Robotaxi Archives - Gizmochina

Say Goodbye to Driving: Rivian CEO Says Cars Will Soon Run Errands Without You

Joane — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 13:22:52 +0000

Rivian, a U.S.-based electric vehicle maker known for its premium electric trucks, SUVs, and delivery vans, has made a bold new claim about the future of driving. The company, which focuses heavily on advanced software and clean-energy technology, says its cars could become so autonomous that owners won’t even need to be inside them.

According to CEO RJ Scaringe, Rivian aims to reach this level of full driverless capability by 2030, allowing vehicles to run errands, pick up friends, and travel completely on their own.

Rivian R2

Steps Toward Full Autonomy

Scaringe explains that Rivian’s next major features include “hands-off everywhere” driving and point-to-point navigation similar to Tesla’s FSD. These systems will still require driver attention at first. But he believes that soon after, cars will no longer need monitoring. By 2028 or 2029, he suggests Rivian vehicles could complete solo trips while owners stay at home.

Why This Matters

Robotaxis like Waymo already drive without humans in certain cities, showing how quickly the field is advancing. Driver-assist systems such as GM’s Super Cruise and Tesla’s FSD (Supervised) allow hands-free driving but still depend on human supervision.

The challenge now is to make fully driverless technology safe, affordable, and available in everyday cars. Whoever achieves this first will gain a huge advantage, giving people extra time to rest, work, or relax while commuting.

AI-generated Image

Tesla’s Driverless Claims

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is also pushing hard toward this goal. According to Reuters, Tesla is testing fully driverless Model Y vehicles in Austin and aims to deliver the first units by June. Musk says these cars will operate with no driver involvement. Further reports say that Tesla will soon launch unsupervised FSD in Austin, allowing vehicles to navigate without human monitoring. These updates show that Tesla remains a major competitor in the race toward full autonomy.

Major Challenges for Autonomous Cars

Developing safe and reliable driverless cars has proven far harder than early predictions suggested. Many challenges remain, including safety validation, rare road scenarios, and regulatory approval. Still, rapid progress in AI is pushing the industry forward.

Old rule-based approaches are being replaced with AI models that learn, adapt, and generalize better. With Rivian, Tesla, GM, and Waymo all improving their autonomous systems, the dream of personal driverless cars is closer than ever, though not guaranteed.

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Tesla postpones Robotaxi unveiling to October, impacting market and competitors

Joane — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 11:56:00 +0000

Tesla has postponed its highly anticipated Robotaxi unveiling event, initially scheduled for August, to October. The delay, reported by Bloomberg, was communicated internally to give teams more time to develop additional prototypes.

The design team at Tesla was asked to rework certain car elements. This internal communication highlights the company’s commitment to ensuring the highest quality and readiness of the prototypes before the public reveal.

Initial Announcement and Market Reaction

CEO Elon Musk had set the original date for the event eight months ago. Optimism surrounding the event led to an 11-day streak of gains for Tesla’s stock, adding more than $257 billion to the company’s market capitalization. However, the delay has caused Tesla’s stock to drop by 8.4% on Thursday, marking the largest decline since January. In contrast, shares of competitors Uber Technologies and Lyft surged on the news, with Uber’s stock rising by 6.1% and Lyft’s shares jumping by 4.6%.

What is the significance of the Robotaxi Project?

The concept of an autonomous taxi service dates back to Elon Musk’s second “master plan” for Tesla in 2016. Musk has prioritized this project over developing an affordable electric vehicle. Despite years of promotion, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology still requires constant supervision and does not render the cars fully autonomous. Nonetheless, Musk and his engineers have been increasingly optimistic about the potential of FSD recently.

Tesla’s Recent Performance and Analyst Perspectives

Tesla delivered 6.6% fewer cars in the first half of the year and produced 14% fewer vehicles in the second quarter than the previous year, aiming to reduce inventory. The addition of the Cybertruck to Tesla’s lineup has also been a recent focus.

