AI-defined vehicles are coming: what automakers must do now to stay ahead

Industry News

While electrification and connectivity grab auto tech headlines, some believe AI is the real game-changer. In this guest opinion piece, exclusive to Just Auto, Dipti Vachani, SVP and GM, Automotive Line of Business, Arm (a UK-based semiconductors company), outlines the transformative implications of the rise of the ‘AI-defined vehicle’. While electrification and connectivity have shaped recent automotive advancements, artificial intelligence (AI) is the real game-changer. This is not just another car feature; it’s the catalyst for the next wave of automotive transformation called the AI-defined vehicle era. Where software-defined vehicles (SDVs) centralize control and deploy updates from the cloud to the car, AI-defined vehicles go even further, embedding intelligence directly into real-time decision-making loops across every domain and application. These systems don’t just run software, but actively learn from their environments, personalizing the driving and passenger experience. Whether it’s an intuitive driving system that adjusts to the environment to support safety, an interactive in-vehicle assistant that can help organize your day, or intelligent vehicle system controls that optimize energy and efficiency based on load and road conditions, drivers have come to expect safer, smarter, AI-defined experiences. Working closely with global automakers and Tier 1s over the past few years, it’s quickly become clear that the transition to AI-defined vehicles is not theoretical. It’s happening now. In fact, 75% of global automakers plan to integrate generative AI into vehicles by the end of 2025, according to research from PYMNTS. The question among industry leaders is no longer if AI will drive the next generation of vehicles, but how quickly it can be scaled in a safe and secure manner. For OEMs, this presents not just a shift in vehicle capabilities, but in development philosophy, with AI-defined vehicles demanding a new kind of compute foundation and collaborative model. Those who don’t move quickly risk falling behind in safety, experience, and brand relevance. Here are three strategic focuses that OEMs must prioritize to lead in the era of AI-defined vehicles. Hardware matters: Compute at the edge For new AI-defined vehicle capabilities to work seamlessly, automakers need compute that is immediate, reliable and secure. This is why more AI is being pushed to the edge – in the vehicle – as opposed to the cloud that requires constant connectivity. Whether detecting a pedestrian or responding to voice commands, AI-defined vehicles need to respond in real-time without compromising battery life. This requires a heterogenous compute approach that blends compute engines to manage the diversity of AI tasks in the car, so the right processor handles the right workload. For example, CPUs are best at real-time safety critical decision and logic, GPUs for parallel workloads like computer vision, and AI accelerators for deep learning tasks. Alongside heterogenous compute, AI-defined vehicles need scalable architecture across the hardware that allows OEMs to reuse software stacks and development pipelines across trim levels and model variants. This reduces development time and ensures AI applications and features are accessible across a broad range of vehicles, from entry-level to premium high-end luxury. Finally, as vehicles become more intelligent, hardware needs to remain secure and fail-safe. Safety-critical features that are enhanced by AI, such as braking, steering, and navigation, must comply with rigorous standards like ISO 26262 and ISO/SAE 21434 to ensure resilience and trust. Alongside these built-in safety and cybersecurity standards, hardware platforms must include safety islands, redundancy, secure boot, and memory isolation to protect against both malfunction and malicious attacks. The software stack: Faster, more accurate decision-making Hardware is only one part of the puzzle. To deliver truly intelligent AI-defined vehicles, OEMs need cohesive software stacks that support AI development from cloud to car. Traditional modular AI development – with separate models for detection, segmentation, classification, and control – is moving towards end-to-end software stacks that integrate everything from model training to deployment. These models are trained on massive datasets of real-world driving behavior and can directly map sensor inputs to control outputs. The result: faster, more accurate, and more adaptable decision-making, alongside reduced engineering effort. Virtual prototyping: accelerated development cycles Traditionally, vehicle design and development were tied to the physical availability of silicon. That model no longer works in an AI-first world. The availability of silicon-free prototyping transforms the design process for the automotive ecosystem, as they don’t need to wait for the physical silicon to be in production. This significantly accelerates the development and deployment of silicon and software in AI-defined vehicles for a far quicker time-to-market. Enabling this early development is critical to keeping pace with the exponential growth in AI capabilities and evolving models. A new era of automotive innovation The opportunities that lie ahead for OEMs are significant. OEMs that embrace AI-defined design and development today will be the ones setting the standard for innovation, safety, and user experience tomorrow. The AI-defined vehicle isn’t a vision of the future, it’s already in motion. For automotive OEMs, now is the time to act. By Dipti Vachani, SVP and GM, Automotive Line of Business, Arm Dipti Vachani Senior Vice President and General Manager, Automotive Line of Business Dipti leads the organization responsible for delivering Arm-based solutions that drive new opportunities in automotive. Previously, Dipti served as Vice President and General Manager of the Product Management and Customer Enablement division in the IoT Group at Intel. At Texas Instruments, Dipti held several leadership positions and led the creation of the company’s Sitara brand of Arm MPUs. Dipti is on the Women’s Leadership Council for the Global Semiconductor Association. She holds a BS in Computer Engineering from Texas A&M, an Executive MBA degree from the University of Texas, and is a graduate of the Executive Education programs at Stanford, Harvard, and Cambridge business schools.

