Autonomous Vehicles
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Waymo Robotaxi Hits Child Near Elementary School, Prompting NHTSA Investigation
WSJ· 2026-01-29 16:54
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that the child ran across the street from behind a double-parked SUV before being struck by the autonomous vehicle, sustaining minor injuries. ...
Uber-Backed Waabi Expands Into Robotaxis, Raises $1B
Youtube· 2026-01-28 18:11
Core Insights - The company is transitioning from autonomous trucking to robotaxi services, highlighting a significant partnership with Uber that will facilitate this shift [1][4][5] Technology and Market Position - The company possesses next-generation technology that allows it to operate both robotaxis and trucks, setting it apart from competitors [3] - The technology enables rapid market entry and capital efficiency, addressing consumer demands effectively [4] Regulatory Environment - The U.S. is currently ahead of Canada in terms of regulatory frameworks and market adoption for autonomous technologies [7][9] - Canada is recognized for its potential but needs to catch up in regulatory support to fully leverage the benefits of autonomous technology [8][9] Talent Acquisition and Ecosystem - The company is successfully attracting top talent without paying premium salaries, as the opportunity to work on groundbreaking technology is appealing [11][12] - The Canadian tech ecosystem is vibrant, with a strong talent pool and innovation history, despite recent challenges in startup investment [15][16]
Waabi hauls in $750M Series C to become Canada’s newest autonomous vehicle unicorn
Yahoo Finance· 2026-01-28 11:00
Toronto-based Waabi announced Wednesday that it closed an oversubscribed $750 million Series C funding round. The autonomous vehicle technology company secured an additional milestone-based investment from Uber, bringing total available capital to $1 billion. The funding, the largest fundraise in Canadian history, will fuel continued advancement of Waabi’s Physical AI Platform. The platform will accelerate the Canadian trucking technology maker’s commercial progress and support the company’s expansion int ...
Waymo, Zeekr-Built 'Ojai' Robotaxi Crashes In Los Angeles During Testing With On-Board Safety Driver - Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL)
Benzinga· 2026-01-28 08:49
An Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) autonomous cab service, Waymo's "Ojai" Robotaxi, built in collaboration with Chinese automaker Zeekr, crashed into multiple vehicles in Los Angeles' Echo Park area.Ojai Robotaxi Was Driven By A HumanSurveillance camera footage has emerged of the incident on Tuesday, which took place on Sunday, around the Dodger Stadium area in the city. The video shows a Waymo veering off the road onto a grassy patch, before it came back on the street and crashed into multiple p ...
Pony.ai Expands Robotaxi Commercialization With ATBB, Advancing Asset-Light Scaling Across Urban and Airport Mobility
Prnewswire· 2026-01-28 02:00
Core Insights - Pony.ai has announced a strategic partnership with Beijing ATBB Travel & Express Service Co., Ltd. to enhance the commercialization of Robotaxi services in China [1][2] Partnership Details - The collaboration will focus on deploying and operating Robotaxi services in tier-1 cities in China, with an emphasis on airport and business travel applications [2][5] - The partnership aims to leverage ATBB's mobility expertise and resources to improve capital efficiency and support the asset-light strategy of Pony.ai [2][3] Fleet and Technology - A new Robotaxi fleet will be established using Pony.ai's seventh-generation vehicles, operating in major cities and connecting airports and high-speed rail stations [3][4] - The initial fleet will be integrated into Pony.ai's ride-hailing platform and ATBB's Xinghui Mobility platform, allowing for shared access to demand and fleet resources [4] Market Positioning - The partnership aims to cater to premium and business-class travelers by offering customizable in-vehicle experiences and on-time performance, positioning Robotaxis as a differentiated mobility option [5] Progress and Milestones - Pony.ai has made significant progress in scaling its commercial Robotaxi operations, achieving a citywide permit for fully driverless operations in Shenzhen and expanding services in Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai [6][7] - The total Robotaxi fleet has surpassed 1,159 vehicles, with plans to expand to over 3,000 by the end of 2026 [7] - The Gen-7 Robotaxi operations have reached breakeven in city-wide unit economics in Guangzhou, indicating the commercial viability of the model [8]
Uber launches an ‘AV Labs' division to gather driving data for robotaxi partners
TechCrunch· 2026-01-27 13:00
Core Insights - Uber is launching a new division called Uber AV Labs to provide data to its more than 20 autonomous vehicle partners, focusing on democratizing access to valuable real-world driving data [1][9] Group 1: Uber's Strategy and Operations - Uber is not returning to developing its own robotaxis but will collect data using its own vehicles equipped with sensors for partners like Waymo and Lucid Motors [2] - The new AV Labs division currently operates with a single vehicle, a Hyundai Ioniq 5, and is in the process of equipping it with necessary sensors [10] - Uber's VP of engineering stated that the lab aims to build a foundational data set before determining product market fit, emphasizing the company's responsibility to accelerate the autonomous vehicle ecosystem [10] Group 2: Data Collection and Value - Real-world driving data is increasingly valuable for training self-driving systems, as companies shift from rules-based operations to reinforcement learning [3] - The physical limit of an autonomous vehicle company's fleet restricts data collection, making extensive real-world driving essential for addressing edge cases [5] - Uber's approach to data collection is targeted, allowing for deployment in specific cities based on partner needs, which contrasts with Tesla's broader scale of data collection [13][14] Group 3: Collaboration with Partners - Partners will not receive raw data; instead, Uber will process the data to fit the needs of its partners, enhancing the semantic understanding for driving software [11] - Uber plans to run partner driving software in "shadow mode" to identify discrepancies and improve model training, aiming to make autonomous vehicles drive more like humans [12] - Partners have expressed a strong desire for any helpful data, recognizing that Uber's data collection capabilities far exceed their own [15]