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives believes the timing of the Robotaxi showcase is less important than the content and suggests that the delay may result in a more robust and well-prepared event. Ives encourages investors not to worry about the delay, emphasizing that the timing of robotaxis, partnerships, and autonomous technology remains unchanged for Tesla’s bullish thesis.

The initial event date of August 8, set in April, might have been overly optimistic. Tesla is likely to ensure that prototypes meet quality standards before the event. Reports suggest that Tesla uses current vehicle mules fitted with exterior cameras to gather data for the Robotaxi development.

Despite the delay, the focus remains on the event’s content and the preparedness of the prototypes. Investors and experts are hopeful that the postponed event in October will offer a more detailed and impressive showcase of Tesla’s Robotaxi initiative.

The success of the event and the eventual launch of the Robotaxi service are crucial for Tesla’s positioning in the autonomous vehicle market and its future as a technology leader.

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Baidu Apollo launches 6th Gen Robotaxi in Wuhan, redefining autonomous driving

Joane — Thu, 16 May 2024 16:57:53 +0000

In a significant leap forward for autonomous driving technology, Baidu Apollo unveiled its 6th Generation Robotaxi in Wuhan, marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of smart mobility. The announcement was made by Yunpeng Wang, Baidu’s Corporate Vice President and President of Intelligent Driving Group.

Key highlights of the launch include a substantial reduction in unit cost, now priced at approximately RMB 200,000 (under $30,000), marking a more than 50% decrease from the previous generation. These cost savings pave the way for large-scale deployment, with Apollo Go aiming to deploy 1000 6th Gen Robotaxis in Wuhan by 2024.

Operating on Apollo Go, Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing platform, these vehicles signify a paradigm shift towards fully autonomous transportation. The development is bolstered by Apollo Go’s fully autonomous Robotaxi operation network in Wuhan, capable of managing every aspect of the Robotaxi operation without human intervention. This innovation not only enhances efficiency but also significantly reduces operational costs.

The introduction of Apollo ADFM, the world’s first foundation model supporting Level 4 autonomous driving, further solidifies Baidu Apollo’s position at the forefront of autonomous technology. Integrated into the 6th Gen Robotaxi, this model enables the rapid deployment of driverless operations in new cities within six months, paving the way for widespread adoption.

Moreover, the upgraded Apollo Self-Driving (ASD) intelligent driving software, based on Apollo ADFM, will be accessible on all Ji Yue vehicle models, allowing users nationwide to experience intelligent driving wherever Baidu Maps is available.

In terms of safety and market adoption, Apollo Go’s service area in Wuhan now spans over 3,000 square kilometers, serving 7.7 million people, and has provided over six million rides nationwide. Notably, Apollo Go has achieved a remarkable milestone of traveling over 100 million kilometers without any major accidents as of April 2024, reassuring users with RMB 5 million insurance coverage per Robotaxi.

With these advancements, Baidu Apollo is not only reshaping the landscape of autonomous transportation but also paving the way for a safer, more efficient future of mobility.

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Elon Musk Announces the Tesla Robotaxi on X, Launches on the 8th of August

Anubhav — Sat, 06 Apr 2024 01:12:56 +0000

Tesla and its fans must be crazy with excitement right now. The reason? New potential electric vehicles. Rumors have been surfacing about two new additions to the Tesla lineup: a more affordable electric car, often referred to as the “$25,000 Tesla” (estimated price around 181,000 yuan), and a fully autonomous vehicle designed without a steering wheel or pedals. Today, on the X social media platform, Elon Musk himself made an appearance, announcing plans to unveil a Tesla Robotaxi on August 8th.

The robotaxi is expected to have a design similar to that of the Cybertruck

This autonomous vehicle aligns with comments Musk made in Walter Isaacson’s biography, where he hinted at a next-generation Tesla with a possible 2024 launch. The biography even included “early design drawings” of the Robotaxi, suggesting an aesthetic similar to the Cybertruck.

