Last updated on February 9th, 2026 at 07:57 pm
FEATURE: How are autonomous vehicles using AI? (Tom Stone – May 28, 2025)
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly playing a major role in modern transportation, particularly in automated vehicle systems and driver assistance technologies. While some companies are pushing toward full automation at Levels 4 and 5, others are focusing on perfecting Level 2 systems as a stepping stone towards more advanced capabilities. AI offers some advantages over human drivers, particularly in perception and real-time decision-making, which can lead to improved road safety. One company taking an incremental approach is Nauto, founded by Dr. Stefan Heck. Rather than waiting for full autonomy, Nauto integrates AI into vehicles already on the road today. “Our philosophy was, let’s support humans first, and then let’s gradually increase the degree of autonomy,” said Heck. Nauto’s system uses AI to simultaneously monitor road conditions and driver behavior, detecting potential risks and issuing warnings before a potential crash occurs.
Tesla’s Europe sales plunge 49% on brand damage, rising competition (Arjun Kharpal – May 27, 2025)
European sales of Tesla vehicles dropped 49% in April, with 7,261 cars sold, while overall electric car sales rose. Tesla’s reputation has declined due to CEO Elon Musk’s political activities, and sales fell nearly 40% from January to April. Consumers prefer hybrids, and Tesla lacks hybrid options. Investors question Musk’s commitment, but he plans to lead Tesla for five more years.
First ever ‘robotaxi’ trials with passengers begin in Germany (Ciaran Daly – May 27, 2025)
The KIRA project has launched real-world testing of Level 4 autonomous vehicles in Germany, allowing live passengers to book and ride in self-driving shuttles operating in the towns of Langen and Egelsbach. The Nio ES8 electric SUV’s are equipped with LIDAR sensors, cameras, and Mobileye software. The technology enables the vehicles to navigate independently of a driver and operate at speeds of up to 130 km/h (approximately 80 mph). While the vehicles drive autonomously, a human safety driver
will remain on board during the trial phase to monitor vehicle operations. Kaweh Mansoori, Hessen’s Minister of Economy, Energy, Transport, Housing, and Rural Areas, praised the initiative as a “blueprint for the mobility of the future.”
Humans step up as Texas steps back from autonomous trucking (Jo Borrás – May 24, 2025)
Texas technology firm Aurora initially celebrated launching the first fully autonomous freight service in the US but has now put human operators back behind the wheel. This decision follows a request from truck manufacturer PACCAR due to concerns about prototype parts.
CEO Chris Urmson emphasized that despite having a human in the driver’s seat, the Aurora Driver will remain responsible for all driving tasks. This change coincides with Texas lawmakers reviewing House Bill 4402, which would mandate human operators in autonomous vehicles. Teamsters President Brent Taylor supports this law to protect local jobs from automation.
Tesla’s head of self-driving admits ‘lagging a couple years’ behind Waymo (Fred Lambert – May 21, 2025)
Tesla’s head of self-driving, Ashok Elluswamy, admitted that Tesla’s autonomous program is about “a couple of years” behind Waymo, but believes Tesla’s lower costs will allow faster scaling. In a rare candid interview, he highlighted that Tesla’s approach is much cheaper but offers “equal quality,” acknowledging that Waymo has already achieved Level 4 autonomous rides, while Tesla remains limited to Level 2 with driver supervision. Despite Tesla’s claims of leading autonomy, this admission reveals the company’s ongoing gap in fully autonomous technology. Tesla produces more cars annually than Waymo, benefiting from economies of scale, though it mainly sells vehicles without the full self-driving package.
Musk says Tesla’s self-driving tests will be geofenced to ‘the safest’ parts of Austin (Sean O’Kane – May 20, 2025)
Tesla’s robotaxi service debut in Austin, Texas next month will start with restricted areas deemed “the safest,” according to CEO Elon Musk. The vehicles will avoid complex intersections unless highly confident of safe navigation or reroute around them. This cautious approach marks a shift from Musk’s earlier claim of creating a general-purpose self-driving system. Tesla plans to use geofencing—limiting vehicles to specific zones—which Musk hinted at during an earnings call in April. The company will remotely monitor around 10 Model Y SUVs with the “unsupervised” Full Self-Driving software, without safety operators inside. Musk emphasized starting small, confirming
performance before expanding. Unlike companies like Waymo, which have staffed operation centers providing remote guidance, Tesla’s method involves minimal human oversight during early trials, reflecting its “paranoid” safety approach.
