, or string lights. However, even owners of some of the newest builds of the Model Y are finding out that their cars are not compatible with the new $80 accessory, stirring up a new complaint among members of the community. Tesla launches V2L Outlet Adapter for Premium Model Y in the U.S. Upon the release of the Outlet Adapter on Friday, I signed into my Tesla account to order the accessory. However, I was met with the dreaded “This product is not compatible with your 2026 Model Y” message at the bottom of the screen. Some said their accounts also displayed the same message, but they ordered anyway. However, they might be surprised to find that this is no mistake; some of the newest Model Ys do not have the appropriate Power Conversion System (PCS). Mine, which was ordered on this day last year and delivered on August 31, has the old 48A, single-phase PCS. Vehicles with the new, two-piece PCS are able to utilize V2L features on their cars: 🚨 Looks like you can hit the Parts Catalog and enter your VIN and check to see if your Model Y will be able to use the adapter for V2L.https://t.co/QA9zRk7n2k h/t to @SawyerMerritt for finding this out. I am sad but this isn’t a huge loss. https://t.co/AYpI12QVV9 pic.twitter.com/LRFSrtRywo — TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 16, 2026 Obviously, it’s disappointing. Many owners have taken delivery this year and still can not utilize the Outlet Adapter because their cars feature the old PCS: Took delivery in February of 2026. I
Aug 16, 2026 · via teslarati.com
Karsan Autonomous e-ATAK Begins Passenger Service at the World-Famous Efteling Theme Park ISTANBUL, Aug. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Developing advanced transportation solutions with its vision of staying one step ahead in the future of mobility, Karsan is further strengthening its global leadership in autonomous public transportation with another landmark project. As part of the project launched at the world-renowned Efteling theme park, Karsan Autonomous e-ATAK began carrying passengers on August 12, 2026, connecting Efteling's main public transport hub with hotels, accommodation facilities and visitor amenities in the area. Commenting on the project, Karsan CEO Utku Ayyarkın said: "We are extremely proud that Karsan Autonomous e-ATAK has become the first autonomous bus to operate on public roads in the North Brabant region of the Netherlands. Following our operation at Rotterdam The Hague Airport, this second autonomous deployment in the Netherlands further strengthens our position in Europe with another important reference project. The fact that Autonomous e-ATAK has been selected for Efteling, a globally recognized destination welcoming millions of visitors every year, is an important testament to the maturity of our technology and the confidence our partners place in Karsan. At Karsan, we do not simply anticipate the future of mobility; we make our advanced technology solutions part of everyday life. Through autonomous projects implemented across different countries and use cases, we are turning the future of public transportation into reality today. We will continue to lead the wider adoption of autonomous public transportation, particularly across Europe and on a global scale." One of the pioneering brands driving the transformation of electric and autonomous public transportation in Europe, Karsan is adding another real-world deployment to its portfolio of advanced mobility solutions. Autonomous e-ATAK, which began operating at Efteling, one of the Netherlands' leading tourist destinations, will serve a route of approximately 6
Aug 16, 2026 · via prnewswire.com
- United States - / - Transportation - / - NYSE:UBER Uber Technologies (UBER) Could Be 27% Undervalued As Robotaxi Rollout Expands Uber Technologies (UBER) is pushing harder into autonomous mobility after announcing an expanded partnership with Pony.ai to deploy over 2,000 robotaxis across Europe and the Middle East, along with new regulatory and operating milestones in London and Tokyo. See our latest analysis for Uber Technologies. Despite the recent stream of autonomous vehicle announcements, Uber Technologies’ share price return over the past month of 4.51% contrasts with a weaker year-to-date share price return that is down 8.34%, while the 5-year total shareholder return of 90.11% keeps the longer-term story positive. If you are looking beyond Uber’s autonomous push and want to see what else is shaping the future of mobility, this is a good moment to scan 37 robotics and automation stocks For Uber Technologies, the recent 30 day gain alongside a weaker year to date performance raises a simple question. Is the stock now tracking business progress, or are you mostly seeing sentiment swing around the same story? Most Popular Narrative: 27.3% Undervalued Uber Technologies last closed at $75.95, compared with a most-followed narrative fair value of $104.48. This frames a sizable valuation gap for anyone tracking the stock’s autonomous and network growth story. Significant investments and accelerating partnerships in autonomous vehicles (AVs) and electrification (with Waymo, Lucid, Nuro, etc.) position Uber to benefit from secular industry shifts; successful AV commercialization could transform long-term cost structures and profitability, boosting future earnings potential. Read the complete narrative. Read the complete narrative. Want to see what is sitting behind that valuation gap for Uber Technologies? The narrative leans heavily on steady revenue growth, resilient margins and a future earnings profile that assumes a higher earnings multiple than today. Curious which
