Waymo scales up its driverless cars with cheaper hardware

February 13, 2026

Waymo has begun operating its latest autonomous driving system on public roads without safety drivers. In the long contest to commercialise robotaxis, the company moves one step ahead of its rivals. With a cheaper hardware stack, a planned 50,000-vehicle supply deal with Hyundai, and ambitions to exceed one million paid rides per week, this subsidiary […]

Waymo’s €16-Billion question for Europe: are robotaxis finally inevitable?

February 04, 2026

For Europe, robotaxis still mostly exist as pilots, policy papers, and cautious political debate. In the United States and China, they already carry paying passengers at scale. That contrast is what gives Waymo’s decision to raise a fresh 16 billion dollars at a valuation above 120 billion its real significance. The funding round is not […]

Self-driving Colruyt vans deliver groceries in Leuven

February 04, 2026

Belgian retailer Colruyt will start a pilot project next month to have self-driving vans deliver groceries in Leuven. The project is an extension of Colruyt’s ‘Collect&Go’ service, which allows customers to order groceries online and pick them up at a Colruyt supermarket at their convenience. Colruyt primarily delivers to homes in and around major cities, […]

Europe’s first: De Lijn puts autonomous shuttle on regular city route

January 23, 2026

The Flemish public transport company De Lijn is deploying two autonomous shuttles in Leuven (Louvain). They will operate on line 16, the new line connecting the train station with the station and the borough of Heverlee. According to De Lijn, this is a European first for a public transport company. The Leuven-Heverlee route is approximately 4 […]

Tesla ends one-time FSD purchases over low adoption

January 15, 2026

Tesla is closing the door on a long-standing sales tactic for its most controversial software feature, Full Self-Driving (FSD). Starting next month, buyers will no longer be able to purchase it outright, but will need to chose a monthly subscription. CEO Elon Musk, who pitched FSD as one of the company’s major income assets, confirmed […]

BMW and Mercedes compete on AI assistance at CES

January 07, 2026

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the German premium car manufacturers BMW and Mercedes-Benz are taking their intense rivalry to the technology show, showcasing digital AI innovations in their latest-generation vehicles. On the one hand, there’s the BMW Group with AI assistant technology via a collaboration with Amazon Alexa; on the other […]

CES 2026: Lucid and Uber unveil their global robotaxi 

January 06, 2026

Lucid and Uber make a high-profile entrance into the robotaxi race with the unveiling of a six-seat version based on the Gravity SUV. Its upmarket positioning pits it against the driverless S-Class, which Mercedes launched in the Emirates. Still, the Gravity will kick-start its services in San Francisco, challenging Waymo, before its global rollout. The […]

San Francisco blackout freezes self-driving Waymo fleet

December 23, 2025

A widespread power outage in San Francisco over the weekend halted dozens of driverless Waymo vehicles at busy intersections. The utility failure was turned into a stress test for autonomous ride services, re-opening the debate about how prepared the technology is for large-scale urban disruptions. Tesla’s Elon Musk was quick to respond to how unaffected […]

Woman gives birth in Waymo robotaxi in San Francisco

December 17, 2025

It’s almost an early Christmas story: last Monday, an American woman gave birth to her child in a Waymo autonomous vehicle while en route to UC San Francisco Medical Center. “A woman in labor gave birth in the back seat of a Waymo robotaxi, the company confirmed in a blog post on Wednesday. Mother and […]

Touring and Poppy pioneer remote-controlled road assistance

December 15, 2025

Road assistance company Touring and D’Ieteren’s car-sharing platform Poppy will pilot an innovative project starting at the beginning of next year. Together, they will test remote-controlled cars to transport people. Anyone experiencing car trouble in the port of Antwerp can be taken to the replacement car depot by a remotely controlled Poppy vehicle. The experiment will […]

Oslo picks Volkswagen for autonomous ride-hailing service

December 11, 2025

Oslo’s ambition to reshape its transport system around cleaner, more flexible mobility has taken a new step through a partnership with Volkswagen that will bring an autonomous ID.Buzz fleet to the city’s streets from 2026. Once again, the Norwegian capital is positioning itself as an early adopter of technologies that many European cities embrace far […]

Mercedes takes on rivals with Abu Dhabi luxury robotaxi fleet

December 10, 2025

German luxury carmaker Mercedes has partnered with Chinese software firm Momenta to deploy autonomous S-Class limousines, aiming to differentiate itself from Waymo and Tesla with a premium offering. Mercedes is to enter the commercial robotaxi market with a fleet of autonomous S-Class limousines in Abu Dhabi, as the German manufacturer attempts to carve out a […]

