In autonomous and self-driving vehicle news are NHTSA, Tesla, Hyundai Motor, PlusAI, Gatik Driver, Robo.ai, Astra Mobility, W Motors, Yamato, Mitsubishi Fuso, TIER IV
In this Article
NHTSA Investigates Tesla’s FSD Traffic Violations
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation into more than 2.8 million Tesla vehicles equipped with the company’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system. The inquiry, reported by Reuters, focuses on alleged traffic violations involving FSD, including Teslas running red lights and traveling the wrong way on streets. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation is reviewing 58 incidents, which include 14 crashes and 23 injuries, where FSD reportedly failed to obey traffic signals or made dangerous lane or directional errors.
The investigation comes amid broader scrutiny of Tesla’s driver-assistance systems. Previous NHTSA probes have examined FSD-related crashes in low-visibility conditions and found that Tesla’s technology does not adequately ensure drivers remain attentive. The agency is also evaluating whether Tesla has been transparent in reporting crashes involving FSD or Autopilot, and is reviewing complaints about electronic door handles that allegedly trapped passengers during emergencies, prompting several wrongful death lawsuits.
This latest inquiry expands NHTSA’s oversight to include red light and wrong-way violations as well as potential failures at railroad crossings. NBC recently highlighted incidents where Teslas using FSD did not stop for oncoming trains. The timing of the investigation is particularly sensitive for Tesla, as the company seeks approval from regulators to expand its robotaxi service beyond San Francisco and Austin, with Elon Musk aiming to cover half of the United States by year’s end.
Hyundai Motor & PlusAI’s Autonomous Hydrogen Truck-TIME’s Best 2025
TIME has named Hyundai Motor Company and PlusAI’s autonomous hydrogen-powered XCIENT Fuel Cell Class 8 truck among its “Best Inventions of 2025,” recognizing it as a breakthrough in sustainable freight transportation. The truck combines Hyundai’s mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty platform with PlusAI’s Level 4 autonomous SuperDrive™ system, enabling zero-emission, long-haul operations with improved safety and logistics efficiency.
Executives from both companies hailed the honor as a validation of their partnership and shared goal of building a cleaner, more efficient freight ecosystem. The vehicle addresses industry challenges such as high emissions, driver shortages, and rising costs by merging hydrogen propulsion’s long range and rapid refueling with autonomous technology that supports continuous hub-to-hub transport.
Hyundai’s XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks are already deployed in ten countries, including the U.S., where projects like NorCAL ZERO and HTWO Logistics showcase their commercial viability. Together, Hyundai and PlusAI’s collaboration demonstrates a scalable path toward zero-tailpipe-emission freight and the development of future hydrogen corridors for heavy-duty transport.
Gatik Driver: TIME’s 2025 Best Inventions
Gatik’s Level 4 autonomous technology system, Gatik Driver, has been named to TIME’s 2025 Best Inventions List in the Logistics category. The recognition highlights the company’s AI-driven system that powers autonomous freight movement across North America’s middle-mile supply chains for customers such as Kroger, Tyson Foods, and Loblaw.
Engineered specifically for driverless freight trucks, Gatik Driver combines advanced sensors, proprietary AI perception and planning algorithms, and redundant safety systems to enable safe, efficient, and repeatable deliveries between warehouses, fulfillment centers, and retail stores. The platform’s design allows seamless integration into existing logistics networks, helping address driver shortages and reduce transportation costs.
The honor follows a year of rapid expansion and innovation for Gatik, including a five-year agreement with Loblaw for the largest autonomous truck deployment in North America, the launch of its in-house simulation system Gatik Arena, and strengthened partnerships with Isuzu, NVIDIA, and Cummins. Gatik also established an independent Safety Advisory Council and achieved the first third-party safety validation for freight-only driverless operations.
This is Gatik’s second appearance on TIME’s Best Inventions list, underscoring its role in redefining commercial logistics through autonomous technology.
Robo.ai’s Astra Mobility & W Motors Smart Electric AVs
Robo.ai Inc. announced that its subsidiary Astra Mobility Meta has signed a commercial agreement with W Motors Automotive Group of Dubai to co-develop and produce a new generation of intelligent electric and autonomous multi-purpose vehicles for last-mile delivery, shared mobility, and smart logistics. W Motors plans to procure at least 30,000 vehicles over the next five years following successful testing and development.
The collaboration combines Astra’s EV and autonomous vehicle technologies with W Motors’ regional manufacturing and customization expertise, leveraging the automaker’s credibility in public-sector mobility, including its renowned GHIATH smart patrol vehicles for Dubai Police. Development will span design, prototyping, and production, with a proof-of-concept vehicle due within three months and start of production targeted for 2026 at W Motors’ facility in Dubai Silicon Oasis.
The partnership also integrates Web3 and DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network) technologies through Arkreen’s blockchain-based green-energy data network, enabling vehicles to function as verified digital nodes that record charging, emissions, and mobility data on-chain. This innovation supports sustainable finance, energy transparency, and ESG-linked capital flows in the region.
Executives from both companies emphasized that the alliance marks a major advancement in the Middle East’s smart manufacturing and sustainable mobility ecosystem, blending autonomous technology, electrification, and blockchain infrastructure into a unified commercial platform.
Autonomous Long-Haul Truck Trials by Yamato, Mitsubishi Fuso & TIER IV
Yamato Transport, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, and TIER IV have been chosen for a Japanese government-backed project to test autonomous semi-trailer trucks for long-haul freight. Scheduled for January–February 2026, the trial will run on Yamato’s Kanto–Kansai route using a Super Great tractor equipped with TIER IV’s autonomous driving technology. The project will assess vehicle performance, safety, travel time, and remote management operations, laying groundwork for future Level 4 autonomous logistics. Yamato will oversee operations at Level 2+ automation as part of efforts to advance efficient, safe, and scalable freight transport.