Automotive LiDAR Market to Grow at 32.09% CAGR Reaching USD 6.54 Billion by 2031, Reports Mordor Intelligence | | HYDERABAD, India, April 24, 2026 -- According to the latest report by Mordor Intelligence, the automotive LiDAR market size is expanding rapidly, growing from USD 1.23 billion in 2025 to USD 1.63 billion in 2026, and expected to reach USD 6.54 billion by 2031, at a 32.09% CAGR. This growth is driven by rising adoption of Level 3+ autonomous driving, lower sensor costs, and stricter safety requirements. Chinese OEMs are leading deployments, while advances like FMCW LiDAR enabling up to 400-meter range are pushing wider integration across vehicle segments. Automotive LiDAR Market Trends and Drivers Emerging Innovations in FMCW Sensor Capabilities FMCW LiDAR uses continuous light signals to capture both distance and motion, improving accuracy in real-world driving. It reduces signal interference in crowded traffic and performs better under strong sunlight, making it more reliable across conditions. With automakers planning integration in upcoming premium models and production already scaling, this technology is expected to play a major role in future LiDAR adoption. Falling Sensor Costs Driving Adoption in Mid-Range Vehicles Prices for solid-state LiDAR have dropped sharply in recent years, making these sensors far more accessible beyond luxury vehicles. Improvements in manufacturing, including silicon-based designs and automated testing, are helping scale production efficiently. As a result, LiDAR is now finding its way into more affordable car segments, with growing adoption further pushing costs down over time. Automotive LiDAR Market Share by Region Asia-Pacific leads the automotive LiDAR space, with China at the center of large-scale adoption. Government support and incentives are encouraging wider use in electric vehicles, while strong local supply chains help reduce costs and speed up production. Other countries in the region are also investing in smart mobility projects,
Apr 25, 2026 · via theautochannel.com
As competition in intelligent electric vehicles shifts from incremental feature upgrades to full system-level redesign, China's Horizon Robotics is mounting an ambitious strategic push — one that places...
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Apr 25, 2026 · via digitimes.com
Tackling Tokyo in a self-driving car We take a ride in a self-driving Nissan Ariya to find out if an autonomous car can cope with the traffic and huge volume of pedestrians in one of the world’s busiest cities... Think of Tokyo and you’re likely to conjure up images of clogged multi-lane roads and 10s of thousands of pedestrians. After all, it is one of the world’s most densely populated cities, with 38 million inhabitants. While car ownership is relatively low compared to the population, around 30 million people commute on public transport every day. So the thought of letting a self-driving car loose on these busy streets is daunting to say the least. If it’s too assertive, it could accidentally cause carnage, and if it’s too cautious, it could simply be sat at one road crossing all day. However, the brave and innovative engineers at Nissan have spent the last two years creating a vehicle that they say copes admirably with this city’s traffic and pedestrians. That’s why I found myself sitting in the back seat of a heavily modified Nissan Ariya, with executive chief engineer, Tetsuya Iijima, in the driver’s seat. He wasn’t driving, but, like here in the UK, it’s a legal requirement in Japan to have a person in the driver’s seat ready to take over the controls of an autonomous vehicle if necessary in an emergency. We were about to embark on a five-mile, 40-minute drive through the city. Our start and end point was the Tokyo Prince Hotel, near Shiba Park, and the car’s first hurdle was to join the dual carriageway at the front of the hotel. It did this with ease, gently gliding out onto the main road when the traffic on the main road was halted by nearby traffic lights. The
Apr 25, 2026 · via whatcar.com
- Elon Musk shared a video that shows Cybercabs rolling out of the factory. - The Cybercab is Telsa's upcoming two-seat, fully autonomous vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals. - It's a huge part of Tesla's multibillion-dollar bet that it can become an AI and autonomy brand. Tesla says its dedicated robotaxi model is finally in production. On Friday, Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, shared a video on X showing several Cybercab units rolling off the production line in Austin. The footage was filmed from inside the vehicles as they moved through the factory campus — and suggests Tesla is moving the Cybercab closer to reality. Tesla is making a multibillion-dollar bet that the company can pivot from traditional car sales to an AI-driven robotaxi and robotics business. The two-door, two-seat Cybercab — which does not feature a steering wheel or pedals — is one of the major pillars of that bet. Just over a month ago, the automaker said it had just built its first production Cybercab. Now, the videos suggest Tesla has built multiple units, with Musk also reposting footage of Cybercabs seemingly turning onto a public street. Starting production is only one step in a much larger challenge. Tesla has yet to deliver fully autonomous driving at scale. During Wednesday's earnings call, the company removed specific timelines for robotaxi launches in five new cities. Meanwhile, competitors like Waymo already operate driverless ride-hailing services in several cities. Still, the videos suggest progress for a vehicle Musk has said would ramp "agonizingly slow." The company didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Apr 25, 2026 · via businessinsider.com
