Topic: Autonomous Vehicles
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Robotaxi Door Left Open? DoorDash Has a Fix.
Autonomous vehicles are advancing from concept to commercial reality, with companies like Waymo expanding robotaxi services and deploying new systems with enhanced sensors for better performance in difficult conditions. A key operational challenge for driverless cars is their inability to perform...
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Waymo's New Robotaxi Enters Mass Production and Passenger Service
Waymo has launched its sixth-generation autonomous driving system, designed for mass production and cost-effectiveness to support a major expansion of its robotaxi service into new cities. The system's safety is built on extensive real-world testing and a multi-modal sensor suite, including high-...
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This Startup's Racing to Build Self-Driving Car Software
HyprLabs, a new startup led by former Zoox co-founder Tim Kentley-Klay, is emerging from stealth with a modest team and funding to develop autonomous vehicle software, aiming to eventually create its own proprietary robots. The company's initial product, Hyprdrive, is a software platform that rep...
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Self-Driving Car for Sale: Experience the Future
The transition from fleet-operated robotaxis to privately owned self-driving cars is advancing, but faces major hurdles including cost, design, and consumer acceptance, despite falling prices for key components like lidar sensors. Ownership introduces complex maintenance and liability issues, pot...
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San Francisco Aims to Be Emerging Tech's Testbed
San Francisco is positioning itself as a national leader in testing autonomous vehicles and AI, with companies like Waymo, Zoox, and Uber deploying robotaxis as part of the city's economic vision. Mayor Daniel Lurie emphasizes safety as a top priority, noting that state agencies regulate autonomo...
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Safer Self-Driving Cars with Advanced Microphone Tech
Researchers have developed the Hearing Car, which uses external microphones and AI to detect and identify sounds like sirens or mechanical issues, enhancing vehicle safety by responding to unseen dangers. The system was tested over 1,500 kilometers in harsh conditions, proving its resilience, and...
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May Mobility's Robotaxis to Debut on Uber in Texas This Year
May Mobility will launch its robotaxi service via Uber in Arlington, Texas by year-end, expanding beyond its current shuttle operations in a strategic partnership. Uber adds May Mobility as an autonomous vehicle partner, while the startup transitions from confined areas to the competitive ride-ha...
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Senators Probe Waymo, Tesla on Robotaxi Safety and China Ties
Executives from Waymo and Tesla advocated for federal self-driving car legislation, but a Senate hearing revealed deep divisions over safety, liability, and competition from China, stalling consensus. Lawmakers sharply questioned the companies' safety records, citing specific incidents with Waymo...
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Waabi Secures $1 Billion for Uber Robotaxi Expansion
Waabi secured a $1 billion investment, including a landmark partnership with Uber to deploy its self-driving technology for robotaxis, marking a major expansion beyond its original autonomous trucking focus. The company's strategy centers on a capital-efficient, generalizable AI architecture deve...
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Rivian's Bold Autonomy Plan: Custom Chips, Lidar, Robotaxi Vision
Rivian announced a major push into autonomous driving, unveiling plans for new custom hardware and software with a long-term vision that includes entering the robotaxi market to compete with leaders like Tesla. A key product is the "Universal Hands-Free" driver-assistance system launching in earl...
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Can Waymo Conquer Winter Roads?
Winter weather is a major challenge for autonomous vehicles, and Waymo must prove its robotaxis can operate safely in snow to expand into colder markets like Boston and New York. Snow complicates autonomous driving by obscuring road markings and signs, requiring advanced multi-sensor systems and ...
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Waymo Co-CEO Reveals Autonomous Vehicle Truths at Disrupt 2025
The journey to fully autonomous vehicles is complex, with Waymo's co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana set to discuss real-world challenges like safety, public trust, and regulations at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Mawakana will provide an honest assessment of progress and hurdles in scaling autonomous technology...
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Is Europe Ready for the Self-Driving Car Revolution?
