This is the monthly edition of the Transport Workers Union’s Transportation Technology Newsletter.
The safety committee adopted language that prevents the implementation of autonomous technology for revenue service “until identified safety risks requiring mitigation have been addressed.”
This allows the TWU in Miami to block the implementation of autonomous technology that isn’t ready for public use.
“Local 291 is committed to the highest safety standards for passengers and workers – that is our number one priority,” said D’Elia.
This comes after Tesla sent a manual to first responders saying that physically pushing a disabled Tesla robotaxi is the way to clear blocked roads.
Oct 22, 2026 · via twu.org
More than 1,000 residents are expected to ride in autonomous vehicles (AVs) as Chinese tech giant Baidu launches Hong Kong’s first large-scale public trial.
Oct 22, 2026 · via scmp.com
According to TechCrunch, Tesla plans to begin selling its Cybercab to customers before the end of the year.
As that fleet grows, the company will “deliver fully developed autonomous vehicles to customers.”
“But you know, the vast majority of the Cybercab fleet will essentially be owned by Tesla and offered as a service.”
Regulators could pose obstacles There is at least one hurdle that could derail Tesla’s plans for a Cybercab fleet.
The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) mandate manual controls such as brake pedals, as well as additional equipment such as rearview and side mirrors.
Oct 22, 2026 · via trendingtopics.eu
A Spokane-based startup is preparing to introduce autonomous taxi service to the Inland Northwest, with plans for a fleet of driverless Tesla Cybercabs and an operations hub in Liberty Lake.
Connor Christie, owner and founder of Spokane-based Inland Robotaxi LLC, established the company to bring driverless transportation to Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, the Spokane International Airport, and North Idaho.
"I'd much rather have something in place today to show Spokane," Christie says.
The autonomous vehicles feature butterfly-style doors, a central touchscreen, luggage storage, and wireless charging capabilities.
Despite the uncertainties, Christie sees opportunities for autonomous vehicles to compete with conventional ride-hailing services through consistent availability and reduced dependence on human drivers.
Oct 22, 2026 · via spokanejournal.com
China’s industry ministry has proposed new rules requiring vehicles with Level 3 and stronger autonomous driving capabilities to be equipped with blue-green exterior lights that indicate a car’s self-driving function is activated, a move aimed at curbing potentially distracting designs of smart vehicles.
The proposal aims to clearly distinguish highly autonomous vehicles from those using lower-level assisted-driving features, paving the way for the broader commercialization of self-driving technology in the country while phasing out unauthorized exterior lights on existing cars.
Oct 22, 2026 · via caixinglobal.com
Autonomous vehicles are motor vehicles that have an automated driving system.
But state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, has called for a formal framework, through House Bill 4663, to test and deploy self-driving cars in the state.
Buckner has also urged the newly founded Northern Illinois Transit Authority to study how autonomous vehicles could work alongside the existing public transport network, if they’re made legal.
But autonomous vehicles at high-congestion points may worsen traffic, said Dany Robles, senior legislative director at the Illinois Environmental Council.
The San Francisco Bay Area has a program that incentivizes autonomous vehicles to solve the first- and last-mile problem.
Oct 22, 2026 · via shawlocal.com
The company will offer enhanced OnStar capability starting in 2027 and autonomous driving starting with the 2028 Cadillac Escalade iQ/iQL (seen in GM’s simulated image above).
In its fullest form, OnStar AI “transforms your car into an intelligent partner,” says CEO Mary Barra.
AI Promises Much Faster Vehicle Development Chief product officer Sterling Anderson described how the company has transformed its product development using artificial intelligence.
Easier Self-Driving, Starting with the 2028 Escalade The company is also employing AI to bring autonomous driving on stream.
GM says it will launch autonomous driving on the 2028 Cadillac Escalade iQ/iQL.
Oct 21, 2026 · via caranddriver.com
It brings its connected fleet, real-world driving data, vehicle platform, and system requirements to build a faster development loop for advanced driving systems.
