- Xpeng plans to lift monthly capacity for its Iron humanoid robot to more than 1,000 units by the end of this year, paving the way for a global roll-out in 2027. - The company plans to deploy Iron as showroom sales assistants in China in the first quarter of 2027, before expanding the service to overseas stores later that year. Xpeng (NYSE: XPEV) is accelerating mass production of its humanoid robot as it prepares to take the product to global markets next year. The electric vehicle (EV) maker aims to increase monthly capacity for its Iron humanoid robot to more than 1,000 units by the end of this year, paving the way for a global roll-out in 2027, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Xpeng plans to deploy Iron as sales assistants at its stores across China in the first quarter of 2027, and expand the service to overseas stores later that year, the people said. The move underscores Xpeng's ambition to transform from a smart-car company into a "physical AI company," as it repurposes AI and autonomous-driving technologies developed for EVs for use in humanoid robots. Automakers broadly see growing overlap between smart vehicles and robots in areas including AI large models, perception systems and motion control, the report noted. Xpeng unveiled the new-generation Iron humanoid robot at its AI Day in November 2025, drawing wide industry attention after the robot appeared on stage with a natural and fluid catwalk. The demonstration was so lifelike that it prompted public questions over whether a real person was hidden inside the robot, forcing Xpeng chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng to publicly show its internal structure. The robot, 178 centimeters tall and weighing 70 kilograms, is powered by all-solid-state batteries. It is equipped with 3
Jul 15, 2026 · via cnevpost.com
Automotive Dealer Demand Trends: June 2026 Looking at the June 2026 consumer demand metrics reveals fascinating shifts in consumer preferences, the enduring power of classic nameplates, and how electrification is rewriting the rules of traditional vehicle segmentation. This data is provided exclusively to The Truth About Cars via AutoFinder.com—an automotive marketplace featuring over 3 million new and used vehicle listings. AutoFinder connects shoppers with dealerships nationwide to easily find and secure the best deal on a car, truck, or SUV. The data is generated when shoppers express interest in connecting with a dealer to speak about a specific make and model. Below is an analysis broken down by each major vehicle segment, highlighting the market leaders driving consumer interest last month. Pickup Trucks: The Ultimate American Battleground The pickup truck market continues to be dominated by domestic automakers, with a few strong import challengers keeping them honest. - The Leader: The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 secures the #1 spot for June 2026, out-muscling its perennial rival, the Ford F-150 (#2), for consumer research dominance. - Midsize Surge: The Chevrolet Colorado (#3) and Toyota Tacoma (#5) demonstrate that buyers are looking for high-capability footprints without the full-size parking hassle. - Heavy-Duty & Premium Interest: GMC makes a strong showing with the premium GMC Sierra 1500 at #4, while heavy-duty variants like the Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD (#6) and GMC Sierra 2500HD (#10) prove that commercial and heavy-towing demand remains robust. Sedans: Practicality and Reliability Reign Supreme Despite the historic market shift toward utility vehicles, the sedan segment remains a highly competitive, high-volume environment where efficiency and value are paramount. - The Unshakable Giants: The Toyota Camry (#1) and Honda Civic (#2) continue their decades-long rivalry at the top of the charts. Their smaller and larger stablemates—the Toyota Corolla (#3) and Honda Accord (#4)—lock
Jul 15, 2026 · via thetruthaboutcars.com