Autonomous vehicles are advancing toward reality in Europe, with technologies like Level 2 autonomy serving as critical steps toward fully self-driving systems. Europe faces significant hurdles including regulatory fragmentation, infrastructure inconsistencies, and cybersecurity risks, which coul...
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Aurora to Triple Its Driverless Truck Fleet
Aurora is tripling its autonomous trucking routes with a new software release, expanding its driverless commercial network across the Southern U.S., including a key 15+ hour route from Texas to Arizona. The company is using AI to automate road mapping, drastically speeding up the process of prepa...
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Waymo's Genie 3 AI Builds a World Model for Autonomous Driving
Waymo has developed a new AI World Model, built on Google DeepMind's Genie 3, to generate hyper-realistic simulations for training its self-driving cars on rare and critical scenarios they might not encounter in real-world driving. This technology overcomes the industry's historical reliance on l...
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Waymo Secures $16 Billion for Global Robotaxi Expansion
Waymo has secured $16 billion in new funding, valuing the company at $126 billion, to accelerate its shift from testing to large-scale commercial deployment and expand its driverless taxi service internationally. The company is rapidly scaling its operations, now providing about 400,000 rides wee...
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Uber Takes the Wheel in the Self-Driving Car Race
Waabi, a self-driving truck company, has secured a major investment led by Uber to expand into the robotaxi sector, challenging established players with a strategy that includes a $750 million initial commitment and a $250 million contingent bonus. Uber is pursuing a broad, multi-partner strategy...
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Tesla Ends Direct Car Sales Model
Tesla is strategically pivoting away from its core automotive business, discontinuing flagship models to focus on autonomous vehicles, robotics, and subscription services. Despite most revenue still coming from declining car sales, the company is betting heavily on software, with plans to shift i...
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Waabi Partners with Uber to Launch Self-Driving Robotaxis
Waabi, a self-driving trucking startup, is expanding into robotaxis through a major partnership with Uber, backed by $1 billion in new funding to deploy tens of thousands of vehicles on Uber's platform. The company argues its core "physical AI" technology is transferable from trucking to robotaxi...
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Uber Launches AV Labs to Power Robotaxi Data Collection
Uber is launching "Uber AV Labs", a new division to collect real-world driving data using sensor-equipped cars and share it with over twenty self-driving partners, addressing a key industry bottleneck in data collection. The company is positioning itself as a data provider, not returning to bui...
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NTSB Probes Waymo As Tesla Autopilot Faces Scrutiny
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating Waymo's autonomous vehicles for reportedly passing stopped school buses, highlighting increased regulatory scrutiny. Tesla is advancing its driverless technology by offering passenger rides without a safety driver and shifting to a subscri...
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Tesla's Robotaxi Hits Austin Roads Without a Safety Driver
Tesla has launched fully driverless robotaxi rides in Austin, removing the human safety driver from the front seat, marking a significant evolution in its autonomous vehicle program. The company is taking a cautious, phased approach to this transition, starting with only a few unsupervised vehicl...
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Waymo Opens Driverless Rides to Miami Public
Waymo has publicly launched its driverless ride-hailing service in Miami, offering access to waitlisted users across a 60-square-mile zone that includes key neighborhoods but excludes highways and major tourist areas for now. The company is using a phased, waitlist-based rollout to gather data, w...
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Rivian's AI Strategy: Beyond Just Competing With Tesla
Rivian is pivoting to develop proprietary AI chips and autonomous driving technology, positioning itself against industry leaders with a vertically integrated strategy. The company is building a "data flywheel" using fleet data to train its driving model and launching a hands-free system, Univers...
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New Bill Could Force Tesla to Limit Full Self-Driving
The proposed "Stay in Your Lane Act" would require automakers to restrict advanced driver-assistance systems to specific, pre-defined operational conditions, directly challenging Tesla's less-restrictive Full Self-Driving approach. The bill is framed as a safety measure to prevent injuries and de...