Bosch Bulgaria won 7 awards from Career Show Awards 2025

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Sofia – Bosch Engineering Center Sofia (Bosch ECS) was awarded a gold prize in the “Best Employer – IT” category in the prestigious Career Show Awards 2025 contest for the fourth consecutive year. This recognition strengthens the company’s position as a leading employer in the IT sector in Bulgaria and emphasizes its sustainable policy in human development and creating an innovative working environment. Along with the gold award, Bosch ECS won two more silver awards – in the “Best Employer” and “Training and Development Strategy” categories. They reflect the company’s consistent work to build a long-term human resources strategy aimed at supporting associates, developing their skills and creating conditions for sustainable professional growth. For the first time, Bosch Digital also participated in the contest and was also among the awarded employers. The company won gold in the “Rebranding Strategy” category, which is a recognition of the successful transformation and building a strong employer brand. In addition, Bosch Digital was awarded bronze awards in the categories “Best Employer – IT”, “Best Employer” and “Inspiring Working Atmosphere”. Thus, both companies are among the TOP 3 of the best employers in Bulgaria. Career Show Awards is one of the most prestigious employer brand and HR contests in Bulgaria. In this year’s edition, a jury of established experts evaluated the applications of leading companies from various industries and distinguished the best practices in people management and building a sustainable employer brand. With a total of 7 awards for Bosch Engineering Center Sofia and Bosch Digital in various categories of the Career Show Awards 2025, the Bosch Group in Bulgaria has strengthened its positions as one of the strongest brands and took place among the most successful companies in this year’s edition of the contest. The two organizations are an example of high achievements in the industry, and this recognition emphasizes Bosch Bulgaria’s commitment to its associates, to the innovation and sustainable development of the employer brand. Irena Raycheva-UdrevaCorporate Communications This content has been automatically generated from the original source. Please note that the original source may have been modified since the content was generated.