Aug 15, 2026 · via simplywall.st
Pony.ai and Uber Widen Robotaxi Deal to 2,000+ in Europe TL;DR - Pony.ai and Uber plan to deploy more than 2,000 Level 4 robotaxis across Europe, expanding from Zagreb into four additional European cities. - The three-way model has Pony.ai supplying the autonomy stack, Uber handling booking and payments, and local operators like Croatia's Verne running the fleets. - The release names none of the four additional cities, sets no deployment date for the 2,000 vehicles, and says financing will 'vary by market.' Pony.ai and Uber said they will put more than 2,000 Level 4 robotaxis on the road in Europe, expanding from a single service in Zagreb into four additional cities on the continent, with the Middle East also in the plan, according to a joint release on PR Newswire. The partnership was first announced in May 2025 and keeps the same three-way division of labor: Pony.ai supplies the autonomous driving stack, Uber handles booking and payments, and local operators like Croatia's Verne run the actual fleets. That structure is the substance of the deal. Uber has spent recent months visibly shedding adjacent robotics minority bets, including selling its full Serve Robotics stake earlier this month, while doubling down on a platform-plus-partner posture for autonomy. Rather than build cars or write drivers, Uber gets to route trips through Pony.ai-driven vehicles that Verne, or whichever local operator ends up running each new city, owns and services. Pony.ai, which was founded in 2016 and already runs paid driverless service in China's four tier-one cities, gets Western distribution it could not easily build alone. CEO Dr. James Peng called the expanded agreement "an important new phase" for the partnership. Sarfraz Maredia, Uber's Global Head of Autonomous Mobility & Delivery, framed it as combining "advanced autonomous technology with Uber's hybrid platform, on-the-ground experience,
Aug 15, 2026 · via aiweekly.co
Karsan Autonomous e-ATAK Begins Passenger Service at the World-Famous Efteling Theme ParkContributed by: PR NewswireImagesTagsKarsan-Autonomous
Aug 15, 2026 · via pressreleasehub.pa.media
ISTANBUL, Aug. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Developing advanced transportation solutions with its vision of staying one step ahead in the future of mobility, Karsan is further strengthening its global leadership in autonomous public transportation with another landmark project. As part of the project launched at the world-renowned Efteling theme park, Karsan Autonomous e-ATAK began carrying passengers on August 12, 2026, connecting Efteling's main public transport hub with hotels, accommodation facilities and visitor amenities in the area. Commenting on the project, Karsan CEO Utku Ayyarkın said: "We are extremely proud that Karsan Autonomous e-ATAK has become the first autonomous bus to operate on public roads in the North Brabant region of the Netherlands. Following our operation at Rotterdam The Hague Airport, this second autonomous deployment in the Netherlands further strengthens our position in Europe with another important reference project. The fact that Autonomous e-ATAK has been selected for Efteling, a globally recognized destination welcoming millions of visitors every year, is an important testament to the maturity of our technology and the confidence our partners place in Karsan. At Karsan, we do not simply anticipate the future of mobility; we make our advanced technology solutions part of everyday life. Through autonomous projects implemented across different countries and use cases, we are turning the future of public transportation into reality today. We will continue to lead the wider adoption of autonomous public transportation, particularly across Europe and on a global scale." One of the pioneering brands driving the transformation of electric and autonomous public transportation in Europe, Karsan is adding another real-world deployment to its portfolio of advanced mobility solutions. Autonomous e-ATAK, which began operating at Efteling, one of the Netherlands' leading tourist destinations, will serve a route of approximately 6 kilometers. The vehicle will carry passengers between Efteling Hoofdingang and Wonderhotel stops
Aug 15, 2026 · via prnewswire.co.uk