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Tesla Robotaxis Spotted Driving Without Safety Monitors
Tesla has begun testing its autonomous vehicles on public roads in Austin without any human safety monitors present, accelerating its timeline for achieving full self-driving capabilities. This development contrasts with competitors like Waymo, which already operates commercial robotaxis without ...
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Zevo to Launch Robotaxi Fleet, Starting with Tensor
The autonomous vehicle industry is advancing, with companies deploying robotaxi services and aiming to sell fully self-driving cars to consumers by 2026, enabling personal and commercial uses like peer-to-peer ride-sharing. Zevo, an EV car-share service, is partnering with startup Tensor to purch...
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Waymo Robotaxis Probed for Passing Stopped School Buses
The NHTSA has opened a formal investigation into Waymo's autonomous vehicles following multiple reports, including 19 documented incidents in Austin, of its robotaxis illegally passing stopped school buses. Despite Waymo deploying a software update to address a similar prior incident, violations ...
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Feds Probe Waymo Robotaxi School Bus Safety in Austin
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating Waymo after reports of its autonomous vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses in Austin, Texas, with 19 incidents documented this academic year. Despite Waymo deploying a software update to address the issue, the ...
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UAE's Uber Robotaxis Go Fully Driverless
Uber and WeRide have launched a fully driverless robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi, allowing passengers to be assigned autonomous vehicles when booking UberX or Uber Comfort rides within designated zones. The service currently operates in specific areas on Yas Island, with plans to expand coverage, a...
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Waymo Cleared to Expand Robotaxi Service Across California
Waymo has received regulatory approval to expand its autonomous vehicle testing and deployment across much of California, including the Bay Area, Sacramento, and a Southern California corridor from Santa Clarita to San Diego. The company must secure additional clearances before offering paid ride...
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Waymo Rolls Out Driverless Rides in Miami for 2026 Launch
Waymo has launched its fully driverless robotaxi service in Miami and is expanding to several other U.S. cities, with a commercial launch planned for 2026. The company now offers paid autonomous rides on highways in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix, while facing competition from Zoox and T...
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Zoox Opens Robotaxi Service to the Public in San Francisco
Zoox has opened its public robotaxi service in San Francisco, allowing waitlisted users to ride in its driverless vehicles, marking progress toward a full commercial launch. The company uses purpose-built autonomous vehicles without traditional controls like steering wheels or pedals, offering fl...
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Waymo Takes on Highways: Is It Ready for the Challenge?
Waymo is expanding its robotaxi service to include highway routes in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, addressing previous customer complaints about longer travel times and extending airport access in San Jose. The company has rigorously tested its autonomous technology for highway driving...
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Vay's Remote Driving Tech Could Secure $410M From Grab
German startup Vay secured a $60 million investment from Grab, with potential to grow to $410 million if performance targets are met, aimed at expanding its remote-controlled car rental service in the U.S. Vay's business model uses human operators to remotely deliver rental vehicles, targeting co...
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Waymo Expands Robotaxi Service to 3 New Cities
Waymo is expanding its commercial robotaxi service to San Diego, Las Vegas, and Detroit, with a planned public rollout next year to accelerate its driverless technology deployment. The expansion requires regulatory approvals in Nevada and Michigan, and the company faces local opposition in other ...
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Waymo Co-CEO Demands Robotaxi Companies Prove Safety
Waymo's co-CEO called for greater transparency from autonomous vehicle companies, stressing they must publicly demonstrate their safety records before claiming to improve road safety. Waymo shared its own data showing its vehicles are five times safer than human drivers and twelve times safer in ...
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Lucid Unveils Its Own Autonomous Vehicle Technology
Lucid Motors is partnering with Nvidia to develop Level 4 self-driving technology for consumer vehicles, aiming to deliver the first fully autonomous experience for personal car owners by 2026. The feasibility of consumer-owned autonomous vehicles is increasing as hardware costs like lidar and co...
