All posts tagged: autonomous

Waymo dominates autonomous vehicle registrations as Tesla trails behind

Waymo dominates autonomous vehicle registrations as Tesla trails behind

Published by skeptic

Waymo has nearly 600 autonomous vehicles registered in Texas, a figure that far outpaces emerging competitors Avride, Nuro, Tesla, and Zoox, according to data available in a new website launched by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. The automated vehicle tracker tool — part of a new law that requires AV companies to register with the DMV — gives the public the first accurate and easy-to-access accounting of how many autonomous vehicles are in Texas. The state law, which went into effect May 28, requires companies testing or deploying AVs in the state to share how many vehicles are in their fleets as well as other safety information. It also shows just how wide the gap is between Waymo and rival Tesla — two companies offering commercial robotaxi services. Alphabet-owned Waymo has registered 577 autonomous vehicles in Texas, followed by Avride with 317, and Nuro with 47. Tesla, which launched a robotaxi service in Austin last summer and has since said it has expanded to Dallas and Houston, has registered 42 autonomous vehicles. Other companies …

Robotaxi has the wrong momentum, but solar is doing GREAT

Robotaxi has the wrong momentum, but solar is doing GREAT

Published by skeptic

On today’s momentous episode of Quick Charge, we are all about momentum, with solid-state EV batteries gaining ground in China as wind and solar continuing to grow in the US while Tesla’s self-driving Robotaxi fleet, well – doesn’t. After some promising numbers in April, it looks like Tesla’s Robotaxi fleet is shrinking in May, with the overall fleet apparently plummeting into the single digit range if the data is to be believed. We’ve also got a low-cost Chinese EV packing semi solid-state batteries that’s in production TODAY, along with some good news from the wind and solar contingent. Today’s episode is sponsored by GM Energy. If you want to experience more resilience and control over your home energy, the GM Energy Home System adds stationary battery power for always-ready backup energy for your home, and the GM Energy PowerBank takes in energy from the grid and stores it for when you need it most. Learn more at gmenergy.gm.com. Source Links Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, and our RSS …

The state of clean trucking with Joe Annotti

The state of clean trucking with Joe Annotti

Published by skeptic

On this really quick episode of Quick Charge, we spend time with TRC Senior Director and ACT Expo co-founder Joe Annotti to talk about the state of clean trucking in 2026, incentive programs, and ever so briefly talk about why Autocar was my favorite OEM at this year’s show. We’ve got a roundup of the best, electric-only ACT Expo 2026 stories in the source links, below, along with one or two extra points Joe and I touched on during the interview. Enjoy! Source Links Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. New episodes of Quick Charge are (allegedly) recorded several times per week, most weeks. We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage podcast series. Advertisement – scroll for more content Got news? Let us know!Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help …

Robotaxi has the wrong momentum, but solar is doing GREAT

Sustainability, sustainability, and de-risking your fleet operations

Published by skeptic

On today’s sustainably-produced episode of Quick Charge, we explore some of the different types of sustainability available to us in the world of electrification, celebrate some big wind and solar wins, and take a minute to enjoy some schadenfreude. We’ve also got a quick take on the all-new Volvo EX60, a couple of new European additions to the V2H list, and we get around to talking about Tesla (if just a little) Today’s episode is sponsored by GM Energy. If you want to experience more resilience and control over your home energy, the GM Energy Home System adds stationary battery power for always-ready backup energy for your home, and the GM Energy PowerBank takes in energy from the grid and stores it for when you need it most. Click here to learn more. Source Links Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. Advertisement – scroll for more content New episodes of Quick Charge are (allegedly) recorded several times per week, most weeks. We’ll …

Elon promises FSD, but Einride has L4 autonomy for trucks TODAY

Elon promises FSD, but Einride has L4 autonomy for trucks TODAY

Published by skeptic

It’s a question of who is actually delivering product and who is just delivering promises on today’s delivery-heavy episode of Quick Charge! Is the tenth time a charm for Elon’s FSD, or will Einride CEO Roozbeh Charli steal his self-driving thunder? We’ve also got some concerning news about Tesla’s Actually Smart Summon app getting faster, a sneak peek at some upcoming affordable EVs from BMW, Stellantis, and Volvo, and a full interview discussing Amazon’s multimillion dollar middle mile deal with Einride CEO Roozbeh Charli. Today’s episode is sponsored by GM Energy. If you want to experience more resilience and control over your home energy, the GM Energy Home System adds stationary battery power for always-ready backup energy for your home, and the GM Energy PowerBank takes in energy from the grid and stores it for when you need it most. Learn more here. Source Links Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. Advertisement – scroll for more content New episodes of Quick Charge are …

