Toyota Chases Tesla in China

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

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What You Need to Know Today

In the latest episode of the Ride AI podcast—recorded live at Micromobility Europe in Amsterdam—we delve into the evolving landscape of EV charging and automation with Crijn Bouman, founder of ROCSYS. Crijn shares his extensive journey in e-mobility, starting from his university days influenced by a friend's self-built electric bike, to founding ROCSYS, a company that develops autonomous EV charging robots for robotaxis, human-driven fleets, and more. He explores the critical advancements in EV fast-charging, the role of robotics in automating EV charging, and the broader implications for mobility and infrastructure. Listen in.

Rimac—maker of a 256mph electric supercar and other outrageously high-performing and luxurious rides—is shifting its focus to robotaxis. The Croatian automaker says that Verne, its new self-driving taxi service with a visually striking cab that looks like it belongs in the Jetsons, will launch in Zagreb in 2026. While the pivot away from supercars may seem sudden, Rimac has actually been developing autonomous tech since 2017, an effort that received €200M in funding from the EU in 2021.

Toyota says it will roll out its first EV with ADAS features in 2025, beginning in China. Conscious of Tesla and Chinese automakers’ advantage in self-driving tech, Toyota is aiming to restore its market share in China after sales dipped by 22% in the first four months of 2024. 

Speaking of Tesla, the EV maker delivered 4.76% fewer vehicles in Q2 2024 than it did during the same period last year. This continues a trend of weaker sales that began in Q1. Elon Musk’s response to stiffer competition from China and growing demand for more affordable EVs has been to invest more resources in autonomous vehicles. Tesla is set to unveil its much anticipated robotaxi prototype next month. 

At least one key stat is moving in the right direction for Tesla... In a new report from Q1 2024, Tesla claims its Autopilot technology makes you 11x safer than the US average. “In the 1st quarter, we recorded one crash for every 7.63 million miles driven in which drivers were using Autopilot technology. For [Tesla] drivers who were not using Autopilot technology, we recorded one crash for every 955,000 miles driven. By comparison, the most recent data available from NHTSA and FHWA (from 2022) shows that in the United States there was an automobile crash approximately every 670,000 miles.”

But according to a new poll, only 23% of Americans believe self-driving cars are our best hope for making our roads safer, with a majority (59%) saying improved drivers ed would have a bigger impact. The same survey finds distracted driving has increased by 30% since the pandemic. Obviously the problem is not enough people are being taught in school that texting while driving is risky behavior…

US DOT has appointed an acting AI chief to lead FMCSA, highlighting the growing role of automation in trucking.

California-based drone developer Shield AI has received a $198M contract to deliver its unmanned aerial system to the US Coast Guard. 

Tesla has filed a patent for an automated sanitation system for its soon-to-be-unveiled robotaxi project. 

Denver is expanding its traffic camera program as part of its aggressive Vision Zero campaign.

Germany’s first trial of Level 4 autonomous vehicles for public transport is underway in the city of Darmstadt, where a fleet of six self-driving taxis, outfitted with Mobileye Drive technology, are being tested along fixed routes. 

With new regulations for embracing self-driving cars, Beijing is looking to catch up with other Chinese cities, like Wuhan and Shenzen, that already permit large-scale testing of AVs on public roads.

By contrast, Matthew Yglesias writes the US approach to robotaxis is far too cautious: “Large-scale commercialization is the best way to realize the promise of autonomous vehicles. And if we take the competitive challenge seriously, that means adopting a regulatory posture that errs on the side of innovation and tries to encourage stable and competitive flows of investment as a national priority, not a series of city-by-city special interest fights.”

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