Tesla FSD Hurdles in China & Secrecy in Europe Support CleanTechnica's work through a Substack subscription, on Patreon, or on Stripe. Help us produce all of the high-quality, original content we publish week after week despite the challenges of content-scraping AI, antisocial media, inflation, and other hurdles. Tesla Full Self Driving (FSD) is still not at the unsupervised level in the United States. If your car is driving itself with FSD, you are supposed to be paying attention the whole time and ready to intervene. However, many FSD users love the capability and swear by it. I have a friend who just drove from Florida to Michigan and used FSD 100% of the time. So, naturally, Tesla has been keen to roll the feature out in other major markets, such as China and Europe. It’s been interesting watching discussions around its approval and release in those places, and we’ve got some updates this week. Tesla FSD in China … or Not? An article in the South China Morning Post puts it right in the title: “Tesla faces uphill battle for FSD entry as China rewrites self-driving car rules: analysts.” Like in the US, China is getting quite strict when it comes to vehicle data management. With modern connected cars and now self-driving cars — including all of the sensors collecting data everywhere they go — governments are coming to the conclusion there are various national security concerns to take very seriously. Of course, Tesla is a US company, even if half of its business is in China and Elon Musk is always excessively positive about the Chinese government and the people of China. “The likelihood that US electric vehicle (EV) giant Tesla will obtain Beijing’s approval for higher-level autonomous driving remains a distant prospect, according to analysts,” the article summarizes.
Aug 12, 2026 · via cleantechnica.com
Company streamlines organization, expands AI-enabled operations and strengthens commercial execution Recent Operating Highlights: - Streamlined the organization and reduced management layers as part of a broader initiative to lower operating costs, increase accountability, and improve execution. - Expanded the use of AI-assisted tools across engineering and business operations to automate repeatable work, accelerate workflows, and increase productivity. - Implemented changes to sales leadership and commercial processes, increasing emphasis on opportunity qualification, pipeline accountability, and customers aligned with the DriveMod Tugger. - Continued aligning product development with the requirements of larger industrial customers, including interoperability, enterprise deployment capabilities, and greater customer control over autonomous vehicle workflows. MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Aug. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cyngn (NASDAQ: CYN) today announced financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2026 and outlined a series of organizational and commercial initiatives designed to improve operating efficiency, sharpen execution, and position the company for scalable growth. During the quarter, Cyngn continued to see interest in its autonomous vehicle solutions; however, the pace of commercial execution was delayed relative to the Company's expectations. In response, Cyngn made changes to sales leadership and implemented a more disciplined commercial process focused on opportunity qualification, pipeline accountability, sales execution, and customers and applications that closely align with the capabilities and value proposition of the DriveMod Autonomous Tugger. Cyngn also took steps to reduce its operating cost structure and simplify the organization. The Company consolidated responsibilities, reduced management layers, and realigned resources around its highest-priority product, customer, and commercial initiatives. These actions are intended to create a leaner organization with greater accountability, faster decision-making, and a higher proportion of resources directly focused on product development, customer deployments, and revenue generation. These initiatives are consistent with a broader shift taking place across the technology sector as companies increasingly redesign their organizations
Aug 12, 2026 · via prnewswire.com
China is the country most prepared for self-driving cars, according to a new report. The new study by the B2B car company eCarsTrade analyzed robotaxi deployment, road infrastructure, legal frameworks, and public sentiment across 15 countries to see which nations are actually putting driverless vehicles on the road. Driven by massive robotaxi deployment, nearuniversal 5G coverage, and advanced regulations that allow fully driverless commercial service, China ranks first. The United States follows, with Waymo completing about 500,000 paid rides weekly. New Zealand and Canada lag behind, with limited testing and less developed legal frameworks. The study looked at four key areas, reflecting the self-driving environment. Adoption measured how many robotaxis are actually carrying paying passengers today, not just announcements or pilot programs. Infrastructure assessed road quality, 5G coverage and EV charging networks. Legal frameworks captured whether countries have passed laws allowing commercial driverless operations, and public sentiment was drawn from surveys and Reddit analysis across 76 