Tesla Advances Autonomous Push with Cybercab Production Tesla has officially begun manufacturing its purpose-built Cybercab robotaxi at Gigafactory Texas, marking a strategic pivot toward a driverless business model even as the company acknowledges that millions of its existing vehicles will require significant hardware retrofits to achieve full autonomy. During Tesla’s 1Q26 earnings call, CEO Elon Musk confirmed the production milestone but cautioned that the ramp-up will be gradual. “Whenever you have a new product with a completely new supply chain, new everything, it’s always a stretched-out S-curve. You should expect that initial production of Cybercab and Semi will be very slow, but then ramping up and going kind of exponential toward the end of the year,” Musk said. The company does not expect material revenue from the Cybercab until at least 2027. Although a prototype was completed in February, volume production only began this month. Regulatory Strategy and Design The Cybercab is a two-seat, two-door electric vehicle featuring a cabin without traditional controls such as a steering wheel or pedals. Tesla is also assembling a secondary version equipped with a steering wheel to meet specific regulatory requirements in certain markets. Unlike competitors such as Waymo and Cruise, Tesla is positioning the Cybercab to bypass federal deployment limits on fully autonomous vehicles. Current National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rules typically cap production at 2,500 units per year for vehicles lacking standard controls under exemption frameworks. Lars Moravy said the Cybercab was engineered from the outset to comply with all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). By meeting federal safety, bumper, and theft-prevention requirements, Tesla aims to self-certify the vehicle, enabling unrestricted production. Reports indicate that compliance labeling has already been identified on early units produced in Texas. The Hardware 3 Limitation Coinciding with the production launch, Musk acknowledged a major
Apr 25, 2026 · via mexicobusiness.news
DARPA shares ‘Deep Thoughts’ solicitation for autonomous underwater drones The Pentagon’s premier research and development agency released a solicitation Thursday for a program that aims to boost innovation in autonomous undersea vehicles. The program, dubbed Deep Thoughts, is focused on several technical areas, including AUV and pressure vessel designs, materials science, manufacturing techniques, embedded subsystems and payloads, mission engineering and digital engineering capabilities. Officials from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) are interested in novel materials, alloys and structural geometries; advanced manufacturing methods and techniques; and non-traditional approaches to subsystem and component architecture that enable free-form design, structural consolidation and multi-functionality, per the solicitation. They’re also keen on having a “multi-level secure digital engineering ecosystem” to facilitate collaborative design, continuous integration, development and prototyping. “Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in uncrewed access to the full-ocean depths at a fraction of the size of current state-of-the-art AUV systems,” officials wrote in the solicitation. DARPA is focused on “compressing the development cycle for deep-ocean autonomous systems from initial concepts to disruptive, mission-relevant, full-ocean depth AUVs by program completion,” they added. According to the program website, officials want to reduce timelines for design, production, integration and testing of underwater drones from “years to months or even weeks.” They aim to greatly reduce the size and cost of AUVs and enhance their producibility. DARPA envisions developing underwater drones that can be easily deployed from a wide variety of platforms, noting that having “responsive and scalable access” to deep ocean environments would give the U.S. a strategic advantage. The period of performance for the two-year, single-phase project is slated to kick off in November and will involve “fast-paced iterative design-build-test-learn cycles,” per the solicitation. Industry abstracts are due May 21. Multiple awards are anticipated, according to the solicitation, in
Apr 24, 2026 · via defensescoop.com
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Apr 24, 2026 · via expressnews.com
April 24, 2026 09:10 AM EDT
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Aging Dodge Durango thrives as capable, powerful family hauler
Despite not being redesigned since 2010, the Durango recorded its best U.S. sales in two decades last year.
