Vol. 249 | 2025.09.23

Category	Company	Article
Self-driving	Nvidia, Wayve	Nvidia Considers $500 Million Investment in Autonomous Driving AI Firm Wayve
LiDAR	Hesai	Hesai secures $40m LiDAR supply deal with US robotaxi firm
Self-driving	Toyota	Meet the Toyota e-Palette: An adorable $200,000 autonomous EV that can do it all
Autonomous Trucking	Bot Auto	Bot Auto’s driverless truck completes first hub-to-hub test run in Houston
LiDAR	Waymo	Waymo approved to start testing autonomous vehicles at San Francisco International Airport

Nvidia is considering a $500M investment in Wayve, a UK-based startup developing “AV2.0” embodied AI for autonomous vehicles.
The two companies have collaborated since 2018, with Wayve using Nvidia platforms and Nvidia participating in its $1.05B Series C round in 2024.
Wayve’s AV2.0 approach replaces explicit programming with experiential learning, enabling self-driving in any environment without HD maps.
The upcoming Wayve Gen 3 platform will be built on Nvidia’s Drive AGX Thor, leveraging the Blackwell architecture for LLM and transformer-based AI.
Nvidia says Wayve’s system adapts quickly and safely to unseen environments with lower hardware and map dependency.
Wayve has attracted backing from SoftBank, Microsoft, and Nvidia, positioning itself as a next-generation AV ecosystem player.
Nvidia’s deepened partnership highlights confidence in foundation models and embodied intelligence for scalable AV deployment.
The move aligns with Nvidia’s broader push to lead real-world AI across mobility, robotics, and manufacturing sectors.

Hesai Technology has signed a $40M+ LiDAR supply agreement with an unnamed U.S.-based robotaxi company, extending deliveries through 2026.
The deal includes both long-range and short-range LiDAR sensors, supporting large-scale autonomous vehicle deployment.
Hesai stated the robotaxi industry is entering a major growth phase, driven by Level 4 (L4) autonomous driving advancement.
The company claims 61% global market share in L4 LiDAR, according to Yole Group.
Hesai recently won a short-range LiDAR supply deal with Motional, backed by Hyundai Motor, for the Ioniq 5 robotaxi.
It is also collaborating with Toyota (via a China JV) for ATX LiDAR integration and with Mercedes-Benz for global smart driving vehicles.
Hesai emphasized its scalable manufacturing and high-performance LiDAR as key to enabling safe, reliable robotaxi operations.

Toyota launched the e-Palette, a multifunctional autonomous EV designed for shuttle services, deliveries, and mobile retail.
The vehicle officially opened for orders on September 15, with prices starting at ¥29 million (~$197,000).
It currently supports Level 2 autonomy and will introduce Level 4 capabilities starting in 2027.
The e-Palette uses a 72.82 kWh battery, offering 250 km of range and 80% recharge in 40 minutes.
The vehicle includes a Steer-by-Wire system, bidirectional charging, and modular interior configurations.
ADK supplies the autonomous driving kit, which integrates hardware, software, cameras, and LiDAR.
Toyota plans to debut the e-Palette at the new Toyota Arena Tokyo on October 3.
The EV is eligible for a ¥15.8 million (~$107,500) government subsidy in Japan.

Bot Auto completed its first fully humanless, hub-to-hub autonomous truck run in Houston, operating without a safety driver or remote oversight.
The test run occurred during sunset, validating both day and night operations under real-world traffic conditions.
The milestone demonstrates the maturity of Bot Auto’s autonomy stack, built within just two years of founding.
Prior to deployment, the company conducted rigorous safety validation for its Operational Design Domain (ODD), including closed-course testing.
The vehicle operated with multiple redundancy layers, health monitoring, and minimum-risk fallback mechanisms for safe failover.
CEO Dr. Xiaodi Hou emphasized that true autonomy means “no human” at any level—not in the cab, backseat, or remotely.
Bot Auto has been running autonomous freight services with safety drivers between Houston and San Antonio for months.
The next phase will include fully driverless commercial cargo runs on the same route.

Waymo received a Testing and Operations Pilot Permit to begin autonomous vehicle operations at San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
The pilot will proceed in three stages: initial AV testing with a safety driver, internal rides for employees and staff, and eventually paid rides for the public.
Pick-ups and drop-offs will start at SFO’s “Kiss & Fly” zone, with potential expansion to other areas under review.
This follows recent testing clearance at San Jose Airport and existing operations at Phoenix Sky Harbor since 2023.
SFO has been a long-standing strategic target for Waymo, given its location near the company’s Silicon Valley headquarters.

The commercial ride phase will be operated on a rolling month-to-month basis, pending a full commercial permit.
Waymo continues to scale its autonomous ride-hailing service across airports and urban areas, with additional markets and partners expected in 2026.

* Contents above are the opinion of ChatGPT, not an individual nor company

[250923] #Nvidia #Hesai #Toyota