While details remain scarce as of now, Tesla enthusiasts are most likely eagerly awaiting more information about both the Robotaxi and the rumored affordable electric car. August 8th promises to be a big day for Tesla, potentially unveiling not just one, but two significant additions to the electric vehicle lineup. Elon Musk likes to be a little theatrical with his releases and rollouts, and we can expect the same on this date. The company has to push harder than ever right now, considering other Brands and their EV divisions are catching up. Let’s see what Tesla has been cooking as of late.

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Pony.ai launches its Robotaxi service in Guangzhou without a safety driver and support for remote assistance

Jed John Ikoba — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 20:45:21 +0000

Pony.ai has announced that it has obtained the first-ever self-driving passenger taxi permit in Guangzhou, China. This will allow the company to run a self-driving ride hailing service that supports remote assistance and omits a safety driver inside the vehicle. The permit was approved on April 21 and allows the company to immediately start a driverless travel service (Robotaxi) in the city. this comes one year after it got a similar license in Beijing.

The new service will allow commuters in Guangzhou to enjoy fully unmanned autonomous driving service when they place a request through the PonyPilot+ app. The new permit is coming after Pony.ai obtained the first remote test permit in the city in June 2021. It obtained another permit after the opening of the Guangzhou long-distance passenger transport policy.

The new permit will see Pony.ai fully autonomous Robotaxis traversing an area of 803 square kilometers in the Nansha District of the city.
According to Pony.ai, commuters in Guangzhou can use the PonyPilot+ to call a real self-driving vehicle and go to high-speed rail stations, subway entrances, residential areas, and several other destinations. The passenger can request for remote assistance during the trip and real-time communication will be activated. Pony.ai hopes to subsequently launch an online fully unmanned reservation system.

Pony.ai is also making inroads with its self-driving technology in other cities in China including the capital, Beijing. In March, the company obtained a demonstration application license for full vehicle unmanned operations in Beijing’s autonomous driving demonstration zone. Pony.ai was also allowed to open a fully unmanned vehicle in Yizhuang, Beijing.

The new Robotaxi models are equipped with Pony.ai’s sixth-generation self-driving software and hardware system. The Robotaxis have obtained test licenses in Beijing and Guangzhou. They have also passed expert reviews of the test without a safety driver inside the car in Beijing.

The Pony.ai’s self-driving Robotaxis are based on the Toyota Senna Autono-Maas (S-AM) with up to 200km of mileage during road testing. The company continues to chalk up the numbers in terms of its successes with autonomous driving. It has achieved over 21 million kilometers of autonomous driving and more than 1 million kilometers of unmanned testing. Pony.ai has also received about 200,000 paid travel orders. The company expects to extend the travel service to other parts of Guangzhou, Beijing, and other cities in China.

Pony.ai expands its Robotaxi services in China with Guangzhou rollout

Didi Introduces “Didi Neuron”: A RoboTaxi Concept with Robotic Arms

Oğuz Çakır — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 12:57:42 +0000

Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Global recently revealed its innovative robotaxi concept car, the “Didi Neuron,” at a virtual company event. This futuristic vehicle aims to enhance the passenger experience with robotic arms that can help carry luggage and retrieve items like water bottles. Here are the details…

Didi Global Introduces RoboTaxi “Didi Neuron”

Didi Autonomous Driving COO Meng Xing showcased the eye-catching blue and white vehicle, which is part of Didi’s ambitious plan to develop their own robotaxis in collaboration with local Chinese carmakers. The goal is to have these autonomous vehicles operational and integrated into Didi’s network by 2025.

Meng Xing emphasized Didi’s commitment to local production, stating, “We hope they will be domestically produced. We hope the supply chain is controllable, and even 90% of the key components inside can be domestically produced.”

