Photo: Li Auto
Connected and Autonomous Vehicles:
😮 Michigan Sunk $67 Million Into Self-Driving Car Test Track. Now, Some Fear Bankruptcy. “Michigan spent at least $67 million to buy and equip a smart-car test track called the American Center for Mobility. The state has forgiven a $15 million loan to the company, and now documents say ACM can’t make payments on a $35 million state loan. The auto testing site – once expected to generate 2,000 jobs—is expected to ask the state to forgive the second loan.”
😟 Lidar Maker Luminar Lays off More Workers Following CEO Exit.
🔥 Musk Says Tesla’s Self-Driving Tests Will Be Geofenced to ‘The Safest’ Parts of Austin. “Using a geofence represents a major strategy shift for Elon Musk, who spent years claiming his company would be able to create a general-purpose self-driving solution that could be dropped in to any location and work without human supervision.”
🚛 Driverless Trucks Are Now Hauling Freight in Texas. “Aurora Innovation AUR -0.49%↓ launches commercial runs between Dallas and Houston, but the competition isn’t far behind in the race to automate trucking.”
🏛 Alphabet’s Waymo Wins Approval To Expand Driverless Ride-Hailing Service to San Jose. “The California Public Utilities Commission approved Waymo’s Passenger Safety Plan on Monday, clearing the way for expanded service.”
🚕 Waymo and Uber Are Giving Some Riders Early Access to Atlanta Robotaxi Service. “Waymo and Uber UBER 0.02%↑ will start offering robotaxi rides in Atlanta to select customers who earlier this year signed onto a waitlist. The move comes ahead of the companies’ public robotaxi launch this summer.”
📌 Waymo’s Driverless Taxis Will Face Some Unique Obstacles in Boston. “What do the cities where Waymo currently operates have in common? Snow isn’t a regular feature of the weather forecasts in L.A., Austin, Phoenix or San Francisco.”
🤞 China Unleashes Next-Gen EREVs With Jaw-Dropping 870-Mile Range and Hesai Lidar. Li Auto unveils its 2025 L-series EREVs, featuring Hesai ATL LiDAR technology. The updated models boast improved battery capacities, offering a total range exceeding 869 miles.”
