Chris Yu will tell you his micromobility company, Also, is much more than an e-bike maker. Its market is every vehicle smaller than a car. On Wednesday, the Palo Alto based startup raised a $150 million Series D funding round, Fortune learned exclusively, led by Prysm Capital. Eclipse Capital and Greenoaks also participated. The round pushed the two-year-old startup’s valuation past $1 billion, a big number for a company whose most visible product, so far, is a $3,500 e-bike. But what Also actually makes is a small-vehicle technology platform alongside in-house motors, batteries, compute, and software. While the first iteration is in the form of a bike, Also’s technology is designed to be dropped into anything smaller than a car that moves people or goods, such as pedal-assist delivery quads and (eventually) fully autonomous vehicles. The company spun out of Rivian in early 2025 after running as a stealth project inside the EV maker. Rivian founder RJ Scaringe co-founded the company and has stayed on as chairman of both. The money has moved fast since: $105 million in funding at spinout, a $200 million Series C earlier this year led by Greenoaks with Prysm, and a strategic investment from food delivery company DoorDash. The new capital is earmarked specifically to accelerate Also’s autonomous vehicle platform—with the company developing multiple autonomous hardware projects simultaneously for moving both goods and passengers—all built on the EV architecture already underpinning its consumer bike, the TM-B, and its commercial electric delivery quad, the TM-Q. “Repurposing a 7,000 pound van, truck or SUV to do across-town trips with one passenger, or to deliver a toothbrush from Amazon or a hamburger on DoorDash, just doesn’t make sense if you’re trying to make that trip as economical and low impact as possible and minimize congestion and time,” Yu
Aug 19, 2026 · via fortune.com
Buy, Hold or Sell Tesla Stock Ahead of Cybercab Launch? Electric vehicle (EV) and tech giant Tesla TSLA is moving closer to a major test of its robotaxi ambitions. The company is preparing for the public rollout of its Cybercab. Per media reports, the vehicle is expected to be launched in Austin, TX, by the end of this month. Unlike Tesla’s existing vehicles, Cybercab is purpose-built for autonomous driving, with no steering wheel or pedals. Can the Cybercab become the next major growth engine for Tesla? Or is the company asking investors to pay too much today for a future that remains uncertain? Let’s dig deeper. Cybercab in TSLA’s Robotaxi Push Per Teslarati, Tesla has been producing Cybercab units at Gigafactory Texas since April, initially using them as test vehicles across different environments and climates. The vehicles have been spotted in several states, including California, Nevada, Florida, New York and Pennsylvania. The company plans to begin by offering Cybercab rides to its employees before incorporating the vehicles into its Robotaxi service in Austin. If executed well, the autonomous ride-hailing network that could generate recurring, high-margin revenue. The opportunity is significant. There are signs that Tesla's autonomy efforts are gaining traction. Robotaxi service is now live across seven U.S. metropolitan areas, while unsupervised operations are expanding in markets including Austin, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Orlando and Tampa. Image Source: Tesla, Inc. On its last earnings call, Tesla noted that its unsupervised miles have been growing at a double-digit rate and expects this momentum to continue through the year. But the gap with the industry's leader remains substantial. Alphabet’s Waymo Has a Major Lead Tesla’s robotaxi hubs have racked up about 380,000 driverless miles in total, per the company’s last quarterly release. Alphabet’s GOOGL Waymo passed that number years ago and has since
Aug 19, 2026 · via tradingview.com
