In auto
nomous and self-driving vehicle news are Zoox, Nissan, Guizhou, TIER IV, Aeva, CBS News, Miami-Dade Police, WeRide, Hesai and Einride.
In this Article
Zoox Autonomous Vehicle Tests in D.C.
Zoox has announced Washington, D.C. as its newest testing city, marking the company’s first expansion into the Mid-Atlantic region. The move brings Zoox’s testing fleet to eight cities, joining San Francisco, Las Vegas, Seattle, Austin, Miami, Los Angeles, and Atlanta.
D.C.’s complex street network, high pedestrian activity, and seasonal weather variations will provide valuable testing conditions for Zoox’s autonomous technology. The city’s status as a major ride-hailing market and mobility hub makes it an ideal location for mapping and testing.
Initial operations will involve retrofitted SUVs with safety drivers conducting manual mapping, with autonomous testing set to begin later this year. The expansion follows Zoox’s recent milestone launch of its fully driverless robotaxi service in Las Vegas, as the company continues to build toward broader deployments across the U.S.
Nissan Partners in Autonomous Yokohama Mobility Pilot
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., along with BOLDLY Inc., Premier Aid Inc., and Keikyu Corporation, announced a joint pilot program to test autonomous mobility services in Yokohama from November 27, 2025, to January 30, 2026. The trial, conducted in collaboration with the City of Yokohama, will use five Nissan Serena-based autonomous vehicles operating across 26 locations in Minato Mirai, Sakuragi-cho, Kannai, and Chinatown. A remote monitoring center, “PLOT48,” will oversee operations. The project aims to identify challenges and prepare for commercial deployment of driverless services by fiscal year 2027. Up to 300 members of the public will participate as volunteer monitors, receiving free rides in exchange for feedback. Each company contributes specific expertise—Nissan leads vehicle operation, BOLDLY provides remote monitoring, Premier Aid handles onboard support, and Keikyu offers transportation management guidance.
Guizhou China’s First Autonomous “Potato Bus”
In Guian New Area, central Guizhou, the region’s push toward Chinese-style modernization has taken a futuristic turn with the launch of the province’s first autonomous bus line. Operated by PIX Moving, the electric RoboBus—nicknamed the “Potato Bus” for its rounded, symmetrical design—runs a 5-kilometer route through Huaxi University Town. With seating for six, level 4 autonomy, and no steering wheel or pedals, the bus relies on LiDAR, radars, cameras, and AI algorithms to navigate safely, read traffic signals, and yield to pedestrians. The service offers a smart, efficient travel option for students, faculty, and local residents.
TIER IV Picked for Japan’s Infrastructure
TIER IV, the developer of the open-source autonomous driving software Autoware, has been chosen by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) to help build digital infrastructure that will support autonomous mobility services. The project seeks to counter transportation labor shortages driven by demographic changes by creating “digital lifeline” road networks that share real-time data with vehicles via vehicle-to-network communication. Key goals include enabling remotely supervised autonomous bus fleets, boosting service availability through roadside integration, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of regional transport. By collaborating with government, academia, and industry, TIER IV aims to accelerate the nationwide adoption of autonomous driving.
Aeva Launches AevaScenes, Open Camera Dataset
Aeva (Nasdaq: AEVA) has released AevaScenes, the industry’s first open dataset combining synchronized FMCW 4D LiDAR and camera data with velocity measurements, semantic segmentation, tracking, and lane line annotations. The resource, available for free non-commercial use at scenes.aeva.com, is designed to advance research in autonomous vehicle perception and accelerate the adoption of FMCW LiDAR.
The dataset includes 100 curated driving sequences in the San Francisco Bay Area, with 10,000 frames of time-synchronized LiDAR and 4K camera data. Captured with Aeva’s Mercedes Metris test vehicles, it covers both highway and urban driving, day and night conditions, and supports ultra-long range annotations up to 400 meters.
By offering dense range sensing, multimodal fusion, and interactive field-of-view configurations, AevaScenes enables breakthroughs in detection, segmentation, motion forecasting, and trajectory estimation. Aeva says the dataset sets a new benchmark for perception research, giving developers tools to explore next-generation autonomy, robotics, and smart infrastructure applications.
CBS News Showcases Venti Tech
A new CBS News program, Autonomous Vehicles for the Global Supply Chain, launches worldwide on October 9, 2025, via Acumen Media’s Economy 4.0 hub, highlighting how artificial intelligence is transforming goods movement. The documentary spotlights Venti Technologies, whose AI-powered autonomous truck fleet is fully operational at Singapore’s PSA port, logging over 600,000 km and moving more than 230,000 containers. Delivering up to 40% productivity gains, Venti’s trucks operate safely in live environments without special lanes or infrastructure, integrating directly into logistics workflows with inch-level precision. Founder and CEO Dr. Heidi Wyle emphasized Venti’s leadership as the only company running a 24/7 autonomous logistics fleet. Recently recognized by Fast Company as a Top Ten Most Innovative Company in Asia-Pacific and winning multiple Pinnacle Awards, Venti is emerging as a key player in the future of global supply chains.
