In autonomous and self-driving vehicle news are Toyota, Waymo, Aurora, Uber, May Mobility, Momenta, WeRide, Plus, Hyundai, Tesla, Volvo & Aeva.
Toyota & Waymo Partner
Toyota Motor Corporation and autonomous tech leader Waymo have announced a preliminary agreement to jointly explore the development of next-generation autonomous vehicle platforms. The collaboration aims to merge Toyota’s automotive expertise with Waymo’s autonomous driving technology to accelerate deployment, especially in personally owned vehicles. Woven by Toyota will support the initiative through its mobility innovation and software capabilities. Rooted in a shared goal of reducing traffic accidents and increasing road safety, the partnership will evolve through ongoing discussions and may extend to incorporating Waymo’s technology into Toyota’s ride-hailing and POV offerings.
Aurora Commercial Driverless Trucking – Public Roads TX
Aurora Innovation officially launched the first commercial self-driving trucking service using heavy-duty trucks on public roads in the U.S., starting regular driverless freight deliveries between Dallas and Houston. With over 1,200 autonomous miles completed, Aurora plans to expand routes to El Paso and Phoenix by the end of 2025. Its SAE Level 4 Aurora Driver system is designed for long-haul trucking and has demonstrated safety and reliability, supported by a comprehensive safety case. Partners include Uber Freight and Hirschbach Motor Lines. Texas Governor Greg Abbott praised the launch, citing the state’s role in advancing autonomous innovation.
Uber & May Mobility Autonomous Ride-Hailing in TX
Uber and May Mobility have announced a multi-year strategic partnership to deploy thousands of autonomous vehicles (AVs) on the Uber platform, beginning in Arlington, Texas, by late 2025. The collaboration combines Uber’s ride-hailing network with May Mobility’s AV technology, including its AI-powered Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM) platform and hybrid-electric Toyota Sienna vehicles. Initial rides will include onboard safety operators, with plans to transition to full autonomy and expand to additional U.S. markets by 2026. The partnership aims to scale AV ride-hailing, enhance rider choice, and help commercialize AV technology across the estimated $1 trillion U.S. market.
Uber & Momenta Autonomous Robotaxis
Uber Technologies, Inc. and Momenta, a leading autonomous driving technology company, have announced a strategic partnership aimed at deploying autonomous vehicles on the Uber platform outside of the U.S. and China. This agreement marks a significant step in expanding Uber’s global autonomous vehicle ambitions and leverages Momenta’s expertise in self-driving systems. The first deployment is scheduled to begin in Europe in early 2026, initially using vehicles equipped with onboard safety operators.
The collaboration blends Uber’s vast ridesharing network with Momenta’s advanced, AI-driven autonomous driving technology. Both companies aim to create scalable and efficient Robotaxi services capable of operating safely in real-world environments. By joining forces, Uber gains a crucial technology partner, while Momenta secures a prominent global mobility platform to commercialize its autonomous solutions at scale.
Momenta brings to the table a decade of autonomous driving innovation through its dual-product strategy: Mpilot, for assisted driving, and MSD, targeting full autonomy. Its “flywheel approach,” driven by data and algorithmic iteration, underpins its success in both Robotaxi testing and real-world deployments across multiple Chinese cities. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi called the partnership “a major step forward” in making autonomous rides accessible, reliable, and affordable to more users worldwide.///
WeRide Driverless Robobus in Guangzhou
WeRide (Nasdaq: WRD) has launched Guangzhou’s first fare-charging Level-4 autonomous robobus service in the city’s downtown core, marking a significant step toward large-scale commercial deployment of driverless transit. Operating a 13.6-kilometer loop through major city landmarks, the robobus navigates complex traffic with ease, offering nightly rides for up to six passengers at a discounted fare during its trial phase. With three years of operational experience and China’s first commercial robobus license under its belt, WeRide is expanding rapidly, now running commercial services in multiple international markets including France, Switzerland, Singapore, and Japan.
