5 articles
Micro-AMFI is partnering with Portuguese engineering firm CEiiA to manufacture the BEN micro-vehicle at its Turin facility alongside the Microlino. The collaboration aims to build critical mass for Europe's nascent electric micro-vehicle sector as the continent races to establish domestic EV supply chains independent of Asian dominance.
Uber sold its autonomous vehicle division in December 2020 and now relies on partnerships with Wayve, Rivian, and Chinese AV firms. The shift mirrors a global industry divide between vertically integrated developers like Tesla and platform operators aggregating third-party technology. Equity investments in partners give Uber technology access without R&D costs but create dependency on external timelines.
Vehicle manufacturers across global markets are installing Level 2++ autonomous driving systems as standard equipment in 2025-2026 production lines. The systems handle steering, acceleration, and braking with driver supervision, bridging traditional Level 2 assistance and full Level 3 autonomy. Simultaneous deployment across multiple vehicle lines marks the largest autonomous system rollout to date.
Companies developing self-driving vehicles are rejecting the opaque neural networks used in current driver assistance systems, shifting to verifiable vision models designed for full autonomy. The pivot comes as road accidents kill 2 million people worldwide each year, with existing automation failing to reduce fatalities. Waabi and XPeng lead deployments of production systems built for regulatory approval across international markets.
Waymo contracted Avis Budget Group to manage its Dallas autonomous vehicle fleet, marking a strategic shift from in-house operations to specialized partnerships. The model mirrors automotive industry patterns where manufacturers outsource non-core functions, potentially setting standards as Chinese, European, and US robotaxi operators scale globally. Texas's permissive AV regulations contrast sharply with stricter frameworks in EU markets and parts of Asia.