BMW gains international approval for its driver assistance system (DCAS)

November 03, 2025

BMW is one of the first European car manufacturers to receive approval for its driver assistance system (DCAS). The German carmaker can now offer its ‘Motorway Assistant’ for the new iX3 in 60 countries without having to apply for approval in each country. The DCAS regulation was adopted by the United Nations Economic Commission for […]

Uber targets 100,000 robotaxis in partnership with Nvidia, Foxconn, and several car OEMs

October 29, 2025

Uber said on Tuesday it aims to deploy 100,000 self-driving vehicles on its ride-hailing platform, working with US chipmaker Nvidia to supply the computing systems that will power them. Car manufacturers involved are Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz, Lucid, and possibly others. Nvidia’s new autonomous driving platform, Drive AGX Hyperion 10, will be installed in vehicles from multiple […]

GM announces eyes-off driving, conversational AI, and unified software platform

October 23, 2025

At its GM Forward media event in New York, General Motors showcased how manufacturing scale, software expertise, and AI are converging to transform the car from a mode of transportation into an intelligent assistant. Chair and CEO Mary Barra and other senior leaders unveiled advancements in AI, robotics, energy, and autonomy, demonstrating how the company […]

De Lijn’s self-driving minibuses in Leuven need more time (update)

October 17, 2025

Eventually, from mid-November, Flemish public transport company De Lijn would be operating self-driving shuttle minibuses to transport passengers between Leuven station and Heverlee. A Belgian first: autonomous vehicles driving in busy city traffic at normal speeds of up to 40 km/h. But more time is needed to fine-tune and becoming fully operational is now postponed […]

Waymo to launch self-driving taxis in London in 2026

October 16, 2025

Alphabet-Google’s daughter company, Waymo, plans to introduce its robotaxi operations in London next year. This is in response to plans by the British government to allow commercial pilot projects with autonomous vehicles from 2026. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was “delighted” by the announcement. For Waymo, this will be its second international expansion, after […]

Heijmans unveils Europe’s first self-driving electric road roller

October 03, 2025

Dutch construction giant Heijmans has launched what it claims to be Europe’s first autonomous electric road roller. The prototype must help tackle labour shortages and cut emissions on infrastructure projects. Heijmans is one of the Netherlands’ biggest construction firms. As part of tightening tender rules, it has been steadily preparing its heavy-duty equipment for zero-emission operations, primarily […]

Port of Antwerp-Bruges tests first autonomous truck in Belgium

September 17, 2025

On Tuesday, Port of Antwerp-Bruges organized the first fully autonomous truck journey on public roads in Belgium. This milestone, operated under the Belgian regulatory framework, showcases how Belgium – and Europe — can take the lead in advancing autonomous freight technology. With this initiative, the port authority wants to emphasise its pioneering role in the field of […]

Amazon’s Zoox launches first robotaxi service in Las Vegas

September 12, 2025

Amazon-backed Zoox officially launched its autonomous robotaxi service on the Las Vegas Strip this week, marking a new milestone in the ride-hailing industry. What makes this rollout different is that Zoox is the first company to provide fully driverless rides to the public in a purpose-built autonomous vehicle. For now, all rides are free and […]

Tesla pivots to AI and robots as EV sales tumble

September 04, 2025

Tesla has unveiled the fourth chapter of its much-hyped ‘Master Plan’, a manifesto that typically outlines a roadmap for the company’s future. However, for the first time, the plan no longer focuses solely on electric transport and clean energy. Actually, the document reads more like an essay on artificial intelligence, humanoid robots, and Elon Musk’s […]

Stellantis puts Level 3 autonomous driving on ice

August 28, 2025

Stellantis has quietly shelved its first in-house Level 3 advanced driver-assistance program, called Auto Drive. Rising costs, technical hurdles and uncertain consumer appetite have urged the group to pause or abandon development, according to a report by Reuters. The Franco-Italian-American group, which owns Jeep, Fiat, Peugeot and Citroën, had trumpeted its “AutoDrive” programme earlier this […]

Elon Musk shelves his plans for an ‘America Party’

August 21, 2025

Elon Musk has quietly abandoned his brief attempt to carve out a new political movement in the US. According to the Wall Street Journal, he has shelved his plans for an “America Party”. However, it isn’t just Tesla’s struggle with falling sales, lawsuits, and deepening investor unease that has shaped its decision. The billionaire, who […]

Tesla backtracks on turn signal stalk removal and retrofits it

August 20, 2025

Tesla is reversing one of its most controversial design decisions. Two years after stripping the Model 3 of its traditional steering column stalks in the Highland refresh, the automaker is now reintroducing the turn signal lever—at least in China. The decision is not about giving customers options, but instead admitting a design flaw due to […]