The data layer turns raw driving logs into better physical AI models Automotive is one of the clearest proving grounds for physical AI.
Each stage runs as a job on Microsoft Azure, where the Volkswagen Group manages its fleet data.
A common data model lets driving data and scenarios created in one project carry forward across vehicle programs, software releases, and brands.
About Voxel51 Voxel51 is an end-to-end data platform for physical AI, helping teams turn complex multimodal datasets into better AI models.
Oct 21, 2026 · via prnewswire.com
NVIDIA introduces Halos SAFE, a new framework within the NVIDIA Halos safety system, which combines simulation and physical testing to help developers generate measurable, traceable AV safety evidence.
NVIDIA Hyperion and the NVIDIA Halos full-stack safety system give automakers and mobility providers the computing performance, safety foundation and long-term support to bring AVs and robotaxi fleets to market at scale.
Mobility Leaders in Europe Build on NVIDIA Hyperion Automakers and mobility providers in Europe are pursuing various paths to autonomy, from passenger vehicles and robotaxi fleets to autonomous freight trucks.
Bolt has selected NVIDIA Alpamayo Stack for its European robotaxi program, beginning with future Lucid vehicles built on Hyperion.
About NVIDIA NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) is the world leader in AI and accelerated computing.
Oct 21, 2026 · via nvidianews.nvidia.com
The same company that provides autonomous delivery robots for Uber Eats in Philly will soon begin using its AI-powered couriers to fetch meals ordered on Grubhub from Wonder food hall and other restaurants.
The expansion will bring robot delivery via Grubhub to Hoboken, New Jersey, and Arlington County, Virginia, in addition to Philly and a larger service area in Jersey City.
Restaurants that use the Grubhub marketplace will have the choice to opt in to Avride's robot delivery service.
Avride has not said how many additional delivery robots will join the company's fleet in Philadelphia as a result of its partnership with Wonder and Grubhub.
State law classifies the delivery robots as pedestrians, giving them legal rights to use sidewalks, pedestrian areas and crosswalks.
Oct 21, 2026 · via phillyvoice.com
As Uber slashes corporate headcount, the cuts hint at how companies could finance an automated future.
In its official announcements, Uber has been quiet on this front, explicitly linking only an early 10 percent cut in its customer service department to the embrace of AI.
“Most corporate AI adoption to date has been additive,” LaFleur said.
I would not treat Uber as proof of what AI will do to every company.
Serhii Nikolaichuk, a former Uber driver and founder of The Capital Index, offers a closer look at the corporate layers being targeted.
Oct 21, 2026 · via gfmag.com
As D.C. Council members mull the possibility of giving the green light to self-driving ride-hailing services, they are rightly considering a wide range of concerns – from revenue and job loss to convenience and consumer demand.
But there’s one issue they are overlooking, and it could well come at the peril of the pocketbooks of residents and businesses.
Oct 21, 2026 · via realclearmarkets.com
Oct 21 (Reuters) – Self-driving truck company Einride said on Wednesday it would broaden its partnership with Nvidia by testing the chipmaker’s AI reasoning model, Alpamayo, in its self-driving vehicles, aiming to speed up the expansion of autonomous freight services while lowering development costs.
Alpamayo is Nvidia’s vision language action model, which can interpret driving environments, recommend vehicle actions and explain its reasoning.
• The Swedish company said it plans to become the first trucking operator to deploy Alpamayo, adapting the model using data collected from its commercial freight operations • Einride said the technology could help shorten development cycles and make it easier to extend autonomous driving capabilities to new vehicle types and routes, with a live road evaluation planned for the second half of 2027 • The partnership builds on a broader Nvidia tie-up announced in September covering autonomous driving, safety systems and AI model training • The companies will initially test Alpamayo in “shadow mode”, where the model runs alongside existing systems without controlling the vehicle, allowing its decisions to be compared with those of Einride’s driving software and human driver • The announcement follows Einride’s September rollout of what it said was the first cab-less autonomous truck operating in regular service on public roads in Germany, transporting goods for supermarket chain Lidl • Einride was among several European mobility companies highlighted by Nvidia on Wednesday as showcasing autonomous vehicle applications on the Nvidia Hyperion platform, alongside Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and Bolt (Reporting by Prathik Jayaprakash in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)
Oct 21, 2026 · via wtvbam.com
Some Rivian drivers have started receiving invites to the automaker’s Autonomy Early Access Program, according to the company’s website.