US unveils end-to-end autonomous system to detect and neutralize naval mines The portable SIGURD platform pairs mine detection with autonomous neutralization and is already undergoing government testing. Read Next: Russia's new rifle calibre bullets disintegrate into 3 mid-flight, can hit high-speed dronesAs naval mines pose growing risks across strategic waterways, U.S. defense startup Vatn Systems has introduced a compact autonomous system designed to tackle the threat. Called SIGURD, the new platform gives military operators a portable way to find underwater mines and eliminate them without relying on large, dedicated mine warfare vessels. The system is based on Vatn’s Skelmir S6 autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). It focuses on one of naval warfare’s most demanding missions, where clearing a single minefield can consume significant time, manpower, and resources. Vatn says government customers are already testing SIGURD, and the company expects the system to become deployable later this year. Tackling underwater mines Naval mines remain one of the most cost-effective weapons in maritime conflict. A relatively inexpensive mine can disrupt commercial shipping or delay naval operations for days. Removing those threats is often far more difficult than placing them. Conventional mine countermeasure missions usually depend on specialized ships and highly trained explosive ordnance disposal teams. Those operations can also take considerable time before waterways reopen. Vatn believes autonomous underwater vehicles can shorten that process. The company designed SIGURD as a man-portable system that operators can deploy directly into contested waters. Chief Executive Officer Nelson Mills said demand has increased as military planners place greater focus on securing critical maritime chokepoints. Two mission variants Vatn offers SIGURD in two separate configurations. Operators can deploy each version individually. They can also combine them during a complete mine countermeasure mission. More from Military See AllThe first variant searches for underwater mines. It carries a side-scan sonar
Jul 15, 2026 · via interestingengineering.com
WeRide begins international testing of end-to-end AV system In July 2026, WeRide began on-road testing and localization validation of its one-stage end-to-end intelligent driving solution in Germany, France, Japan, and other international markets. The system is built on WeRide’s proprietary end-to-end driving algorithm and integrated with Bosch’s automotive-grade domain controller platform, combining the two companies’ respective software and hardware expertise. The international testing program is designed to build out WeRide’s engineering and validation capabilities across diverse regulatory frameworks, road infrastructures, and driving environments. The company says its unified end-to-end AI architecture, which integrates perception, prediction, planning, and control within a single model, enables faster adaptation across varied conditions, from Germany’s unrestricted motorways and France’s dense roundabout networks to right-hand-drive markets in Japan and extreme climate conditions in the Middle East. WeRide is also working with multiple automakers to incorporate regional driving behaviors and customer preferences into product development. The company has accumulated commercial traction in China, where Chery Exeed models equipped with WRD 3.0 have taken six consecutive victories at the China Intelligent Driving Challenge over the past six months. The system has secured design wins across more than 30 production vehicle programs with Chery and GAC Group. Impact on the Automotive Market Digital transformation has been driving advancements across the automotive market. Connected vehicles now feature real-time diagnostics, smartphone integration, and over-the-air (OTA) updates, while autonomous driving technologies leverage AI and advanced sensors for enhanced navigation. There is also a growing expectation for vehicles that are able to seamlessly integrate with our digital lifestyles. Features like real-time navigation, voice-activated controls, and advanced infotainment systems are no longer optional but have now become essential. Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) in the automotive industry enables manufacturers and service providers to streamline operations and reduce costs. AI-driven systems significantly reduce human errors and
Jul 15, 2026 · via precedenceresearch.com
KONGSBERG, Oceaneering to Support Autonomous Defense Combat Program for XLUUV
KONGSBERG and Oceaneering International, Inc. announced their selection by the U.S. Department of War’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to support the Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform (CAMP) program, focused on the development of an Extra-Large Uncrewed Undersea Vehicle (XLUUV) for future U.S. Navy missions.
The CAMP program accelerates the transition of mature commercial and defense technologies into operational naval capabilities. This collaboration will focus on concept definition, system architecture, and design trade studies, emphasizing modularity, interoperability, and rapid integration.
The design is expected to be delivered in the third quarter of this year.