California is home to many autonomous vehicle developers, but until recently its regulations prohibited driverless trucks. This changed in May, when the Department of Motor Vehicles opened its autonomous vehicle permitting regime to heavy-duty vehicles, allowing California to join dozens of other states while still imposing the most restrictive regulations in the country. Unfortunately, this compromise wasn’t enough for the California Teamsters union, which filed suit this month challenging the DMV’s new rules on procedural grounds. Autonomous vehicles, including trucks, are positioned to improve road safety dramatically. Automated driving systems cannot drive drunk, drugged, drowsy or distracted. They can react far faster than human drivers, “see” in the dark and are programmed to follow the rules of the road. These technologies could eliminate the nine out of 10 crashes caused by human error or misbehavior, and early data bear this out. Autonomous vehicles also have the potential to significantly reduce operating costs by lessening and eventually eliminating the role of human driving, a shift that has predictably sparked a backlash from organized labor. The amended California autonomous vehicle rules were approved in April after a two-year process that included robust public input. After multiple rounds of refinement, the new state rules allow heavy-duty autonomous vehicles to operate without drivers on public roads only if certain conditions are met. First, owners of autonomous trucks must apply for a permit, complete at least 500,000 miles of testing with a human driver behind the wheel and turn over detailed data to the DMV. Next, if the DMV is satisfied that these vehicles are safe, autonomous trucks must be tested for an additional 500,000 miles or more without a human driver. Only after no fewer than one million miles of testing on public roads, with at least 200,000 of those miles in California, have
Aug 15, 2026 · via whittierdailynews.com
'We truly are in the age of flying cars': DeSantis touts air taxis, autonomous vehicles DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday highlighted Florida’s expanding investment in advanced air mobility, saying electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft could soon provide a new way to move passengers around the state. Speaking at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, DeSantis focused on eVTOL aircraft — vehicles that can take off and land vertically like helicopters but transition into forward flight more like fixed-wing airplanes. DeSantis said the battery-powered models now approaching the market are relatively quiet and have a range of about 100 miles. He suggested the aircraft could eventually serve as air taxis connecting airports, tourist destinations and congested metropolitan areas. One example, he said, would be flying passengers from Tampa International Airport toward Walt Disney World or Universal Orlando rather than having them drive along Interstate 4. “You could potentially just leapfrog I-4 entirely,” DeSantis said. Florida is preparing to test the emerging technology at SunTrax, the state transportation research facility in Polk County. DeSantis said eVTOL test flights are expected to begin there by the end of the year. The governor said the technology has advanced rapidly and could move beyond testing into commercial service relatively soon. “You could start to see taxi service with these vertical lift platforms probably within the next year,” DeSantis said, while acknowledging that questions about safety, cost and commercial viability remain. DeSantis also said the aircraft could eventually have uses beyond passenger transportation, including medical transport, disaster response, emergency operations and law enforcement. He said the military has shown interest in hybrid versions that could use conventional fuel to extend their range. The state’s push into advanced air mobility is also becoming a workforce and research initiative. Related: DeSantis says Florida will begin
Aug 15, 2026 · via cbs12.com
'We truly are in the age of flying cars': DeSantis touts air taxis, autonomous vehicles DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday highlighted Florida’s expanding investment in advanced air mobility, saying electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft could soon provide a new way to move passengers around the state. Speaking at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, DeSantis focused on eVTOL aircraft — vehicles that can take off and land vertically like helicopters but transition into forward flight more like fixed-wing airplanes. DeSantis said the battery-powered models now approaching the market are relatively quiet and have a range of about 100 miles. He suggested the aircraft could eventually serve as air taxis connecting airports, tourist destinations and congested metropolitan areas. One example, he said, would be flying passengers from Tampa International Airport toward Walt Disney World or Universal Orlando rather than having them drive along Interstate 4. “You could potentially just leapfrog I-4 entirely,” DeSantis said. Florida is preparing to test the emerging technology at SunTrax, the state transportation research facility in Polk County. DeSantis said eVTOL test flights are expected to begin there by the end of the year. The governor said the technology has advanced rapidly and could move beyond testing into commercial service relatively soon. “You could start to see taxi service with these vertical lift platforms probably within the next year,” DeSantis said, while acknowledging that questions about safety, cost and commercial viability remain. DeSantis also said the aircraft could eventually have uses beyond passenger transportation, including medical transport, disaster response, emergency operations and law enforcement. He said the military has shown interest in hybrid versions that could use conventional fuel to extend their range. The state’s push into advanced air mobility is also becoming a workforce and research initiative. Related: DeSantis says Florida will begin
Aug 15, 2026 · via cw34.com