China clears VW for Level 3 tests and Xpeng for Level 4 robotaxis
China clears VW for Level 3 tests and Xpeng for Level 4 robotaxis

Volkswagen and Xpeng have won approval to run higher levels of self-driving on public roads in China. VW has started Level 3 road tests in Hefei. Xpeng can now run Level 4 robotaxi services across Guangzhou. Both companies announced the approvals on Mo…

Uber gives more than 30,000 staff OpenAI’s ChatGPT Work agent
Uber gives more than 30,000 staff OpenAI’s ChatGPT Work agent

Uber is rolling out ChatGPT Work, OpenAI’s office-task agent, to more than 30,000 employees after a 1,000-person pilot, OpenAI said. It connects to Gmail, Drive and Slack and runs on GPT-6.1 Sol by default. The move comes as Uber tries to rein in its A…

Vingroup’s Green SM brings 500 VinFast EV taxis to Los Angeles
Vingroup’s Green SM brings 500 VinFast EV taxis to Los Angeles

Green SM, a ride-hailing firm owned by Vietnam’s Vingroup, has launched an all-electric taxi service in Los Angeles. It starts with 500 VinFast VF 8 SUVs and full-time drivers. The US is its ninth market, and the launch puts more cars from sister compa…

Uber and Pony.ai will test Chinese robotaxis in London within weeks
Uber and Pony.ai will test Chinese robotaxis in London within weeks

Pony.ai will start testing its seventh-generation robotaxis in London in the coming weeks, ahead of a service on Uber. The Chinese self-driving company announced the plan on X on Thursday. “We look forward to working with local officials, and our partn…

Uber put $100m into the company that hired Anthony Levandowski
Uber put $100m into the company that hired Anthony Levandowski

Uber has put $100m into a company that just hired Anthony Levandowski. His theft of Google’s self-driving secrets cost Uber a fortune, and it helped end Travis Kalanick’s time as chief executive. The company is Atoms, Kalanick’s new venture. Rafe Rosne…

Britain built a legal route to driverless taxis in May. London’s first robotaxi service did not use it.
Britain built a legal route to driverless taxis in May. London’s first robotaxi service did not use it.

Uber and Wayve began carrying paying passengers in London on 3 September, in what Wayve described in a statement as the UK’s first autonomous ride-hailing service. Every car has a trained, TfL-licensed private hire driver on board. Olivia Solon rode on…

Baidu’s Apollo Go is now on Uber in Dubai, with no safety driver
Baidu’s Apollo Go is now on Uber in Dubai, with no safety driver

Uber has put Baidu’s driverless robotaxis on its app in Dubai. Book an UberX or an Uber Comfort there now and the app may match you with an Apollo Go vehicle that has nobody in it. A dedicated “Autonomous” option raises the odds for anyone who wants on…

Uber’s first European AV rides go live in Zagreb, with a safety driver
Uber’s first European AV rides go live in Zagreb, with a safety driver

Uber has begun offering autonomous rides in Europe for the first time, in the Croatian capital, Zagreb. From Wednesday, riders there can book a self-driving car through the Uber app, the company said. The service is run with the Chinese firm Pony.ai an…

Uber is working on letting 10-year-olds ride alone
Uber is working on letting 10-year-olds ride alone

Code in the latest Uber iOS app refers to adding a tween aged 10 to 12 to an Uber Family profile, with a trusted adult contact and the option to require a grown-up at pickup. Uber says it is not a live product and that its only teen offering remains 13…

Uber says it’s building “the world’s largest platform for autonomous vehicles.” Its stock fell anyway.
Uber says it’s building “the world’s largest platform for autonomous vehicles.” Its stock fell anyway.

Uber wants to own the robotaxi era without building the cars. “Building a great autonomous driver is one part of building a successful autonomous business,” chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi told analysts on Wednesday. He then listed the rest: dispatch…