Despite not being redesigned since 2010, the Durango recorded its best U.S. sales in two decades last year.
Apr 24, 2026 · via autonews.com
Before Silicon Valley test drove its first prototypes, Ernst Dickmanns put a self-driving car on the road in the 1980s. SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The race to develop driverless cars long predates Silicon Valley and the high-profile tech companies that dominate the industry today. Decades before autonomous vehicles competed in high-speed desert challenges, a small group of engineers in Germany and the United States were quietly building the foundations of self-driving technology. A DRIVERLESS TOMORROW: Explore the triumphs, setbacks and innovations shaping the driverless future Many credit figures, such as Karl Benz, Henry Ford, and Enzo Ferrari, have shaped the modern automobile. But when it comes to self-driving vehicles, a different set of names emerges, including Ernst Dickmanns, Red Whittaker, Sebastian Thrun, Chris Urmson and Anthony Levandowski. Several of these innovators first gained widespread attention during the DARPA Grand Challenges, a series of autonomous-vehicle races launched by the U.S. Department of Defense in 2004 to accelerate progress in self-driving technology. Years before those competitions, however, Dickmanns and his team were already testing autonomous vehicles on public roads. "I'm Ernst Dickmanns, and I was the first who put a self-driving car on the road in the early 1980s," he said. Now nearly 90, Dickmanns lives in a small town near Munich, far from the technology centers of the United States. He rarely speaks publicly about his work, but his contributions helped shape how autonomous vehicles "see" the world. Dickmanns pioneered dynamic computer vision, the technology that allows machines to interpret moving images in real time. In the 1960s and 1970s, he worked with the German Aerospace Research Establishment, analyzing rocket trajectories, applying image-processing techniques at a time when computer power was severely limited. "Well, in Oberpfaffenhofen, I've been the acting director of the Centre in 1974/75," Dickmanns said, describing his early
Apr 24, 2026 · via abc7news.com
The Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Ellabell, Georgia, which produced its first car in 2024, is a study in superlatives. Its 11 buildings have 7.5 million square feet of space under roof. Though the plant’s current output consists of just two electric vehicles, the Ioniq 5 and 9, it is set to eventually have 10 models (including hybrids and entries from Kia and Genesis) on site, plus a 2.5-million-square-foot LG joint venture battery plant (now under construction), a training center, an ecological park, and much more. In 2025, Hyundai (which has made a $12.6 billion investment in Georgia) said it would expand the plant’s output from 300,000 annually to 500,000. The made-in-Korea Ioniq 6 sedan will not be coming to Georgia, as the model was downgraded and only the 6N performance iteration will be available in the US. The Metaplant complements Hyundai Motor Manufacturing in Montgomery, Alabama, which makes such popular models as the Santa Fe, Tucson, and Santa Cruz, plus the Genesis GV70 and the Electrified GV70. The Alabama facility produces about 360,000 vehicles annually. Hyundai is also building a steel mill in Louisiana. Although the heavily robotized plant currently has 1,623 people directly working for HMGMA, it will have 2,600 when fully staffed, but the total workforce at the 3,000-acre complex, including the many suppliers, will reach 8,500. Salaries average $56,000 annually, which is 25 percent higher than is common in the surrounding area. The highest number of workers (32 percent) come from Chatham County, which includes Savannah. At the time Autoweek visited on April 23, 150 to 175 workers were at the on-site training center, learning core skills, then going on to their intended specialty at the plant. The Hyundai Mobility Training Center is operated by Georgia Quick Start, the state’s workforce development program. “If
Apr 24, 2026 · via autoweek.com