SHANGHAI, CN / ACCESS Newswire / August 18, 2026 / Momenta, a leading Physical AI company, together with XHEART, has selected QNX® OS for Safety from QNX, a division of BlackBerry Limited (NYSE:BB)(TSX:BB), as the foundation for its Physical AI-defined autonomous driving platform. Integrating Momenta's full-stack autonomous driving solution, XHEART X7 automotive-grade SoC, and QNX OS for Safety, built on QNX® SDP 8.0, the three collaborators are delivering a production-ready solution designed to help automakers accelerate deployment while meeting global functional safety standards. Certified to ISO 26262 ASIL D, this solution enhances driving safety and intelligence, and gives OEMs a functionally safe foundation for vehicles destined for stringent markets, such as those requiring compliance with Europe's UN R171 (DCAS). "The global scale for Physical AI demands safety first. Through our collaboration with QNX and XHEART we are proud to deliver a production-ready system built to one of the highest global safety benchmarks, empowering automakers to confidently introduce intelligent vehicles to markets everywhere," said Huan Sun, SVP of Momenta. "Momenta and XHEART are helping enable the next generation of Physical AI technology, and QNX is proud to be the Safety-Certified Operating System underpinning that future," said Grant Courville, SVP of Products and Strategy at QNX. "This collaboration with Momenta and XHEART strengthens our position as a trusted foundational software provider for the world's leading autonomous driving systems." "Building next-generation autonomous driving requires AI-native silicon," said TL Lee, CEO of XHEART. "The XHEART X7 SoC, paired with QNX's certified OS and Momenta's algorithms, gives OEMs the performance, safety and scalability required for global markets." ### About Momenta Momenta is a global leader in Physical AI, committed to creating a better life through breakthrough AI technologies. From seeing the world to foreseeing it - built on the World Model, and guided by the
Aug 19, 2026 · via investingnews.com
SHANGHAI, CN / ACCESS Newswire / August 18, 2026 / Momenta, a leading Physical AI company, together with XHEART, has selected QNX® OS for Safety from QNX, a division of BlackBerry Limited (NYSE:BB)(TSX:BB), as the foundation for its Physical AI-defined autonomous driving platform. Integrating Momenta's full-stack autonomous driving solution, XHEART X7 automotive-grade SoC, and QNX OS for Safety, built on QNX® SDP 8.0, the three collaborators are delivering a production-ready solution designed to help automakers accelerate deployment while meeting global functional safety standards. Certified to ISO 26262 ASIL D, this solution enhances driving safety and intelligence, and gives OEMs a functionally safe foundation for vehicles destined for stringent markets, such as those requiring compliance with Europe's UN R171 (DCAS). "The global scale for Physical AI demands safety first. Through our collaboration with QNX and XHEART we are proud to deliver a production-ready system built to one of the highest global safety benchmarks, empowering automakers to confidently introduce intelligent vehicles to markets everywhere," said Huan Sun, SVP of Momenta. "Momenta and XHEART are helping enable the next generation of Physical AI technology, and QNX is proud to be the Safety-Certified Operating System underpinning that future," said Grant Courville, SVP of Products and Strategy at QNX. "This collaboration with Momenta and XHEART strengthens our position as a trusted foundational software provider for the world's leading autonomous driving systems." "Building next-generation autonomous driving requires AI-native silicon," said TL Lee, CEO of XHEART. "The XHEART X7 SoC, paired with QNX's certified OS and Momenta's algorithms, gives OEMs the performance, safety and scalability required for global markets." ### About Momenta Momenta is a global leader in Physical AI, committed to creating a better life through breakthrough AI technologies. From seeing the world to foreseeing it - built on the World Model, and guided by the
Aug 19, 2026 · via theglobeandmail.com
Momenta, XHEART, and QNX Build an Autonomous Driving Platform Certified to Global Safety Standards Rhea-AI Summary BlackBerry (NYSE:BB), through its QNX division, announced that Momenta and XHEART have selected QNX OS for Safety, based on QNX SDP 8.0, as the operating system for a Physical AI-defined autonomous driving platform. The integrated solution combines Momenta’s full-stack autonomous driving software, the XHEART X7 automotive-grade SoC, and QNX OS for Safety. It is certified to ISO 26262 ASIL D and designed to help automakers deploy production-ready systems that meet global functional safety standards, including stringent markets requiring compliance with Europe’s UN R171 (DCAS). Positive - Autonomous driving platform certified to ISO 26262 ASIL D - QNX OS for Safety chosen as core platform by Momenta and XHEART - Production-ready solution targeting markets requiring UN R171 (DCAS) compliance Negative - None. Key Figures Historical Context | Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst | |---|---|---|---|---| | Jul 29 | Conference participation | Neutral | -3.5% | Conference participation was followed by a 3.46% decline over 24 hours. | | Jul 21 | Security certification | Positive | +1.8% | Renewed Common Criteria certification was followed by a 1.81% gain. | | Jun 30 | Platform enhancement | Positive | +1.4% | AtHoc platform enhancements were announced and followed by a 1.36% gain. | | Jun 25 | Board election results | Positive | +19.9% | All eight director nominees were elected, followed by a 19.95% gain. | | Jun 25 | First-quarter earnings | Positive | +19.9% | First-quarter results and fiscal-year guidance were followed by a 19.95% gain. | 24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed. Four positive or materially favorable announcements in the listed history were followed
Aug 19, 2026 · via stocktitan.net
A SANY truck on display at the booth of Chinese autonomous driving firm Pony.ai during the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China), in Beijing, China April 24, 2026. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang A Pony.ai Robotaxi is displayed at the booth of the Chinese autonomous driving startup during a media day for the Auto Shanghai show in Shanghai, China April 24, 2025. REUTERS/Go Nakamura A SANY truck on display at the booth of Chinese autonomous driving firm Pony.ai during the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China), in Beijing, China April 24, 2026. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang Tingshu Wang A Pony.ai Robotaxi is displayed at the booth of the Chinese autonomous driving startup during a media day for the Auto Shanghai show in Shanghai, China April 24, 2025. REUTERS/Go Nakamura BEIJING, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Chinese autonomous driving company Pony.ai has a pipeline of planned and potential overseas robotaxi deployments of more than 4,000 vehicles, it said on Tuesday, as it seeks to accelerate its expansion beyond China. Autonomous driving firms are racing to commercialise robotaxi services overseas. As the technology matures and domestic competition intensifies, they are seeking new revenue streams and partnerships in markets including the Middle East, Asia and Europe. Pony.ai, which is targeting a robotaxi fleet of 3,500 vehicles by year-end, did not provide a timeline for when all the planned overseas deployments would be finalised. It also did not say how many robotaxis it has deployed overseas so far. Last week, it made public plans to deploy more than 2,000 robotaxis in Europe through an expanded partnership with Uber. The more than 4,000 vehicles in Pony.ai's overseas deployment pipeline have already been contracted, with rollout timelines dependent on permits and other regulatory and operational requirements, CEO James Peng said on a post-earnings call. Rival WeRide is also accelerating its global expansion
Aug 18, 2026 · via lufkindailynews.com
As with nearly everything associated with Tesla and its colorful CEO Elon Musk, the hype around the company's Robotaxi project has been considerable. He envisions a future where the autonomous driving technology powering the Robotaxi fleet becomes the monster revenue-producing engine of the electric vehicle (EV) king's business. While I think one company has a decent shot at carving out a huge chunk of the self-driving taxi market, it isn't Tesla. In fact, it's an enterprise that most people don't readily associate with automobiles at all. Miles ahead That company is Alphabet (GOOG -0.05%)(GOOGL +0.06%) known by billions as the owner of Google, the No. 1 internet search engine. For years, it's channeled some of the vast amounts of revenue it earns from search (and far smaller income streams) into other ventures. Its autonomous taxi effort, Waymo, is a directly owned subsidiary. With management's considerable support and gobs of capital, Waymos have become advanced enough to be common sights in several U.S. cities (most notably throughout my auto-dependent home of Los Angeles). Approval