Tesla withdraws from IAA Mobility and kills off Dojo supercomputer

August 11, 2025

Tesla will be a no-show at next month’s IAA Mobility trade fair in Munich, a striking absence from one of Europe’s most high-profile automotive events. The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), which organizes the biennial show, confirmed the U.S. electric vehicle maker’s decision but did not explain. Tesla hasn’t commented officially yet on […]

Chinese Baidu to launch robotaxis in Europe in partnership with Lyft

August 05, 2025

Baidu, the Chinese internet giant and pioneer in autonomous driving, is set to bring its robotaxi service to European streets in 2026. The announcement marks one of China’s most ambitious international moves in the field of self-driving transport to date. In a deal announced on Monday, Baidu said it will partner with US ride-hailing firm […]

Uber wants to deploy 20,000 robotaxis and invests $300 million in Lucid

July 18, 2025

US ride-hailing company Uber announced on Thursday that it plans to deploy at least 20,000 robotaxis over the next six years. The robotaxis are based on the Lucid Gravity model. The company said the fleet would be comprised of SUVs manufactured by U.S. electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid and equipped with self-driving technology developed by start-up […]

BMW’s Neue Klasse gets Momenta’s China-specific smart driving tech

July 15, 2025

According to Chinese media, BMW has signed a deal with leading Chinese autonomous-driving technology company Momenta for its Neue Klasse smart driving systems (ADAS). Momenta will provide localized L2/L3 smart driving software, including city and highway navigation systems trained on Chinese roads with specific infrastructure. It’s not uncommon for a Western carmaker to work with a […]

Leuven to experiment with self-driving shuttle buses

July 14, 2025

Self-driving shuttle buses will be operating in Leuven before the end of this year. The vehicles will be able to seat eight passengers and will drive around the city center. With this pilot project, Leuven is following the example of other European cities, such as Zurich, Barcelona, and Paris. The project is part of the […]

In China BYD lets your car park itself and pays if it hits another one

July 10, 2025

Chinese top EV maker BYD has announced that its cars, equipped with God’s Eye ADAS systems, will be able to park themselves completely autonomously without the need for a driver. BYD is so confident that it says it will pay for any damages the car may cause, including hitting other vehicles. On the Chinese Weibo […]

Belgian mobility minister wants to pave the way for self-driving Teslas

July 07, 2025

Will we soon have self-driving Teslas in Belgium? The American carmaker has already applied to the European Commission in March for approval of autonomous driving (Full Self Driving), and more specifically, supervised hands-off driving. According to the Vers L’Avenir newspaper, Federal Minister of Mobility Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés), unlike his predecessor, is already in favor. […]

From factory floor to front door: a Tesla delivered itself to a customer

July 01, 2025

A Tesla Model Y has driven itself from the company’s Gigafactory in Austin, Texas, to a customer’s doorstep with no one behind the wheel. Or not even somebody watching remotely, according to CEO Elon Musk, who trumpeted the feat as the first “fully autonomous delivery” of its kind. Musk posted triumphantly on X, the social […]

France threatens Tesla with €50K fines per day over misleading FSD ads

June 25, 2025

Tesla finds itself under the French spotlight for all the wrong reasons. The American EV maker has now been slapped with a formal injunction by France’s consumer watchdog, the DGCCRF. The charge? Misleading advertising and dubious business practices, according to French authorities, that veer off the legal path. The case zeroes in—unsurprisingly—on Tesla’s most contentious […]

Tesla’s robotaxi service debut in Austin sparks safety concerns

June 24, 2025

After years of bold promises and missed deadlines, Tesla has finally launched a pilot fleet of autonomous taxis in the Texas capital. But the debut has already sparked safety concerns and renewed scepticism about the company’s readiness to deliver truly self-driving vehicles. Eyebrows are already raising as this next phase in Tesla’s coming of age […]

MOIA (VW) launches ready-to-use self-driving ID. Buzz AD

June 20, 2025

MOIA, Volkswagen Group’s autonomous ride-sharing subsidiary, has unveiled the series production version of the VW ID. Buzz AD. The self-driving electric minivan is now available for sale to mobility providers and comes complete with all necessary software solutions and operator assistance. MOIA was founded in 2016 as part of Volkswagen’s ADMT (Autonomous Driving Mobility and […]

Autonomous car specialist Waymo recalls more than 1,200 vehicles in the U.S.