Thousands squeezed into the world's biggest car show Friday, snapping selfies beside Chinese electric vehicles as automakers showcased AI, humanoid robots and flying-car ambitions in a cut-throat market. Rows of influencers posed in front of gleaming models at the capital's cavernous international exhibition centre, darting to suitcases stuffed with outfit changes, while animated CEOs worked the crowds in front of massive LED screens. Legacy overseas brands such as Volkswagen, Toyota and BMW once dominated in China, but have lost market share in past years to domestic firms that beat them to the electric vehicle revolution and undercut them on price. Chinese manufacturers including BYD, Xiaomi and XPeng are now also at the forefront of integrating AI software and autonomous driving technology into their EVs. The Auto China exhibition, hosted at two side-by-side venues, spans 380,000 square metres (four million square feet), according to organisers -- more than 50 football pitches. More than 1,400 vehicles from hundreds of Chinese and foreign companies are on display from Friday, when the show opened to industry professionals and the media, and later to the public from April 28 until May 3. While traditional leading brands like Germany's BMW and Mercedes held sweeping areas of the vast halls, most of the event's mega stages were dominated by Chinese brands including BYD and battery giant CATL. - Robots, flying cars - At the sprawling expo, crowds cheered as XPeng chief executive He Xiaopeng unveiled the company's new GX, a six‑seat electric SUV. The imposing 5.2-metre vehicle incorporates AI technology and is aimed at breaking into the luxury market, He said. It would soon be followed by humanoid robots this year, He promised, and eventually by flying cars, which XPeng hopes to mass-produce. Foreign automakers are increasingly collaborating with Chinese firms to stay competitive. BMW has partnered
Apr 24, 2026 · via newsbug.info
TACTICAL WHEELED VEHICLES Army Ponders Autonomy’s Place in Wheeled Vehicle Fleet By Laura Heckmann Textron Systems image PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania — Autonomy stands to play a pivotal role in logistics operations, improving efficiency and removing warfighters from dangerous environments. The Army is focused on integrating the technology into its tactical wheeled vehicle fleet, but navigating its role remains a work in progress. Autonomy in logistics operations “is the game changer that we’re going to see, similar to when the truck was introduced in the military in the early 1900s,” said Army Chief of Transportation Col. William Arnold. The Army is in the process of rolling out a new tactical wheeled vehicles strategy, and autonomy is “really important to the strategy,” Arnold said during a talk at the National Defense Industrial Association’s Tactical Wheeled Vehicles Conference. Col. Eric Anderson, division chief for capability development sustainment, said a vehicle fleet ready for a contested environment, increased operational reach and endurance in large-scale combat operations will be mostly autonomous. The service is seeking autonomy-ready platforms with digital backbones, Arnold said, “creating a fleet that can be upgraded at the speed of the software changes.” Lt. Col. William Sitze, military deputy for the G-3/5/7 Army Integration Group, said opportunities for unmanned and autonomous ground systems are “pretty huge right now.” Battlefield geometry and operational reach are increasing, he said during a talk at the conference. “However, we still have from the higher headquarters … an end-strength goal that we’ve got to continue to work within, so technology that allows us to accomplish more tasks with the same amount of people, or less people, is very, very important.” The Army is pursuing several autonomous vehicle platforms, as well as looking for ways to add the technology to existing systems. The Autonomous Transport Vehicle System, or ATV-S,
Apr 24, 2026 · via nationaldefensemagazine.org
MOIA America LLC, an autonomous mobility technology company within the Volkswagen Group, and Beep Inc. announced a strategic partnership to introduce autonomous mobility to public transit operators in multiple US markets over the next decade, beginning in Orlando, Florida. Through the strategic partnership, MOIA America will provide MOIA’s turnkey autonomous mobility solution. This includes purpose-built, autonomous-ready ID. Buzz vehicles equipped with the self-driving system developed by Mobileye, as well as operator training and enablement. The integrated solution helps autonomous vehicle fleet operators deploy and manage an autonomous driving ecosystem. “Through the MOIA brand, we are enabling autonomous mobility for a growing number of partners worldwide with a turnkey solution that combines the vehicle, MaaS technology, and operational expertise,” said Sascha Meyer, chief commercial officer of Volkswagen Autonomous Mobility. “MOIA America's strategic partnership with Beep in the US marks