Plus Validated SuperDrive™ Autonomous Trucking System
Plus, an autonomous trucking AI company, announced that its virtual driver, SuperDrive™, successfully completed validation tests operating fully driverless trucks — without a human on board or remote intervention — on a closed test track. This major milestone advances Plus’s plan to commercialize factory-built driverless trucks featuring fully redundant sensors and computers. SuperDrive’s Autonomous Fallback System (AFS) proved capable of safely handling unexpected scenarios like sensor failures or road closures. With over 5 million miles of real-world testing and partnerships with leading truck manufacturers like Scania, MAN, Hyundai, and Iveco, Plus is preparing to launch SuperDrive in the U.S., Europe, and Japan to meet growing freight industry demands.
VeriSilicon Automotive-Grade Intelligent Driving SoC Platform
VeriSilicon announced that its new automotive-grade high-performance intelligent driving system-on-chip (SoC) design platform has been successfully implemented in customer projects. Built on its SiPaaS (Silicon Platform as a Service) model, the platform supports autonomous driving and ADAS applications with a flexible, multi-co-processor architecture and optional ASIL D-level functional safety. Certified under ISO 26262 standards, VeriSilicon offers end-to-end support from chip design to certification. Optimized for advanced 5nm and 7nm nodes, the platform delivers strong power, performance, and area (PPA) characteristics. VeriSilicon continues to innovate, including work on Chiplet solutions, to meet growing demands in the intelligent vehicle industry.
Tesla Sued Over Allegedly Misleading Full Self-Driving Claims
New York law firm Greenstein & Pittari, LLP has filed a personal injury lawsuit against Tesla in Westchester County Supreme Court, claiming the company misled consumers about its Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology. The plaintiff, a finance executive, suffered serious injuries in a 2023 crash while riding in FSD mode in a Tesla Model Y. The suit alleges Tesla falsely marketed its driver assistance systems as autonomous, despite knowing the technology required active driver involvement. Claims include fraud, negligence, and unjust enrichment for promoting a feature the company itself admitted was not fully autonomous.
Hyundai & Plus Show Autonomous Hydrogen Freight Network
At ACT Expo 2025, Hyundai Motor Company and Plus unveiled their joint plan to advance a hydrogen-powered freight ecosystem in the U.S. by combining Hyundai’s XCIENT Fuel Cell truck with Plus’s SuperDrive™ autonomous driving software. The collaboration aims to provide a cost-effective, zero-emission solution for long-haul freight.
The concept outlines an incremental rollout along key freight corridors, boosting demand for hydrogen refueling stations and supporting infrastructure. Autonomous hydrogen trucks offer benefits such as zero tailpipe emissions, rapid refueling, and lower maintenance—making them ideal for continuous, long-distance transport. The proposed model creates a self-reinforcing cycle of vehicle adoption and infrastructure growth to support a cleaner, scalable freight network.
Volvo Showcases VNL Autonomous Truck Deploys in US
At the 2025 ACT Expo, Volvo Autonomous Solutions (V.A.S.) unveiled the Volvo VNL Autonomous, a fully redundant, production-ready autonomous truck built for scalability and integration with leading self-driving technologies like Aurora Driver and the AI-powered Waabi Driver. Built at Volvo’s New River Valley plant, the truck features critical system redundancies to ensure safe, fail-operational performance. V.A.S. is already hauling autonomous freight between Dallas and Houston, with plans to expand routes across the Sunbelt and eventually nationwide. Alongside vehicle development, Volvo is building an autonomous ecosystem offering Transport-as-a-Service (TaaS), integrating fleet management, uptime services, and logistics optimization. These advancements highlight Volvo’s commitment to delivering safe, efficient, and scalable autonomous freight solutions in North America.
Aeva Eve 1D: Industry’s First FMCW Laser Displacement Sensor
Aeva has unveiled the Eve™ 1 line of precision sensors, beginning with Eve 1D—the first Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW)-based laser displacement sensor designed for high-volume industrial automation. Targeting the $4 billion global displacement sensor market, Eve 1D offers micrometer-level accuracy, high-speed measurement, and robustness across various materials and lighting conditions. Powered by Aeva’s CoreVision™ lidar-on-chip technology, the compact, plug-and-play sensor provides superior performance over traditional triangulation sensors, enabling precise thickness, position, and vibration measurements. Eve 1D samples are available now, with production slated for later in 2025.