In Au
tonomous and self-driving vehicle news are Pony.ai, Toyota, Ouster, StereoLabs, Baidu, Uber, Apollo Go, MSCI, Aurora, Waymo and CaoCao.
In this Article
Pony.ai And Toyota Scale Robotaxi Fleet With Mass-Produced bZ4X
Pony.ai and Toyota announced the first mass-produced bZ4X Robotaxi has exited the production line, signaling a transition toward large-scale commercial deployment. Developed via a joint venture including Toyota Motor China and GAC Toyota, the partners aim to manufacture over 1,000 units in 2026. This production run supports Pony.ai’s objective to expand its total operational fleet to 3,000 vehicles by year-end.
The bZ4X Robotaxi features Pony.ai’s seventh-generation (Gen-7) autonomous driving system. The hardware suite utilizes 100% automotive-grade components, achieving a 70% reduction in bill of materials (BOM) costs compared to previous iterations. The Gen-7 system focuses on passenger experience and operational efficiency, incorporating Bluetooth-enabled automatic unlocking, in-cabin voice interaction, and optimized longitudinal control to mitigate motion sickness.
Manufacturing is integrated into the Toyota Production System (TPS) at GAC Toyota facilities, prioritizing Quality, Durability, and Reliability (QDR) standards for high-utilization autonomous service. The rollout represents the culmination of a strategic partnership initiated in 2019, moving autonomous driving technology from limited validation to industrial-scale manufacturing for China’s Tier 1 cities.
Ouster Completes Acquisition of StereoLabs
Ouster, Inc. (Nasdaq: OUST) finalized the acquisition of StereoLabs SAS on February 4, 2026, for approximately $35 million in cash and 1.8 million shares, integrating the AI vision pioneer into its portfolio to establish a unified sensing and perception platform. The transaction combines Ouster’s digital lidar with StereoLabs’ ZED camera technology and AI software, targeting industrial-grade requirements for robotics, autonomous systems, and smart infrastructure. StereoLabs, which generated roughly $16 million in revenue in 2025, remains under the leadership of its co-founders as a wholly owned subsidiary. This strategic move aims to streamline sensor fusion for developers by providing synchronized lidar and vision data out-of-the-box while expanding Ouster’s addressable market into humanoid robotics and visual inspection. The company expects the acquisition to be EBITDA positive and will begin consolidating financial results in the first quarter of fiscal 2026.
Baidu & Uber Launch Apollo Go Dubai
Baidu and Uber, in coordination with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority, have announced the integration of Apollo Go autonomous ride-hailing into the Uber platform. Scheduled for a phased rollout beginning in the Jumeirah district, the service allows users to select autonomous options or be matched with self-driving vehicles via UberX and Uber Comfort. Fleet management for the deployment is overseen by third-party operator New Horizon, supporting the municipal goal of converting 25% of all transportation trips to autonomous modes by 2030.
The deployment follows the establishment of the Apollo Go Park hub in Dubai and a previous expansion into the London market. Apollo Go has recorded over 240 million autonomous kilometers globally across 22 cities, with cumulative rides exceeding 17 million as of late 2025. This partnership leverages Uber’s existing network and AV platform infrastructure, which currently hosts over 20 autonomous vehicle partners, to scale Baidu’s intelligent driving technology within the United Arab Emirates’ regulatory framework.
Pony AI Inclusion In MSCI China Index
Pony AI Inc. has announced its inclusion in the MSCI China Index, effective February 27, 2026. This addition establishes Pony AI as the inaugural Robotaxi entity within the index, reflecting increased market capitalization and liquidity benchmarks following its dual primary listing in Hong Kong. The inclusion follows the company reaching city-wide unit economics breakeven in Guangzhou with its Gen-7 Robotaxi platform.
CEO Dr. James Peng indicated the transition into scaled mass production and commercial deployment as a primary driver for the index inclusion. The MSCI China Index is a critical benchmark for global institutional investors, and this development is expected to broaden the company’s capital base. Pony AI continues to focus on operational resilience and capital efficiency as it expands its autonomous driving technology commercialization.
Aurora Driver Software Expands in Southern Hubs
Aurora Innovation (NASDAQ: AUR) has deployed its fourth software iteration since initiating driverless operations in April 2025, effectively tripling its autonomous network capacity. This update facilitates the expansion of the Aurora Driver across the Southern United States, integrating generalized AI to navigate the diverse geographical and climatic variables of the Sun Belt. The release marks a strategic shift from initial lane validation to broader regional scaling, with customer endpoint service scheduled for 2026.
