In autonomous and self-driving vehicle news are Waymo, Holman, Beep, Foretellix and Parallel Domain.
In this Article
Waymo Expands in U.S.
Waymo, the autonomous-vehicle subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., announced plans to deploy its robotaxi service in three new U.S. cities — Las Vegas, San Diego and Detroit — in 2026, marking its largest geographic expansion to date. Alongside this rollout, Waymo will begin integrating a new vehicle model, the Zeekr RT (developed with Geely), with its existing Jaguar I-PACE fleet in these cities.
However, the push forward comes amid rising safety and regulatory challenges. In San Francisco, Waymo confirmed that one of its vehicles struck and killed a local store cat, sparking public backlash and calls for stricter driverless-car oversight from city officials. Meanwhile, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation into an incident in Atlanta where a Waymo vehicle reportedly passed a stopped school bus — a violation of traffic law — raising questions about liability when no human is driving.
Holman Launches Holman Robotics
Holman, a global automotive services leader, has introduced Holman Robotics, a new division offering the first complete robotic management solution that integrates design, financing, and lifecycle asset management. The initiative aims to simplify large-scale deployment of robotics and industrial automation by uniting hardware, data integration, management software, and support under one streamlined model.
Holman Robotics provides three core services: Design Advocacy, which aligns business goals with technical solutions through a network of OEMs and integrators; Streamlined Financing, converting capital costs into manageable operating expenses; and a Centralized Management Platform, which unifies data for real-time performance monitoring and strategic decision-making.
According to CEO Chris Conroy, the new division removes key barriers such as cost and complexity, helping businesses deploy automation faster and more efficiently. Vice President Joe Foster added that Holman Robotics addresses the growing need for simplified robotic asset management across industries like manufacturing, warehousing, and security.
Leveraging its century-long expertise in fleet and asset management, Holman positions itself to redefine industrial automation with an adaptable, customer-centered approach.
Beep Expands in Florida and Georgia
Beep, Inc., a leader in autonomous shared mobility, announced two new autonomous vehicle (AV) deployments using Karsan’s production-grade Autonomous e-JEST minibuses, integrated with ADASTEC’s Level-4 automation software and managed through Beep’s AutonomOS™ platform. The vehicles, distributed by Damera Corp., represent a major step forward in bringing fully certified, road-ready AV technology to U.S. public transportation.
The first rollout will occur in Altamonte Springs, Florida, expanding the city’s CraneRIDES program, the first permanent municipal AV transit initiative in the country. Starting in 2026, the new service will link residents directly to the SunRail station and regional transit network, setting a model for urban integration of shared autonomous mobility.
Simultaneously, Atlanta, Georgia, will debut its first fixed-route shared AV service along the Atlanta Beltline, launching ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The project, developed with Atlanta Beltline, Inc., will highlight autonomous transit as part of the city’s innovation and accessibility goals, connecting neighborhoods while reducing congestion.
Beep CEO Kevin Reid said these programs signal that autonomous public transit “is no longer tomorrow’s promise—it’s today’s reality.” The vehicles’ performance will be enhanced through real-time monitoring and management by Beep’s AutonomOS™ platform, ensuring rider safety and reliability.
The Karsan Autonomous e-JEST, with over 10,000 base units built and a strong presence across Europe, Japan, and North America, meets all U.S. safety and ADA standards and has completed rigorous federal testing. Backed by an OEM warranty, the e-JEST brings proven reliability to large-scale deployments.
Executives from Beep, Karsan, ADASTEC, and Damera joined officials from Altamonte Springs to unveil the new vehicle at the Florida Autonomous Vehicle Summit in Orlando. Attendees experienced live demonstrations ahead of both deployments.
Dr. Ali Peker, CEO of ADASTEC, noted the vehicles have already logged more than 150,000 kilometers of safe autonomous operations worldwide. Karsan CEO Okan Bas added that the e-JEST’s “agile and efficient structure” paired with ADASTEC’s automation and Beep’s orchestration marks a milestone for U.S. autonomous mobility.
Beep continues to pioneer connected, sustainable, and inclusive transportation through its AI-enabled AutonomOS™ ecosystem, positioning itself and its partners at the forefront of the nation’s autonomous public transit evolution.
Foretellix & Parallel Domain Partner Validation
Foretellix, a leader in scenario-based validation for autonomous vehicles, and Parallel Domain, a pioneer in sensor simulation and digital reconstruction, have announced a strategic partnership to enhance end-to-end (E2E) testing of autonomous driving systems.
The collaboration merges Foretellix’s Physical AI toolchain—known for automated scenario generation and KPI-based safety coverage—with Parallel Domain’s photorealistic sensor simulation across camera, radar, and lidar. The joint platform creates highly realistic digital twins from drive logs, enabling developers to validate perception, planning, and control systems together in a single, closed-loop environment.
As AI-driven AV systems grow more complex, traditional testing methods struggle to link perception data with planning logic, leading to safety blind spots and high development costs. The integrated Foretellix–Parallel Domain solution addresses these challenges by offering a deterministic, metrics-driven workflow that unites realism and control. Developers can now test how sensor inputs affect decision-making under diverse, simulated traffic and weather scenarios—achieving statistical safety validation that real-world testing alone cannot provide.
Foretellix CEO Ziv Binyamini said the partnership reflects the company’s “commitment to an open ecosystem” that connects innovation across the AV industry. Parallel Domain CEO Kevin McNamara added that the integration will help teams “test smarter, faster, and with greater confidence in real-world behavior.”
The partnership establishes a new benchmark for scalable, realistic, and measurable AV simulation—advancing the industry toward safer and more reliable autonomous mobility.