News Tesla confirms Cybercab with no steering wheel enters production Tesla has confirmed today that its steering wheel-less and pedal-less Cybercab, the vehicle geared toward launching the company’s autonomous ride-hailing hopes, has officially entered production at its Giga Texas production facility outside of Austin. The Cybercab is a sleek two-door, two-passenger coupe engineered from the ground up as an electric self-driving vehicle. It features no steering wheel or pedals, relying instead on Tesla’s advanced vision-only Full Self-Driving system powered by multiple cameras and artificial intelligence. Purpose-built for autonomy Cybercab in production now at Giga Texas pic.twitter.com/Y9qG3KyWBa — Tesla (@Tesla) April 23, 2026 The minimalist cabin centers on a large display screen that serves as the primary interface for passengers, creating an open, futuristic space optimized for comfort during unsupervised rides. A compact 35-kilowatt-hour battery pack delivers exceptional efficiency at 5.5 miles per kilowatt-hour, providing an estimated 200-mile range. Additional innovations include inductive charging compatibility and a lightweight design that enhances aerodynamics and performance. Production at Giga Texas builds on earlier prototypes and initial units completed earlier in 2026. The facility, already a hub for Model Y and Cybertruck assembly, now ramps up dedicated lines for the Cybercab. This shift to volume manufacturing reflects Tesla’s strategy to scale affordable autonomous vehicles rapidly. By focusing on a dedicated platform rather than adapting existing models, the company aims to keep costs low while prioritizing safety and reliability through continuous AI improvements. The Cybercab’s debut in production carries broad implications for urban mobility. As the cornerstone of Tesla’s Robotaxi network, it promises on-demand, driverless rides that could slash transportation expenses, reduce traffic accidents caused by human error, and lower emissions through its all-electric powertrain. Accessibility features, such as space for service animals or assistive devices, further broaden its appeal. Regulators and cities worldwide will
Apr 25, 2026 · via teslarati.com
Older Tesla owners may have to opt for trade ins to get FSD Tesla owners whose cars operate on its 2019 Hardware 3 system might have to trade in their vehicles to experience the company's unsupervised full self-driving mode, CEO Elon Musk told investors as his company was reporting first-quarter earnings on Wednesday, April 22. "Unfortunately, Hardware 3 -- I wish it were otherwise, but Hardware 3 simply does not have the capability to achieve unsupervised FSD," Musk told Tesla investors on the live call. "We did think at one point it would have that, but relative to Hardware 4, it has only 1/8 of the memory bandwidth of Hardware 4. And memory bandwidth is one of the key elements needed for unsupervised FSD." Musk continued: "So for customers that have bought FSD, what we're offering is essentially a trade-in -- like a discounted trade-in for cars that have AI4 hardware, and we'll also be offering the ability to upgrade the car, to replace the computer. And you also need to replace the cameras, unfortunately, to go to Hardware 4." The comments as Musk has been touting Tesla's forthcoming pivot to producing mostly autonomous vehicles. "Over time, it's going to make sense for our whole lineup to be autonomous vehicles of different sizes," Musk said on the call. "In fact, long term, the only manually driven car will be the new Tesla Roadster." What is Tesla's Hardware 3 system, and why does the company say its older cars can't operate Full Self Drive? Tesla's Hardware 3 is an AI computer that has been onboard its cars since 2019 that was intended to be used to power the company's Full Self Drive software. But Musk said on the investor call that the older cars don't have enough memory bandwidth to properly
Apr 25, 2026 · via usatoday.com
This story was originally published by the Nashville Banner. Sign up for their newsletter at nashvillebanner.com/newsletters. ––– On April 7, the Google-born self-driving car company Waymo began offering its ride-hailing service in Nashville. The vehicles had been on the road for testing previously, but now anyone who downloads the app and receives an invite code from the company can order a ride and be picked up shortly by a car — just the car. If you haven't ridden one, you've likely seen them, moving driverless among the traffic like street-legal Roombas or carrying passengers in the backseat as pedestrians and other drivers pull out their smartphones to get a picture. Nashville is one of 11 cities where Waymo is currently operating, with 20 more said to be on the way. A company spokesperson couldn't provide the exact number of autonomous electric Jaguar I-PACE SUVs in its fleet here but said they're starting with around a couple dozen. That number will grow through Waymo's partnership with Lyft, which will include a large depot near the Nashville International Airport where vehicles will be charged, serviced and stored. For now, Waymo rides are available in a 60-square-mile service area inside the Briley Parkway loop, excluding interstates. Their arrival was heralded by locally viral incidents like one in which a Waymo apparently got stuck among the crowd near Lower Broadway or another where one ignored a school bus, rolling through a crosswalk as a seemingly confused child looked on. Discussion of Waymo (both positive and negative) has filled multiple threads on the Nashville subreddit, including one that got so heated the moderators decided to shut it down. A Nashville Banner social media post about the vehicles attracted responses ranging from one describing the riding experience as "perfect and relaxing" to another asking, "how do
Apr 25, 2026 · via timesfreepress.com
China’s auto giant unveils 1,400 TOPS robotaxi built on human-like reasoning Geely has unveiled what it calls China’s first native robotaxi prototype, the Eva Cab – an autonomous vehicle built from the ground up around AI. Chinese automotive giant Geely has introduced its first purpose-built robotaxi prototype, the Eva Cab. Unlike retrofitted vehicles, the model is designed from the ground up around artificial intelligence, integrating a 196-billion-parameter Step 3.5 model with the company’s H9 high-level autonomous driving system. The platform delivers up to 1,400 TOPS of computing power, enabling real-time data processing and rapid decision-making. According to Geely, the system reaches inference speeds of 350 TPS and can react up to three times faster than a human driver. The company claims the Eva Cab is capable of handling 99% of everyday driving scenarios, including more unpredictable environments like manual toll booths and unmarked rural roads, where it can effectively anticipate viable routes. World action model brings human-like reasoning to Geely’s robotaxi Driving the system is Geely’s World Action Model (WAM), which reimagines the conventional perception-to-decision pipeline as a continuous closed-loop architecture. By layering macro-level route planning with micro-level real-time reasoning, the platform enables the vehicle to interpret and respond to dynamic environments with greater nuance. The result is behavior that more closely mirrors that of an experienced human driver, particularly in ambiguous situations such as unstructured roads or complex traffic interactions where negotiation and anticipation are critical, CarNewsChina reports. Geely has packed the prototype with an extensive sensor suite, built around 43 perception components that include LiDAR and high-definition cameras. Together, they create a triple-layered 360-degree field of view designed to eliminate blind spots and maintain constant awareness of the vehicle’s surroundings. The system continuously maps nearby activity, such as detecting pedestrians, vehicles, and unexpected obstacles. In internal testing, Geely
Apr 25, 2026 · via interestingengineering.com
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
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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