The phased development of the Aurora Driver has progressed from daylight Dallas-Houston transit to night operations and the inclusion of the El Paso corridor. By introducing customer endpoints, the platform aims to optimize carrier margins through near-continuous vehicle uptime and increased asset utilization. The current validation phase involves over four million miles of simulated and real-world testing to ensure operational readiness for high-volume freight movement across the southern logistics network.
Waymo Targets 1 MWeekly Paid Robotaxi Rides in 2026
Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana confirmed the company is on track to exceed one million paid weekly robotaxi trips in the U.S. by the end of 2026. This projection follows a significant growth phase in 2025, during which the Alphabet Inc. subsidiary quadrupled its trip volume. The company currently facilitates approximately 400,000 paid rides per week across its active markets, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. To support this scale, Waymo recently closed a $16 billion funding round, valuing the autonomous driving unit at $126 billion.
The expansion strategy for 2026 involves launching commercial services in 20 additional cities, both domestically and internationally. New U.S. markets slated for service include Nashville, Washington, Detroit, Las Vegas, San Diego, and Denver. Waymo is also targeting international launches in London and Tokyo. Operational velocity has increased, with the company demonstrating the ability to move from initial city mapping to active paid rides within several months in regulatory-friendly environments.
Waymo Launches Sixth-Generation Driver System
Waymo has initiated fully autonomous operations with its 6th-generation Driver, a system designed to accelerate global expansion through lower production costs and enhanced technical capabilities. The latest hardware iteration utilizes a streamlined configuration that maintains stringent safety standards while adapting to diverse vehicle platforms. This includes the Ojai, Waymo’s purpose-built robotaxi van developed with Zeekr, and the Hyundai IONIQ 5 electric SUV. The generation is specifically engineered to handle extreme winter weather and complex urban environments at an unprecedented scale.
The 6th-generation sensing suite features high-resolution 17-megapixel cameras, advanced imaging radar, and improved lidar technology. By shifting more processing complexity into custom silicon chips, Waymo has reduced the total camera count by half while increasing dynamic range and resolution. The system also integrates specialized cleaning mechanisms for inclement weather and enhanced External Audio Receivers to localize emergency sirens. These advancements support a manufacturing capacity projected to reach tens of thousands of units annually.
Humans Needed for Waymo Door Closing
Waymo is utilizing gig workers from platforms like DoorDash and Honk to perform manual vehicle maintenance tasks, specifically closing passenger doors left ajar. While the company markets its sixth-generation Driver as fully autonomous, current hardware limitations prevent vehicles from re-entering traffic if a door remains open. In a pilot program in Atlanta and Los Angeles, gig workers receive notifications to assist nearby stalled units, with compensation for a single door closure reported as high as $24 via the roadside assistance app Honk.
This reliance on human labor highlights the persistence of edge-case operational friction as robotaxi fleets scale. Industry analysts note that while autonomous systems reduce the need for primary drivers, they are simultaneously creating a new tier of micro-task employment focused on physical fleet management. Waymo has confirmed that future iterations of its custom-built Zeekr and Hyundai Ioniq 5 vehicles will feature automated door closures, though no specific timeline for the phase-out of manual intervention has been disclosed.
CaoCao Robotaxi Fleet Deployment Scales
CaoCao Inc. has deployed 100 Robotaxis in Hangzhou’s Binjiang District, supported by its Green Intelligent Mobility Hub. The rollout signifies a milestone in the company’s Robotaxi 2.0 phase, transitioning from safety-driver operations to fully driverless services. The newly operational hub provides automated battery swapping, self-cleaning, and intelligent dispatching to manage fleet assets efficiently.
The roadmap for the Geely-backed platform involves the debut of a purpose-built Robotaxi model this year, with a target of 100,000 units by 2030. Current efforts focus on the RAS remote safety platform and intelligent asset management to create a closed-loop autonomous system. This infrastructure aims to integrate smart cockpit and autonomous driving technologies into a cohesive operational ecosystem.
International expansion is underway via a Memorandum of Understanding with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office. CaoCao plans to establish an Abu Dhabi office in 2026 to pilot autonomous and green mobility technologies. This global strategy coincides with domestic plans to roll out additional mobility hubs, supporting Geely’s broader sky-ground-space integrated mobility vision.