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Welcome to the Ride AI Newsletter, your weekly digest of important events and new developments at the intersection of technology and transportation. 

What You Need to Know Today

U.S. drivers are still afraid of self-driving cars: “According to AAA’s latest survey on autonomous vehicles, most U.S. drivers either express fear (66%) or uncertainty (25%) about fully self-driving vehicles—a fear that has not decreased since spiking last year.” But are Americans' AV anxieties misplaced? Recent data from Waymo shows its driverless cars were 6.7 times less likely than human drivers to be involved a crash resulting in an injury.

A petition calls for NHTSA to stop classifying vehicle OTA updates as recalls.

Waymo will begin offering robotaxi service in Los Angeles this week and in Austin by the end of the year.

Meanwhile Amazon’s Zoox is expanding its driverless testing—in terms of operational hours, service area, and top speeds—in Las Vegas.

Chinese electric-vehicle maker BYD announced plans to use Nvdia’s next-gen chips to elevate its self-driving tech.

Hyundai-backed AV tech startup Motional has secured a bridge loan that provides temporary financial reprieve as the company searches for a longer-term source of funding. The company runs a self-driving taxi service in Las Vegas, with human safety operators present. These taxis are available on Uber, Lyft, and Via platforms. Additionally, the company is conducting a trial of autonomous delivery with Uber Eats in Santa Monica, California.

Despite these real-world applications, new investment data confirms that it is a deeply challenging time for robotics—and especially AV—startups like Motional to raise funds. “There are 1,500 robotics startups that have raised about $90 billion since 2019, and 20 of them are unicorns with valuations in excess of $1 billion. That’s the good news. The bad news is that investment in robotics fell sharply to a five-year low in 2023, and one particular category, autonomous vehicles, has plummeted from $9.7 billion in 2021 to $2.2 billion in 2023.”

P&G Japan, the Japanese unit of the American CPG brand Procter & Gamble, is seeking to shrink its delivery truck fleet by 30% using AI demand forecasting.

Relatedly: Walmart is licensing its AI-powered truck routing software to other businesses.

Usually when we cover robotics and cars, we’re talking about self-driving technology. But what about using robots to build cars? Mercedes is deploying humanoid robots from Apptronik to automate “low skill, physically challenging, manual labor” in manufacturing.

A bipartisan group of senators have signaled their support for the U.S. DOT’s plans to accelerate V2X deployment.

Relatedly: Texas is trialling V2X technology to request a green light for passenger vehicles for the first time on a public road.

Piaggio’s newest EV isn’t a Vespa, but a robot work cart, designed to help businesses supplement their workforce and enhance worker safety. The Kilo, as it’s known, features “smart follow” technology for carrying equipment and boxes.

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Tesla is facing a wrongful death lawsuit in connection to a fatal 2018 crash. One piece of evidence highlighted by the plaintiffs is a 2016 email from Tesla president Jon McNeill, in which McNeill admitted to becoming so engrossed in emails and calls while using Autopilot that he missed exits. The plaintiffs argue that this email demonstrates Tesla's awareness that drivers might not remain attentive while using the system.

Honda and Nissan are forming a strategic alliance for AI and EV development.

AI is already beginning to help U.S. cities make operations more efficient. Case in point, Raleigh. As part of its Vision Zero commitment, the North Carolina capital is utilizing AI cameras and vision tools in collaboration with Nvidia and GIS mapping software provider Esri to analyze traffic patterns and redesign risky intersections.