Autonomous Vehicles
Kongsberg lands contract boost to expand underwater drone capabilities
Kongsberg Gruppen ASA will supply autonomous underwater vehicles and associated components under a $54 million...
Category
Autonomous Vehicles
Self-driving cars, trucks, and aerial systems.
Self-driving is two stories: the long, capital-intensive push to driverless taxis and trucks on public roads, and the parallel maturation of aerial autonomy.
Both are gated by safety validation, not just model capability.
Latest autonomous vehicles news
Autonomous Vehicles
Northrop Grumman wins $56 million deal to upgrade Triton surveillance drone
Northrop Grumman will upgrade a single U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton maritime surveillance drone under a...
Autonomous Vehicles
China showcases world’s first catapult-capable drone carrier; stealth UAV completes takeoff, landing
China has showcased its new amphibious assault ship, which is also the world’s first catapult-capable...
Autonomous Vehicles
Embraer's Atech aims to double in size by 2030 with drone traffic control
Read as A stated timeline is a plan, not a commitment; this field has a long record of schedules slipping by years.
Autonomous Vehicles
Podcast: Rivian earnings, Waymo partners with Toyota, Ford bets on V2H for Fathom, and more
In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we’ll discuss Rivian’s earnings, Waymo partnering with Toyota, Ford betting on V2H for the Fathom electric pickup truck, and more. more…
Autonomous Vehicles
Waymo picks Toyota bZ4X as its next robotaxi, starting in Japan in 2027
Waymo is adding the Toyota bZ4X to its robotaxi lineup. Toyota will build a custom version of the electric SUV with the Waymo Driver integrated right on the line in Japan, and a test fleet will start operating there in 2027. It’s the first actual vehicle to come out of the partnership the two companies signed last year. And it gives Waymo a Japanese-built car for its Tokyo launch, with the UK and…
Autonomous Vehicles
Waymo taps Toyota to supply robotaxis for Japan and the UK
Waymo will begin testing self-driving versions of Toyota's electric bZ4X vehicles in Japan next year as part of a broader partnership with the automaker.
Autonomous Vehicles
Toyota and Waymo Advance Autonomous Driving Collaboration for Safer Streets and Freedom of Movement for All
Toyota and Waymo to begin scaling fleet of Toyota bZ4X autonomous vehicles in Japan in 2027, paving the way for the country’s first domestically manufactured fully autonomous ride-hailing service.
Autonomous Vehicles
Ex-Tesla Autopilot head calls vision-only a ‘weird religious stance’
GM Chief Product Officer Sterling Anderson, who ran Tesla’s Autopilot program in 2015 and 2016, says dropping radar for a camera-only self-driving system is “a weird religious stance that ignores physics.” It’s the bluntest rebuke of Tesla’s vision-only bet yet from someone who helped build the original Autopilot. And it lands while Tesla is pushing camera-only Cybercabs into driverless service…
Autonomous Vehicles
FCC Opens 50 MHz of Cellular Spectrum for Drone Operations
New rules remove a decades-old restriction on airborne use of the 800 MHz Cellular band. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted on October 29 to remove a longstanding restriction on drone use of the 800 MHz Cellular band. The decision opens 50 megahertz of licensed spectrum for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The new rules allow […]
Autonomous Vehicles
Zipline Announces Quieter Drone Deliveries as Communities Raise Noise Concerns
New flight software reduces modeled sound exposure by 68%, addressing a growing concern as drone delivery expands into residential areas. Drone delivery company Zipline has announced new flight technology designed to make its aircraft quieter. The update comes as some drone delivery operators face growing community concerns about noise and other impacts on residential neighborhoods. […]
Read as Announced, not audited: round sizes come from the company, and a raise is capital in, not revenue or deployments.
Autonomous Vehicles
Spy drone integrated with mortar rounds, grenades can conduct long-range strikes
A German company has made upgradation to its long range drone. Called Reliant, the drone’s...