Why the Software-Defined Vehicle Needs an AI-Defined Strategy

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By Sachin Lawande, President & CEO of Visteon For years, the shift to software-defined vehicles has dominated conversations across the automotive industry — and with good reason. The move from mechanical systems to digital architectures has fundamentally changed how we design, build, and upgrade automotive technology. But software is just the foundation. What happens next depends on intelligence. From Computing Power to Intelligence The history of personal computing has followed a clear arc: from local, stand-alone machines, to cloud computing that delivered scale and access to vast amounts of information, to mobile computing that put this power in our pockets. Each step increased access but not necessarily insight. Connecting the dots hidden in oceans of data remained out of reach. Artificial intelligence promises to close that gap. It makes devices almost sentient — able to perceive, learn, and respond in a human-like way. I like to think of AI as a “super butler”: a brain that sits above the information, anticipating needs and making complex tasks simple and intuitive. Software Alone Doesn’t Make a Vehicle Smart In automotive, we have traditionally thought in terms of features and functions. IVI systems deliver information, entertainment, and connectivity while keeping drivers safe. ADAS features add awareness of the road and environment, improving active safety. Body systems enhance comfort and convenience, from climate to access to automated controls. The first technology-led transformation was making all these features software-driven. Tesla pioneered over-the-air updates, showing how cars could evolve after they left the factory, and Chinese OEMs scaled the approach quickly. That shift was transformative. But now the challenge is different: making this vast amount of in-vehicle software easier and more intuitive to use. And this is where generative AI becomes complementary to SDV. It gives vehicles the ability to understand context, anticipate driver needs, personalize the cabin environment, and improve over time. The cockpit becomes dynamic. The vehicle becomes aware. That’s a leap — and it’s not something you can patch in after the fact. The real potential of AI is unlocked when it’s treated as part of the platform, not an accessory. Designing Vehicles for Intelligence Rethinking in-cabin systems starts with treating them not just as a collection of features, but as intelligent, adaptable platforms. AI can: Learn driver and passenger preferences over time, personalizing experiences in ways that static rule-based systems cannot. Deliver context-aware UX, where the interface adjusts based on behavior, preferences, or real-world conditions. Improve driver productivity, anticipating daily routines and integrating tools seamlessly. Enhance vehicle health and diagnostics through predictive insights. At Visteon, we’re treating intelligence as a core part of the cockpit architecture, built to support a range of evolving use cases over time. And we’re tackling one of the hardest challenges: running Gen-AI models efficiently inside the vehicle and connecting them to the full IVI system so that tasks are carried out intuitively and responsibly. This requires balancing on-device processing for responsiveness, edge learning for personalization, and fleet-level insights for continuous improvement. We see AI as the next big technology wave in automotive — just as Android reshaped how cockpit systems were built a decade ago. Then, as now, we’re focused not on choosing sides but on making the underlying technology practical, efficient, and scalable for OEMs. Why It Matters Soon, the intelligence behind the cockpit will matter as much as the motor under the hood. As electrification and connectivity become standard, the in-cabin experience becomes the ultimate differentiation — where brands will win trust, loyalty, and margin. We also need to be realistic: AI introduces new challenges. Around trust. Privacy. Regulation. Part of our responsibility as leaders is ensuring that these systems are not only smart, but responsible, with explainable models, clear safeguards, and a design philosophy that keeps humans at the center. Where We Go from Here As the lines blur between machine learning and human behavior, one thing is clear: the vehicles of the future won’t just run on software. They’ll think with it. And at Visteon, we’re building for it.

What The Vehicle Cockpit Will Look Like By 2030?