The Didi Neuron concept car removes the need for a driver’s seat, providing more space for passengers. Its most distinctive feature, the robotic arms, highlights Didi’s dedication to offering innovative and convenient services. The company also unveiled a lidar sensor and a car computing device at the event, showcasing Didi’s progress in autonomous driving technology after nearly two years of overcoming regulatory challenges.

Didi’s journey into autonomous vehicles began in 2016. Since then, their AV unit has attracted significant investments from firms like IDG Capital and Guotai Junan. The company currently provides self-driving cars in select areas of Shanghai and Guangzhou through its main app, with Swedish carmaker Volvo, owned by Geely, supplying Didi’s autonomous fleet.

However, Didi has faced regulatory hurdles in recent years. In 2021, after the company proceeded with a U.S. stock listing against the wishes of Chinese regulators, it faced a cybersecurity investigation that led to the removal of its 25 mobile apps from app stores and the suspension of new user registration. Subsequently, Didi delisted from New York and received a $1.2 billion fine for data-security breaches. Fortunately, the company was allowed to resume new user registrations in January.

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AutoX expands autonomous RoboTaxi service zone to 1000km² in China

Sean — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 09:25:38 +0000

AutoX, a pioneer in autonomous driving technology, has just announced that it will be expanding its self driving taxi’s operations in China. Now, the RoboTaxi service will have an ‘Operatinal Zone’ of more than 1,000 km² in the region.

For those unaware, the company is the one behind the Level 4 fully autonomous RoboTaxis that are currently running in China. The service includes an unmanned vehicle that helps people in commuting and is wholly autonomous. To expand on its service, the Chinese brand will now have its RoboTaxis navigate through roads inside a large 1,000 square kilometer area.

This region will include small and congested streets, as well as, highways and major roads. According to AutoX, the expansion in services would enable it to improve its presence in China, especially in major cities like Shenzhen, Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. These cities are large in terms of area, so the bigger operation zone would enable it to better cover these regions.

The company even shared a new video announcing this expansion, in which we can see the RoboTaxi driving through the commercial center and highways of Shenzhen and finally arriving at the Shenzhen international airport. This highlighted a total of six hours of driving without any issues. As of right now, the brand’s RoboTaxis have been in service for a whole year, with commercial operations first commencing in January 2021. Since its launch, the service area in Shenzhen has also expanded to become the largest fully driverless RoboTaxi zone in China.

AutoX unveils new Gen5 Fully Driverless System for RoboTaxis

Jed John Ikoba — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 15:57:18 +0000

Alibaba-backed RoboTaxi company AutoX announced the commencement of test-run exercises for its driverless taxis in China in December 2020. The company later shared a video of the self-driving Robotaxi in action. AutoX has now announced a new driverless system which is an upgrade over its existing system. The system is identified as AutoX Gen5 and it was announced during an event in Shanghai.

According to AutoX CEO and founder Jianxiong Xiao, the new system is superior to the existing platforms of its competitors, with a very powerful hardware that provides seamless navigation of China’s complex urban driving architecture safely and securely. Indeed, the AutoX Gen5 system is the first in China with sufficient hardware to support fully driverless Robo Taxis in China’s public roads. Production of the Gen5 system has thus officially kicked off today, with elaborate demonstrations provided by the company at the Crowne Plaza, the venue of the Shangai event.

With 50 sensors of various caliber and a vehicle control unit of 2200 TOPS computing power, the Gen5 provides massive support for multiple scenarios. It also comes with 28 cameras, six hi-res LiDAR, and 4D RADAR with 0.9-degree resolution that covers the entire 360 degrees around the vehicle. Remarkably, the LiDAR and camera systems combine to ensure no blind spots for the car. The sensor technology deployed in the Gen5 is top-notch, coupled with the high computing power for Level 4 autonomous driving systems. These enable the Robo Taxis from AutoX to navigate securely and safely across China’s complex road infrastructure. The Gen5 will provide enhanced safety for both vehicle occupants and other road users that may interact with the AutoX Robo Taxi.