threads. Driver‐assist systems like Tesla Autopilot were excluded because they still require a human driver behind the wheel. China - Robotaxi status: Yes for Apollo Go, Pony.ai, WeRide - Safety driver: Not used for Apollo Go - Road quality: 4.8 out of 7 - 5G coverage: 96 percent - Electric vehicle chargers: 3 million+ - Legal category: Advanced China is the world leader in self‐driving readiness, with more than 17 million robotaxi rides recorded. Apollo Go operates fully driverless vehicles without anyone behind the steering wheel, and 5G covers 96 percent of the population, giving autonomous vehicles the low‐latency connections they need. Road quality is average, scoring 4.8 out of 7, but the sheer scale of deployment outweighs infrastructure limits. Plus, China has more than 3 million EV chargers, making it easier for electric robotaxi fleets to operate. United States The United States ranks
Aug 12, 2026 · via roboticsandautomationnews.com
News Stephanie Gil, Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), researches how robots, drones, autonomous vehicles, and other physical agents can make decisions, coordinate with one another, and act effectively in complex real-world environments. Much of her recent work focuses on how advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning can help autonomous systems move from controlled settings into the physical world. The following Q&A was developed from interviews with Gil. It has been edited for clarity, length, and context. Q: Why is it difficult to get autonomous systems, like autonomous vehicles, to work well in real-world environments? A: One of the biggest barriers is uncertainty. When you put robots or autonomous systems into the real world, they do not have perfect information. There may be parts of the environment that are simply unknown. The data they sense directly may be incomplete. The data they receive from another robot or from the network may not be trustworthy. But even with all of that uncertainty, the system still needs to make decisions that are helpful and useful. If it is a drone working with a search and rescue team, it needs to decide where to go next. If it is an autonomous rideshare vehicle, it needs to coordinate with other vehicles and respond to requests around a city. If it is working with marine biologists, it needs to be in the right place at the right time to collect useful data. That question — how do you make good decisions under uncertainty — is central to a lot of the work in my group. Q: This problem has been partly solved, right? Autonomous vehicles have been deployed for ridesharing in major cities. A: If you think about autonomous rideshare vehicles as
Aug 12, 2026 · via seas.harvard.edu
HII and MetalCraft Marine successfully complete DIU prototype testing for the Watcher, an autonomous USV powered by HII’s Odyssey control system. HII press release HII announced that the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has officially recognized the successful completion of the company’s Production-Ready, Inexpensive, Maritime Expeditionary (PRIME) prototype project, featuring the Watcher small Unmanned Surface Vessel (sUSV), which is based on HII’s ROMULUS-25 Unmanned Surface Vessel and powered by HII’s Odyssey Autonomous Control System (ACS). The DIU recognition follows HII’s delivery and successful sea testing of two autonomous Watcher ROMULUS-25 vessels in December 2025 under a DIU contract to develop smaller-form-factor autonomous surface vessels for the U.S. Marine Corps. Developed in partnership with MetalCraft Marine, the Watcher sUSV successfully met the program’s technical objectives and is now positioned for a potential transition to production. HII’s Odyssey ACS modular open systems architecture (MOSA) enables intelligent navigation, mission planning, collaborative behaviors, and multi-domain autonomous operations while allowing operators to rapidly integrate autonomy across multiple vehicle types and increasingly complex missions in contested environments. Its service-based design enables seamless integration with other mission-enabling technologies, enhancing mission effectiveness through AI-enabled contact recognition, identification, and edge-based decision-making. In a memorandum to HII, DIU stated: “The HII Watcher sUSV has successfully demonstrated its appropriateness to address the Department of the Navy’s operational need for sUSV interceptors, capable of autonomously transiting hundreds of miles through contested waterspace, loitering in an assigned operating area while monitoring for maritime surface threats, and then sprinting to interdict a noncooperative, maneuvering vessel.” The memorandum further concluded that HII achieved the prototype’s key technical goals and success metrics, supporting a potential transition to production under Other Transaction Authority (OTA) prototype agreements. “This milestone is another example of HII’s strategy to rapidly transition innovative technologies from concept to operational capability,” said Duane Fotheringham,
Aug 12, 2026 · via navalnews.com
JavaScript is disabled in your browser.
Please enable JavaScript to proceed.
A required part of this site couldn’t load. This may be due to a browser extension, network issues, or browser settings. Please check your connection, disable any ad blockers, or try using a different browser.
