In autonomous and self-driving vehicle news are Plus, California, WeRide and Renault.
Plus Goes Public via $1.2B SPAC
Automation Inc., operating as Plus, a Silicon Valley-based developer of AI-powered virtual driver software for autonomous trucks, has entered into a definitive merger agreement with Churchill Capital Corp IX (NASDAQ: CCIX), a SPAC led by financier Michael Klein. The merger will take Plus public under the name PlusAI, with a pre-money valuation of $1.2 billion.
Founded in 2016, Plus has pioneered a capital-efficient, software-focused approach to autonomous trucking, using AI-driven models in place of traditional hand-coded AV systems. Its SuperDrive platform, currently being road-tested in Texas and Sweden, has logged over five million autonomous miles and features advanced redundancy systems tailored to heavy-duty trucks.
The company’s OEM-led strategy involves deep partnerships with global truck makers like TRATON Group, Hyundai, and IVECO, which plan to factory-build autonomous trucks using Plus’s technology. A full commercial launch is targeted for 2027, beginning in the U.S. before expanding into Europe.
The merger provides Plus with capital and strategic backing to accelerate deployment in the nearly $2 trillion U.S. and European freight markets, where driver shortages and operational inefficiencies are creating urgent demand for autonomous solutions. Through a recurring “driver-as-a-service” model, Plus aims to generate high-margin, per-mile revenue with global scalability.
Teamsters Push AB33: Human Operators for Driverless Delivery
California Assembly Bill 33 (AB33), a bipartisan measure backed by the Teamsters union, has cleared the State Assembly and now heads to the Senate. Authored by Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, the bill mandates that all autonomous commercial delivery vehicles operating in the state have a trained human operator on board. The legislation comes amid growing safety concerns after recent AV failures involving Waymo, Zoox, and Aurora Innovation. Teamsters leaders argue that AB33 defends middle-class jobs and public safety, positioning California as the national battleground against Big Tech’s push for unchecked automation in transportation.
WeRide & Renault L4 Robobus Shuttle at Roland-Garros
WeRide, a global autonomous driving tech leader, and Renault Group have renewed their partnership for the 2025 Roland-Garros Grand Slam tournament, deploying the Robobus — a Level-4 autonomous electric shuttle — for the second year in a row. The service, covering a 2.8 km loop with key access points to the tennis venue, now includes a new nighttime schedule, showcasing its capability to operate safely in complex, low-light urban environments.
The Robobus, powered by WeRide’s proprietary autonomous driving system, highlights growing public acceptance and real-world readiness of autonomous public transport. The initiative is part of a broader push by both companies to expand self-driving mobility across Europe, following a fully driverless launch in France’s Drôme region and a public trial in Barcelona earlier this year.
WeRide’s Robobus has now been commercially deployed in nearly 30 cities globally, reinforcing its role as a scalable, sustainable transport solution for dense and dynamic urban settings.