an important step in supporting microtransit operators and advancing driverless mobility in public transit." What the Partnership Brings Over the next decade, MOIA America and Beep plan to scale a fleet of up to 5,000 autonomous ID vehicles. Buzz vehicles, supporting the expansion of shared autonomous mobility services in partnership with cities, municipalities, public transportation agencies, communities, and large campuses. “Beep’s strategic partnership with MOIA America unites the core capabilities needed to scale autonomous mobility — purpose-built production vehicles, proven software, and trusted operations,” said Kevin Reid, CEO and board chair of Beep. “This collaboration will help redefine microtransit, one of the fastest growing transportation segments, through cost-efficient connectivity that leverages AI and autonomous technology to unlock a future where opportunity and access can reach every corner of a community.” Validation testing of a fleet of autonomous Volkswagen ID. Buzz vehicles have started in the Lake Nona community, with planned rides expected later this year. During the initial testing and launch phases,
Apr 24, 2026 · via metro-magazine.com
Pony.ai is targeting a total vehicle cost of below CN¥230,000 (~US$33,700) for its 2027 Robotaxi in China, covering both the base vehicle and the autonomous driving kit. The self-driving firm outlined the target alongside a new Level 4 (L4) electric light-duty truck at Auto China 2026 in Beijing. The Gen-7 Robotaxi fleet has grown from 270 vehicles to more than 1,400 since last year, supported by a 70% reduction in bill-of-materials cost for the autonomous driving kit. Pony.ai has reached unit-economics breakeven in two of Southern China’s largest cities, and its registered user base has passed one million. The firm plans to operate more than 3,000 Robotaxis across 20 cities globally by end-2026, with nearly half of that footprint in overseas markets. Pony.ai’s Gen-7 bZ4X Robotaxi, developed with Toyota, has received road-testing approval in Guangzhou, with 1,000 units set to deploy across tier-one Chinese cities this year. The L4 electric light-duty truck, developed with battery maker CATL, is billed as the world’s first fully redundant automotive-grade truck purpose-built for Level 4 driving. Built on CATL’s Kunshi chassis, it offers 18 cubic metres of cargo capacity and is projected to cut freight cost per kilometre by 40% to 50%. In a statement, Dr James Peng, Founder and Chief Executive of Pony.ai, said: “Today, the question is no longer whether Robotaxi can work. The focus is how to scale it safely, efficiently and at the right cost.” Source: Pony.ai
Apr 24, 2026 · via automotiveworld.com
At the world’s biggest car fair, which opened in Beijing on Friday, there were hundreds of manufacturers, more than 1,000 vehicles, hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts – and hardly anyone behind a wheel. China’s car companies have cornered the domestic electric vehicle market, and are increasingly visible on the global stage. Now they are turning their attention to what they are betting is the future of mobility: autonomous driving. At the Beijing Auto Fair, a huge industry event that covers 380,000 square metres on the outskirts of the capital, the country’s carmakers showed off a range of intelligent driving technologies. In China’s cut-throat domestic market, nearly every big carmaker is investing heavily in the software and computing power needed to make “hands-free” driving a reality as they compete to offer additional perks and find new ways to generate revenue. And Huawei, the telecommunications group, revealed this week that it would be investing up to 80bn yuan (£8.7bn) over the next five years to develop its autonomous driving software and computing power. “The fact that almost every automaker has some version of intelligent driving makes it different to almost any market in the world,” said Tu Le, the managing director of Sino Auto Insights, a consultancy. Le said that the Chinese market was so competitive that merely selling passenger vehicles domestically was no longer a viable way for Chinese companies to make money. Additional perks, such as leasing AI-powered software, are needed to boost revenues. The EV maker Xpeng said its latest AI model allows drivers to give the car commands – such as, “park near the entrance to the shopping centre” – rather than a specific spot on a map. An AI-powered operating system from Xiaomi, an appliance and phone maker, allows drivers to make restaurant reservations, compile notes while