Aug 12, 2026 · via sfchronicle.com
Arbe Robotics Expands AI Radar Push as It Targets Defense, Drones and Robotaxis Arbe Robotics ARBE is expanding commercialization of its ultra-high-resolution radar technology beyond automotive applications, targeting physical AI, autonomous vehicles, defense, security, drones and marine markets, President and Co-Founder Kobi Marenko said during an Equity Sustainability presentation. Marenko said the company’s radar systems are designed to provide environmental perception in weather and lighting conditions that can limit cameras, including rain, fog, snow and nighttime conditions. He said radar also provides velocity information and can detect objects at long range, capabilities he described as important for autonomous movement by vehicles, robots and drones. “Physical AI needs reliable real-world perception,” Marenko said. “We are the sensor for that that can work in any weather, any lighting conditions.” Technology and Business Model Arbe produces radar semiconductor chipsets, including radio-frequency transmitter and receiver components and a proprietary processor. Marenko said the company’s processor can handle substantially more radar channels and points than competing systems, creating a dense point cloud that can be combined with camera data and AI software. For automotive customers, Arbe sells chipsets to Tier 1 suppliers, including Magna in Western markets and HiRain in China. For non-automotive applications, the company is manufacturing complete radar units itself. Marenko said the decision reflected slower-than-expected timing for automotive adoption and the limited interest of Tier 1 suppliers in lower-volume non-automotive programs. “The automotive will take longer than expected, and in order to survive, we must produce the radar by ourselves,” Marenko said. He added that Tier 1 suppliers typically work at volumes in the millions, while certain defense and industrial opportunities may involve thousands or tens of thousands of units. Arbe began shipping full radar systems from its own production line by the end of the second quarter, according to Marenko. He
Aug 12, 2026 · via es.tradingview.com
Silicon Valley companies have spent decades coming to Seattle for engineering talent. Now Seattle-based Overland AI is returning the favor. The autonomous ground vehicle maker announced Wednesday that it’s opening an office in Burlingame, Calif., to tap into what it calls a world-leading AI and robotics talent pool in the Bay Area. Located on the San Francisco Peninsula, the new facility will serve as a hub for software engineering and robot operations. The space includes a dedicated command center where operators can remotely task and control Overland’s autonomous ground vehicles across the globe. The startup touted the location for its proximity to top universities and transit options and said it plans to double its Bay Area headcount over the next six months as it expands development of its off-road navigation software. “Establishing a physical presence in the Bay gives us direct access to the deepest pool of AI talent in the world,” Jon Fink, CTO at Overland AI, said in a statement. The move flips the long-standing dynamic between Silicon Valley and the Pacific Northwest. For years, Bay Area tech giants like Google, Meta, and Apple have built engineering outposts across Seattle to tap into the region’s cloud computing and systems talent. Just look at GeekWire’s list of such engineering centers. But as autonomy and robotics race forward, Overland AI is reversing the talent migration, establishing its own Northern California beachhead to recruit engineers right in Silicon Valley’s backyard. Founded in 2022 as a spinout from the University of Washington, Overland AI builds software and hardware for uncrewed military land vehicles designed to navigate complex, off-road terrain without GPS. The startup has raised over $140 million in venture funding, including a $100 million Series A led by 8VC in February. It recently secured a $19.7 million U.S. Marine Corps contract
Aug 12, 2026 · via geekwire.com
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Earlier this week, we told you about the new “City Gateway” development coming to downtown Raleigh. It’ll have a hotel, housing, retail, and a parking garage. However, that garage won’t be like any other in North Carolina. Many people take an elevator every day and soon, your car could too. A new automated parking garage is coming to downtown Raleigh. You can order your car on any IOS or Android phone and it can park 98% of all passenger vehicles sold in the US. “It will take it down, put it on to a shuttle, run it back through the building,” Dasher Lawless AUTOParkit President and CEO Christopher Alan said. According to AUTOParkit’s parent company Dasher Lawless, the garage will have multiple “load bays” where you can get your vehicle. “When you want it back, you touch your iPhone and the car comes back to you in approximately 180 seconds,” Alan said. If a customer doesn’t grab their vehicle within three minutes, it’s reparked. “Our goal is to park our first car by Dec. 31,” Alan said. The automated parking garage will be a part of the City Gateway development, which will also include housing, a hotel, and retail. While the ‘AUTOParkit’ garage will be completed first, it’s not the first of its kind. Alan told CBS 17 Investigates their first garage was built in 2010. “It was the prototype, the pilot project for automated parking for the city of Los Angeles,” he said. “We helped write codes for the city of L.A. that got adopted across the United States for the most part.” Now, there are more than two-dozen across the country, with the nearest one in Detroit. Alan told CBS 17 the garage will use less concrete than a typical garage and instead use