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Stellantis and Pony.ai Partner on European Robotaxi Fleet
Stellantis and Pony.ai have partnered to develop and deploy a fleet of autonomous robotaxis across Europe, starting with initial testing in Luxembourg using the Peugeot e-Traveller model. The collaboration integrates Pony.ai's self-driving software into Stellantis's electric van platform, designe...
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Waymo robotaxi investigated for driving around school bus
The NHTSA is investigating a Waymo autonomous vehicle for allegedly failing to stop for a school bus with activated red lights in Atlanta, raising concerns about its compliance with traffic safety laws. Waymo attributed the incident to a sensor failure that missed the bus's signals and has since ...
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Waymo's Driverless Taxis Arrive in London
Waymo will launch its first international driverless robotaxi service in London starting in 2026, marking its expansion beyond the United States and introducing competition to the city's traditional black cabs. The UK government is facilitating this shift with pilot programs for autonomous rideha...
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Zoox Expands Autonomous Vehicle Testing to Washington DC
Zoox, an Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company, is expanding its testing to Washington D.C., its first East Coast deployment, starting with manual mapping and transitioning to autonomous tests with safety operators. The expansion to Washington D.C. was chosen for its dense urban environment and...
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Waymo's NYC Robotaxi Tests Extended Through 2025
Waymo has received an extension to continue testing its autonomous vehicles in New York City through the end of the year, marking progress for the technology in a challenging urban environment. The permit allows up to eight vehicles with human safety operators in Manhattan and Brooklyn, exempting...
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Waymo's Vision: Robotaxis as the Future of Public Transit
Waymo and Via are partnering to integrate autonomous vehicles into Chandler, Arizona's public transit system, offering on-demand rides that connect with existing bus routes. The service operates at affordable fixed rates, including discounts for seniors and free rides for students, aiming to broa...
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USDOT Pushes for More Autonomous Cars Without Pedals or Wheels
The US Department of Transportation is simplifying the review process for exemptions from safety regulations to enable autonomous vehicles without traditional controls like steering wheels and pedals. The updated approach aims to reduce approval times from years to months, addressing industry fru...
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Nvidia's Alpamayo AI Enables Human-Like Thinking for Autonomous Vehicles
Nvidia has launched the open-source Alpamayo AI model family at CES 2026, designed to give autonomous vehicles advanced reasoning capabilities for navigating complex real-world environments. The flagship Alpamayo 1 model uses chain-of-thought reasoning to interpret novel scenarios, like a broken ...
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Power Outage Snarls San Francisco Traffic with Stranded Waymo Cars
A major power outage in San Francisco stranded multiple Waymo autonomous vehicles, highlighting a vulnerability in their infrastructure-dependent systems, while Tesla's FSD feature reportedly operated unaffected. Waymo proactively suspended its service for safety, with speculation that the vehicl...
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Waymo Recalls Software for Robotaxi School Bus Safety
Waymo is filing a voluntary software recall with NHTSA to address how its autonomous vehicles interact with stopped school buses, following a software update it claims has already improved performance. The recall follows NHTSA scrutiny and reports from cities like Atlanta and Austin, where Waymo ...
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Tesla's FSD Safety Data: Progress Made, But Questions Remain
Tesla has launched a new online safety hub to provide transparent, verifiable data on Autopilot and FSD, reporting that FSD Supervised enables significantly fewer collisions per mile than the average U.S. driver. Independent experts express skepticism, noting the data lacks independent verificati...
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Global Self-Driving Car Market to Reach $182B by 2035, GCC Leads with $19B
The global autonomous vehicle market is projected to reach $182 billion by 2035, with the GCC region capturing $19 billion, driven by integrated mobility networks like robo-taxis and passenger drones. Robo-taxis are expected to dominate the GCC market, potentially generating $10 billion, supporte...
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