Welcome to the Ride AI newsletter: your weekly digest of news and intelligence at the intersection of technology and transportation.
Hey reader! A lot of you had questions that we unfortunately couldn't get to during the last webinar. That's why we decided to add a new section to the newsletter: the Q&A section!
Simply submit your question in the comments of each newsletter, and we will answer them in the new Q&A section of each publication moving forward. Of course, we can't get to all the questions every week, and there may be a delay in answering as we try to find the answers, but we will try our best to get to each question.
The company, which was originally founded to focus on financing vehicles for ride-hailing drivers internationally, attracted Uber as the lead investor in its 2024 $100 million raise. It became Waymo's fleet operations partner in Phoenix and, soon, Miami. Now, Moove will purchase Waymo's AVs outright to operate in its own fleet. Estimates indicate a potential fleet size roughly double that of Waymo's current 1,500-vehicle fleet.
This could mark a significant shift in Waymo's unit economics. Until now, Waymo has had to spend its own capital to build and deploy its AVs. With Moove purchasing Waymo's AVs outright, this could be the first time Waymo will not need to spend its own capital to build new vehicles.
Details about where and how Moove will deploy its Waymo AVs are currently unknown, although one possible strategy could be to deploy them on Uber, similar to how Waymo currently operates on Uber in Atlanta and Austin.
The funding round is already oversubscribed and will close in the coming weeks.
The company currently operates a limited 30-vehicle service in Hamburg, Germany, with safety drivers. Last month, MOIA presented its series production vehicle. Now, with the vehicle in regular production, Volkswagen plans to sell it with the MOIA platform to transport providers.
MOIA integrates Volkswagen's ID.Buzz minivan with Mobileye's autonomous driving technology. Mobileye is an Israeli autonomous-driving technology developer that is majority-owned by Intel.
This is the second road testing permit WeRide has secured for its Robovan W5 autonomous logistics vehicle, following WeRide's previous road testing approval in Guangzhou's Nansha district.
On June 6, the Guangzhou Development District and Huangpu District jointly introduced a new set of policies that outlined plans to support the deployment of autonomous vehicles. Less than a month later, WeRide received the first permit to operate within the new policies, allowing the company to begin testing in the entire permitted area.
It is not currently known under what conditions WeRide will be allowed to test its delivery vehicles. However, WeRide says the L4 vehicle can operate under all weather conditions.
The company is partnering with local firm Emile Weber for the deployment of "multiple" autonomous vehicles, but did not disclose the number of vehicles in the deployment. Initial testing is happening in Lenningen, with more areas to come.
Emile Weber is a company specializing in providing mobility solutions for public and private transport needs, including taxis, rental vehicles, and vehicles for hire.
The company also announced that it is extending its road trip program to Philadelphia. While Waymo was in New York for data collection back in 2022, this is its first time setting tires in Philadelphia.
It's clear that the company is feeling more confident than ever about its self-driving technology and is increasing the pace at which it expands its operating domains. The next year should see interesting results in scaling as the AVs become available in more and more cities.
Artisanal, organic questions submitted by readers like you. Got a question? Comment below!
Q: Are Pony.ai AVs BEVs?
A: Yes and no. Like Zoox, Pony operates a mix of both gas and electric vehicles. To my knowledge, Pony runs gas hybrid vehicles in its Chinese fleets and electric vehicles in its international fleets. Other companies use gas vehicles, but for different purposes. Zoox runs plug-in gas hybrid Toyota Highlanders only for mapping, while their main fleet is electric. May Mobility runs gas hybrid Toyota Siennas in its consumer fleet (although I haven't checked recently if they've updated their fleet vehicles).
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!
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