The features include “point-to-point” autonomy features.
All owners with an active Autonomy+ subscription can indicate their interest to join the program by applying through their Rivian account.
Rivian is also working toward a full autonomy software that will deploy in robotaxi versions of its R2 SUV, TechCrunch reports.
Image Photo of Rivian R2 courtesy of Rivian Share This:
Oct 21, 2026 · via repairerdrivennews.com
At first glance, this might suggest autonomous vehicles perform better in Arizona than California.
But the hard reality is this: traffic density, road design, driving behaviors, and operating conditions all influence crash rates.
Side note: I wonder if autonomous vehicles are sometimes too safe, following the rules of the road to a tee.
There is interesting data from my neighbor Mark, who by the way, loves his Tesla.
The safest city for a robotaxi today may not remain the safest tomorrow.
Oct 20, 2026 · via connectedworld.com
AV technology is gaining commercial momentum Skepticism toward AV technology is not irrational given the fits and starts in this space over the last 15 years (Figure 1).
However, we believe the commercial inflection across both the robotaxi and long‑haul trucking use cases should become clear in 2027 and beyond.
However, autonomous driving systems also never get distracted, emotional, or tired.
Plenty of autonomous driving companies are running beta tests within narrow geographic fences and at low speeds.
In our view, autonomous driving is a growth story whose nuances are often misunderstood.
Oct 20, 2026 · via troweprice.com
Gasgoo Munich-On the streets of Paris, Chinese autonomous driving technology is out to prove its worth.
Diverse road conditions abroad were once a major barrier for the export of autonomous driving technology.
This explains why Chinese autonomous driving firms are racing to establish local European teams.
What defines the completion of globalization for Chinese autonomous driving?
From vehicle exports driving supplier expansion to Chinese technology participating in global model definition, system R&D, and industry specialization, the internationalization of Chinese autonomous driving is entering a new phase.
Oct 20, 2026 · via autonews.gasgoo.com
Elbit Systems has completed the acquisition of International Submarine Engineering (ISE), a Canadian developer of autonomous underwater vehicles and remotely operated systems, as the Israeli defense group expands its portfolio of unmanned technologies into the underwater domain.
The acquisition gives Elbit access to a company with more than five decades of experience in subsea robotics and a track record of delivering more than 250 underwater vehicles to customers in over 20 countries.
Based in the Vancouver area, ISE develops and manufactures autonomous underwater vehicles, remotely operated vehicles, robotics and computer control systems.
The announcement, however, did not specify which ISE systems Elbit plans to deploy, identify any new customers or disclose a timetable for integrating the technology into its existing products.
The ISE acquisition follows a similar strategic direction, bringing specialized technology into Elbit’s broader defense portfolio rather than building every capability internally.
Oct 20, 2026 · via calcalistech.com
Tuesday’s Headlines Do the Robot Cities and states are filling the void, but the feds really need to step in to set rules for autonomous vehicles.
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Oct 20, 2026 · via usa.streetsblog.org
Volvo and Mercedes-Benz have separately expanded their partnerships with NVIDIA to advance automated driving, according to press releases from both automakers.
It will enable future Volvo cars to safely navigate complex real-world environments from door to door.
“Volvo has been synonymous with car safety for almost 100 years,” said Håkan Samuelsson, Volvo Cars president and CEO, in the release.
Mercedes-Benz says its partnership with NVIDIA brings together the automaker’s engineering and safety expertise with its MB.OS operating system.
NVIDIA’s Halos builds on the Mercedes-Benz safety foundation, including a parallel safety stack that adds redundancy and guardrails, the release adds.
Oct 20, 2026 · via repairerdrivennews.com