Jul 15, 2026 · via marinetechnologynews.com
First Hydrogen Corp. has announced progress in developing artificial intelligence capabilities for its unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) platform, expanding its hydrogen mobility business into advanced robotics, autonomous systems, and defence and security technologies. The company is focusing on AI-powered capabilities designed to support defence, security, counter-drone operations, autonomous navigation, and mission-adaptive field operations. Balraj Mann, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of First Hydrogen, explained: “The battlefield and security environment is changing rapidly, and autonomous systems are becoming increasingly important across defence, infrastructure protection and emergency response. “By pursuing specialised artificial intelligence expertise for our UGV programme, we are strengthening the platform’s potential to support next-generation defence and security applications, including autonomous navigation, situational awareness and counter-drone support. “We believe this represents a natural extension of First Hydrogen’s strategy at the intersection of clean energy, autonomous systems, mobility and advanced robotics.” Addressing the evolving drone threat As drone threats become increasingly sophisticated, evolving from individual first-person-view (FPV) attacks to coordinated multi-drone operations, defence and security organisations are seeking new layers of protection beyond traditional aerial systems. First Hydrogen believes intelligent autonomous ground platforms can play an important role in this changing landscape by supporting force protection, reconnaissance, logistics, sensor deployment, and counter-unmanned aerial systems (counter-UAS) operations. The company says its UGV platform is designed to extend operational coverage, strengthen security perimeters, and enable personnel to supervise multiple autonomous systems while reducing their exposure to hazardous environments. Strengthening AI expertise To accelerate development, First Hydrogen is in discussions with an experienced artificial intelligence specialist with expertise in autonomous systems, advanced computing, and defence technology programmes. The collaboration is expected to support the company’s AI development roadmap, with a focus on improving autonomous decision-making, situational awareness, sensor fusion, threat detection, and overall mission effectiveness. AI capabilities under development The proposed AI programme will
Jul 14, 2026 · via innovationnewsnetwork.com
Euro NCAP has introduced its advanced 2026 vehicle safety assessment protocols, raising the standard for consumer protection, placing greater emphasis on intuitive and effective driver assistance systems, robust crash avoidance, occupant protection for a diverse population and post-crash safety and care. Both the new BMW iX3 and the Zeekr 7GT have earned Euro NCAP’s highest five-star safety score under the new protocols, becoming the first vehicles to achieve this top rating. The new protocols categorize testing around four Stages of Safety. Safe Driving assesses how well the vehicle supports the driver and passengers to provide a safer driving experience; Crash Avoidance evaluates how effectively the vehicle identifies hazards and helps prevent or reduce the severity of a crash; Crash Protection looks at how well the vehicle’s structure, airbags and restraints protect occupants and other road users during a collision; and Post Crash examines whether the vehicle’s design and onboard systems can assist emergency responders in treating occupants after a crash. BMW iX3 The Neue Klasse BMW iX3 50 xDrive delivered an outstanding performance across all stages of the assessment and may be BMW’s safest car to date, said Euro NCAP. In Safe Driving, the iX3 was praised for its dedicated physical controls for the indicators, hazard lights, horn, headlights and gear selectors, scoring 73%. Its driver monitoring proved effective at detecting driver fatigue and impairment, though it demonstrated lower sensitivity toward short-term visual distraction. During a 2,000km real-world road trial across Italy, France, Germany and Austria, its speed limit assist function identified signage changes correctly in 86% of instances, covering 97% of the driven distance. According to Euro NCAP, the vehicle’s Crash Avoidance technologies performed well, with its autonomous emergency braking system exceeding the new requirements and showing good mitigation across vehicle-to-vehicle, junction-turning and motorcycle collision scenarios. Euro NCAP also
Jul 14, 2026 · via automotivetestingtechnologyinternational.com