Miami-Dade Autonomous Police Patrol Vehicle
Miami-Dade County has unveiled the nation’s first autonomous patrol vehicle, the Police Unmanned Ground (PUG) Patrol Partner, through a pilot program developed by Policing Lab in partnership with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office (MDSO). Designed to extend deputy resources, the PUG integrates Perrone Robotics’ advanced autonomy with AI-powered analytics, real-time crime data, and an array of sensors including 360-degree cameras, thermal imaging, and license plate recognition. It also features drone-launch capabilities, all aimed at improving efficiency, community safety, and situational awareness without additional cost to taxpayers.
The pilot program assigns the PUG to the MDSO’s Community Affairs Bureau, where it will appear at public events and gather feedback from residents. Equipped with a tablet powered by Truleo’s TruAssist application, the vehicle allows the public to directly engage with it and provide input on its role in community safety. Leaders emphasize that the PUG is not meant to replace deputies but to automate repetitive tasks and support officers by enhancing data-driven policing. Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz highlighted Miami-Dade’s commitment to public safety innovation, positioning the PUG as a practical step toward safer, more efficient law enforcement.
Over the next 12 months, the program will measure the PUG’s effectiveness in areas such as response times, deterrence, officer safety, and public trust. These outcomes will determine whether the initiative expands further, potentially serving as a model for law enforcement agencies nationwide. By blending high-tech tools with human oversight, the PUG represents a new approach to resource management in policing while reinforcing the central role of deputies in maintaining community trust and safety.
WeRide Robotaxi and Robobuses in Ras Al Khaimah
WeRide (Nasdaq: WRD), a global leader in autonomous driving, has launched pilot operations for its Robotaxi GXR and Robobus in partnership with the Ras Al Khaimah Transport Authority (RAKTA). This marks WeRide’s first deployment in Ras Al Khaimah and its third emirate in the UAE, making it the only AV company with active operations there. The pilot integrates autonomous vehicles into the emirate’s public transport system as part of RAKTA’s Comprehensive Mobility Plan 2030, which aims to advance smart, sustainable, and multi-modal transport.
The launch event was highlighted by His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, becoming the first passenger aboard the Robobus. He was joined by Zhang Yiming, Chinese Ambassador to the UAE, reflecting strong China-UAE cooperation in mobility innovation. Starting immediately, the Robobus will serve nine stops on Al Marjan Island, a major tourism hub, connecting hotels and landmarks, with plans to expand into Mina Island. Meanwhile, the Robotaxi GXR will operate in the city center, bringing autonomous transport into residents’ daily routines.
Commercial operations are expected in early 2026, with bookings and tracking available via RAKTA’s mobility app. Services will initially include safety officers onboard before transitioning to fully driverless rides, pending regulatory approval. As part of the launch, WeRide and RAKTA signed an MoU to strengthen technical collaboration, operational support, and training, laying the foundation for expanded AV deployment across the emirate. The partnership supports Ras Al Khaimah’s tourism-driven growth strategy, positioning the emirate as a leader in autonomous transport in the region.
Hesai Over 1 Million Produced
Hesai Technology announced it has produced its one-millionth lidar unit in 2025, becoming the first company in the world to surpass one million units in annual production. The milestone fulfills Hesai’s founding vision to equip 1% of vehicles globally with 3D perception by 2025. CEO David Li credited advances in AI and automation for enabling large-scale, high-quality manufacturing. Hesai’s automated production lines can assemble one lidar every 20 seconds, supported by its proprietary Smart Cloud MES system for real-time quality control. The company independently develops all seven core lidar components and leads globally in market share across automotive, ADAS, and Level 4 autonomous driving segments. Its lidar systems are slated for over 120 vehicle models from 24 automakers between 2025 and 2027, and it supplies nine of the world’s top ten robotaxi providers. By mid-2025, Hesai had delivered 1.37 million lidar units, with production capacity set to reach 2 million units by year’s end.
Einride Raises $100 Million
Swedish freight technology company Einride secured about $100 million in new funding from existing and new investors, including EQT Ventures and a major U.S.-based asset manager. The investment will support scaling of Einride’s autonomous and electric freight operations, technology development, and global expansion. Backed by one of the world’s largest electric truck fleets and its proprietary Saga optimization platform, Einride aims to modernize logistics by integrating digital planning with sustainable transport solutions. The funding follows strong 2024 growth, international expansion, and a strategic collaboration with IonQ to develop quantum-powered logistics applications.