Aug 12, 2026 · via cbs17.com
Uber's AV Ambitions in London Receive a Boost: Here's How Uber Technologies UBER and Wayve have moved closer to introducing autonomous rides in London after Transport for London (TfL) awarded Private Hire Vehicle licenses to several of Wayve’s self-driving, all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles. Equipped with the Wayve AI Driver as well as surrounding cameras and radar, the vehicles underwent inspections to verify compliance with TfL’s safety and policy requirements. The approvals satisfy the vehicle component of the “triple-lock” requirement for Private Hire journeys, under which the operator, driver and vehicle must be licensed by the same authority. The rides will operate in accordance with the U.K. Government’s AV Trialing Code of Practice and Uber’s TfL Private Hire Operator license. Although Wayve’s technology will handle the driving, a trained, TfL-licensed private hire driver will remain onboard to supervise each journey, provide assistance and assume control when necessary. Interest among London residents has been significant, with more than 100,000 people joining Uber’s Interest List over the past eight weeks for an opportunity to be matched with a Wayve autonomous ride when the service launches. Later this summer, selected participants will be offered rides and asked to provide feedback, helping the companies refine the experience ahead of a broader public rollout. Wayve views the license as an important step toward allowing Londoners to experience autonomous driving while supporting the longer-term potential for safer, cleaner and quieter streets. Uber similarly considers the approval a key milestone in introducing autonomous rides in the capital, with the strong response to its Interest List demonstrating considerable public interest in Wayve’s U.K.-developed technology. Wayve’s AI-first AV2.0 system differs from conventional autonomous-driving technologies that depend on high-definition maps, predefined rules or tightly geofenced operating areas. The AI Driver instead learns from experience, allowing it to adjust to different
Aug 12, 2026 · via tradingview.com
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Earlier this week, we told you about the new “City Gateway” development coming to downtown Raleigh. It’ll have a hotel, housing, retail, and a parking garage. However, that garage won’t be like any other in North Carolina. Many people take an elevator every day and soon, your car could too. A new automated parking garage is coming to downtown Raleigh. You can order your car on any IOS or Android phone and it can park 98% of all passenger vehicles sold in the US. “It will take it down, put it on to a shuttle, run it back through the building,” Dasher Lawless AUTOParkit President and CEO Christopher Alan said. According to AUTOParkit’s parent company Dasher Lawless, the garage will have multiple “load bays” where you can get your vehicle. “When you want it back, you touch your iPhone and the car comes back to you in approximately 180 seconds,” Alan said. If a customer doesn’t grab their vehicle within three minutes, it’s reparked. “Our goal is to park our first car by Dec. 31,” Alan said. The automated parking garage will be a part of the City Gateway development, which will also include housing, a hotel, and retail. While the ‘AUTOParkit’ garage will be completed first, it’s not the first of its kind. Alan told CBS 17 Investigates their first garage was built in 2010. “It was the prototype, the pilot project for automated parking for the city of Los Angeles,” he said. “We helped write codes for the city of L.A. that got adopted across the United States for the most part.” Now, there are more than two-dozen across the country, with the nearest one in Detroit. Alan told CBS 17 the garage will use less concrete than a typical garage and instead use
Aug 12, 2026 · via cbs17.com
As India’s quick-commerce platforms race to deliver everything from groceries to smartphones in minutes, electric mobility startup Yulu has seized the boom, raising $93 million in fresh funding. The Bengaluru‑based startup offers electric two‑wheelers on weekly subscription plans, so delivery drivers can jump straight into the gig economy without buying their own vehicles. With around 50,000 vehicles in its fleet, Yulu reports that it logs about 1.6 million zero‑emission miles each week and powers more than 750,000 deliveries a day. The new funding will let Yulu grow that fleet to 200,000 bikes over the next two years and launch faster electric two-wheelers aimed at new logistics use cases. The Series C round comprised $63 million in equity led by GEF Capital Partners and $30 million in debt financing. About $5.5 million of the equity component was used to buy shares from seed investors whose funds were nearing the end of their investment