Federal safety regulators are putting autonomous vehicle companies on notice: if their driverless cars cannot safely deal with police, firefighters and ambulances, the technology still has work to do. On July 8th, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a public call to action to driverless automated driving system developers warning that the agency has seen a “clear pattern” of autonomous vehicles interfering with law enforcement and other first responders. You can read the full letter here. The concern is not theoretical. NHTSA said it has documented incidents in which autonomous vehicles drove into active emergency scenes, blocked ambulances or firefighters, or failed to properly respond to flashing lights, flares, smoke, fire and traffic cones. Morrison’s message was direct: an autonomous vehicle that cannot safely interact with first responders is a danger to the public. In its letter, NHTSA said it will meet with driverless vehicle developers by the end of July to hear what steps they plan to take to address the issue. The agency also said it will continue to use its enforcement authority against companies that fail to deal with significant safety concerns. In other words, Washington is not just asking robotaxis to use better manners. It is telling the companies behind them to fix a problem that can have real consequences when seconds matter. NHTSA did not name specific companies in the letter and did not identify specific incidents. However, Reuters notes that local media in Texas reported a late-May incident in Dallas involving a Waymo self-driving vehicle that partially blocked a route being used by fire trucks responding to an apartment fire. Reuters also reported that Waymo did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The warning comes as driverless vehicle operations continue to expand in several U.S. markets. Waymo, owned by
Jul 14, 2026 · via carpro.com
Lucid Motors is denying a report that it’s weighing filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Nick Twork, the company’s chief communications officer, told TechCrunch in a statement that the “rumors are completely false.” “The company has sufficient liquidity to carry its operations well into next year, as recently published in its last quarterly filings, and it has not formed any special Board committee to explore the scenarios reported today,” he said. “Our focus is on improving execution, strengthening operations, and positioning Lucid to realize the full potential of its technology, products, and innovation.” Lucid’s denial comes after its stock price sunk more than 50% on Tuesday, its biggest intra-day drop ever, according to Bloomberg News. The stock has recovered from the free fall, and was trading at $4.72 a share as of 2:46 p.m. ET, about 14% lower than its opening price. The company recently named a new CEO and has laid off more than 2,000 employees this year as part of a sweeping restructuring ahead of the expected launch of its smaller, more affordable electric SUV later this year. Earlier Tuesday, an electric vehicle blog published a report citing two unnamed sources who said the company was considering either filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection or going private on the recommendation of consulting firm AlixPartners. Twork said AlixPartners is assisting Lucid on strengthening its operations and “nothing else and has not recommended bankruptcy to management or the Board.” AlixPartners has been a go-to consulting firm for struggling electric vehicle companies in recent years. Lordstown Motors tapped the firm in 2021 after its CEO and CFO resigned, in an attempt to restructure its nascent business. The startup ultimately partnered with Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn, though that relationship soured and Lordstown Motors went out of business. Faraday Future also brought in
Jul 14, 2026 · via techcrunch.com
Federal safety regulators are putting autonomous vehicle companies on notice: if their driverless cars cannot safely deal with police, firefighters and ambulances, the technology still has work to do. On July 8th, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a public call to action to driverless automated driving system developers warning that the agency has seen a “clear pattern” of autonomous vehicles interfering with law enforcement and other first responders. You can read the full letter here. The concern is not theoretical. NHTSA said it has documented incidents in which autonomous vehicles drove into active emergency scenes, blocked ambulances or firefighters, or failed to properly respond to flashing lights, flares, smoke, fire and traffic cones. Morrison’s message was direct: an autonomous vehicle that