[250801] #Waymo #Volvo #BYD

1. Self-driving robotaxi service Waymo makes debut in NYC with pilot testing program

• Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous ride-hailing company, has launched its first pilot testing program in New York City, deploying self-driving vehicles with safety operators to comply with current laws.

• The vehicles are mapping and collecting data in Manhattan and Brooklyn, including Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, Downtown Brooklyn, and Boerum Hill, as well as in Jersey City and Hoboken.

• The pilot focuses on improving the Waymo Driver AI system to navigate New York’s unique urban challenges, such as jaywalkers, cyclists, carriage horses, taxis, and street construction.

• Though not yet open to the public, the program supports future plans once state law changes permit fully driverless operation; relevant legislation is currently under review.

• Waymo claims its autonomous technology reduces injury-causing collisions by 78%, with 93% fewer pedestrian incidents and 81% fewer cyclist incidents compared to human drivers.

• This initiative follows a 2021 manual data collection in Manhattan, which focused on weather patterns, while this round targets real-world urban navigation.

• Waymo currently operates 250,000 fully driverless trips weekly in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta, and plans to launch in Miami later this year and Washington D.C. in 2026.

• The NYC deployment underscores Waymo’s commitment to expanding its autonomous ride-hailing service to new markets.

2. Volvo taking platform route to scale autonomous driving beyond trucks

• Volvo Autonomous Solutions developed a scalable platform for vehicle autonomy, currently applied in Volvo trucks with plans to expand across brands when Level 4 highway operation is approved.

• The platform consists of two layers: a foundational layer with steering and braking systems including redundancy, and an autonomous driving layer with sensors (cameras, LiDAR, IMUs) and a virtual driver software.

• Two main application segments are targeted: “confined segment” (quarry and mining) and “on-road segment” (hub-to-hub highway delivery).

• Since August 2023, Volvo operates autonomous trucks without safety drivers in Norway’s Brønnøy Kalk mine and started a similar driverless project in Sweden’s Boliden Garpenberg quarry.

• On-road testing with safety drivers began in December 2024 on Texas highways using Aurora’s virtual driver, in partnership with DHL Supply Chain.

• Mining routes are controlled, off-road, and complex due to extreme weather, requiring Volvo’s own virtual driver and continuous mapping updates for dynamic environments.

• For highway operations, Volvo partners with technology providers like Aurora and Waabi to handle complex and dynamic scenarios, integrating multiple virtual drivers on its platform.

• Redundancy levels differ by use case: less in controlled mining environments, but high redundancy is built into highway trucks to ensure safety in unpredictable conditions.

3. BYD is the first to unlock L4 smart parking and it comes with a surprise guarantee

• BYD, China’s leading EV maker, is the first to introduce L4-level smart parking autonomy.

• The company guarantees full coverage of any losses linked to the smart parking feature, handled directly by BYD’s after-sales team.

• All BYD vehicles equipped with the God’s Eye smart driving system are eligible for the free L4 smart parking upgrade.

• Over 1 million BYD vehicles currently operate with the God’s Eye system, marking wide adoption.

• L4 smart parking enables vehicles to park autonomously without human intervention under specific conditions.

• BYD is rolling out new OTA updates for its God’s Eye B and C systems, adding functions like multi U-turns, detours, and parking/lane change alerts.

• God’s Eye A is for ultra-luxury Yangwang cars, God’s Eye B for Denza and premium BYD models, and God’s Eye C for lower-cost models like the Seagull EV.

4. Huawei Pamer New Brand Shangjie, Carry LiDAR And Smart Driving System

• Shangjie, a new brand from a collaboration between automotive giant SAIC and Huawei’s HIMA, is entering the intelligent EV market.

• The top-tier model features a prominent roof-mounted 192-line LiDAR, a high-specification sensor developed by Huawei.

• This advanced LiDAR is paired with a next-generation 4D millimeter-wave radar for superior environmental perception.

• This powerful sensor fusion enables Huawei’s Advanced Driving System (ADS), aiming for a highly sophisticated semi-autonomous driving experience.

• In contrast, lower and mid-range variants are expected to utilize a camera-based, vision-centric ADAS solution.

• A distinctive blue light will activate on the vehicle’s exterior to visually signal when the autonomous driving mode is engaged.

• The vehicle will also be equipped with a HarmonyOS-based smart cockpit, integrating AI and seamless multi-screen interactions.

5. Momenta and Qualcomm announce solutions for ADAS and autonomous driving

• Momenta and Qualcomm unveiled scalable ADAS and autonomous driving solutions based on the latest Snapdragon Ride platforms (SA8620P and SA8650P).

• The solutions support key functions such as Highway Navigation Pilot (HNP), map-less Urban Navigation Pilot (UNP), Memory Navigation Pilot (MNP), and Learned Parking Navigation Pilot (LPNP).

• The system delivers 36 to 100 dense TOPS performance, enabling efficient and high-performance intelligent driving across vehicle types, including NEVs and gasoline cars.

• Flexible sensor configurations (7V3R, 7V1R) and scalability to 11V systems allow broad vehicle model integration.

• The combined solution helps reduce hardware BOM costs, accelerating adoption of intelligent driving technologies by automakers.

• Both companies will further develop advanced driving solutions using Snapdragon Ride Flex SoC (SA8775P) that integrate cockpit and autonomous functions.

• The solutions are currently being evaluated by global OEMs and are expected in production vehicles within 2024.

• Qualcomm and Momenta aim to establish intelligent driving as a standard function in mainstream vehicles.