Sennebogen shows off electric, autonomous material handler

Sennebogen shows off electric, autonomous material handler

Published by skeptic

German equipment brand Sennebogen recently demonstrated a semi-autonomous material handling solution that combines an electric wheeled excavator, mobile battery, and a mobile shredder to improve throughput and efficiency in European recycling plants. First shown at the IFAT 2026 equipment show inMunich, Sennebogen’s electric excavator and mobile shredder semi-autonomous combo allows the shredder to communicate directly with the excavator and its operators, allowing them to coordinate material input and help increase process stability and repetition. That inpot process of material shredding has historically relied heavily on operator experience – even then, variations in material composition can make it extremely difficult to ride the line between overfilling and underutilization. Sennebogen’s new, autonomous process allows the shredder to tell the operator when it can take more, or when it needs to slow down, so they can choose to increase, decrease, or evem pause inputs altogether, helping the shredder maintain a steady pace to decrease wear and tear on the shredder while maximizing material throughput. Advertisement – scroll for more content In practice, that means the Sennebogen delivers more peak performance and …

Establishing AI and data sovereignty in the age of autonomous systems

Establishing AI and data sovereignty in the age of autonomous systems

Published by skeptic

“Data is really a new currency; it’s the IP for many companies,” says Kevin Dallas, CEO of EDB, echoing a recurrent anxiety from customers. “The big concern is, if you’re deploying an AI-infused application with a cloud-based large language model, are you losing your IP? Are you losing your competitive position?” That question is now fueling a movement toward reclaiming both the data and AI systems that have rapidly become part of core business infrastructure. AI and data sovereignty, which refers to breaking dependence on centralized providers and establishing genuine control over models and data estates, it is an urgent priority for many companies, says Dallas, citing internal EDB data: “70% of global executives believe they need a sovereign data and AI platform to be successful.” The idea of AI sovereignty is becoming a global policy conversation. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang recently spoke about the need for such a shift at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting at Davos in January 2026: “I really believe that every country should get involved to build AI infrastructure, …

Waymo expands robotaxi coverage more than 20% — larger than Rhode Island

Waymo expands robotaxi coverage more than 20% — larger than Rhode Island

Published by skeptic

Waymo announced a major expansion of its autonomous robotaxi service area, growing to over 1,400 square miles across 11 US cities. That’s an estimated 27% increase from its previous coverage and more territory than the entire state of Rhode Island. The expansion starts in Miami, with Austin, Atlanta, Houston, and the San Francisco Bay Area up next for broader coverage. Growing within existing cities Notably, this isn’t about launching in new cities — Waymo already operates in all of these markets. The expansion is about growing the service area within cities where Waymo has already proven the model works. Based on the most recent data available, Waymo’s total coverage was estimated at roughly 1,100 square miles as of April 2026. The city-by-city breakdown looked approximately like this: Advertisement – scroll for more content Phoenix at ~315 square miles San Francisco Bay Area at ~260 square miles Austin at ~90–130 square miles Los Angeles at ~120 square miles Atlanta at ~65 square miles Miami at ~60 square miles Orlando at ~60 square miles San Antonio at …

Humble Hauler autonomous trailer takes the truck out of trucking

Humble Hauler autonomous trailer takes the truck out of trucking

Published by skeptic

The startup that dares to ask, “Why does the Macbook driving my freight around need a whole cab?” just showed off a fully driverless, cab-less, and truck-less battery-electric freight platform designed to handle containerized cargo more efficiently than ever. Instead of looking at the tractor and asking how to make it work without a driver, Humble looked at the trailer, itself, redesigning the container chassis as a vehicle from the ground up. The end result isn’t just an autonomous solution, it’s an overall lighter platform without a cab that saves shippers the weight of a sleeper cab, a day cab, or the truck at all. The Humble approach is said to improve payload efficiency of shipping containers, and intended for dock-to-dock operation. “I have dedicated my career to building electric and autonomous vehicle technology,” explains Eyal Cohen, Humble Robotics’ founder and CEO. “For the first time, freight can be fully automated all the way to the loading dock. We are making freight sustainable, safe and efficient in a way no one thought was possible. And we’re doing it …

Rivian (RIVN) mulls making its own lidar as it builds full autonomous driving stack

Rivian (RIVN) mulls making its own lidar as it builds full autonomous driving stack

Published by skeptic

Rivian is considering manufacturing its own lidar sensors in the United States, potentially through a partnership with Chinese firms, as the EV maker aggressively vertically integrates its entire autonomous driving stack. The move would add in-house lidar production to an autonomy strategy that already includes custom silicon chips and proprietary AI software — positioning Rivian as one of the most vertically integrated players in autonomous driving outside of Tesla and Waymo. Rivian eyes domestic lidar production According to a Reuters exclusive, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe confirmed the company is in “active discussions” with lidar firms about producing sensors domestically rather than buying directly from Chinese suppliers. The rationale is straightforward: Chinese companies like Hesai Group and RoboSense dominate the market for affordable, compact lidar sensors. But buying directly from Chinese suppliers raises national security concerns among U.S. lawmakers, creating supply chain risk for any automaker relying on the technology. Advertisement – scroll for more content Scaringe told Reuters that “all the real choices are coming out of China” at the price point automakers need — …