Today's Automotive Pulse
Waymo halts Atlanta robotaxi service after flood‑stranded vehicle
Waymo temporarily stopped its driverless taxi operations in Atlanta after a robotaxi entered a flooded street and became immobilized. The incident occurred despite a recent software recall that added flood‑risk restrictions, highlighting a gap in the safety measures. The flash flooding happened before any National Weather Service alerts were issued.
Also developing:
By the numbers: LTM Ltd acquires Randstad’s Europe and Australia units for $186M
Ford Nears Sale of Valencia Plant Space to Geely for European EV Production
Ford is preparing to sell the Body 3 assembly hall at its Valencia plant to Chinese automaker Geely, freeing up unused capacity and giving Geely a foothold for European EV production. The deal would let Geely start building its Galaxy EX2 crossover and other BEVs on the GEA platform, while Ford seeks a cash boost and better utilization of its 300,000‑vehicle annual capacity.
XPENG Starts Mass Production of L4 Robotaxi in Guangzhou
XPENG announced the start of mass production for its Level‑4 robotaxi in Guangzhou, marking the first time a Chinese automaker has built a robotaxi entirely in‑house. The vehicle runs on the GX platform, uses four self‑developed Turing AI chips delivering...
Yijing X9 New Model Scheduled to Hit the Market in Q3
Yijing’s X9 electric SUV is slated for a Q3 2026 market debut after its global premiere at Auto China 2026. The model runs on Huawei’s Chitu platform, featuring the HUAWEI XMC digital chassis engine, HarmonySpace 6 cockpit, Qiankun ADS 5 driver‑assist system,...
Brembo, NBHX to Form Joint Venture to Accelerate Intelligent Braking Systems in China
Brembo and Ningbo Huaxiang (NBHX) have signed a joint‑venture to bring Brembo’s Sensify™ intelligent braking platform to China. The partnership will localize manufacturing and accelerate deployment of brake‑by‑wire technology for software‑defined vehicles. Sensify, a dry‑brake‑by‑wire system with adaptable software, is...
Honda Cars to Leverage Synergies with HMSI to Drive Growth in India
Honda Cars India announced a strategy to deepen collaboration with Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) to boost cost competitiveness and expand its customer base. The plan includes launching a new digital‑marketing venture, HDII, to cross‑sell to HMSI’s roughly six...
As Tata, Stellantis Team up for All-New Jeep, a Throwback to the Alliance Journey
Stellantis and Tata Motors have announced a joint development of a new global Jeep model, marking the latest phase of their two‑decade partnership. The collaboration builds on the Ranjangaon plant in Pune, which already produces right‑hand‑drive Jeep Compass for markets...
SK On Takes Full Control of Its Tennessee Battery Plant
SK On has taken full ownership of its Tennessee EV‑battery plant, ending the BlueOval SK joint venture with Ford. The Kentucky facilities were transferred to Ford, while SK On rebranded the Tennessee site as SK On Tennessee. The restructuring is expected to cut...
New York Awards $6 Million for Vehicle-Grid Integration Projects
New York State’s energy agency NYSERDA has allocated more than $6 million to seven vehicle‑grid integration projects. The funding supports bidirectional charging, managed charging, wireless charging and thermal storage pilots ranging from electric refuse trucks to Manhattan‑based charging platforms. The largest...
Stellantis and Wayve Partner to Bring AI-Powered Hands-Free Driving by 2028
Stellantis announced a strategic partnership with AI‑driving startup Wayve to embed Wayve’s AI Driver into its STLA AutoDrive platform. The collaboration targets supervised hands‑free Level 2++ functionality for both city streets and highways, with the first production‑ready integration slated for North...
UK EV Model Choice Rises From 14 to 167 in Decade
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reports that UK electric‑vehicle model choices have surged from 14 in 2016 to 167 in 2026, representing 40.9% of all car models. Electrified powertrains now appear in 83.6% of UK models, while zero‑emission...
Bliq.ai Wins Approval for Fully Driverless Road Operations in Estonia
Bliq.ai has secured the first EU approval to operate fully driverless cars on public roads in Estonia, allowing remote‑supervised trips without a driver in the vehicle. The company already runs about a dozen autonomous vehicles, which it claims form Europe’s...
CATL Launches Autonomous Robot for On-Demand EV Charging
CATL Unveils #Autonomous #Robot That Drives to Your #EV for On-Demand Charging by @IntEngineering #Robotics #Engineering #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/8OrOPNF52y
India Considers $1 Billion Incentives for Private Electric Buses and Trucks
India is weighing a more than $1 billion incentive package to accelerate private‑sector adoption of electric buses and trucks. The proposed ten‑year scheme would initially support 10,000 vehicles, with scope to expand to 40,000‑50,000, focusing on inter‑city bus operators. Incentives include...
Wayve, Uber, Waymo Line up for UK Self-Driving Pilot
The UK Department for Transport has opened applications for operators to launch self‑driving taxi, bus and private‑hire services, marking the first legislation permitting commercial autonomous passenger transport on public roads. Applicants must secure rigorous safety and cyber‑security approvals and obtain...
Xpeng Takes 90.1% of Erajaya’s EV Manufacturing Arm
Chinese EV maker Xpeng has acquired a 90.1% stake in PT Era Industri Otomotif (EIDO), the manufacturing arm of Indonesia’s PT Sinar Eka Selaras. The transaction, effective May 13 2026, involved Xpeng investing roughly US$8.6 million for a controlling interest, while SES retains...