is coming soon for several other cities, namely San Diego, Las Vegas, Denver, and Tampa. First-mover advantage matters in both the tech and automotive worlds, and that especially applies at the intersection of the two. Waymo is actively providing service and earning revenue from it; what's more, it's clearly becoming a go-to choice for rideshare customers. At times, when I've been out on the town, I've either been told directly by people or overheard someone saying they're ordering a Waymo -- and not, pointedly, an Uber Technologies or Lyft. NASDAQ: GOOG Key Data Points The regulatory challenge And certainly not a Robotaxi. Tesla's pet rideshare project is live and operating, but only in limited areas of Texas cities Austin, Dallas, and Houston, and Florida's Miami, Orlando, and
Aug 18, 2026 · via fool.com
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN | AMZN Price Prediction) subsidiary Zoox is expanding its fully driverless robotaxi service to San Francisco and Las Vegas, according to a Reuters report, putting it on a direct collision course with Tesla’s autonomous vehicle ambitions in two high-profile markets. Zoox Is Expanding Its Footprint Zoox has been methodically building its footprint: the unit launched its first fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Las Vegas and has been testing vehicles across multiple U.S. cities. Critically, Zoox operates with no safety driver, while Tesla is only beginning to remove safety monitors as of January 2026. Last November, prediction markets assigned as high as 57% odds that Tesla would launch robotaxis in California by June 30. That never materialized. Tesla’s Las Vegas expansion is part of its planned H1 2026 Robotaxi rollout, but the competitive timeline is tightening. Tesla shares traded around $340.62 on Monday, Aug. 17, down 22.25% year to-date, and analyst conviction is thin: only 44% of analysts are bullish, with 17 Hold ratings and eight Sell or Strong Sell ratings. Reddit sentiment on TSLA sits at a bearish 33.37. Meanwhile, Amazon trades around $261.68 with a consensus analyst target of $280.47 and 63 Buy ratings against just four Hold ratings. What to Watch For Next Investors should watch whether Tesla can accelerate its driverless transition before Zoox establishes brand recognition in Las Vegas and the Bay Area. A recently published 24/7 Wall St. analysis examines a scenario where Tesla’s stock could fall 70% if its autonomous vehicle lead erodes faster than the market expects. The autonomous race is no longer Tesla’s to lose alone. Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Aug 18, 2026 · via 247wallst.com
Sebastian Thrun, one of the pioneers of the self-driving industry, is working on a new robotics startup called Dulo. He revealed the new venture at the end of a keynote speech at Actuate, a robotics conference in San Francisco on Tuesday. "I am not speaking about the company yet," Thrun said. "It's under stealth, it's very small. But it's in robotics," he told an audience of robotics founders and employees. Few details about the company are publicly available. A bare-bones Stanford-hosted website says Dulo is developing "foundation models for hardware design" with the goal of enabling "manufacturing at lightspeed." The site says its team includes leaders from Waymo, Google Brain, and Stanford's Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, or SAIL, which Thrun previously directed. Thrun has begun working on this company amid a boom in robotics, fueled by falling hardware costs, labor shortages, and pressure to reshore manufacturing. Physical AI startups — companies building machines that can act in the real world — raised a record $16.3 billion across 492 deals in the first quarter of 2026, according to PitchBook. Thrun came to Google's attention in 2005 after his Stanford team won a landmark autonomous-vehicle race by completing a 132-mile desert course without a human behind the wheel. Google cofounder Larry Page subsequently recruited him to lead the company's self-driving-car project, which later became Waymo. Thrun also co-founded Google Brain, Google X, and online education company Udacity. He later led the now-defunct flying-car startup Kittyhawk. Have a tip? Contact Rya Jetha via email at rjetha@businessinsider.com or Signal at rjetha.07. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.
