In autonomous and self-driving vehicle news are Tesla, CharterUP, Holon, Waymo, Waymo and Neolix.
In this Article
Tesla Robotaxi Crash Frequency Escalates in Austin
NHTSA Standing General Order data indicates Tesla reported five new collisions involving its Austin-based Robotaxi fleet across December 2025 and January 2026. The fleet, primarily comprised of Model Y units operating with autonomous driving systems verified engaged, has now reached 14 total incidents since the June 2025 launch. Recent reports include low-speed impacts with a bus, a heavy truck, and fixed objects during backing maneuvers, as well as a 17 mph collision with a stationary object while traveling straight.
The updated federal database reveals Tesla revised a July 2025 crash report, upgrading the severity from property damage to a minor injury requiring hospitalization. While competitors like Waymo and Zoox provide detailed public narratives for fleet incidents, Tesla continues to redact all crash descriptions as confidential business information. This lack of transparency complicates independent safety assessments as the company transitions toward driverless operations despite a reported crash rate significantly higher than human-driven benchmarks.
Based on cumulative mileage estimates of 800,000 miles, the Tesla fleet currently averages one incident every 57,000 miles. This frequency exceeds Tesla’s own reported human-driver baseline for minor collisions by nearly fourfold. Despite these metrics and the continued reliance on safety monitors to prevent system failures, Tesla began offering limited rides without onboard monitors in late January 2026, operating a reduced active fleet of approximately 42 vehicles with restricted availability.
First Tesla Cybercab Rolls Off Giga Texas Line
Tesla announced the first production-validation Cybercab rolled off the assembly line at Gigafactory Texas. This initial unit represents a critical step in testing the company’s new unboxed manufacturing process, which aims to reduce factory footprints and lower costs by assembling subcomponents separately before final integration.
While this vehicle serves as a validation prototype, volume production is scheduled to commence in April 2026. CEO Elon Musk has warned that the initial ramp-up will be agonizingly slow due to the radical redesign and high density of new components, though the long-term goal is to reach an output of one vehicle every 10 seconds.
CharterUP And Holon Partner For Autonomous Shuttle Deployment
CharterUP has announced a strategic partnership with Holon to integrate Level 4 autonomous shuttles into its enterprise mobility platform. The collaboration combines CharterUP’s AI-first nationwide network with Holon’s purpose-built, electric autonomous vehicles to create a scalable pathway for organizations to transition from human-driven to autonomous services. The initiative targets campuses, airports, and transit agencies, utilizing CharterUP’s deployment expertise to manage blended fleets and pilot programs.
The Holon urban shuttle, built by the Benteler Group, features a 15-passenger capacity, ADA-compliant accessibility, and a comprehensive sensor suite including lidar, radar, and cameras. Operating at speeds up to 37 mph, the zero-emission vehicle is designed for automotive-grade safety and durability within the United States. CharterUP will serve as the exclusive partner for defined deployment scenarios, providing a turnkey solution that includes vehicle access, fleet management, and operational oversight to facilitate low-risk adoption of autonomous transit technology.
Waymo Overseas Vehicle Operations Tells Senate
Waymo Chief Safety Officer Mauricio Peña testified before the Senate Commerce Committee on February 4, 2026, and later clarified in a formal letter to Senator Ed Markey on February 17, that the company’s robotaxis are never remotely driven in commercial operations.
Senator Markey noted that the overseas employees are oversees and replace US drivers, he calls them backseat drivers.
Addressing concerns over “transatlantic backseat drivers,” Peña explained that while Waymo employs remote assistance agents in the United States and the Philippines, these personnel serve as an advisory “fleet response” team that provides environmental context rather than direct vehicle control. According to the company, the onboard Waymo Driver software remains the sole authority over dynamic driving tasks—steering, braking, and acceleration—and retains the capability to reject human suggestions if they are deemed unsafe.
While Waymo acknowledged that U.S.-based staff could theoretically prompt a stationary vehicle to “creep” forward at 2 mph during rare training scenarios, it maintained that no “tele-operations” or real-time joystick control occur during public passenger service.
New York Hits the Brakes on Waymo Outside NYC
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has officially withdrawn a proposal that would have paved the way for commercial robotaxi services in cities outside New York City. The decision, announced on February 19, 2026, follows a lack of support within the state legislature and pushback from various stakeholders, including labor unions representing over 170,000 traditional taxi and ride-hail drivers. While the original plan aimed to modernize the state’s transportation infrastructure and tap into the growing autonomous vehicle market, the abrupt reversal suggests that regulatory and political hurdles—specifically the state’s “one hand on the wheel” law—remain a significant barrier to entry for driverless technology in the Empire State.
For Waymo, the Alphabet-owned autonomous driving leader, this move represents a notable speed bump in its quest for nationwide dominance. Although Waymo’s existing permits to test vehicles with safety drivers in parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn remain unaffected, the legislative setback effectively silos its potential expansion to the five boroughs for the time being. As the company continues to navigate the complex intersection of public safety concerns and technological innovation, it will likely need to double down on its collaboration with state lawmakers to address the anxieties surrounding job displacement and road safety that led to the proposal’s demise. After all, proving you can handle the chaos of Times Square is one thing, but navigating the political labyrinth in Albany is a different kind of autonomous challenge altogether.
Neolix Surpasses 100 Million Kilometers in L4 Autonomous Logistics Operations
Neolix has surpassed 100 million kilometers of real-world driving, marking a global first for the L4 RoboVan segment. The company currently maintains a fleet of 16,000 autonomous vehicles across 15 countries, signaling a shift from pilot programs toward scalable commercial deployment. Utilizing a mapless autonomous driving solution to bypass high-definition map dependencies and reduce cross-border regulatory friction, Neolix has secured operating permits in over 300 cities including major hubs like Beijing and Shanghai. The firm currently captures approximately 70 percent of awarded tenders in the Chinese autonomous delivery market.
The logistics technology provider has integrated its L4 systems with tier-one operators including SF Express, JD Logistics, and China Post. In Qingdao, a RoboVan-as-a-Service model utilizes 1,200 vehicles for on-demand consumer delivery via integrated platforms. International expansion includes the first autonomous delivery license in the Middle East with 300 units deployed in the UAE and the commencement of public-road testing across European markets. By the end of 2026, Neolix plans to deploy 10,000 overseas units and initiate operations in three additional countries to cement autonomous logistics as a core component of global urban infrastructure.