cannot safely interact with first responders is a danger to the public. In its letter, NHTSA said it will meet with driverless vehicle developers by the end of July to hear what steps they plan to take to address the issue. The agency also said it will continue to use its enforcement authority against companies that fail to deal with significant safety concerns. In other words, Washington is not just asking robotaxis to use better manners. It is telling the companies behind them to fix a problem that can have real consequences when seconds matter. NHTSA did not name specific companies in the letter and did not identify specific incidents. However, Reuters notes that local media in Texas reported a late-May incident in Dallas involving a Waymo self-driving vehicle that partially blocked a route being used by fire trucks responding to an apartment fire. Reuters also reported that Waymo did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The warning comes as driverless vehicle operations continue to expand in several U.S. markets. Waymo, owned by
Jul 14, 2026 · via carpro.com
U.S. uses sea drones in combat for first time to attack Iranian naval base, CENTCOM says The U.S. military said it used one-way attack sea drones for the first time in combat Sunday in an attack on an Iranian naval port. In a statement shared Monday, U.S. Central Command said forces used multiple sea surface drones to strike a submarine and ship maintenance facility at the Bandar Abbas Naval Base on Iran's coast in the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first time the weapons had been used in combat operations. A video released by CENTCOM showed an aerial view of three small sea drones speeding toward a raised dock that appeared to be holding a small submarine and then exploding. It is unclear from the video how much damage was caused, but each explosion sent tall plumes of smoke into the air, and the last blast shown appeared to cause a large fire. CENTCOM called the attack successful and said it had "degraded Iran's ability to continue attacking commercial shipping" in the region. Saronic, a Texas-based weapons manufacturer, said their 24-foot Corsair Autonomous Service Vehicle was used in the attacks, and CENTCOM also said Corsair drones were used. "We are proud that our technology supported this mission and helped to keep the brave men and women of the U.S. armed forces safe," Saronic said in a statement posted on social media. According to the manufacturer's website, the Corsair is capable of carrying a payload of up to 1,000 pounds more than 1,000 nautical miles with a top speed of 35 knots. Saronic publicly unveiled the sea drone in October 2024, and in December 2025, it announced a $392 million production contract with the U.S. Navy, which reportedly focused on the Corsair vessel. The Austin-based manufacturer said the weapon was transitioned
Jul 14, 2026 · via cbsnews.com
A state-owned infrastructure company, Trans Israel, is preparing a pilot program to launch on-demand autonomous shuttle services in northern Israel, aiming to provide on-demand public transportation to rural communities that lack convenient access to regular bus routes.
Loading...
Jul 14, 2026 · via haaretz.com
Rivian's Electric Van Outsold Its Rivals Combined—By 70% The Rivian Commercial Van even outsold the R1T electric pickup, making it the brand’s second-best-selling model. - Rivian’s electric van is outselling the competition by a wide margin—again. - The company’s commercial EV even outsold the R1T pickup in the second quarter. - The ECV has dominated the American electric van segment for many months. Rivian’s van is the undisputed leader of the American electric van market, according to sales data from Cox Automotive. The California startup’s only commercial vehicle has outsold its competitors combined by 70% and finished the second quarter as the company’s second-best-selling model, after the R1S SUV. The Rivian Commercial Van (RCV) sold 4,003 units from April through June, a solid 48.2% increase over the same period last year. Meanwhile, the Chevrolet BrightDrop, which was discontinued last year, finished second, with 460 sales, down 65.1% year over year. Gallery: Rivian Commercial Van (RCV) The Mercedes-Benz eSprinter completed the podium with 315 sales in the second quarter, a good 270.6% increase over last year. Meanwhile, the Ford E-Transit sold 293 units, down 29.9%, and the Ram ProMaster EV reached 110 customers. Compared to the Rivian R1T, the startup’s van sold 2,784 more units, or nearly 70%. When looking at the figures for the first half of the year, the rankings are identical. The Rivian EDV is first, with 7,216 units sold, followed by the Chevrolet BrightDrop with 956, the Mercedes-Benz E-Sprinter with 517 units, the Ford E-Transit with 493 sales, and the Ram ProMaster EV with 333 deliveries. The main reason behind the success of Rivian’s electric van likely has something to do with the massive deal with Amazon, which has ordered 100,000 vehicles from the California-based brand. So far, Rivian has delivered over 30,000 EVs to the e-commerce