According to a press statement released by AutoX, the Gen5 adheres to all the industry standards and is even high up in sole metrics. AutoX continues to enjoy an immaculate safety record after six full months of deploying its fully driverless technology in the Robo Taxis in China. The Gen5 system will help AutoX expand its Robo Taxi fleet in an atmosphere of the utmost safety for all road users. The company has continued to blossom since it started business in 2016, primarily driven by innovations engineered by its diversity-oriented R&D team spread across various cities globally.

China’s Pony.ai plans to begin commercial driverless robotaxi service in California in 2022

Jed John Ikoba — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 08:52:30 +0000

Chinese startup Pony.ai has commenced testing of its driverless vehicles on public roads he the US state of California. This is a prelude to the full rollout of commercial robotaxi services in the US planned for 2022.

Pony.ai is among the startups that have secured approval for driverless vehicle testing in both China and the United States. The testing has progressed past the stage where there will need to be a human safety driver behind the wheel to a fully autonomous operation. The testing is reportedly carried out daily on public roads in the Fremont and Milpitas area of California. A similar test-run is also carried out in the Chinese city of Guangzhou.

According to Techcrunch, Pony.ai has disclosed that it plans to resume a rideshare service that is open to the public in the city Californian of Irvine this summer. The robotaxis won’t be fully autonomous, though, as there will be a human safety driver behind the wheel. The startup aims to fully automate the running of the cars next year. That is if the firm is able to scale the regulatory hurdles that need to be overcome before such services will be allowed on public roads in the US and even China. Pony.ai CEO and co-founder James Peng calls the firm’s plan an “ambitious vision”.

Pony.ai isn’t alone in this goal of achieving fully autonomous robotaxi services. There are several other companies also testing their own models in different US cities, including some Chinese firms – AutoX, Baidu, and WeRide. Other firms also working on driverless rideshare services include Amazon’s Zoox, Cruise, Waymo, and Nuro. There are up to 55 such firms with operational licenses but Nuro is the only firm that has got a deployment permit which makes it possible for the company to roll out driverless car services commercially.

Volvo to supply its XC90 model for Didi’s Robotaxi fleet in China

Jed John Ikoba — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 15:51:15 +0000

Didi has announced plans to configure Volvo’s XC90 SUVs for its new fleet of autonomous vehicles to be deployed on Chinese roads. The global Robotaxi rollout of the ride-hailing app, which acquired Uber China in 2016, is in line with its business development strategy. The company continues to make investments in deploying autonomous vehicles to Chinese public roads.

Volvo is owned by Chinese automaker Geely, since its acquisition in 2010. The Swedish automaker has a track record of safety and luxury in vehicle manufacturing. Didi will leverage this by combining its self-driving system, called Gemini, with Volvo’s safety and convenience features to produce a car that will no longer need safety drivers, with a backup to bring a car to a halt in situations of system failure.

Didi also offers a range of mobility services and added services like financial services to its drivers, and continues to expand. The company recently flagged its initial public offering of $100 billion, targeting research to enhance and expand its mobility service portfolio to include the driverless XC90 SUVs already customized for autonomous driving.

As should be expected, there is stiff competition in the world’s largest auto market for self-driving vehicles. The Robotaxis was pioneered by AutoX a couple of years ago, and some other companies have entered the market, offering a variety of services to a wide array of customers. Huawei last week also signaled its desires in the market with the unveiling of its homemade HarmonyOS operating system, thus opening new vistas in self-driving and autonomous vehicle development in China.

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Baidu obtains permit to start testing paid Robotaxi services in Cangzhou, China

Jed John Ikoba — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 03:49:43 +0000

Chinese tech giant Baidu could be regarded as the Google of China. Its search engine is the largest in China and the company is also spreading its tentacles into other tech sectors just like Google. Baidu last year commenced testing of its autonomous vehicles that would be deployed as Robotaxis in China’s Cangzhou.