Cyngn Triples Vehicles Ordered Year-Over-Year
Prnewswire· 2026-01-27 12:05
Core Insights - Cyngn has tripled the sales of its autonomous DriveMod Tuggers in 2025 compared to 2024, indicating strong customer adoption and operational expansion [1][2] - The company anticipates further deployments in early 2026, including multi-vehicle implementations and fleet expansions at existing customer sites [2] - Cyngn's recent $32 million funding raise and collaboration with NVIDIA aim to enhance next-generation autonomous vehicle development [2] Company Overview - Cyngn specializes in developing and deploying autonomous vehicle technology for industrial sectors, addressing challenges such as labor shortages and safety incidents [3] - The DriveMod technology allows customers to integrate self-driving capabilities without significant upfront costs or extensive infrastructure [4] Product Details - The DriveMod Tugger can haul up to 12,000 lbs and typically achieves a payback period of less than 2 years [4] - DriveMod is compatible with Motrec MT-160 Tuggers and BYD Forklifts, enhancing operational efficiency for customers [4] Operational Activities - Cyngn has conducted numerous customer facility visits to assess workflows and validate deployment use cases [6] - The company has executed multiple on-site demonstrations of the DriveMod Tugger and completed upgrades of its technology at active customer locations [6]
TD Cowen Reiterates Buy on Alphabet (GOOGL), Sees Waymo Launches Accelerating in 2026
Yahoo Finance· 2026-01-27 08:06
Core Viewpoint - Alphabet Inc. is being closely monitored by analysts as a significant player in the AI sector, particularly due to its autonomous vehicle unit, Waymo, which is expected to expand rapidly in the coming years [1][2]. Group 1: Market Expansion and Estimates - TD Cowen analyst John Blackledge has reiterated a Buy rating on Alphabet Inc. with a price target of $355.00, citing accelerated market expansion plans for Waymo [1]. - The firm has raised its estimates for Waymo, predicting that by the end of 2026, approximately 6,000 vehicles will be providing paired rides across 17 cities [2]. - Waymo is projected to generate 28 million paid rides and gross bookings of $463 million, representing about 0.7% of the US rideshare market [3]. Group 2: Company Overview - Alphabet Inc. is a multinational technology conglomerate that wholly owns Google and other businesses [4].
PlusAI to Host Analyst Day on January 28, 2026
Businesswire· 2026-01-26 21:30
Company Overview - PlusAI is a leader in AI software for autonomous trucks, focusing on AI-based virtual driver software for factory-built autonomous trucks [4] - The company is headquartered in Silicon Valley and has operations in the United States and Europe [4] - PlusAI has been recognized as one of the World's Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company [4] Upcoming Events - PlusAI will host an Analyst Day on January 28, 2026, where senior leaders will discuss the company's business, technology, and operational developments [1] - The event will be streamed live from the Nasdaq Marketsite and will be available for replay [2] Business Combination - PlusAI has entered into a definitive business combination agreement with Churchill Capital Corp IX, a special purpose acquisition company [3] - The business combination is expected to close in February 2026, pending stockholder approvals and other closing conditions [3] - Upon completion, the combined company will operate as PlusAI and is expected to be listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker "PLS" [3] Partnerships and Collaborations - PlusAI collaborates with several major partners, including TRATON GROUP's Scania, Hyundai Motor Company, and NVIDIA, to accelerate the deployment of next-generation autonomous trucks [4]
These 2 ‘Perfect 10’ Stocks Are Winning Wall Street’s Confidence
Yahoo Finance· 2026-01-24 10:57
Company Overview - Pony AI operates in the Chinese market, focusing on autonomous vehicles and robotaxis, with headquarters in Fremont, California, and Guangzhou, China [3] - The company has been a leader in the autonomous vehicle sector since its inception in 2016, developing self-driving vehicles and robotaxis [3] Product and Technology - Pony's robotaxi service, PonyPilot, is available in major cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, accessible via a mobile app [1] - The company has launched its sixth-generation automated robotaxi vehicles and recently introduced Gen-7 robotaxis, aiming to operate 3,000 robotaxis by the end of the year [1] - Pony's technology includes high-end sensors for perception, AI for prediction and planning, and a robust infrastructure with over 20 safety features integrated into its vehicles [2] Financial Performance - In Q3 2025, revenue from robotaxis increased by 89.5% year-over-year, contributing to total quarterly revenues of US$25.4 million, a 72% year-over-year gain [7] - The company reported a net operating loss of 14 cents per share in Q3, based on non-GAAP measures [7] Analyst Insights - Citi analyst Jeff Chung has a positive outlook on Pony AI, citing several upcoming catalysts, including potential gains from Q4 results and a favorable re-rating of Pony's valuation [8] - Chung rates Pony AI as a Buy with a price target of $24.50, indicating a potential upside of 48% from the current price of $16.58 [8] - The consensus rating for Pony AI is Strong Buy, based on 4 reviews, with a majority favoring Buy over Hold [8]