Jul 14, 2026 · via insideevs.com
TikTok's parent company is more massive than you might think, it's reportedly eyeing up self-driving. - Tiktok's parent company, ByteDance, reportedly wants to get into the self-driving car race. - A new report claims that the company's R&D team is exploring driving scenarios for unmanned logistics and has already had talks with top talent and other AV companies. - ByteDance says that it is exploring the "physical" space of AI, but denies the rumors. ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, is reportedly making moves in the autonomous car race. Yes, you read that right. No, this isn't a fever dream. The same company that is behind the app that controls the algorithm behind all your favorite viral videos is reportedly eyeing self-driving cars. News of the pivot comes from 36kr which cites several unnamed "insider" sources who confirmed that ByteDance "is exploring entry into the autonomous driving sector." The outlet reports that ByteDance is looking into the business of "unmanned logistics," according to one source. According to the sources, the project is being overseen by ByteDance's Seed division. Seed is the company's R&D team that covers AI tools used in the company's products—this might be vision and speech-based models, world models, or even next-gen interaction. Seed's purview overlaps with how autonomous vehicles see the world. The models it works on are precisely what driverless cars need to understand the environment around them, as well as predict and plan the intent of other drivers (and humans). The sources also note that ByteDance has also held business discussions with other providers in the AV space and offered jobs to top talent in the industry. ByteDance was quick to shoot down the rumors. "ByteDance conducts extensive early research and exploration in cutting-edge fields of large AI models, including physical AI, but has no plans
Jul 14, 2026 · via autos.yahoo.com
It is, perhaps, one of those head-smacking ideas that makes you wonder why no one came up with it before now. But electric vehicle giant Tesla (TSLA) has, and is now reportedly working on what it calls a ââ¦purpose-built, wheelchair-accessible autonomous vehicleâ in its Cybercab line. The news was good enough as far as investors were concerned, and Tesla shares gained fractionally in Tuesday afternoonâs trading. TipRanks Welcomes a New ETF â NYSE:RANK Explore TSLQ for 2X short leverage on TSLAThere were no details offered about when the new vehicles would enter service, or if they would offer any features aside from the obvious one of wheelchair accessibility. Tesla has been working to improve access for the disabled, including such things as braille lettering on controls and seating that is at wheelchair-height to help make transfers to and from a Cybercab easier. India Herdman, a Tesla senior policy advisor, noted, âWe know that paratransit can be very difficult, and people who are confined to wheelchairs permanently should still be able to move around freely, so that is an active product being built by Tesla in Texas.â Indeed, making Cybercabs wheelchair-accessible should help improve their level of usability in that segment of the population, and expand Teslaâs market reach accordingly. Rebate Win We all know that Tesla got hit hard by the loss of federal rebates, but there was always the potential for state rebates to get involved. And indeed, one such rebate did, as California recently signed a $270 million electric vehicle rebate into law, starting up this summer. The rebate is actually a step up from earlier plans, as it means money directly placed with dealerships instead of tax credits issued, which may not factor in for several months. Funded by a combination of the State of California and
Jul 14, 2026 · via tipranks.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.
Jul 14, 2026 · via expressnews.com
Protesters and advocates clash over DC driverless car bill
The D.C. Council is considering a bill to establish rules for autonomous vehicles, drawing sharp opposition from local drivers concerned about job losses and safety. While labor unions argue computers cannot handle the district's complex streets, accessibility advocates support the legislation to help prevent discrimination against passengers with service animals.