Industry News

By Sivakumar Yeddanapudi, Global Vice President – Digital Cockpit and Connected Services When we talk about the vehicles of the 2030s, the conversation often starts with electrification and autonomy. But there’s another transformation happening in parallel, just as significant: the reinvention of the cockpit. By 2030, the cockpit will no longer be a cluster of disconnected screens and functions. It will be the intelligent nerve center of the vehicle — seamlessly blending hardware, software, connectivity, and AI to create experiences as personalized, adaptive, and intuitive as the smartphones we carry today. Three forces are shaping this future: 1. Edge-native intelligence. Vehicles will increasingly run AI copilots and predictive systems directly in the car, not just in the cloud. From proactive diagnostics to natural, multimodal interactions, intelligence will be baked into the cockpit itself, making every drive smarter and safer. 2. Vertical integration of hardware and software. The cockpit will be powered by domain controllers — the “motherboards” of the vehicle — replacing scattered ECUs. This will enable automakers to deliver tightly integrated experiences across displays, audio, voice, and connectivity. It also means cockpit solutions will be productized and repeatable, not built from scratch each time. 3. The cockpit as an ecosystem. Connectivity will no longer be a differentiator; it will be assumed. Features like Satellite communication, 5G, software-defined services, Wi-Fi 7, phone-as-key, and multi-stream audio with minimum 12 speakers will form the baseline. The real value comes from ecosystem integration — cars that connect effortlessly to digital lives, workplaces, homes, and cities. Experience as the Differentiator Tomorrow’s vehicles won’t just be measured by horsepower or range. They’ll be judged by the experience of being inside them. That means: Safety and security as embedded features, not afterthoughts Adaptive, personalized UX that anticipates driver and passenger needs Rapid iteration cycles, where cockpit software evolves as quickly as consumer apps Cross-domain integration, from infotainment to ADAS, so the cockpit feels unified, not fragmented The Global Shifts We Must Anticipate The cockpit revolution won’t unfold evenly across the world. In China, OEMs are already redefining what “premium” means — embedding high-end comfort, convenience, and intelligence even in mid-segment cars. Global tech giants are reshaping the semiconductor and AI landscape all over the world In emerging markets, digital-first consumers are leapfrogging expectations, demanding vehicles that connect as seamlessly as their phones. For companies like Visteon, the challenge — and opportunity — is to read these shifts early and translate them into products that scale across geographies and customer segments. Visteon’s Role in Leading the Transformation Our industry is at a crossroads. We’re completing our transformation from a project supplier into a product- and technology-first innovator. That means: Investing in repeatable platforms and IPs Partnering strategically where it accelerates outcomes Cultivating startup energy across teams, because speed is as critical as vision The cockpit of 2030 will not be defined by a single company or technology. It will be the result of collaboration, integration, and relentless innovation. At Visteon, we’re committed to building that future – where every cockpit is intelligent, connected, and designed to enhance not just the way vehicles move, but the way people live.

Opportunity in motion: The role of automotive in driving social mobility

Industry News