Aug 18, 2026 · via businessinsider.com
I’m not sure they asked any of us here in Texas, but it is what it is. Automakers may be spending billions of dollars developing autonomous driving technology, ever-larger infotainment screens and sophisticated connected-car features, but when shoppers are asked what they really want in their next new vehicle, something considerably simpler comes out on top: heated seats. According to WardsAuto, automotive research and consulting firm AutoPacific’s newly released 2026 Future Vehicle Planner found heated seats were the most-wanted vehicle feature among prospective new-car buyers. The study surveyed more than 19,000 licensed drivers who intend to acquire a new vehicle within the next three years and asked about more than 160 different vehicle features and technologies. Heated seats were selected by 47% of respondents, narrowly beating front and rear parking sensors at 45%. Rear automatic emergency braking was third at 44%. After that, several features clustered closely together, showing buyers are putting a premium on comfort, convenience and safety rather than simply chasing the newest technology. AutoPacific’s top 15 most-wanted features for 2026: One newcomer to the top 15 this year is Auto Park. AutoPacific described the feature to survey participants as technology that allows a vehicle to park itself in a space selected by the driver, with the driver either inside the vehicle or standing nearby. Nine of the 15 leading features were either new to the list or returning after being absent, while six repeated their top-ranking status from 2025. AutoPacific also measures something slightly different from overall popularity: how important a desired feature is to the people who want it. In that “must-have” category, all-wheel drive and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto were among the leaders. The distinction is important. While only 39% of all respondents included AWD among their 15 most-wanted features, those shoppers who want it
Aug 18, 2026 · via carpro.com
Waymo made a big splash last week when it announced a major expansion across the Bay Area, but despite the regulatory green light it’s still far from clear when the company will be able to start cars on its new routes. The Mountain View-based autonomous ride-hailing service announced Friday that it received approval from the California Public Utility Commission to expand the company’s footprint across the region, along with other major California metro areas. The California Department of Motor Vehicles released an updated map showing Waymo’s new approved operating range in Northern California, including the addition of Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, Marin, Sonoma and Solano counties. But Bay Area residents who want to order a Waymo for a day-trip to Calistoga for wine tasting and mud baths will still need to wait for the company to build-out its physical and digital infrastructure to accommodate riders beyond the San Francisco peninsula. How quickly Waymos will roll out over the Bay Bridge and beyond depends on numerous factors, said Scott Moura, an associate professor at the University of California Institute of Transportation Studies with an expertise in autonomous vehicles. Though Waymo is leading the driverless race against competitors Tesla, Amazon’s Zoox and General Motors’ Cruise, he said, the company has shown a patience with new initiatives, an approach which flies in the face of Mark Zuckerberg’s famous quote about tech development, “Move fast and break things.” “It’s not a time-based thing,” said Moura when asked about how long it might take Waymo to get its new service areas up and running. “It’s a performance-based thing. It’s not going to be immediately, that’s for sure. It’s not likely in the next few weeks. In the next months, it’s possible it might get to the East Bay. It’s very likely in the next year.”
Aug 18, 2026 · via mercurynews.com
Tesla prepares for Cybercab launch in August starting with rides to employees: report The company plans to deploy the vehicle for its autonomous ride-hailing service TESLA has told employees it is gearing up for a public launch of Cybercab, starting with a rollout in Austin, Texas, as soon as this month, the Information reported on Monday (Aug 17), citing people with knowledge of the plans. Cybercab, a purpose-built autonomous vehicle without pedals or a steering wheel, is crucial to Tesla’s robotaxi ambitions, as the company is planning to eventually deploy the vehicle for its autonomous ride-hailing service. Tesla has told staff that it plans to begin the Cybercab rollout by offering rides to its employees on public roads and then incorporate Cybercabs into its robotaxi service in Austin a few days later, according to the report. The company has been preparing for a launch with steps including test driving, offering employee rides on private roads and conducting training with local first responders in recent weeks, the report said. Tesla did not immediately respond to a Reuters’ request for comment. The company started running tests of the production version of its Cybercab on public roads in June, and production of the vehicle is expected to ramp up later this year. REUTERS Decoding Asia newsletter: your guide to navigating Asia in a new global order. Sign up here to get Decoding Asia newsletter. Delivered to your inbox. Free. Share with us your feedback on BT's products and services
Aug 17, 2026 · via businesstimes.com.sg
