In autonomous and self-driving vehicle news are Nissan WayveAI, Zoox, DeepRoute.ai, QNX, WeRide and TIER IV.
Nissan & Next-Gen Autonomous WayveAI Launch: 2027
Nissan announced it will debut its next-generation ProPILOT autonomous driving system starting in fiscal year 2027, marking a major leap forward in self-driving technology. The new system will integrate Wayve’s AI Driver software and Nissan’s Ground Truth Perception technology, including advanced next-gen LiDAR for superior environmental sensing and collision avoidance.
Wayve’s Embodied AI approach enables vehicles to learn from vast global driving data, allowing them to navigate both urban and highway environments with human-like adaptability. The AI’s end-to-end learning model is designed to handle real-world complexities and unpredictable scenarios, setting a new benchmark for intelligent mobility.
Nissan says the partnership with Wayve will keep its vehicles on the cutting edge of autonomous technology well into the future
Amazon’s Zoox Begins Robotaxi Testing in Los Angeles
Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company Zoox expanded its testing operations to Los Angeles, marking its sixth city for such trials. The company will initially deploy manually driven Toyota Highlanders equipped with its self-driving technology to collect mapping data. This preparatory phase aims to lay the groundwork for broader autonomous testing in LA later this summer.
Zoox currently operates test vehicles in several other cities, including San Francisco, Las Vegas, Seattle, Austin, and Miami. The company plans to launch public services in Las Vegas and San Francisco later this year. While Waymo, operated by Alphabet, already offers paid robotaxi rides in Los Angeles, Zoox has not specified when its vehicles will be available to the public in the area.
DeepRoute.ai and Qualcomm Partner to Develop ADAS
Chinese autonomous driving technology company DeepRoute.ai has announced a partnership with Qualcomm to develop cost-effective advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Ride Platforms. These solutions will encompass both LiDAR and vision-only systems, supporting features such as urban navigation on autopilot, highway navigation, and automated parking. The collaboration aims to optimize AI models, including end-to-end Birds Eye View and transformers, to enhance the intelligent driving system’s understanding of complex traffic environments and human driving behaviors. This partnership seeks to accelerate the adoption of intelligent driving technologies in mass-produced vehicles globally.
DeepRoute.ai Debuts VLA Smart Driving Model
DeepRoute.ai is made its South Korean debut at the 2025 Seoul Mobility Show, unveiling its advanced Vision-Language-Action (VLA) model—its first overseas showcase. Integrated into over five vehicle models this year, the VLA system enhances driving intelligence with long-context understanding and transparent decision-making. Designed for both camera-only and LiDAR-camera configurations, it supports a wide range of chip platforms, aligning with global automaker needs. CEO Dr. Maxwell Zhou will deliver a keynote on the rapid global deployment of smart driving vehicles, reinforcing the company’s mission to build human-level AI and scale AI mobility solutions worldwide.
QNX and WeRide Partner to Advance SDV & ADAS
QNX, a division of BlackBerry Limited, and autonomous driving leader WeRide Inc. have announced a strategic collaboration to accelerate the global rollout of Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs) and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) for automakers and suppliers.
WeRide’s WePilot ADAS solution, now in mass production on the Chery Exceed ES and ET models via a partnership with Bosch, is powered by QNX OS for Safety. This platform enables robust performance, including 360-degree obstacle avoidance, agile lane changes, and all-weather navigation—all without relying on high-definition maps.
WePilot integrates multi-sensor fusion and deep learning algorithms and meets critical industry certifications such as ISO/SAE 21434, ISO 26262, and ASPICE CL2, ensuring safety and compliance.
Both companies emphasize the importance of their partnership in moving toward a future of smart, autonomous mobility, with QNX providing the secure, real-time operating system foundation for scalable, safe vehicle intelligence.
Nippon Steel and TIER IV to Launch Autonomous Steel Transport
Nippon Steel Corporation, Japan’s largest steelmaker, is partnering with autonomous driving innovator TIER IV to deploy heavy-duty autonomous vehicles for steel transportation at its Nagoya plant in fiscal 2025. Since 2023, the two companies have collaborated to address labor shortages and improve plant safety by automating specialized transporters that move steel plates. TIER IV is customizing its reference designs for factory logistics to develop an autonomous driving system tailored to steel transport. The initiative aims to enhance efficiency and safety through cutting-edge autonomous technology.