Autonomous Vehicles News & Discussions

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BYD to add self-driving smarts to all its electric cars
By Abhimanyu Ghoshal
February 12, 2025

BYD is set to equip all of its electric vehicles (EV) with advanced self-driving tech, the company noted earlier this week.

The Financial Times spotted the announcement at a livestreamed event held at BYD's headquarters in Shenzhen, China, earlier this week. "[We are] starting an era where autonomous driving is for everyone," said Founder and CEO, Wang Chuanfu. "It will become a must-have in the next two to three years, just as a seat belt or airbag."

The company plans to install its 'God's Eye' self-driving system on all of its models. That includes its US$9,700 Seagull hatchback that repeatedly topped the monthly best-seller list in China – ahead of Tesla's beloved EVs – last year.

https://newatlas.com/automotive/byd-aut ... tric-cars/

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Autonomous delivery bot boasts largest modular cargo bay in its class
By Paul Ridden
February 15, 2025

The latest rolling delivery bot may not have arms to unload the goods, or articulating legs to tackle challenging obstacles, or even work in tandem with a robo-flyer. But the Robovan W5 does boast "autonomous capabilities and substantial cargo capacity."

Developed by China's WeRide, the W5 is reported to have the largest cargo capacity its class – which translates to 5.5 cubic meters (194 cu ft) of space for a payload weighing up to 1,000 kg (~2,200 lb). The cargo area is also modular in nature, and can be fitted out to support various business needs.

The unmanned delivery solution is capable of Level 4 autonomy, leveraging company know-how gleaned from almost 40 million kilometers (a little short of 25 million miles) of autonomous driving on public roads via its fleet of robotaxis and other vehicles.

https://newatlas.com/technology/weride- ... -delivery/

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Baidu and Apollo Go Make Progress on Self Driving Cars and Robotaxi
February 19, 2025 by Brian Wang

Baidu revealed progress of their subsidiary, Apollo Go on their earnings call.


The number of paid robotaxi rides 1.1 million in 4Q 2024 which is up +36% Year over year
The cumulative robotaxi rides now 9 million. This about 25-50% of the level of Waymo.

https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2025/02/b ... otaxi.html

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Chrysler and Jeep's parent company shows off Level 3 self-driving tech
By Abhimanyu Ghoshal
February 21, 2025

Stellantis, which counts Dodge, Jeep, and Chrysler among its portfolio of automobile brands, says its Level 3 automated driving tech is ready to take over the wheel and let you take your eyes off the road safely.

However, it's not launching these features just yet.

The automotive group's STLA AutoDrive 1.0 assistive system is said to be capable of automated driving at the push of a button, up to speeds of 37 mph (60 km/h) in traffic and on highways given 'certain conditions.' The idea is to free you up to comfortably use the car's infotainment screen, talk to co-passengers, and catch up on books or videos on long journeys and commutes.

https://newatlas.com/automotive/stellan ... autodrive/

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Self-driving Maserati smashes autonomous speed record
By Abhimanyu Ghoshal
March 04, 2025

Italy has produced many of the fastest race car drivers on the planet, and now also the fastest car-driving AI. Self-driving software engineered by a team at the country's largest science and tech university has set a new record for the quickest speed achieved in an autonomous car – a blistering 197.7 mph (318 km/h).

Researchers at the Politecnico di Milano university worked with the Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) to put a robo-driver behind the wheel of a customized Maserati MC20 Coupe. This US$243,000 fire-breathing beast dishes out 630 hp and 538 lb.ft (729 Nm) of torque from its twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6. It tops out at 202 mph (325 km/h), which means the AI stopped just slightly short of the MC20's ceiling.

The self-driving system pulled off this feat during the 1000 Miglia Experience Florida at the Kennedy Space Center on February 23. It blasted down a 2.8-mile-long (4.5-km) runway, beating the previous record of 177 mph (285 km/h) set by the same car last November.

https://newatlas.com/automotive/maserat ... ecord-iac/

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Tesla scores California ride-hail permit for its robotaxi service
By Abhimanyu Ghoshal
March 19, 2025

Tesla has been granted a ride-hail permit in California by the state's Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), paving the way for the EV giant to make good on its promise to launch a robotaxi service soonish.

CEO Elon Musk has been promising self-driving Teslas for roughly a decade now, and the company made a big noise about robotaxis last October when it unveiled the autonomous two-seater Cybercab and the 20-seat Robovan it plans to launch in 2026.

This California Transportation Charter-Party permit is the first bit of paperwork the automaker will need to begin testing its driverless taxis in the state. This A Certificate will only allow the company to transport its own employees as passengers in Tesla cars for the time being. Expanding trials to the public will require Tesla to notify the agency first.

https://newatlas.com/transport/tesla-ca ... i-service/

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Uber, Volkswagen pair up to launch robotaxi service in US with self-driving, electric microbuses

5:00 AM PDT · April 24, 2025

Volkswagen of America and Uber on Thursday unveiled an ambitious plan to launch a commercial robotaxi service — using autonomous electric VW ID. BUZZ vehicles — in multiple U.S. cities over the next decade.

The companies expect to launch a commercial service in Los Angeles, the first city on the list, by late 2026. VW and Uber didn’t provide details on potential future markets.

Initially, the service won’t be driverless. The fleet of autonomous vehicles will have human safety operators behind the wheel before they go driverless in 2027, a VW spokesperson told TechCrunch.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/24/uber- ... icrobuses/



Credit: VW/Uber

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Tesla could benefit the most from new rules on reporting of self-driving car crashes

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/topstor ... r-AA1Dy7PI

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Driverless freight trucks begin barreling through Texas
By Abhimanyu Ghoshal
May 02, 2025

https://newatlas.com/automotive/aurora- ... cks-texas/
The next time you spot a long-haul truck on the I-45, crane your neck to see if there's anyone in the driver's seat. If it's empty, it's all thanks to Aurora.

The Pittsburgh-based autonomous vehicle tech startup has just launched its self-driving trucking service in Texas, starting with deliveries between Dallas and Houston. The company's driverless tech suite has already covered more than 1,200 miles (1,930 km) on public roads.

With that, Aurora is the first company on the planet to commercially operate self-driving heavy-duty trucks. Its first customers are Uber Freight, which offers on-demand logistics solutions, and Hirschbach Motor Lines, a carrier focused on time- and temperature-sensitive deliveries.