✔ Uber and BYD Partner to Accelerate Global EV Transition. “Uber UBER -5.77%↓ and BYD announced a partnership designed to bring 100,000 new BYD electric vehicles onto the Uber platform across key global markets. The two companies will also collaborate on future BYD autonomous-capable vehicles to be deployed on the Uber platform.”
ADASTEC Driverless Bus Used by National Park Service
ADASTEC has announced that its automated driving software platform has been integrated by Vicinity Motor Corp. for use in a National Parks Service (NPS) driverless bus that will ferry passengers at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan. The driverless bus will not only ferry passengers, but will serve as a research platform to test crash avoidance.
During the 45-day pilot program, the driverless bus will run along a 7.4-mile route, five days a week for eight hours per day, the company said. The initiative is part of an NPS Mobility Challenge Program that seeks to develop sustainable mobility solutions for national parks.
Connected and Autonomous Vehicles:
🌍 Ford BlueCruise Hands-Free Driving Technology Approved for Customers To Use Across the Highways of Europe. “Ford F -1.47%↓ BlueCruise is approved by the European Commission for owners to use in 15 European countries, with access to more than 133,000 kilometers of designated highways.”
💲 AEye Announces Common Stock Purchase Agreement With New Circle for up to $50 Million. “AEye LIDR -2.86%↓ ) has entered into a purchase agreement with New Circle Principal Investments to sell to New Circle up to $50 million of AEye’s common stock.”
🤞 Cruise Aims to Re-Launch Driverless Ride-Hailing This Year. “Cruise hopes to begin offering driverless rides this year, and to re-launch paid driverless rides in early 2025, according to people familiar with the matter in a report from Bloomberg.”
🚙 Zeekr and Mobileye to Accelerate Technology Collaboration in China. “Companies expand Mobileye SuperVision platform to future Zeekr models globally.”
📈 Chinese Robotaxi Operator WeRide Files for U.S. IPO. “Chinese media and others have reported that WeRide could raise up to $500 million through a Nasdaq IPO, with some seeing it as becoming the largest listing for a Chinese company in the U.S. since ride-hailing app Didi in 2021.”
🚗 Robotaxi From Waymo + Zeekr Makes It to San Francisco. “[Waymo] has relied on relatively old Chrysler Pacifica plugin hybrids and, more recently, Jaguar I-PACE electric SUVs. Until now. Oh, well, it still relies on those, but it’s starting to incorporate brand new Zeekr electric vans in San Francisco.”
🚘 Tesla and NVIDIA Set To Go Head-To-Head in High-End Autonomous Driving. “In L2 to L3 autonomy, NVIDIA held approximately 50 percent market share in 2023 for advanced driver assistance s