News filtering in now is that the company is now set to take the project to the next level. Baidu has now reportedly secured approval to commence paid ride services for the autonomous vehicles in the same city of Cangzhou, China. The city which is about 149 miles south of Beijing reportedly gave the nod for Baidu’s Apollo Go robotaxi service to run commercialization tests. The tests will be carried out with 35 cars that will have safety drivers behind the wheels but there is an additional 10 vehicles that are approved to be run fully driverless.

While Baidu isn’t the first company to trial Robotaxi services in China (AutoX is also doing the same), it boasts of being the first to start testing a paid commercial robotaxi service. Before now, the company had offered free rides on its robotaxi while it is test-running the service. In addition, this is the first time the city is granting permission to a company to test fully driverless vehicles on the city’s roads. Previous tests involved having safety drivers behind the wheels.

Baidu was required to complete 50,000 kilometers (31,068 miles) of testing on local roads for its robotaxi before the permit to monetize the services was granted. However, the company disclosed that its fleet in Cangzhou was able to accumulate a staggering ~326,030 miles as of the beginning of March.

Baidu is also testing its robotaxi in Bejing and Changsha, the capital of China’s Hunan province. The firm is eyeing further expansion to 30 more cities within the next three years. Outside China, Baidu is also testing driverless vehicles in California.

Recall that AutoX a couple of months back shared a video of its robotaxi in action in China.

AutoX shares a video of its autonomous RoboTaxi in action in Shenzhen, China

Jed John Ikoba — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 00:27:35 +0000

In December last year, Alibaba-backed RoboTaxi company AutoX announced the commencement of test-run exercises for its driverless taxis in China. Just a few days ago, the company also disclosed that it will be running a pilot commercial program for the electric vehicle in Shenzhen, China.

We’ve now gotten our first glimpse of the Robotaxis in action. AutoX has released a new video in English demonstrating how the company’s autonomous robotaxi service works. Shenzhen is the 5th largest city in China and China’s tech hub. Thus, it is just apt that the first test run is carried out here. The video is impressive, showing the AutoX Chrysler Pacifica navigating left turns, going around parked vehicles, overtaking on two-lane roads, and stopping for pedestrians and cyclists. This qualifies the vehicle as Level 4 autonomous. All of this with no driver in the front seat.

The vehicles of AutoX are equipped with the startup’s proprietary vehicle control unit called XCU, which the company claims have faster processing speed and more computational capability to handle complex road scenarios. The video shows the car doesn’t exceed the speed limit of 40km/h. Those riding in the RoboTaxi are also able to speak to a customer support agent to ask any question that they wish to enquire about. The customer care agents will also be able to check the status of the vehicle in real-time to provide any necessary assistance

Since this is a pilot program, interested persons can sign up through the AutoX RoboTaxi registration page to join. Once selected, the pilot users can use the AutoX membership credits as well for the RoboTaxi rides.

AutoX launches its driverless RoboTaxi service in China

Sean — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 09:28:28 +0000

Earlier today (28th January 2021), AutoX officially launched its driverless taxi service, RoboTaxi, in China. The service is currently in its pilot program and is available to the public in Shenzhen.

Back in December 2020, AutoX had launched the service in the region for its final phase of testing. Now, the company is now fully open to the general public that can now book a completely autonomous RoboTaxi. The self driving taxis are capable of running on regular public roads in the city and can even take “unprotected left turns at busy intersections, makes side passes on streets, deals with a scooter running traffic lights, and more.”

At the moment, people interested in the pilot program can sign up through the AutoX RoboTaxi registration page. Once selected, the pilot users can use the AutoX membership credits as well for the RoboTaxi rides. Those riding in the RoboTaxi are also able to speak to a customer support agent to ask any question that they wish to enquire about. These customer care agents will also be able to check the status of the vehicle in real time to provide any necessary assistance.