May 16, 2025

Waymo has recalled 1,212 self-driving vehicles in the U.S. following minor collisions with fixed roadside objects such as gates and chains. That is the majority of the company’s fleet. Strangely, the issue seems to have already been fixed. The recall is apparently due to software limitations that caused minor collisions with roadside objects such as […]

Self-driving shuttles in Terhills will disappear in May

May 06, 2025

The popular self-driving shuttles at the Terhills tourist site in Dilsen-Stokkem and Maasmechelen will disappear from May 26th. The reason? The French technology supplier Easymile, responsible for vehicle production, maintenance, and safety, is stopping its shuttle projects for financial reasons. The ‘Limburgse Reconversie Maatschappij’ (LRM) and its partners, responsible for operating the shuttles, will investigate […]

Uber plans 2026 rollout of robotaxis in Europe

May 05, 2025

Uber Technologies has announced a strategic partnership with Chinese autonomous driving start-up Momenta to launch self-driving taxi services in Europe. The project is planned to start in early 2026. The collaboration marks Uber’s first venture with a Chinese developer of robotaxis, and beyond its home markets in the US and China.  While Waymo already offers […]

Volkswagen and Uber to deploy thousands of ID. Buzz robotaxi’s in the U.S.

April 25, 2025

Volkswagen is stepping deeper into the autonomous driving race, announcing plans to bring a fleet of self-driving ID to market. Buzz electric vans through a new partnership with Uber. The German automaker aims to supply thousands of autonomous vehicles for Uber’s ride-hailing platform across the U.S. over the next decade, beginning with Los Angeles in […]

Leuven pilot project with autonomous De Lijn buses faces delays

April 18, 2025

The Flemish public transport company De Lijn has long planned to deploy self-driving buses, but the plans just don’t seem to be getting off the ground. For example, a pilot project was underway in Leuven. However, the tendering procedure for the framework contract appears to have been put on hold. The ambition to have an […]

China drastically tightens screws on autonomous driving

April 17, 2025

China, a long time forerunner in autonomous driving features tested on public roads, is tightening the screws on that technology after an accident that shocked the nation. A dramatic accident in which three young female students were killed in a Xiaomi SU7 sedan that caught fire in March, apparently, was the last straw. Carmakers are […]

Daimler Truck partners with ARX Robotics for self-driving military trucks

March 31, 2025

Daimler Truck, manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz Trucks, has signed a letter of intent with German start-up ARX Robotics to integrate AI-based autonomous driving systems in its military trucks. These vehicles can be controlled remotely, drive autonomously in open terrain, and communicate with other software-defined vehicles like drones. With Europe cranking up its defense spending to protect […]

Xpeng to debut its updated G9

March 07, 2025

Chinese carmaker Xpeng has started rolling out its highly anticipated 2025 model lineup, and the latest addition is a refreshed version of its flagship SUV, the G9. This SUV, also available in Europe, is exciting as stakeholder Volkswagen intends to build derivatives of the model. The new G9’s LiDAR-based driving assistance aid swap is among […]

Tesla faces 45.2% decline in EU due to competition and Musk’s escapades

February 26, 2025

Tesla’s dominance in the European electric vehicle market took a significant hit in January 2025, as the company saw a staggering 45.2% drop in sales compared to the same period in 2024. New data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) reveal that Tesla sold just under 10,000 units in the region last month, down […]

Tesla 2024 profit plummets 71% over cooldown, Musk sees future ‘bright’

January 30, 2025

Tesla reported a sharp decline in profitability for 2024, missing key financial expectations and experiencing its first annual sales drop in over a decade. Despite CEO Elon Musk’s optimistic projections for future growth, the company’s latest earnings report has raised concerns among investors and industry analysts. Tesla’s fourth-quarter net income fell by as much as […]

Californian Monarch robot EV-tractor to conquer Europe from Antwerp

January 23, 2025

The die is cast. The Californian Monarch Tractor, a pioneer in self-driving electric tractors, wants to conquer the European market from Belgium and has founded Monarch Tractor Europe NV, based in Antwerp, Belgium. Monarch Tractor is famous for its ‘smart’ tractors. The brand produces the world’s first fully electric tractor, for which the driver is […]

Einride starts first commercial daily autonomous freight operation

December 23, 2024

Swedish freight technology company Einride, specializing in sustainable and autonomous vehicle solutions, has achieved a European milestone by launching the continent’s first daily commercial autonomous freight operation. Partnering with online pharmacy Apotea, Einride’s autonomous trucks now transport goods between the retailer’s warehouses in Morgongåva, Sweden, and so officially move to the road network. The operation […]

Germany allows Mercedes to drive autonomously up to 95 kph

December 18, 2024

The German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) has given Mercedes the green light to launch an updated version of its conditionally automated driving system, Drive Pilot, in 2025. This system allows the driver to watch a movie or read the newspaper while driving on highways at up to 95 km/hour. Mercedes was the first to […]

