autonomous driving

Robotaxi developer Waymo announced that this past January, it surpassed 1 million miles of autonomous driving with no human present in the vehicle. Waymo competitor Cruise also recently reached the autonomous milestone, but Waymo has also publicly shared the data to back up its progress. As previously teased last year, Waymo is also now officially testing driverless rides in Los Angeles.

Mercedes-Benz may be celebrating on the casino floor in Las Vegas right now – it has announced its DRIVE PILOT conditional autonomous driving system has been authorized for use on public roads, beginning in Nevada. DRIVE PILOT now sits as the only SAE Level 3 system in a production EV certified for operation as Mercedes looks to expand further west this year.

XPeng completed its fourth annual 1024 Tech Day in China today, highlighting several of its latest technological breakthroughs in electric mobility. The presentation included several advancements in autonomous driving, robotic animals, and self-evolving AI platforms. Additionally, XPeng Inc. shared that its sixth generation eVTOL – the closest thing we’ve seen to an actual flying car – completed its maiden flight. Lots to unfold here, so let’s get started.

GM Super Cruise drivers are the most likely to engage in distracted driving behaviors while using partial-automated driving software when compared to Tesla Autopilot and Nissan ProPILOT drivers, according to a new study by IIHS.

Ahead of its official release in China, XPeng Motors has posted a teaser video showcasing the engineering (beta) version of its City Navigation Guided Pilot (NGP). The one-take video shows XPeng’s P5 sedan driving autonomously from XPeng HQ in Guangzhou to the city center, demonstrating a number of ADAS functions. If and when it reaches mass production, City NGP could offer a legitimate challenge to Tesla FSD beta.

During its inaugural Einride Mesh technology conference, autonomous EV freight company Einride introduced new software and hardware products. This included updates to its Saga operating system as well as the debut of the new Einride Trailer – a design concept that brings end-to-end payload intelligence along with added overall range from its integrated battery.

Autonomous driving developer Pony.ai announced it has received a license to operate its self-driving taxis in China, the first company to achieve the permit. Pony.ai will soon have 100 robotaxis in operation throughout Nansha, Guangzhou, charging riders fares alongside traditional taxis.

German automaker Volkswagen, has announced a long-anticipated generation 3.0 software update for its entire lineup of ID. electric vehicles. The 3.0 update includes a slew of new and optional upgrades to features like automated driving, charging performance, and the AR Heads-up Display.

During an Innovation and Technology Day held in Los Angeles, Electrek got the opportunity to learn about some of the current and upcoming technologies Mercedes-Benz is developing around its EQ series of EVs. This includes a close-up look at the VISION EQXX concept, a ride along in the upcoming EQE sedan, and experiencing Level-2 and Level-3 autonomous driving.

During a live demonstration at the InterContinental Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, Mercedes-Benz and Bosch offered a glimpse into the future in which our EVs will valet themselves. Using the Intelligent Park Pilot feature in the Mercedes EQS, the companies were able to demonstrate a driver pulling up, exiting the vehicle, and activating the automated valet using an app.

Imagine a not so distance future where you’re sitting in your electric vehicle (something truly luxurious since you’re so successful in the future), and you’re looking back on this list below and comparing predictions to your current world. You sip your ketone-infused coffee and take a bite of your zero-carb croissant while you answer emails using your glasses. In this future your vehicle is doing all the driving for you, so you can focus on your breakfast and the latest Electrek news. Look at you … crushing it. This autonomous-vehicle future may not be so far away (and will likely arrive before a zero carb croissant, to be honest), but which countries are making the most moves to support autonomous vehicles? A study by confused.com offers a comprehensive list below.

Compact EV manufacturer ElectraMeccanica has announced a new partnership with autonomous technology startup Faction Technology, Inc. Through the partnership, ElectraMeccanica will provide its SOLO EVs to a pilot program that will test Faction’s self-driving platform as it relates to autonomous food deliveries and vehicles on demand.

Autonomous driving technology company TuSimple announced that North American railroad Union Pacific has signed on as its first customer for autonomous freight trucking services. UP will become the first to utilize TuSimple’s technology, which will travel between an Arizona rail yard to first and last deliveries without a driver present in the vehicle and without remote human intervention.

Autonomous driving technology company TuSimple announced that it has completed what it is calling the world’s first fully-autonomous semi-truck ride on open public roads without a human present in the vehicle and without human intervention.

Mobility software developer Apex.AI has announced a hefty sum of Series B funding to the tune of $56.5 million, bringing its total funding to $74 million raised to date. The Series B round was led by international investment firm Orillion, among several new ventures added to Apex.AI’s investor list.

Swedish commercial freight tech company Einride has officially launched its operations in the United States, complete with a new operating system and US versions of its Pod truck. In addition to launching new transport solutions stateside, Einride has announced US customers onboard, including its tire partner Bridgestone.

Chinese EV automaker XPeng Motors is implementing a ‘Smart Driving Points’ safety scoring system to ensure future owners don’t abuse its self-driving technology. The safety monitoring system has launched in beta form ahead of a 2022 rollout.

The “long-term” partnership announced today is between Volvo Autonomous Solutions and self-driving startup Aurora. The two plan to jointly develop globally-leading autonomous transport solutions at scale, beginning with North America.

As the first days of spring are officially upon us, we focus our spotlight on GreenPower Motor Company. This EV manufacturer designs, builds, and distributes purpose-built zero-emission shuttles, cargo, and transit buses. From purpose-built mini-buses to wireless charging and Level 5 autonomous technologies, GreenPower has a lot of clean innovation going on.

Despite all the hype about high levels of vehicle autonomy, drivers always need to keep their hands on the wheel. Audi had planned to be the first automaker to introduce so-called Level 3 autonomy, where you could take your eyes off the road and let the car drive. But the combination of legislative uncertainty and a patchwork approach to the technology led the German automaker to give up self-driving plans for the next A8 due next year.

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Volkswagen will invest around $1.7 billion in Ford’s self-driving subsidiary Argo, according to a new report.

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