Autonomous Vehicles
Self-adjusting drone controls could make for smoother formation flying
A new method for controlling groups of drones, technically known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), could make formation flying smoother and reduce energy consumption and mechanical wear, according to research in the International Journal of Systems, Control and Communications. The work combines fuzzy logic processing with a self-adjusting control system, known as a self-coupling…
Autonomous Vehicles
New State Drone Laws Create Patchwork of Restrictions, Raising Concerns for Operators
New restrictions in California, Arizona, and Alabama highlight differences in state regulations and raise questions about federal airspace authority. By DRONELIFE Features Editor Jim Magill As states and local municipalities push to impose regulations to protect event venues from unwanted UAV incursions, drone operators and industry advocates are concerned that the new rules are creating […]
Autonomous Vehicles
Tesla’s rocket-shaped Robotaxi map in Houston is partly ‘fake’
Tesla’s new rocket-shaped Robotaxi service area in Houston includes parts of downtown where the service won’t actually pick you up, according to Ethan McKanna, the creator of Robotaxi Tracker and former Tesla employee. McKanna rode the service after Monday’s expansion and called Houston “by far the most egregious ‘fake’ AV service area” he has seen. One trip quote had him spending about 40…
Autonomous Vehicles
XQ-67A drone test advances US Air Force plans for uncrewed combat aircraft
The US Air Force’s XQ-67A uncrewed aircraft has demonstrated integrated mission systems and beyond-line-of-sight data...
Autonomous Vehicles
From private equity to precision strikes: How Lithuania's PDKinematics is rethinking drone warfare
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, former private equity fund manager Rapolas Markevičius decided to put his experience to work in a very different industry: defence technology. Today,...
Autonomous Vehicles
NATO Nations Gain Faster Access to Combat-Proven Danish Drones Through New Procurement Agreement
Sky-Watch’s RQ-35 Heidrun, deployed in Ukraine and other conflict zones, is now available to participating NATO nations through a streamlined procurement framework. Danish drone manufacturer Sky-Watch has been selected as a supplier under a framework agreement with the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA). The agreement gives participating NATO nations a faster, more direct way […]
Autonomous Vehicles
Kodiak lands first commercial deal to supply driverless trucks for public highways
The deal with DTL Transport puts it on a path to become an an asset-light tech supplier, rather than owner and operator.
Autonomous Vehicles
FCC Touts Industry Support for Opening 800 MHz Cellular Spectrum to Drones
Ahead of an October 29 vote, the FCC highlights backing from drone manufacturers, wireless carriers, and industry groups for removing longstanding restrictions on drone communications. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has highlighted broad industry support for a proposed rule change that would allow commercial drones to use additional cellular spectrum. In an October 27 announcement,…
Autonomous Vehicles
Insect-inspired flying robot bounces back after collisions
Flying insects, such as fruit flies, bees, dragonflies and mosquitoes, can dart through narrow spaces and survive collisions with various objects. In contrast, many flying robots fall, suffer damage or even break down when they hit nearby surfaces or objects.
Autonomous Vehicles
Waymo adds nearly 250 square miles of robotaxi coverage in 5 cities
Waymo is growing its driverless service area by nearly 250 square miles over the next week, spread across Los Angeles, Nashville, Orlando, San Diego, and the San Francisco Bay Area. That’s about as big as Tesla’s entire Houston Robotaxi geofence after this week’s expansion, and Waymo is adding it in cities where it already runs with nobody in the driver’s seat. more…
Autonomous Vehicles
Korean police book 80 Tesla drivers over illegal FSD unlock devices
Seoul police have booked 80 people for using aftermarket devices to switch on Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” in cars that aren’t allowed to run it in South Korea. Officers also seized 21 of the devices. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced the case on Tuesday. It’s the largest enforcement action yet against the FSD “jailbreak” hardware that has spread through China, Europe, and Korea over…
Autonomous Vehicles
Musk declares Tesla Robotaxi win over Waymo, but Waymo still drives 7x more
Elon Musk says Tesla’s Robotaxi race against Waymo “was never a real contest” after Tesla’s driverless fleet logged 438,000 miles in Austin in a single week, edging past Waymo’s 406,000 weekly average in the city. That’s one city, one week, and a Waymo figure that’s four months old. Across the US, Waymo still drives about seven times more driverless miles than Tesla every week. more…
Autonomous Vehicles
Embotech and BMW move 1M vehicles with automated driving technology
Embotech is automatically moving 3,500 vehicles around the clock daily across four BMW sites in the U.K. and Germany.
