Along with the Tesla, Robotaxi launch in Austin, in autonomous and self-driving vehicle news are Kodiak, Waymo, Innoviz, Wayve, Uber, Easyrain, NVIDIA and Schaeffler.
Kodiak Driverless Truck Fleet with Atlas
Kodiak Robotics has delivered two more AI-powered driverless trucks to Atlas Energy Solutions, bringing Atlas’s autonomous fleet to four as part of a 100-truck order. The trucks now operate up to 24/7—pausing only for refueling and maintenance—transporting frac sand from Atlas’s Dune Express system to customer well sites in the Permian Basin. Since commercial deployment began in December 2024, the fleet has completed over 800 deliveries and 1,600 hours of driverless service. Kodiak provides its technology under a Driver-as-a-Service model, with ongoing support and updates. This collaboration highlights Kodiak’s growing footprint in autonomous logistics and positions both companies to scale operations efficiently.
Waymo Rides Cost More But
Obi, the real-time rideshare price aggregator, released a comprehensive report titled The Road Ahead: Pricing Insights on Waymo, Uber and Lyft, analyzing nearly 90,000 rides in San Francisco and survey responses from 500 riders across Phoenix, L.A., and San Francisco. The study provides the first large-scale comparison of Waymo’s autonomous ride-hailing pricing against traditional services like Uber and Lyft. Key findings reveal that Waymo positions itself as a premium option—averaging 41% more than Lyft and 31% more than Uber—but still garners strong rider preference among those who’ve used the service.
Despite longer wait times and ongoing concerns over AV safety and tech reliability, 70% of riders who’ve experienced Waymo say they prefer it over human-driven competitors. Additionally, 42.7% of all respondents expressed willingness to pay up to $10 more for an autonomous ride. The report highlights growing consumer interest in autonomous rides, while noting that trust in the technology still varies significantly between experienced and inexperienced users. As AV services scale, Obi stresses the need for transparency and rider education to bridge the gap between innovation and adoption.
InnovizSMART Long-Range LiDAR
Innoviz Technologies has unveiled InnovizSMART Long-Range, a new high-performance LiDAR sensor designed for smart applications like urban security, traffic management, robotics, and aerial systems. Built on Innoviz’s automotive-grade technology, the sensor delivers long-range detection up to 400 meters, high-resolution 3D point clouds, and resilience to harsh conditions. With native Power over Ethernet (PoE) support, InnovizSMART simplifies installation and reduces infrastructure costs. Privacy-conscious and highly durable, the sensor brings automotive-level performance to smart city deployments and industrial use cases worldwide.
Wayve and Uber to Launch Autonomous Trials in London
Wayve and Uber have announced plans to begin public-road trials of Level 4 autonomous vehicles in London, making the UK Uber’s largest AV testing market. The partnership will leverage Wayve’s Embodied AI (AV2.0) platform and Uber’s ride-hailing network, with regulatory support from the UK government and Transport for London. Enabled by new fast-tracked self-driving pilot legislation, the trials aim to demonstrate scalable, adaptive autonomy in complex urban environments. This marks a major milestone in deploying AI-driven vehicles in Europe, with future expansion planned across additional cities and markets.
Aeva Achieves TISAX AL2 Certification,
Aeva Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: AEVA), a pioneer in next-generation 4D LiDAR sensing, announced it has achieved TISAX (Trusted Information Security Assessment Exchange) Assessment Level 2 certification—an industry-recognized standard developed by the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA). This milestone highlights Aeva’s commitment to robust data protection protocols and strengthens its credibility with global OEMs across Europe, America, and Asia.
The certification reinforces Aeva’s role as a secure and reliable Tier 1 supplier, complementing its ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification for its information security management system. With these credentials, Aeva is well-positioned to support advanced vehicle automation programs with its unique 4D LiDAR technology, which detects both 3D position and instant velocity—critical capabilities for the future of autonomous mobility.
Easyrain Aquaplaning Detection for Autonomous Vehicles
Easyrain, an Italian innovator in ADAS and autonomous vehicle tech, has become the first Italian company to join the NVIDIA Halos AI Systems Inspection Lab, as announced at the 2025 NVIDIA GTC AI Conference in Paris. The collaboration centers on validating Easyrain’s software-only aquaplaning detection system, part of its DAI (Digital Advanced Information) platform, which is set to debut in a 2026 premium vehicle. Designed to detect low-grip road conditions without added hardware, the DAI platform enables safer, scalable deployment of Level 3+ autonomous driving systems. The partnership ensures Easyrain’s technology meets the highest standards in AI safety, reliability, and cybersecurity.
Schaeffler/NVIDIA Manufacturing with Omniverse
Schaeffler has entered a strategic technology collaboration with NVIDIA to accelerate the digital transformation of its global manufacturing operations using the NVIDIA Omniverse platform. The partnership aims to integrate digital twins of machines and production lines across Schaeffler’s more than 100 plants, with a target to bring half of them into Omniverse by 2030. This move will enable real-time simulation, AI-driven optimization, and flexible deployment of future technologies like humanoid robots. The collaboration positions Schaeffler as a pioneer in developing the Industrial Metaverse, using simulation-first approaches to increase agility, efficiency, and innovation in modern manufacturing.