An ESA NAVISP project has examined how positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) technologies will need to evolve to support increasingly automated road vehicles and other advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). The project, ‘ADAS technology and PNT’, was led by Acitoflux GmbH and examined the relationship between PNT capabilities and emerging automated-driving applications across the European and Canadian technology landscape. Rather than focusing on positioning accuracy alone, the study assessed the requirements for PNT that can remain continuously usable, trustworthy and verifiable across the operational design domain (ODD) of an automated system. The study combined technology scouting, industry research, expert input and use-case analysis. Acitoflux screened and long-listed 331 companies across the PNT and ADAS/AD ecosystem, covering vehicle manufacturers, Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, GNSS and correction services, localization and positioning, mapping, timing and V2X (vehicle-to-everything). A central element was a gap analysis based on ten PNT dimensions, covering technical performance, signal quality and resilience, and economic deployment and viability. Forty-nine use cases were re-evaluated, with twenty-four non-TRL9 use cases taken forward for detailed analysis. From accuracy to trust At a recent ESA-hosted event, Lennart Säger, Mika Mänz and Marc Halft of Acitoflux presented the final results of the project. Their analysis found that accuracy and precision are not the principal PNT bottlenecks for emerging ADAS/AD applications. Instead, availability, robustness and verification were identified as the main gaps. Automated systems must be able to determine not simply where they are, but how much confidence can be placed in that position under changing conditions such as urban canyons, tunnels, dense canopy, construction sites and RF-hostile environments. The study identified several technology trends. Multi-constellation, multi-frequency GNSS is becoming the baseline, while tightly coupled GNSS/INS with motion constraints is emerging as a standard building block for autonomy-oriented localization. RTK is considered operationally mature,
Aug 17, 2026 · via insidegnss.com
VinFast is steadily advancing its technology capabilities as part of a broader vision for smart, connected and increasingly intelligent mobility. From next-generation driver-assistance systems to localized manufacturing and resilient global operations, the company is building the technological foundations needed to enhance vehicle intelligence, improve customer experience and support its long-term growth in global markets. Speaking at the Bloomberg Sustainable Business Summit, Ms. Anne Pham, Vingroup's Head of International Capital Development, laid out how VinFast is building its driver-assistance technology, supply chain, and global growth strategy step by step, favoring measurable progress over headline claims. A Phased Path to Autonomy, Grounded in Safety Validation VinFast's approach to autonomous driving starts from a simple premise: Today's vehicles, not tomorrow's promises, define the roadmap. The company's current line-up operates at Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), functions such as adaptive cruise control and lane-centering that assist the driver while keeping them firmly in control at all times. It is a meaningful distinction that the industry, and increasingly regulators, are asking automakers to communicate clearly: Assistance is not autonomy, and conflating the two has real safety consequences. For its next generation of models, VinFast is planning a move toward L2+/L2++ capability, an incremental step that would extend the range of conditions under which the car can assist the driver, without claiming hands-off, eyes-off autonomy. VinFast has indicated that each phase of this rollout is intended to be tied to measurable safety validation before wider release, rather than a fixed date-driven launch. That sequencing matters, the global ADAS and autonomous-vehicle market has drawn intense investor and consumer scrutiny in 2026, and companies that scale functionality carefully, validating each capability against real-world driving data before expanding it, are better positioned to earn long-term trust than those chasing headline autonomy claims. This is also why VinFast
Aug 17, 2026 · via investingnews.com
Uber $UBER and Zipline announced a partnership Monday that will extend autonomous drone delivery through Uber Eats to American customers nationwide, with Uber committing a strategic investment in the drone startup as part of the deal. The companies aim to reach 1 million drone deliveries per day by the end of 2029, with first launches in Dallas and Houston The first deployments will begin in Dallas and Houston by the end of the year, according to the Wall Street Journal. The companies plan to expand to dozens of additional U.S. cities and aim to reach one million drone deliveries per day by the end of 2029. Uber said Zipline's drones could cut delivery times to between five and 10 minutes, a sharp reduction from the roughly 30-minute window customers currently experience. "Truly quick commerce is proving to be an even bigger market than the original food market was," Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told the Wall Street Journal. "We think this can be an enormous tailwind for the next leg of growth for Eats." Zipline co-founder Keller Cliffton said in a statement that the collaboration moves the company closer to "a world where getting what you need is as fast and effortless as sending a text, no matter where you are." Financial details of Uber's stake in Zipline were not made public, the companies said. Zipline operates on four continents and makes a delivery every 20 seconds, the company said. Its existing U.S. commercial partners include Walmart $WMT, Panera, Chipotle $CMG, and Wendy's $WEN, according to Yahoo Finance. Zipline was most recently valued at $7.85 billion. The deal is Uber's largest commitment to drone delivery yet. Uber has been building what it describes as a hybrid delivery network combining human couriers, sidewalk robots, and drones. Uber struck a comparable deal with
Aug 17, 2026 · via qz.com
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