Why the car is still an essential player in driving social mobility. In this exclusive guest article for Just Auto, Inchcape – a leading global automotive distributor – CEO Duncan Tait reflects on the results of a new survey of APAC and Latin American consumer attitudes to motorisation and the part played by the car in driving social mobility. For many of us, it’s a long time since we passed our driving test. But cast your mind back to that moment when the L-plates came off and you felt the freedom of mobility! In emerging markets, where distances are longer and public transport is less accessible, you can imagine that this feeling is more pronounced. As I visit markets like Chile, the Philippines and the Caribbean, I see firsthand the vital role that vehicles play in enhancing quality of life and powering local economic development. Car ownership is far more than a utility – it is a vehicle for wellbeing, social advancement and personal identity. It remains embedded in how individuals define a good quality of life and navigate the demands of modern society. Our new Drivers of Change survey asked 6,000 consumers across 13 countries in Asia Pacific (APAC) and Latin America to share their views about car ownership and the sentiment of consumers towards the new energy vehicle transition. Our findings confirm our view that access to personal mobility or transport remains fundamental to economic development and social inclusion. For many people in these countries, having a car means they’re able to travel to their job, attend healthcare appointments and pursue education. Unlocking opportunities through car ownership In Asia Pacific, 63% of respondents cite ‘freedom of movement’ as a major benefit of car ownership. In Latin America, the evidence is even more prominent with 91% of respondents valuing the ability to travel according to their own schedule. Taking into consideration the distances people often must cover and the public transport are developing in many of the countries we surveyed, it is easy to understand why a personal vehicle plays such an essential role in social mobility. In addition to freedom of movement, consumers in APAC point to easier commuting (49%) and enhanced lifestyle and wellbeing for themselves and their families (39%) as major benefits of owning a car. Additional advantages include access to job opportunities, and improved access to education. Latin American respondents believe that a vehicle enables a better lifestyle for themselves and their families (86%), facilitates commuting to and from work (86%), and improves access to employment (81%). Car ownership increases the opportunity for a better life These insights support our view that vehicles enhance personal development, economic participation and social inclusion. For certain groups, such as the elderly or people with disabilities, having access to a personal car can mean the difference between isolation, access to healthcare and active engagement with the community and wider society. At a time when personal car ownership is increasingly important, the industry needs to come together to solve the challenge of decreasing greenhouse gas emissions by working to support the transition to EVs – there is no one-size-fits-all approach and the transition must be equitable and enduring. In listening to and understanding what drives consumers in individual countries, we can further understand how best to provide mobility solutions that support personal development, economic participation, and social inclusion. Duncan Tait – Inchcape CEO Duncan brings significant international experience and a wealth of digital and data experience, a key enabler of the Accelerate+ strategy. He played a pivotal role in the Group’s digital strategy with the development and deployment of the Digital Experience Platform (DXP) and the Digital Analytics Platform (DAP), which are key differentiators for Inchcape. Duncan was previously on the board of Fujitsu, a global technology services company with 35,000 people. Duncan has also held senior roles at Unisys, Hewlett Packard, and Compaq in a technology focused career of over 30 years. Duncan is currently a non-executive director at Agilisys. This content has been automatically generated from the original source. Please note that the original source may have been modified since the content was generated.