life, co-founder and CEO Amit Gupta said in an interview. The deal valued Yulu at about $170 million post-money, people familiar with the matter told TechCrunch. Gupta declined to comment when asked about the valuation and did not dispute the figure. Existing investors Bajaj Auto and Magna International did not participate in the round after waiving their pre-emptive rights, allowing GEF to acquire its target ownership stake, Gupta said. He added that the startup expects this to be its final equity fundraising before an eventual public listing, with future fleet expansion financed primarily through debt and lease financing. The business moves toward becoming profitable before interest and taxes next year, after achieving positive EBITDA last financial year, Gupta told TechCrunch. The startup also grew its revenue seven-fold between fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2026, he said, without sharing specifics. The COVID shift Founded as a bike-sharing startup for urban
Aug 12, 2026 · via techcrunch.com
Imagry and Spanish bus manufacturer Unvi have integrated Imagry’s HD-mapless autonomous driving software into a Unvi-made battery-electric bus, with the first vehicle already en-route to a deployment site in Germany ahead of a planned Q3 launch. Israeli firm Ubsi is handling procurement, homologation and fleet operations as the integration partner between the two companies. The vehicle in question is a 10.3-metre, M3-category e-bus, pre-certified for European Whole Vehicle Type Approval under the bloc’s GSR2 safety regulation. Imagry and UNVI say the software integration itself took just shy of three months, which is well below typical industry timelines. Neither company has disclosed the bus’s battery specifications or range, nor have they detailed the exact German deployment location. It is also unknown whether the HD-mapless service will operate fully autonomous from launch or initially run with a safety driver present. With that said, previous autonomous bus launches—even those with more established technologies than Imagry’s—usually begin with a safety driver present, if for no reason other than reassuring riders. It is certainly noteworthy that the service will go live without HD mapping, because conventional engineering wisdom actually favours the opposite approach for this kind of vehicle. Fixed bus routes are predictable and repeated, and that is precisely what HD maps exploit best: centimetre-level curb geometry that enables docking precision for wheelchair ramps, a pre-built world model that frees onboard compute for tracking pedestrians and traffic instead, and a stored spatial reference that keeps working even when heavy rain or snow obscures lane markings from cameras. Because transit authorities only need to survey a fixed set of routes rather than an entire city, HD mapping is also comparatively cheap to maintain in this specific use case. Imagry’s mapless approach inverts that logic on several practical grounds that matter specifically to transit operators. Skipping the
Aug 12, 2026 · via automotiveworld.com
The hustle never stops for Tesla and Waymo. As both companies race to roll out new vehicles for their respective robotaxi services, a bystander caught a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes scaling operations of Tesla and Waymo. David Moss, a Tesla fan who recently pivoted to content creation focused on autonomous vehicles, posted two videos on X — one of Waymo's Ojai fleet in Arizona and another of Tesla's Cybercab fleet in Dallas — both taken during his ongoing nationwide scavenger hunt for robotaxi operations. In Mesa, Arizona, Moss was scoping out Waymo's manufacturing and integration facility, where it retrofits the Jaguar I-PACE SUV and the Ojai with its proprietary sensors and driverless software. The Ojai is Waymo's latest and most spacious robotaxi platform. The vehicle's base comes from Zeekr, a Chinese EV company. Moss said he counted at least 500 retrofitted Ojais within his line of sight and that there were likely more when he visited the campus on August 6. That would be at least five times the about 100 Ojai robotaxis that Waymo initially launched in May. On the other side of the Waymo facility, Moss told Business Insider that there were more Ojais that weren't retrofitted with sensors. "It was the most impressive display of autonomous vehicles I've seen for sure to date," he said. A Waymo spokesperson declined to comment. On August 9, Moss went to Dallas, where he documented a large lot near Dallas Love Field Airport storing more than 100 Tesla Cybercabs at the time of his visit. The Cybercab is Tesla's two-door, purpose-built robotaxi that is intended to have no steering wheel or pedals. Moss said the Cybercabs he spotted had steering wheels, which could indicate that the vehicles are part of Tesla's validation and mapping fleet rather than a production fleet that's
Aug 12, 2026 · via businessinsider.com