Apr 24, 2026 · via theguardian.com
When is Washington DC getting Waymo? Councilman introduces legislation A long-stalled effort to bring self-driving rideshares to Washington DC took a step forward Thursday as a councilmember introduced legislation that would allow autonomous vehicles — such as Waymo — to operate in the District. The legislation, called the Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Authorization Amendment Act of 2026, is aimed at addressing many of the concerns that have stalled the rollout of driverless rideshare services in the District, according to DC Councilmember Charles Allen, who introduced the bill. Here's what to know about the act and why efforts to bring Waymo and other self-driving rideshare companies to Washington DC have stalled. What is the Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Authorization Amendment Act of 2026? Current law does not explicitly permit fully autonomous vehicles to operate as rideshare services in DC, something Allen is hoping to fix with his new legislation. “People want AVs as an option to get around, and I want DC to be a city that embraces innovation," Allen said. "We didn’t need to be the first city to bring driverless cars to our streets, but I don’t want us to be the last. This bill incorporates important lessons learned from around the country and embraces a broader view of the impacts — both good and bad — that AVs will have on our city.” Under the proposal, companies would be allowed to deploy fully driverless vehicles for rideshare services, while also being required to meet new safety and regulatory standards set by the District. The bill would require companies to obtain permits, share operational data with the city and follow guidelines aimed at ensuring passenger and pedestrian safety. It also sets requirements to ensure each neighborhood of DC receives equal service, addressing concerns that the rideshares could be limited to certain
Apr 24, 2026 · via usatoday.com
Councilmember proposes legislation to bring self-driving cars to DC WASHINGTON (7News) — A small but growing number of companies are testing autonomous vehicles, like robotaxis, in Washington, D.C. Under current D.C. law, an operator is still required to be behind the wheel. Because of that requirement, companies testing autonomous vehicles in the District remain in the testing stage rather than offering fully autonomous rides to the public. Councilmember Charles Allen announced legislation to allow the commercial deployment of autonomous vehicles (AVs) offering rideshare services in the city. RELATED | Self-driving cars being tested in DC | What this means for the future of jobs, transit The "Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Authorization Amendment Act of 2026": - Requires AV rideshare services provide equal coverage to every neighborhood, including similar wait times, whether you live in Shaw or Congress Heights; - Clarifies legal liability for crashes and malfunctions to protect DC residents; - Requires operators to collaborate with WMATA on potential discounts when AVs connect directly to public transit; - Ensures first responders receive guidance from AV operators on how to safely respond to crashes involving an AV; - Ensures operators have redundancy plans in the event of a regional power loss; and - Establishes robust data reporting requirements so the District can evaluate impacts on traffic, safety, and rideshare industry employment. The bill charges AV rideshare companies a “vehicle miles traveled” (VMT) fee per vehicle and splits the revenue between new funding for WMATA and workforce development and support for current rideshare workers. The bill also proposes a discount on rides to and from a Metro station. “This legislation creates a path to deliver autonomous - or driverless - vehicles as a rideshare option in the District of Columbia,” said Allen. “People want AVs as an option to get around, and I
Apr 24, 2026 · via wjla.com
Chinese EV makers bet on in-house chips to make cars smarter and more autonomous
Chinese EV makers are showcasing advanced in-house chips at Auto China, powering smarter vehicles and challenging global tech leaders
“If we use chips provided by third-party suppliers, we cannot guarantee that the chips would cater to our needs in developing lidar sensors,” said David Li Yifan, CEO of Hesai, the world’s largest maker of lidar sensors for cars, at a media briefing last week. “We want to design and make the chips ourselves because no one else specifically develops chiplets for a lidar maker.”