How software is shaping the future of mobility

Industry News

In this guest opinion piece, Jens Hinrichsen, from NXP Semiconductors, describes the rise of the Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) and its transformative implications for the auto industry. The automotive industry is undergoing one of the most significant transformations in over a century – driven not by hardware, but by software. Vehicles will be digitized and increasingly defined by the compute architecture and software that powers their functionality and intelligence. The rise of the Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) is changing how cars are designed, built, and experienced, but to realize those benefits, automakers, T1s, software, and semiconductor vendors must evolve. The digitization of the car Before we look at how the industry needs to adapt, it’s worth taking a step back and considering what we mean by SDVs. These aren’t just vehicles that are developed, built, and sold, but vehicles which evolve and improve after they’ve left the production line based on a dynamic digital platform. This transformation is about redefining the vehicle’s core architecture and how it is experienced. In a software-defined vehicle, features and functions are increasingly abstracted from hardware and run in software. To achieve this, some sort of central compute architecture is required – a platform that enables continuous updates, upgrades, and even personalization of the car. This means vehicles require a powerful and scalable electronics architecture based on semiconductors (hardware), efficient and scalable software drivers and middleware to integrate all the electronics, and on top of it intelligent and feature-rich application software to define the functionality of the car. Such an SDV platform manages everything from ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) to IVI (In-Vehicle Infotainment). Most importantly, it includes the core vehicle functions to operate and to propel the car, which becomes even more important for electric vehicles where intelligent energy flow and battery management significantly impacts the lifetime and range of the vehicle. This new approach to vehicle compute architecture makes it possible to activate new features after the car is sold, adapt vehicle behavior in real time, and evolve interfaces as technology and user preferences shift – such adaptations are prohibitively complex in traditional vehicles. SDVs therefore enable a completely new value proposition: the car gets smarter and better with age. With the rise of AI, the SDV platform only becomes more critical, with AI-powered ADAS, preventive fault detection or range optimizations, for example, transforming how we use our vehicles. Together, these shifts mark a clear departure from the traditional vehicle lifecycle defined by depreciation and eventual obsolescence. But this evolution brings complexity. Building a car that improves over time – and is ready to integrate the next-generation of AI – requires a fundamental rethinking of design, supply chains, and safety. Processes and priorities that have been in place for decades now need to evolve. Rethinking traditional architectures Traditionally, vehicle functions were tightly coupled to specific electronic control units (ECUs), each often developed by different suppliers. This hardware-centric approach meant that adding or modifying features required changes to the underlying ECU hardware and their specific software modules – making updates complex, time-consuming, and costly. Engineering teams had to navigate a patchwork of tools, processes, and dependencies, resulting in limited flexibility once the vehicle left the factory. In short, the system was rigid, expensive to maintain, and difficult to scale. The SDV concept is creating a platform that can be updated, upgraded, or personalized over time, and also enables carmakers to revolutionize how they develop and produce new vehicles. This concept allows the highest level of hardware and software re-use, which enables carmakers to develop new vehicle platforms a lot faster. Such platforms are inherently scalable. The fundamental architecture can be used across entry-level models right up to high-end models, and it can be scaled across various OEM brands. This drives speed of innovation, faster time to market, and optimizes total cost of ownership. Automakers have started making key decisions about how to evolve their compute architectures to tackle engineering challenges. Some are consolidating multiple domains into centralized compute platforms to streamline processes and reduce complexity, while others are adopting zonal architectures that distribute compute closer to the edge – near sensors and actuators – to improve latency, modularity, and scalability. Regardless of approach, meeting these demands requires more powerful semiconductors, scalable compute, greater energy efficiency, high-bandwidth communication, functional safety, the highest standards of security, and new system-level innovations. From supply chains to ecosystems This transition is also redrawing the lines of the automotive supply chain. The historical model – where automakers, Tier 1s, and semiconductor suppliers operated in a linear hierarchy – is giving way to an ecosystem of strategic collaboration. This shift is driven by the growing realization that vehicle digitization depends not only on the compute, networking, and power management technologies of a vehicle but the software that runs on it. As digital features expand, so does the complexity of integrating hardware and software efficiently across the vehicle – and no one company can do this alone. Delivering that innovation at scale calls for a new model of collaboration – one where automakers, suppliers, and technology partners work in parallel from the start. The development model behind SDVs is no longer a linear supply chain; it’s a tightly integrated ecosystem. As vehicle architectures evolve to support software-defined capabilities, NXP is increasingly engaged earlier in the design process – contributing not just silicon, but system-level expertise and software solutions that helps define compute architectures. From vehicle compute and zone controllers to networking and power management, we support OEMs and Tier 1s in building safe, scalable platforms that enable long-term software innovation. Both emerging manufacturers and legacy players should play to their strengths Today’s shifts in the industry are impacting automakers in very different ways. New entrants, without the burden of legacy systems, can design vehicles from the ground up with software at the center. Their streamlined product lines and software-native cultures often align more naturally with SDV architecture (as well as today’s consumer preferences). However, they may face non-trivial challenges when it comes to…

Hyundai Motor Group opens new European test facility to lead development of next-generation technology