Cars have been constantly evolving. With the advent of the engine, horse-drawn carriages were replaced by automobiles, and electrification technology is now replacing internal combustion engines with electric motors. Recently, autonomous driving and Software-Defined Vehicles (SDV) have been driving further changes. However, even amid these innovations, one thing remains unchanged: the way a car moves. We often discuss a car’s performance in terms of engine or motor output. But what actually propels a car is the system that transmits energy to the wheels. No matter how much power is generated, if it cannot be transmitted efficiently, the desired movement cannot be achieved. This is why, throughout the automotive industry’s more than 100-year history, transmission technology has been just as important as power generation technology. So where does a car’s power originate? And will cars continue to move the same way in the future? The in-wheel motor currently under development by Hyundai Mobis stems from these very questions. As the name suggests, this technology involves mounting the motor directly inside the wheel; at first glance, it might seem as though only the motor’s location has changed. However, the in-wheel motor is regarded not merely as a simple relocation of a component, but as a technology that transforms vehicle structure, control systems, and—ultimately—the very possibilities of future mobility. Although development is still underway to verify reliability and ensure market viability prior to mass production, it is gaining attention as a core technology for future mobility, with its applicability being validated across various sectors ranging from passenger cars to PBVs and multipurpose autonomous vehicles. Most cars share a similar structure. In internal combustion engine vehicles, the engine is located at the front or rear of the vehicle, and the power generated there is transmitted to the wheels via the transmission, drive shaft, and
Aug 12, 2026 · via hyundaimotorgroup.com
Hong Kong issues pilot license for autonomous vehicle trial for inter-station passenger connection
HONG KONG -- The Transport Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government announced on Tuesday that it has issued a pilot license for an autonomous vehicle trial connecting Hong Kong West Kowloon Station of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL) and Kowloon Station of the Airport Express.
The trial will involve four private cars operating in autonomous mode, each monitored by an on-board backup operator to take over control when necessary.
A spokesperson for the Transport Department said that the HKSAR government has been actively supporting autonomous vehicle development through policy, regulation, and funding. This project aims to demonstrate the safety, stability and operational feasibility of autonomous vehicle technology in complex traffic conditions.
Once the autonomous vehicles commence regular operation, a seamless autonomous link will be formed to enhance the travel experience and attract more travelers to use the XRL and the Hong Kong International Airport, the spokesperson added.
Aug 12, 2026 · via chinadaily.com.cn
‘Why are we being replaced with a robot?’ Las Vegas taxi driver says earnings cut in half by driverless rides As commercial driverless service starts on the Strip; one taxi driver says his earnings have dropped by half LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Zoox has begun charging passengers for rides in its driverless vehicles on the Las Vegas Strip, with permission from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The company has operated under interim authority from the Nevada Transportation Authority since May 2025, offering free rides. With federal approval now in place, Zoox says it is launching commercial service in Las Vegas and aims to price rides competitively with ride-hail services at a “comfort” level. Some rides may include location-based fees at destinations such as the airport, the Sphere and T-Mobile Arena. Zoox says it offers premier pickup and drop-off locations at those sites. MORE ON FOX5: Zoox issues software recall after robotaxi drives through heavy smoke in Las Vegas Driver says earnings cut in half Taxi and rideshare driver Sonny Goodman said he is already feeling the impact of driverless competition. He said on an average night he is now making about half of what he earned a few years ago and is working to transition to a more stable commercial truck driving job. “I’m considering going because now from us making, you know, $400 or $500 a day, now we’re, you know, you might be looking to make $200,” Goodman said. “The working men and women, you know, make the city so — why are we being replaced with a robot?” Goodman said. Goodman said he has noticed Zoox vehicles appearing at major resorts along the Strip, including changes to taxi pickup arrangements at one of the largest properties. “For a few weeks they made the taxis to pick
Aug 11, 2026 · via fox5vegas.com
