Wayve has locked in a commercial partnership with Mercedes-Benz to integrate the startup's automated driving technology into at least one model set to be deployed within the next two years. The product is a Level 2 system, meaning it handles certain driving manoeuvres but still requires the human driver to remain engaged.
The Mercedes-Benz deal follows similar partnerships with Nissan and Stellantis. Wayve has also announced a partnership with Nissan and Uber to launch a robotaxi service in Tokyo.
Separately, Waymo's commercial robotaxi ramp-up appears expansive by geographic reach and ridership, but vehicle registration data shows the company is concentrating its efforts in two states. About 80% of Waymo's roughly 4,000 robotaxis are in California and Texas, and its Texas fleet has grown by more than 49% in the past three weeks.
Aurora, which develops and commercialises self-driving trucks, is focused on Texas but has a wide range of partners. CEO Chris Urmson said the company has "emerged from the building stage." Aurora said it is targeting more than 30,000 driverless trucks in operation by 2030 and plans to have more than 200 driverless trucks by the end of the year.
Zoox grounded its autonomous vehicle test fleet in Atlanta after safety drivers were potentially exposed to carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, or hydrogen sulfide gas inside its vehicles last month. Zoox says it only ever found evidence of CO2 in the vehicles. The repeated incidents led one worker to file a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which opened an inquiry and told Zoox to investigate the exposures.