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Hyundai Motor Group reinforces commitment to Europe with ‘Square Campus’ expansion at Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center New €150m facility underpins the development of advanced, market-leading technologies for European customers Investment includes one of the world’s largest semi-anechoic chamber, climate testing and EV charging laboratory Square Campus enhances collaboration with Hyundai Motor Group’s main R&D facility in Namyang, South Korea, to deliver exciting new Hyundai, Kia and Genesis models Rüsselsheim am Main, November 6, 2025 – Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) has today announced the opening of a new €150m facility at the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center (HMETC) in Rüsselsheim am Main, Germany, marking a major milestone in its commitment to European innovation and engineering excellence. Square Campus is the most significant investment in R&D facilities at HMETC since the opening of the Round Campus in 2003, underpins the development of innovative, market leading technologies, and will play a vital role in the development of future Hyundai, Kia and Genesis models in Europe. Tyrone Johnson, Managing Director at Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center, said: “The investment at Square Campus is a clear sign of our commitment to the region and reflects the importance of Europe in our long-term growth strategy. The extensive new capabilities at HMETC give us more independence and flexibility, while creating exciting new opportunities for collaboration between our brands. Fundamentally, Square Campus will also support us as we continue to grow our market share in Europe, developing new vehicles and technologies designed around the needs of our customers.” Advanced facility unlocks new capabilities The 25,000m2 site is equipped with the largest semi-anechoic chamber within the Group, allowing unrestricted Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) and drive-by noise testing with complete independence from weather conditions. Highly advanced dyno facilities at Square Campus play a key role in development, allowing for the comprehensive testing of vehicles and individual components, compatible with all-electric, hybrid and ICE powertrain applications. The facility is also equipped with a new EV charging laboratory, a state-of-the-art driving simulator, and new facilities for extended Electronics System Development – including Over-the-Air-Updates (OTA), Cybersecurity, and Advanced Driver Assistant Systems (ADAS). These industry leading capabilities allow HMETC to test and validate every type of vehicle under real world conditions, while developing future products tailored to the unique expectations of European customers. The investment at Square Campus forms an essential part of the Group’s strategy, underlining its position as a leader in advanced technologies. While real-world prototype testing will remain a crucial part of the development journey, Square Campus protects against the challenges associated with external outdoor testing and complements the Group’s existing global testing and knowledge sharing programmes. Sustainable design, enhanced collaboration Square Campus supports the Group’s environmental objectives, incorporating recycled materials, photovoltaic panels and heat pump systems. This reflects the Group’s broader commitment to developing sustainable mobility solutions and achieving zero-tailpipe emissions globally by 2045. The significant expansion is also a foundation for the continued growth of HMETC’s team, which has increased by 20% since 2024, with the organization now employing now more than 500 employees. This investment in talent and technology simultaneously drives a new phase of integrated innovation, bringing together experts from across disciplines to advance the Group’s vision for sustainable, connected mobility. European development will continue at HMETC’s facilities at the Nürburgring, opened in 2013. This facility was also expanded thanks to a €13m investment in January 2025, with an additional 834m2 of cutting-edge testing facilities, dedicated workshop areas and specialised laboratories. This content has been automatically generated from the original source. Please note that the original source may have been modified since the content was generated.

Waymo plans to launch robot taxi service in Detroit, Las Vegas and San Diego in 2026

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Waymo’s robot taxi service is accelerating its expansion: Google’s sister company has now announced that it will also launch in Detroit, Las Vegas and San Diego next year. Together with its existing markets and other announcements, Waymo is likely to serve a dozen cities soon. Perhaps in light of Tesla’s plans to establish its own robot taxi service, Waymo now wants to expand its network even faster than previously announced. Just a few days after announcing its intention to enter London, its first city outside the US, Waymo has now also announced its launch in three other major US cities next year: Detroit, Las Vegas and San Diego. These three cities will join the five existing US cities of Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin and Atlanta, where Waymo already operates 250,000 autonomous trips per week. Launches in Dallas, Denver, Miami, Nashville and Washington, DC have also been announced. Adding up all the announcements and existing cities, this brings the total to twelve US cities plus London. In Las Vegas, Waymo will face competition from Zoox: after lengthy preparations, the Amazon subsidiary launched its first robot taxi service there in September. Zoox’s specially developed vehicle has no steering wheel, pedals or driver’s seat and can transport up to four people. Waymo’s vehicle fleet currently consists of fully electric Jaguar i-Pace EVs converted at its own factory, with fully electric minivans from Zeekr and specially prepared Hyundai Ioniq 5s set to be added soon. Waymo’s hardware suite most recently consisted of 13 cameras, four lidar sensors and six radars to create a 360° view for the autonomous vehicle. In contrast, Tesla CEO Elon Musk relies solely on cameras for autonomous driving, which is cheaper, but raises doubts about the safety of the technology. Waymo has already tested its autonomous vehicles in winter conditions in preparation for the launch in Detroit to ensure that the robotaxis can operate safely there even in heavy snowfall. Test drives were also conducted on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, north of Detroit. This article was first published by Florian Treiß for electrive’s German edition. This content has been automatically generated from the original source. Please note that the original source may have been modified since the content was generated.