Autonomous Vehicles
ABZ Innovation Launches C30 Industrial Spray Drone in Hungary
The European-built drone cleans steel structures, tanks, silos and wind turbines from the air. In field work in Hungary, it removed years of hardened industrial buildup using water alone. ABZ Innovation launched the C30, an industrial water jetting drone built for heavy cleaning work at height, on October 23, 2026. The Szentendre, Hungary company develops […]
Autonomous Vehicles
As U.S. Drone Manufacturing Accelerates, Faster Technology Integration Becomes Critical
Suntek Thermal’s IR-1 NX platform helps UAV and counter-UAS manufacturers reduce development time by simplifying thermal imaging and onboard AI integration. The push to expand U.S. drone manufacturing is placing new demands on aircraft developers. Manufacturers must bring new systems to market quickly while adding capabilities such as thermal imaging, onboard artificial intelligence, and advanced…
Autonomous Vehicles
This startup’s self-driving excavators help dig up $600M in new funding
Bedrock Robotics, which is now valued at $4.1 billion, is particularly focused on autonomous excavators, in part because of a growing shortage of skilled operators.
Autonomous Vehicles
Tesla makes another joke of its Robotaxi geofence expansion
Tesla expanded its Robotaxi service area in Houston today, and it shaped the new geofence like a rocket. Plenty of people on X see something else in it, which is fair given the phallic Austin map Tesla posted in 2025. It’s a cute nod to Houston’s space history. It’s also a service area drawn for a meme, and Robotaxi Tracker counts only 34 driverless Model Ys to cover it. more…
Autonomous Vehicles
Michigan Awards $1.7 Million for 12 Advanced Air Mobility Projects
The pilots range from drone organ delivery in Ann Arbor to a drone as first responder program in Battle Creek, with most of the projects based in Detroit. The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) has selected 12 advanced air mobility projects for $1.7 million in funding. […]
Autonomous Vehicles
FCC Seeks Input on Simplifying Satellite Communications Rules for Drones
Agency considers whether existing satellite licensing requirements adequately address unmanned aircraft operations The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is considering changes to its satellite communications rules that could simplify access for drone operators. The agency is seeking public comment on whether existing regulations adequately address unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and whether…
Autonomous Vehicles
Estonian Drone Autonomy Startup Advances to Anduril AI Grand Prix Finals
Remānguys places among the top teams in a global competition testing autonomous drone navigation without human pilots. Estonian drone autonomy company Remānguys has qualified for the finals of the AI Grand Prix, a global autonomous drone racing competition organized by Anduril Industries and the Drone Champions League. The Tallinn-based company finished ninth in the physical […]
Autonomous Vehicles
Volkswagen gets L3 autonomous driving test permit in China, eyes 2027
Volkswagen Group China now has a permit to test Level 3 autonomous driving on public roads in Hefei, and it says testing is already underway. The permit also covers large-scale driving data collection in the city. It’s the latest step toward VW’s goal of L3 technology readiness in China by 2027. And the timing is good as the group holds its first China Technology Day in Hefei on Wednesday. more…
Autonomous Vehicles
Tesla turns to Turo to boost adoption of Full Self-Driving (Supervised)
Eligible Turo hosts will also get a one-month free trial of Tesla's FSD software.
Autonomous Vehicles
Feds want robotaxis to signal ‘I’m driving’ with cyan-colored lights
After years of debating how driverless cars should tell the world no one is at the wheel - flashing text, audio alerts, custom lights - the feds just stepped in with a single answer: cyan. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released proposed changes to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, specifically rewriting the rules to fit autonomous vehicles. It's a mix of…
Autonomous Vehicles
Amazon Drone Delivery Plan Faces State Review as Massachusetts Residents Organize
MassDOT says Amazon needs state approval for its Westborough facility, while a grassroots organization pushes for greater community involvement in drone delivery decisions. Amazon’s proposed Prime Air drone delivery operation in Westborough, Massachusetts, faces additional regulatory review as residents organize to address the impact of commercial drone flights on their communities. In an October…
Autonomous Vehicles
Wayve, Stellantis, and NVIDIA Join French Government on AV Deployment
Wayve, Stellantis, and NVIDIA announced a collaboration with the French Government on October 23, 2026, focused on advancing the deployment of autonomous vehicles in France and accelerating the technology's development across the European Union. The announcement was made at the Assises du Véhicule Autonome in Paris. Wayve, a London-based developer of embodied AI for driving, said the initiative…
