In autonomous and self-driving vehicle news are International Motors, DeepRoute.ai, QCraft, Qualcomm, Uber, Momenta, STRADVISION, Applied Intuition, Komatsu, Horizon Robotics, Kodiak Robotics, Roush, Atlas Energy, Zoox, WeRide, RoboSense and NVIDIA.
In this Article
International Motors 2nd Gen Autonomous Fleet Trials @ I-35
International Motors, LLC has initiated customer fleet trials for its second-generation autonomous tractor, marking a major step in its self-driving freight transport program. Conducted in partnership with PlusAI, the trials will run between Laredo and Dallas along the I-35 corridor, managed from International’s San Antonio hub. The updated LT® Series tractor features a factory-installed S13® Integrated Powertrain, advanced multimodal sensors, and PlusAI’s SuperDrive™ autonomous driving software, designed for adaptability and safety.
The program aims to refine autonomous hub-to-hub operations through direct customer collaboration, gathering real-world feedback to enhance safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. International and PlusAI are committed to delivering scalable, factory-installed autonomous solutions that integrate seamlessly into freight logistics, with plans to expand across key U.S. freight corridors.
DeepRoute.ai Unveils VLA-Powered DeepRoute IO 2.0
DeepRoute.ai showcased its mass-production ready DeepRoute IO 2.0 platform at IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich, emphasizing its advanced Vision-Language-Action (VLA) model for intelligent driving. The company has already delivered over 100,000 passenger cars equipped with its autonomous system and is expanding its robotaxi operations and partnerships across Europe, Japan, and South Korea.
The modular platform supports both LiDAR and pure-vision configurations, multiple automotive-grade chips, and a wide range of vehicle models. VLA technology enhances interpretability, decision-making transparency, and adaptability to diverse road systems, signage, and driving cultures, while enabling advanced safety features such as proactive deceleration, intelligent rerouting, and voice control.
Through its dual-track globalization strategy, DeepRoute.ai aims to empower automakers with scalable, safe, and highly adaptable smart driving solutions, reinforcing its position as a leader in next-generation mobility.
QCraft Qualcomm Partnership & Globalizes
QCraft, a leader in L2++ to L4 autonomous driving solutions, announced its globalization strategy at IAA Mobility 2025, including the opening of its European headquarters in Germany and a strategic partnership with Qualcomm. The company’s Navigate on Autopilot (NOA) solution is set for deployment in about one million vehicles, supported by its efficient large-model technology and proprietary data toolchain. QCraft aims to accelerate mass adoption by reducing system complexity and costs while maintaining a safety-first approach. With support for multiple chipsets—including Qualcomm Snapdragon Ride, Horizon Robotics, and NVIDIA—QCraft plans to begin mass production and global delivery of its full-stack solutions in 2026, targeting Europe, the U.S., Japan, and South Korea.
Uber and Momenta Launch Level 4 Robotaxi Testing in Munich
Uber Technologies and Momenta will begin testing Level 4 autonomous vehicles in Munich in 2026, marking a major step in their partnership to expand Robotaxi services across Europe. The initiative integrates Momenta’s AI-driven autonomous driving systems into Uber’s global platform, aiming for safe and scalable urban mobility solutions. Munich, with its strong automotive ecosystem and history of innovation, will serve as the launch site, with plans to expand to other European cities. Momenta, already partnered with Mercedes-Benz and BMW, has deployed its advanced driver assistance systems in 400,000 vehicles and operates a Robotaxi service in Shanghai, set to go fully driverless by year’s end. This collaboration builds on a strategic agreement announced in May 2025 to bring autonomous technology to Uber’s international markets outside the U.S. and China.
STRADVISION Unveils SVDataFlow
STRADVISION, a leader in deep learning-based vision perception technology, has launched SVDataFlow, an advanced version of its Data Management Workflow first introduced at CES 2025. Built as part of the company’s Digital Transformation 2.0 strategy, the platform integrates automation, optimization, and hybrid cloud scalability to streamline large-scale 3D training data processing for autonomous driving and ADAS development.
The system connects the entire pipeline—from data collection to final analysis—featuring synchronized multi-sensor recording, AI-based time correction, auto-labeling, semi-automatic labeling tools, and automated quality verification. These upgrades deliver faster 3D data handling, a 30–40% gain in labeling efficiency, reduced costs, and improved operator workload management.
SVDataFlow also supports flexible deployment through a hybrid cloud architecture, balancing scalability with security-sensitive projects. STRADVISION plans to commercialize the platform by late 2025, expand into SVDataFlow-as-a-Service in 2026, and position it as a global standard for autonomous driving data management.
Applied Intuition & Komatsu Intelligent Mining
Applied Intuition and Komatsu have announced a multi-year strategic partnership to accelerate the development of next-generation intelligent vehicles for mining, marking the largest technology investment in Komatsu’s history. The collaboration will integrate Applied Intuition’s Vehicle OS, autonomy software, and AI-powered tools into Komatsu’s fleet to enhance safety, productivity, energy efficiency, and decarbonization.
The alliance comes as the mining industry faces rising costs, labor shortages, and increased demand for critical minerals vital to both clean energy and national security. By combining Komatsu’s mining expertise with Applied Intuition’s cutting-edge software, the partnership aims to deliver autonomous haulage, advanced collision avoidance, and smarter machines capable of operating independently in the world’s toughest environments.