For those unaware, AutoX has been conducting various trials and tests regarding its driverless taxi service in China since mid 2020. At the moment, the company advanced operations center that is built in Shanghai and other major cities. These sites are equipped with “ultra reliable Internet connectivity from multiple suppliers, fortified with fiber-optics, and supported by a back-up power system.”

Through this system, the company guarantees seemless passenger support and communications. Currently, AutoX is operating over 100 RoboTaxis in the cities of Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Wuhan. This has enabled it to accumulate vast miles of road data in the Asian cities, especially ones with a high population density that suffer from challenging urban traffic conditions as well.

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Amazon’s Zoox fully autonomous, all-electric Robotaxi unveiled

Jed John Ikoba — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 21:05:38 +0000

Only about six months back, Amazon announced the acquisition of self-driving startup Zoox, and today the company pulled the wraps off its first autonomous vehicle. Instead of following the pathway, several other tech firms such as AutoX have followed which is automating a standard car built with a human driver in mind, the Zoox robotaxi is built specifically for autonomous driving in dense urban environments.

The robotaxi is just 3.63 meters long which is quite compact. That is mostly because there is no luggage compartment or a front hood housing a sophisticated mechanical engine. Instead, Zoox robotaxi has a cabin-like design where four passengers sit facing each other in pairs.

The Zoox Fully Autonomous, All-electric Robotaxi adopts four-wheel steerings and bi-directional driving in that there is no front or rear side. The vehicle also doesn’t have a steering wheel.

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Despite its compact size, Zoox’s robotaxi can reach speeds up to 75 MPH. It’s powered by two individual battery packs that provide about 16 hours of run time before they need to recharge, so a single robotaxi should be able to do a day’s worth of work before it needs a power-up.

The carriage also has some unique safety features to go along with its unconventional design, including an airbag system specially built for its bi-directional design. Zoox says that all four seats get the equivalent of five-star crash safety protection. Meanwhile, the camera, LIDAR, and radar system provide a 270-degree field of view from all four corners of the robotaxi, which basically eliminates blind spots.

The tech start-up disclosed that the robotaxis are already being tested in Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Foster City, CA. We can’t say for now if riders can hail a ride on the robotaxi.

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Hyundai Motor to buy a controlling stake in U.S robotics firm Boston Dynamics

Jed John Ikoba — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 19:17:51 +0000

South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Group has agreed to buy a controlling stake in US robot firm, Boston Dynamics from SoftBank Group Corp in a deal worth $1.1 billion.

In a statement released on Friday (via), Hyundai said the purchase would fast track its expansion plans in the automation of its vehicle assembling processes in its factories and production of autonomous cars, drones, and robots, as it pursues transformation from a carmaker to a broader mobility service provider.

Hyundai said the deal, which involves a new share issue, would give the company and its Chief Executive a combined 80% stake in Boston Dynamics, with Softbank retaining 20%.

Newly promoted Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung sees the future business direction of the company would be a mix of traditional car manufacturing, robotics, and urban air transportation in the ratio of 50%:20%:30%.

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Chung will own a 20% stake in Boston Dynamics, while Hyundai Motor and its affiliates Hyundai Mobis and Hyundai Glovis will have a combined 60% holding in the new firm.

Softbank Group Chief Executive Masayoshi Son said the partnership with Hyundai Motor Group would accelerate the robot maker’s path to commercialization.

Boston Dynamics was an offshoot of Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1992 and has changed hands from MIT to Google in 2013 and then to SoftBank in 2017. It chalked up a net loss of $103 million in 2020, following declines from previous years. The transaction, subject to regulatory approvals and other considerations, is expected to be concluded by mid-2021.

For Hyundai Motor Group, this is the latest move in a seemingly well-choreographed lineup of deals under Chung, who had pledged to transform the automaker into a mobility provider.

Hyundai Motor Group announced in January 2020 that it had partnered with Uber to develop electric air taxis, although it would seem the venture was not productive, as Uber said this week it plans to sell its loss-making flying taxi unit to Joby Aviation.

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