Vueron Newsletter
No. 205
2025.05.16
| Waymo reports 250,000 paid robotaxi rides per week in U.S. | ||
| Autonomous Driving | Uber, Volkswagen Partner to Deploy Autonomous ID Buzz Vans | |
| LiDAR | Inyo Mobility selects Aeva 4D LiDAR to power next-generation autonomous shuttle fleet | |
| Fully Autonomous Trucks are Taking on Texas Roads | ||
| Horizon Robotics deepens partnership with Bosch to deliver ADAS solutions to multiple automakers |
1. Waymo reports 250,000 paid robotaxi rides per week in U.S.
- Waymo announced that it is now delivering over 250,000 paid robotaxi rides per week across the United States, marking a significant increase from 200,000 rides in February.
- The company expanded its services in March, adding operations in Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area to its existing networks in Phoenix, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
- Waymo’s commercial, fully driverless ride-hailing services are currently active across multiple major urban regions, with a new launch planned in Atlanta this summer.
- CEO Sundar Pichai emphasized that Waymo is exploring flexible business models, forming partnerships with Uber, automakers, and fleet maintenance companies to scale its operations.
- Pichai also indicated that future business options may include enabling personal ownership of vehicles equipped with Waymo’s autonomous driving systems.
- Waymo’s recent growth highlights its competitive advantage over other autonomous technology developers, securing its early lead in the U.S. robotaxi sector.
- The company continues to leverage its lidar, vision, and sensor technologies to support safe, scalable, and fully autonomous ride-hailing services.
Waymo has surpassed 250,000 paid robotaxi rides per week in the U.S., reinforcing its leadership in the autonomous vehicle market through strategic partnerships and expanded regional coverage.
2. Uber, Volkswagen Partner to Deploy Autonomous ID Buzz Vans
- Uber Technologies and Volkswagen AG announced a partnership to deploy thousands of electric ID Buzz autonomous vans on Uber’s ride-hailing platform in the United States.
- Testing of the autonomous vans will begin later this year with human operators onboard, followed by a staged commercial launch in Los Angeles in 2025, pending regulatory approvals.
- The companies plan to gradually expand the autonomous ID Buzz service to other major U.S. cities over the next ten years as part of their long-term strategy.
- This collaboration marks a continuation of Uber’s shift away from in-house autonomous vehicle development toward strategic alliances with major OEMs and technology providers.
- Volkswagen’s ID Buzz vans are equipped with autonomous driving software developed by Mobileye and supported by the MOIA brand’s system integration for deployment on the Uber platform.
- Uber is simultaneously expanding its autonomous service network through partnerships with other companies such as Avride in Dallas and WeRide in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
- The growing competition in the U.S. autonomous ride-hailing sector includes players like Waymo and Lyft, which are also scaling their self-driving operations in key urban markets.
3. Inyo Mobility selects Aeva 4D LiDAR to power next-generation autonomous shuttle fleet
- Inyo Mobility announced a partnership with Aeva to integrate Aeva Atlas™ 4D LiDAR into its next-generation autonomous shuttle platform for urban transportation.
- Aeva’s 4D LiDAR, based on Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) technology, measures both 3D position and instantaneous velocity, improving object detection accuracy in complex environments.
- The Aeva sensors provide long-range detection up to 500 meters and are resistant to interference from sunlight and other LiDAR systems, making them ideal for dense city and highway applications.
- Inyo’s fully electric, modular CAB vehicles are designed for sustainable, customizable, last-mile transport with options for both passenger and cargo configurations.
- The integration of Aeva’s compact sensors will enable Inyo’s shuttles to achieve 360-degree situational awareness and safer autonomous operations on city streets.
- This collaboration marks a significant step toward the widespread deployment of autonomous public transportation solutions across European cities.
- Aeva views the partnership as a strategic move to expand the adoption of its next-generation perception technologies within the urban mobility sector.
Inyo Mobility has selected Aeva as the exclusive LiDAR supplier for its new autonomous shuttle fleet, aiming to enhance urban mobility with advanced 4D sensing technology.
4. Fully Autonomous Trucks are Taking on Texas Roads
- Aurora Innovation announced plans to begin operating fully autonomous trucks without human drivers on Texas highways by the end of April, starting with routes between Dallas and Houston.
- The company will initiate operations with one truck and plans to expand the fleet incrementally over time.
- Industry experts highlight that autonomous trucking could significantly reduce inflation and lower the cost of goods by increasing freight efficiency.
- Texas offers a favorable regulatory environment and high freight volumes, making it an ideal location for scaling autonomous trucking technologies.
- Aurora aims to become the first company to run fully driverless trucks on public roads, setting a benchmark for the industry.
- While concerns exist over safety and potential job impacts, experts argue that autonomous trucks will complement the existing workforce without displacing current drivers.
- Addressing the driver shortage, autonomous trucking could alleviate pressures caused by long hauls and driver fatigue, helping to stabilize the industry workforce.
Aurora Innovation is set to launch the first fully driverless autonomous trucks on Texas highways, signaling a major step forward for the U.S. freight and logistics sector.
5. Horizon Robotics deepens partnership with Bosch to deliver ADAS solutions to multiple automakers
- Horizon Robotics announced a deeper collaboration with Bosch to develop advanced ADAS solutions, leveraging Horizon’s Journey 6B, 6E, and 6M chips.
- Bosch’s next-generation multifunctional camera platform, based on the Journey 6B chip, features over 8 megapixels, a 120-degree field of view, and up to 300 meters detection range to enhance SAE Level 2 driver-assistance systems.
- Mass production of the new camera platform is targeted for mid-2026, with deployment contracts already secured from several major global and Chinese automakers.
- The Journey 6B platform offers high-performance, cost-efficient in-vehicle computing tailored for ADAS and active safety applications across diverse vehicle models.
- Bosch’s ADAS family for mid-range vehicles, built on Journey 6E and 6M chips, incorporates BEV Transformer models and occupancy network algorithms for advanced driving functions.
- Key features include highway and elevated road assistance, city driving with memorized routes, and memory-based and autonomous parking capabilities.
- Five automakers, including JETOUR, Dongfeng Motor, and BAIC Group, have committed to adopting the solutions, with the first production model launching in June 2025.
- Horizon Robotics also expects its first overseas deployment project to enter mass production in the first quarter of 2026.
Horizon Robotics and Bosch have expanded their partnership to deliver next-generation ADAS solutions based on Horizon’s Journey 6 series chips to multiple global and Chinese automakers.
*Contents above are the opinion of ChatGPT, not an individual nor company