GM kills off its Cruise robotaxis to focus on ADAS and self-driving for its cars

December 11, 2024

A year after the California DMV suspended Cruise’s robotaxi services in San Francisco following a series of incidents with pedestrians, General Motors is killing off its robotaxi daughter. It dispatches its engineering teams to the motherhouse to focus on more common driving aid systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving for passenger cars. “GM will no longer […]

Brussels Airport tests another self-driving shuttle on tarmac

December 02, 2024

Brussels Airport has started another pilot project with a self-driving shuttle bus. The van will transport employees on the airport’s tarmac for three months. The pilot project is part of the European Commission’s Stargate program, which aims to make aviation more sustainable. The shuttle itself was developed by New Zealand company Ohmio. Fixed route of […]

BMWs and MINIs drive off production lines fully autonomously

November 27, 2024

Fully autonomous driving is becoming a reality, at least within the BMW and MINI factories. The cars drive themselves off the production lines after being finished without any human intervention. After a pilot in BMW’s largest European factory, Dingolfing proved successful, Leipzig is the official start of the roll-out. Other facilities are set to follow […]

Lotus also backs down on 2028 full-electric plan

November 25, 2024

Chinese-owned British sports car icon Lotus, which was on track to be an electric-only brand by 2028, is backing down on its plan and will add extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs). It’s the such-and-such car manufacturer swallowing its green intentions to give in to the surge of negative perceptions of EVs by part of the general […]

Honda readies pilot production line for solid-state batteries

November 22, 2024

Honda is joining the pioneering car group that takes solid-state battery technology from the lab to a demonstration production line. Verification production will begin in January next year at a Sakura facility just north of Tokyo. Honda’s pilot line will test and refine production procedures for this next-generation battery type, often hailed as a potential […]

Tesla surges as Trump plots regulatory overhaul of self-driving cars

November 20, 2024

Tesla shares soared by over 7% following reports that U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump’s administration plans to prioritize federal regulations for self-driving vehicles. Bloomberg reported that Trump’s transition team has identified autonomous vehicle policy as a critical focus for the Department of Transportation. In a single trading session, Tesla’s market value was boosted by $70 billion […]

Oxa takes a stab at Tesla with self-driving E-Transit vans

November 04, 2024

Oxa, a British autonomous driving tech firm, has unveiled its autonomous Ford E-Transit Van and Minibus. They will enter operation in the UK and US as the first mass-production vehicles to make use of Oxa’s software. Enough for one of the company’s VP’s to take a stab at Tesla, which unveiled its Robovan concept in […]

Tesla’s return to big profit doesn’t come from cars

October 25, 2024

Tesla surprised investors and analysts by posting bigger-than-expected profits for the third quarter of 2024. Though the EV maker boosted deliveries in the past three months, the money comes from unexpected income like CO2 credits, cost cutting, and “services and others.” Interestingly, Elon Musk never favored the latter as an important revenue stream. Tesla exceeded […]

Tesla’s next sci-fi move: fully autonomous Cybercab and Robovan

October 11, 2024

On Thursday night, it was show time again for Elon Musk in an appropriate setting: the artificial city of Warner Brothers’ studio lot in Los Angeles. Here, he could safely unleash a fleet of twenty fully autonomous two-seater Cybercabs and add a ‘one more thing’ surprise, the 20-seater Robovan. The whole thing was submerged in […]

Honda’s new generation 0 Series BEVs starts taking shape

October 10, 2024

Honda is gearing up to unveil its highly anticipated 0 Series EV lineup, marking a highly anticipated leap forward in the company’s electrification journey. Before the official launch of the first model in 2025, Honda provided a sneak peek of its latest technology at its global R&D center in Tochigi, Japan. The 0 Series must […]

DLR’s modular U-Shift concept for an autonomous last mile

September 17, 2024

German Aerospace Center DLR (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfarth) is keeping its ‘feet’ on the ground at IAA Transport in Hanover these days, showing the result of its research into autonomous last-mile delivery, the modular U-Shift concept. It’s basically a U-shaped platform or ‘drive board,’ and the capsules are designed for various purposes, such […]

Schiphol extends self-driving wheelchair test to general public

September 10, 2024

At Schiphol Airport (in the Netherlands), travelers with reduced mobility will be brought to their gate by self-driving wheelchairs. A test experiment with the self-driving wheelchairs was launched in February 2023. Ten autonomous wheelchairs will be deployed starting this week and will be available for the general public to test. The vehicles have a luggage […]