Jul 13, 2026 · via fox5dc.com
NHTSA Is Sick Of Self-Driving Cars Getting In The Way Of Emergency Responders Despite the unending amount of headaches first responders willingly deal with on a day-to-day basis, technology over the last few years has forced a new mega-headache onto the front lines in the form of autonomous vehicles. Designed to get humans from place to place without a driver, these "robots" on wheels are the stars of first responders' nightmares and keeping them from attending to emergencies in a timely matter. Well, enough is enough, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration put out a letter this week that said autonomous vehicles getting in first responders' ways is absolutely "unacceptable" and the agency is determined to fix it. The letter follows a recent closed-door meeting NHTSA had with law enforcement and first responders from areas where AVs are deployed to better understand the problems and nuances they've had to face while simply trying to do their job to save lives. What was shared there is unlikely to have been pretty, as even just the handful of incidents Jalopnik has covered in recent months doesn't paint a great picture. Jonathan Morrison, NHTSA administrator, wrote, "To state it bluntly: an AV that cannot safely interact with first responders is a danger to the general public." ... "Every second matters when law enforcement officers, firefighters, or paramedics are answering a call because lives are on the line. That is why human drivers who impede these operations are subject to fines and even jail time." The problem is more than just a minor software anomaly Morrison went on to cite examples familiar those multiple news sites — Jalopnik included — have reported on, like the blocking of ambulances and firefighters, or failing to recognize basic safety alerts and conditions. He told autonomous vehicle
Jul 13, 2026 · via jalopnik.com
What to Know - Waymo said they’re ready to move forward with service in D.C. after driving and mapping 300,000 miles during two years of testing. - Waymo said it is about to build new maintenance facilities in Ward 5 and Ward 7 to take care of their vehicles. The company said that will bring hundreds of jobs to the area. - A Waymo representative acknowledged that D.C. has “unique” factors including motorcades and security infrastructure. “The reality is the Waymo driver is proven to be generalizable in a number of urban environments,” he said. - A final vote on self-driving taxis in D.C. is expected this fall. Waymo and competitors including Uber and Lyft sat down before the D.C. Council on Monday for a hearing on the future of autonomous vehicles in the District. Stream NBC4 newscasts for free right here, right now. Outside the Wilson Building, union members said many human drivers will lose their jobs if D.C. gives self-driving taxis the green light. ”We’re talking about Uber and Lyft drivers, taxi drivers, truck drivers and transit workers. And we think that’s unfair,” said Jaime Contreras with SEIU. Waymo? Hell no!” and “Driverless is dangerous,” signs held by supporters said. Leaders from Uber, Lyft and Tesla showed up to explain how Waymo would affect them. Waymo staff took issue with what some said. ”If we want to talk about driver earnings, I think we would be remiss if we did not point out the fact that there are companies seated at this table today who control how much earnings drivers take home, and we have seen reports as of recent that these companies are taking nearly 40% of those earnings,” Matt Walsh with Waymo said. Uber leaders answered. “One AV [autonomous vehicle] takes the work of four drivers,
Jul 13, 2026 · via nbcwashington.com
What to Know - Waymo said they’re ready to move forward with service in D.C. after driving and mapping 300,000 miles during two years of testing. - Waymo said it is about to build new maintenance facilities in Ward 5 and Ward 7 to take care of their vehicles. The company said that will bring hundreds of jobs to the area. - A Waymo representative acknowledged that D.C. has “unique” factors including motorcades and security infrastructure. “The reality is the Waymo driver is proven to be generalizable in a number of urban environments,” he said. - A final vote on self-driving taxis in D.C. is expected this fall. Waymo and competitors including Uber and Lyft sat down before the D.C. Council on Monday for a hearing on the future of autonomous vehicles in the District. Stream NBC4 newscasts for free right here, right now. Outside the Wilson Building, union members said many human drivers will lose their jobs if D.C. gives self-driving taxis the green light. ”We’re talking about Uber and Lyft drivers, taxi drivers, truck drivers and transit workers. And we think that’s unfair,” said Jaime Contreras with SEIU. Waymo? Hell no!” and “Driverless is dangerous,” signs held by supporters said. Leaders from Uber, Lyft and Tesla showed up to explain how Waymo would affect them. Waymo staff took issue with what some said. ”If we want to talk about driver earnings, I think we would be remiss if we did not point out the fact that there are companies seated at this table today who control how much earnings drivers take home, and we have seen reports as of recent that these companies are taking nearly 40% of those earnings,” Matt Walsh with Waymo said. Uber leaders answered. “One AV [autonomous vehicle] takes the work of four drivers,
Jul 13, 2026 · via nbcwashington.com