Framed as a transformative step toward automation and sustainable technology, the initiative positions both companies at the forefront of mining modernization, supporting a safer and more efficient industry poised to meet global demand projected to push the mining market to $2.78 trillion by 2027.
Horizon Robotics European HQ & SuperDrive
Horizon Robotics (9660.HK), a leading provider of intelligent driving technologies, announced the establishment of its European headquarters at IAA Mobility 2025, marking a key milestone in its global expansion. The company showcased its flagship Horizon SuperDrive™ (HSD) full-scenario urban-NOA solution and Journey™ 6 processing hardware, which deliver advanced driver assistance and urban navigation capabilities across both mainstream and premium markets.
With over 10 million Journey chipsets shipped, Horizon holds the top market share in China for ADAS (45.8%) and intelligent assisted driving (32.4%). Partnering with more than 40 global automakers, including all of China’s top 10 OEMs, Horizon has secured over 400 model design-wins and supports over 6 million drivers worldwide.
By opening its European office, Horizon strengthens local support for Chinese and global OEMs, ensuring compliance with EU safety standards and enabling deployments across more than 50 countries. At the event, the European edition of NIO’s Firefly, equipped with Horizon’s Journey hardware, highlighted the company’s expanding role in delivering safe, human-like, and enjoyable smart driving experiences globally.
Kodiak Robotics & Roush Deliver 1st Autonomous Truck to Atlas Energy
Kodiak Robotics, Inc., a leader in AI-powered autonomous trucking, and Roush Industries, Inc. announced the delivery of the first production-line Kodiak Driver-equipped truck. Upfitted at Roush’s Livonia, Michigan facility, the truck was handed over to Atlas Energy Solutions in August 2025. Atlas, which began driverless operations in the Permian Basin last year, has now received eight trucks toward its 100-vehicle order.
The milestone follows Kodiak’s June 2025 partnership with Roush, which established a dedicated production line to scale deployment of trucks featuring Kodiak’s modular, vehicle-agnostic hardware, including SensorPods, AI compute, and redundant actuation systems. Both companies aim to scale production into the hundreds by 2026.
The announcement comes ahead of Kodiak’s planned public listing via a merger with Ares Acquisition Corporation II, with a shareholder vote scheduled for September 23, 2025. If approved, Kodiak will trade on Nasdaq under the symbols “KDK” and “KDKRW,” strengthening its position to capture a share of the $4 trillion global trucking market
Zoox Debuts Free Public Robotaxi @ Vegas Strip
Zoox, the Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company, has launched its first public robotaxi service in Las Vegas, offering free rides along the Strip while awaiting regulatory approval to charge fares. The purpose-built vehicles, designed without steering wheels or pedals and featuring inward-facing seating for four, mark a distinct approach compared to retrofitted competitor models.
Currently operating around 50 vehicles in Las Vegas and San Francisco, Zoox plans to scale production to 10,000 units annually and expand to cities including San Francisco, Miami, Austin, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. Backed by a recent NHTSA exemption, the Las Vegas launch positions Zoox against rivals like Waymo and Tesla in the intensifying robotaxi market.
WeRide Launches Robobus in Leuven, Belgium
WeRide (Nasdaq: WRD) has expanded into Belgium with the launch of its Robobus in Leuven, in partnership with De Lijn, the City of Leuven, and Espaces-Mobilités. This marks WeRide’s 11th global market and Belgium’s first commercial autonomous vehicle deployment in mixed urban traffic.
The Robobus begins mapping along the busy Leuven Station–Heverlee corridor, with public testing set for mid-September and a pilot passenger service planned from mid-November 2025 through January 2026. Pending regulatory approval, De Lijn will operate the shuttles with safety officers onboard initially, before moving toward fully driverless operations.
The pilot aims to improve first- and last-mile connectivity, reduce congestion, and integrate AVs into Leuven’s transit network. Supported by EIT Urban Mobility, the project reflects Belgium’s strong commitment to smart mobility and public-private collaboration.
WeRide has recently expanded across Europe, launching Robotaxis in Switzerland and fully driverless Robobuses in France. The Leuven deployment highlights both Belgium’s innovation in mobility and WeRide’s strategy to scale autonomous public transport across Europe.
RoboSense LiDARs Integrate with NVIDIA DRIVE AGX
RoboSense announced that its mass-producible, automotive-grade digital LiDARs—the E1, EMX, and EM4—are now compatible with the NVIDIA DRIVE AGX platform, advancing autonomous driving development. As an NVIDIA DRIVE ecosystem partner, RoboSense provides high-definition 3D perception data that can accelerate OEM deployment of autonomous driving systems. The company highlighted its industry-first 500+ beam EM4 main LiDAR and solid-state E1 blind-spot LiDAR, which will enter mass production in Q3 2025 and are already being adopted in intelligent vehicles and Robotaxi applications. Paired with NVIDIA DRIVE AGX’s AI processing power, the integration simplifies development and validation of L2–L4 autonomous driving technologies. Automakers such as Zeekr and IM are already integrating RoboSense’s 520-beam LiDAR into next-generation ADAS and autonomous models.