Tesla Cybercab Wins Endorsement From Florida Governor Desantis — ‘Clearly These Things Could Be Very Beneficial’ - The Governor was touring the SunTrax testing facility in Auburndale. - The Cybercab is Tesla’s purpose-built robotaxi — a two-seat electric vehicle designed from the ground up for unsupervised autonomy. - Tesla has described the early ramp for Cybercab as a slow “S-curve” expected to accelerate later this year, with a long-term target of up to 2 million units annually. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis offered a clear endorsement of Tesla’s Cybercab while touring the SunTrax testing facility in Auburndale, highlighting the vehicle’s potential as autonomous technology advances in the state. DeSantis Praises Design Speaking at the high-speed test track, DeSantis pointed to a gold Cybercab on display and described the Tesla design in straightforward terms. “Cybercab comes out of Tesla. You go in there and you just sit. You have a screen. There’s no steering wheel, no pedals. Clearly these things could be very beneficial,” he said, as shown in the footage by Florida's Voice. “We took a ride on a robotaxi on the Suntrax course and it successfully navigated all hazards — a kid running into the street, a crash with police stopping traffic, a Model S cutting us off, etc. Impressive!,” DeSantis also said in a post on X. Safety Takes Center Stage The governor stressed that safety remains the top priority before any wider rollout. “You don’t want to be in an autonomous vehicle and it drives you into a ditch. That would not be good,” DeSantis added. He called SunTrax “the only high-speed autonomous vehicle test track in the United States,” adding that it can simulate interstate speeds, rain, crowded urban settings, pedestrian crossings, hills and other real-world conditions. Companies including Tesla, Waymo and Beep are actively testing there,
Aug 11, 2026 · via tradingview.com
Florida will be actively testing 'flying cars' by the end of the year, DeSantis says By Meleah Lyden August 11, 2026 at 1:42 PM EDT The Advanced Air Mobility technology has the potential to be used as air taxis, cargo delivery, medical transportation and emergency response. After decades of viewing flying cars as a figment in movies like "Back to the Future," Gov. Ron DeSantis said the reality of it might not be too far out. This is because SunTrax AirGround in Polk County will be actively testing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) by the end of the year, DeSantis announced Monday at the Auburndale facility. "I can't promise we will ever be able to take you to the future or to the past, but I think we're going to be able to get you up in the air at some point in the not too distant future," DeSantis said, referring to a scene in the sci-fi classic starring Michael J. Fox. The testing will be throughout the Central Florida aerospace region. SunTrax is located along the I-4 corridor and is 775 acres. The facility was initially built to test connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) technologies. But last year, the governor announced the Florida Department of Transportation was building two vertiports there, which is like a heliport. According to a release, SunTrax is home to the country's first dedicated Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Aerial Test Track. This allows companies a "controlled environment" to test technology under real-world conditions. DeSantis explained how runways are not needed for these to take flight. Instead, the eVTOLs will lift straight up from a vertiport and go. https://x.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/2086865865195352484 How will this affect Florida? One of the goals of the Advanced Air Mobility technology is to relieve road congestion. "I think the one place
Aug 11, 2026 · via wusf.org
Governor DeSantis highlights test facility for ‘flying cars’ and autonomous vehicles Press release from the Office of Governor Ron DeSantis AUBURNDALE, Fla.— Yesterday, Governor Ron DeSantis highlighted SunTrax, Florida’s premier, nation-leading facility for research and development of emerging transportation technologies and innovations. Located along the Interstate 4 (I-4) corridor in Polk County, the 775-acre SunTrax campus, which was initially built to test connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) technologies, has now expanded to also include air technology. This new expansion was purpose-built to help with the safe and innovative development of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) technology, or “flying cars.” AAM will offer a brand-new transportation option to Florida’s communities that will relieve congestion and restore regional air services in the state. With this resource, Florida expects to host a series of AAM test flights by the end of the year. “Great to be at the SunTrax Testing Grounds in Auburndale today to highlight Florida’s leadership in the future of transportation,” said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. “By the end of this year, Florida will be actively testing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, while SunTrax Air Ground is actively testing and supporting the deployment of autonomous and connected vehicles. I was also proud to announce that FDOT is partnering with Embry-Riddle and Polk State to help Florida students prepare for exciting career opportunities in the next generation of transportation. Florida has the innovation-friendly policies, the universities and research institutions, the infrastructure and forthcoming infrastructure investments, and the talent needed to become the premier location for emerging transportation technology.” “SunTrax and Florida’s strategic plan to take highways to the sky are prime examples of why Florida remains a global leader in transportation,” said Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared W. Perdue, P.E. “As our state continues to grow and transportation needs increase,
Aug 11, 2026 · via alachuachronicle.com