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Now, Here’s What You Need To Know Today.
I tried the Zoox toaster-shaped robotaxi with some robotaxi engineers.
In early August, I was able to take a short hop over to Las Vegas to try Zoox’s newest public robotaxi deployment. Only a predetermined demo loop was available for this deployment, with two variations: A short demo loop that encircles the Resorts World property, and a long loop that takes passengers on a roughly 30 minute joyride down the Las Vegas strip.
For the video, we tried the longer route during mid-day. Unfortunately, we experienced a few hiccups that led to a less than ideal experience… although I did receive a tip that the software running on the demo loop vehicles may be an earlier version rather than the latest and greatest. On the other hand, I did enjoy the vehicle interior more than I thought I would, lack of backpack storage not-withstanding.
Either way, it’s the public’s first exposure to how Zoox is doing, so give the video a watch and let me know what you think in the comments!
The Boring Company is finally testing Tesla’s Full Self-Driving in its Las Vegas tunnels.
According to Fortune, Steve Hill, CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, told the outlet that tests are being conducted in Tesla vehicles with only safety drivers onboard, but that widespread use of the tech is still “a ways off.”
The Tesla tunnels have been open for around four years, and while The Boring Company has plans to expand them across Las Vegas, they currently serve a small area underneath and around the Convention Center. Despite Tesla’s recent launch of small-scale, invite-only robotaxi services in Austin and San Francisco, and Musk’s boasting about the technology, Hill said safety drivers still have to “periodically” intervene and take control of the vehicles.
In theory, the simple tunnels should be an easy task for Tesla’s FSD to solve, with perhaps the greatest challenge being navigating passenger pick-up and drop-off at the various underground stations. Reality is a different matter, however. Hill said the colorful lighting of The Boring Company’s tunnels, along with the semi-smooth rock walls, have been challenges that the driver assistance system has had to cope with as the cars “find spots that are difficult for them.” This will be obvious for those who regularly use FSD in Teslas, as the system’s cameras often report themselves as being “blinded” by smooth concrete highway dividers.
Stellantis has shelved its Level 3 driver-assistance program as it downscales software ambitions.
The automaker put the program on ice due to high costs, technological challenges, and concerns about consumer appetite, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters. As recently as February, Stellantis said its in-house AutoDrive system was ready for deployment and a key pillar of its strategy, promising drivers could temporarily watch movies, catch up on emails, or read books with hands off the wheel and eyes off the road under certain conditions.
That Level 3 software was never launched, though Stellantis stopped short of saying the program was canceled. “What was unveiled in February 2025 was L3 technology for which there is currently limited market demand, so this has not been launched, but the technology is available and ready to be deployed,” a spokesperson said. The three sources, however, said the program is not expected to be deployed.
The strategic shift is the latest sign that Stellantis has struggled to execute on its tech ambitions. The automaker is now increasingly relying on suppliers to deliver software it hoped to keep in-house, four people familiar with the matter said. Stellantis said it is leaning on aiMotive, a tech startup it acquired in 2022, to deliver the next generation of AutoDrive, though it declined to say when that program would be ready or if it would include Level 3 capability.
Baidu will launch its European robotaxi business in Zurich starting in 2026.
The company is set to establish a presence in Zurich to launch driverless vehicles in Europe, announced Yong Gessner, the European head of Baidu’s Intelligent Driving Group, in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung on Monday. While the company sees potential for Switzerland in the peripheral regions, there will be no robotaxis in the city of Zurich itself, where Baidu’s European division is based.
The company aims to cooperate with an established local mobility partner. While the Wall Street Journal reported that Postbus is to be the local partner in Switzerland, Gessner would only confirm that Baidu is in talks with several potential partners.
The company is planning for vehicles to be operating in Switzerland and Europe as early as next year, initially with safety drivers involved. The cars must complete a certain number of kilometers before being approved for commercial operation. Baidu is already operating vehicles specially designed for robotaxi use in several Chinese cities under the Apollo Go brand, though it is unclear if it will continue operating under that brand in Europe.
In this week’s Waymo news…
One of the company’s co-CEOs, Tekedra Mawakana, stated earlier this week that by the end of 2026, Waymo expects to be offering around one million rides per week. The company currently gives around 250 thousand rides a week and maintains a fleet of over 800 vehicles in the San Francisco Bay Area alone, with over 2,000 vehicles across its entire fleet. This implies that the company expects its scale to quadruple over the next year.
Mawakana further states that Waymo is also no longer supply constrained, implying the company believes its 800 vehicle fleet in San Francisco is enough to serve its current ridership in that area. She said also said that the service’s higher price point is appropriate as it is meant to be more lux, and is not trying to compete with normal ride hailing tiers like UberX or Lyft’s standard service.
Mawakana also confirmed that the company is committed to continue building on its ride vehicle co-developed with Chinese Zeekr, despite the uncertain tariff implications, and that the company will offer multiple “tiers” of vehicles tailored to specific use cases, such as a more luxurious vehicle for dates nights, a larger vehicle for “soccer team experiences” (likely in reference to the Zeekr RT), or a smaller vehicle for more dense cities in Europe.
The company’s other co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov posted a video showcasing a Waymo navigating through Phoenix, Arizona during an intense dust storm known as a haboob. Amongst the obstacles the vehicle encountered were downed power lines, trees, and traffic pile-ups.
In Other News…
Questions and Answers
Artisanal questions asked by you, the reader, answered by your’s truly. Got a question? Email me or leave it down below!
Q: I live in New York. When will I be able to take a Waymo?
A: The answer to that is currently unknown. Waymo has only just received New York’s first autonomous testing permit, but it still requires a safety driver behind the wheel for now. Waymo does face an uphill battle in New York. Pedestrians and narrow, unpredictable streets will pose challenges, as well as New York’s political climate around driverless vehicles. We will have to see how it all shakes out.
Alright, that’s it from me… until next week. If you enjoy this newsletter, share it with your friend, colleague, or boss. Thank you for reading; Sophia out!
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