Computing power has been in high demand over the past decade as Chinese EV makers have doubled down on smart vehicles, banking on artificial intelligence and digital technologies to make vehicles more autonomous and comfortable.
A system-on-chip (SoC) that processes data from a vehicle’s cameras and sensors offers strong computing power to support rapidly evolving intelligent features.
Xpeng’s indigenous Turing chip, designed for level 4 autonomous driving capabilities, was three times more powerful than Nvidia’s Drive Orin X installed in its existing smart vehicles, according to He Xiaopeng, CEO of the Guangzhou-based EV maker.
Apr 24, 2026 · via scmp.com
Huawei doubles down on autonomous driving, earmarking US$11.7b for autopilot training Company claims it will outspend all rivals combined to boost computing power, which is essential to enhance advanced driving systems The massive capital expenditure would enhance the reliability of cars fitted with the Huawei Qiankun ADS autopilot system, as the Shenzhen-based tech giant looked to expand its customer base, said Jin Yuzhi, CEO of Huawei’s intelligent automotive solutions business unit. In 2026 alone, Huawei would earmark 18 billion yuan for research and development in autonomous driving, he added. “Autonomous driving is an industry requiring long-term investment,” Jin said at an event in Beijing on Thursday. “Based on our investment of 18 billion yuan in smart driving this year, we will spend more than the combined expense of all other major [autonomous driving] solution providers.” Computing power plays a key role in improving self-driving capabilities by processing data collected during training and testing of advanced driver assistance systems (ADASs). Huawei’s Qiankun ADS platform surpassed 10 billion kilometres of autonomous driving early this month. Autopilot features powered by the platform are widely used in mainland China. Huawei has partnerships with 25 car brands, and Qiankun has been installed in more than 50 models. A total of 1.7 million vehicles fitted with the system have been delivered to Chinese customers.
Apr 24, 2026 · via amp.scmp.com
Kakao Mobility unveiled its vision to internalize Level 4 autonomous driving technologies and build a collaborative ecosystem as part of its strategy for the emerging physical AI era. Kim Jin-kyu, vice president and head of the Physical AI division at Kakao Mobility, presented the company's roadmap at the 2026 World IT Show conference held at COEX in Seoul on April 22 under the theme "The Future of Autonomous Driving Services Opened by Mobility Platforms in the Physical AI Era." "Amid intensifying global competition for technological leadership, Kakao Mobility is designing the future of mobility in Korea by combining advanced autonomous driving technologies with physical infrastructure," Kim said. "We aim to establish a K-autonomous driving open ecosystem to secure global competitiveness." Level 4 Autonomy Push Backed by Integrated Safety Platform Kim outlined a blueprint for achieving Level 4 autonomous driving, emphasizing the integration of three core technological pillars. First, the company is developing advanced machine learning models capable of independently handling perception, decision-making and control. Second, it plans to deploy vehicles with redundancy-based architectures to ensure safety even in the event of critical system failures. Third, it will utilize a validation platform that continuously cycles between virtual simulations and real-world driving data to enhance performance and ensure quality. Kakao Mobility is also focusing on strengthening service reliability through its intelligent integrated safety management platform. A 3D visualization solution, Autonomous Vehicle Visualizer, enables real-time sharing of a vehicle's field of view, allowing passengers to monitor driving conditions. The company plans to further enhance safety by developing a 24/7 control center and an anomaly detection system based on vision-language models, enabling real-time context analysis, remote intervention and rapid response during emergencies. Open Ecosystem Strategy to Support Industry Growth Kakao Mobility also pledged to contribute to the development of an open ecosystem by sharing
Apr 24, 2026 · via thelec.net