Consumer interest in autonomous vehicles tends to focus on which robotaxi network is coming to town or how much supervision an OEM’s latest “self-driving” feature actually requires. But outside the spotlight, autonomous trucks could prove every bit as consequential.
Just like with robotaxis, the technology is finally catching up to its promises. This week, Kodiak AI announced it was on track to launch driverless long-haul commercial service on public highways by the end of 2026. This comes after years of autonomous operations on closed, private facilities: its trucks have now logged 40,000+ hours of paid driverless operations, delivering over 300,000 tons of freight.
Other operators like Gatik have signed multi-year driverless freight partnerships with iconic brands like PepsiCo, hauling potato chips and America’s second favorite soda along highways in Texas, Arizona and Arkansas. Legacy OEMs are also realizing they need to jump aboard, with manufacturers like Paccar licensing AV tech from Einride.
While these robotic haulers were once largely confined to red states, updated policies have paved the road towards broader deployments. The California DMV recently lifted its ban on driverless vehicles over 10,000 pounds, leading Aurora Innovation and Kodiak AI to start testing on the Golden State’s iconic roads. The Feds are getting in gear as well, with USDOT just publishing America Leads: DOT’s National Strategy for Automated Vehicles, Fiscal Years 2026-2030. Bombastic title aside, the report portends timely rulemaking for commercial vehicle operations, repairs, inspections and maintenance, updating old policies built around the assumption that every truck has a human driver.
All these changes have meant that autonomous truck cos. are pulling in something more important than mere cargo: cash! Gatik just raised $200 million, led by QIA and KDT; PlusAI is taking the SPAC route to the public markets, picking up $300M on the way; Waabi loaded up with a massive $750M earlier this year; and the rumor mill has it that another AV trucker should be announcing an impressive Series A shortly.
Despite the momentum, there are still many questions left unanswered. What will public acceptance be like, once unattended big rigs become a more common sight on the highway? Given the current backlash against data centers, it wouldn’t be a surprise if voters decide they don’t take kindly to these robots. Assuming autonomous trucking does take off, what will it mean for the tens of millions of people across the globe that make a living hauling freight? And given the current political climate, can we trust that new regulations will be crafted in impartial, evidence-based and safety-conscious manners?
These are weighty topics; and they’re exactly the types of discussions we’re getting into this October 14th at the Urban Autonomy Summit — Austin. If you care about these questions, please do apply to join us. And in the meantime, my colleague Harry has been going deep into many of these same issues on his podcast; check out some particularly relevant conversations below.
HOT INDUSTRY NEWS & GOSSIP
Good chart, great rendering: Public transit ridership is up across on all of America’s largest rail networks. SF’s urban rail systems led the pack, up 14-15% YoY, while San Diego eked out just 1.4% growth. Growth in NYC has slowed as of late; expect it to pop once the IBX opens sometime next decade: the MTA just released new renderings of what will be the city’s first new end-to-end transit line in a century.
Swap it like its hot: Magna International invested $35 million into Yuma Energy, an Indian startup that operates a battery-swapping network for two and three-wheelers. While conceptually similar to Taiwan’s Gogoro, Yuma targets gig workers, as opposed to recreational riders or commuters. The company operates 400+ charging stations, and did over $10.5M in revenue last year.
An AV for everyone: May Mobility and NTT Mobility are ramping up their AV deployments in Japan, with plans to deploy Toyota’s e-Palette by year’s end. This will be the first commercial deployment of Toyota’s eye-catching autonomous shuttle on public roads, after successful tests in Tokyo, Nagoya and Hiroshima.
Oh, Elon! On the other side of the spectrum, Tesla just formally debuted its Cybercab robotaxi hardware, at an invite-only event in Austin. (See the tutorial video here.) The company is now soliciting investors that may want to own their own part of the fleet, while the NHTSA is looking into whether the new vehicles are street legal. Ever busy, The Boring Company just raised $3 billion, capitalizing off plans to build 150 km of tunnels in the United Arab Emirates.
Why can’t all new trains wear garlands? Indore Metro and Alstom celebrated the expansion of the city’s rapid transit network. Meanwhile, the New York Times has a lovely, multimedia story showcasing how New Delhi has quickly built one of the world’s biggest metro systems. But you will have to look past clunky sentences like “Unlike London, New York and Tokyo, where subways have developed alongside city infrastructure for a century or more, the Delhi Metro was constructed from scratch in an already-bustling city.” Does the reporter think nobody lived in SoHo before the trains arrived?
Ignominious records, all around… Officials in the Minneapolis region are scrounging around for an extra $224 million, as costs for a planned extension of the Blue Line light rail balloon past $2.5B. The 13.4 mile project runs almost entirely at grade, which should be cheap to build, although part of the budget seems to go towards elevating nearby roads, which is not only expensive but will make walking suck. Kansas City officials are also looking to expand their successful streetcar system, with a one mile loop coming in around $125-175M. And Chartlotte just celebrated five years of streetcar operations, alongside vague plans to add six miles to the line. The current Gold Line is not exactly a great case study: it gets about 2,000 riders a day, with trains coming every 30 minutes, while traveling slower than nearby busses.
Modern Delivery, summer break quick hits: Uber Eats adds 375+ ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer and Fairway Markets in the Northeast. DoorDash partners with Locally for specialty retail and Skims for shapewear. Instacart debuts AI shopping assistant, partners with Morrisons on deployment. Shipt adds AI assistant too. Walmart adds delivery for Papa Johns pizza. Republicans look to end SNAP payments for select restaurant meals. Macy’s raises outlook. Delaware breaks ground on new port. Two years before contract renewal, Teamsters already agitating for UPS strike. Deliveroo expands partnership with Pho. Amazon embraces perishables delivery. Walmart-backed Flipkart begins testing food delivery in Bengaluru.
A few good links: WeRide, Uber and Avomo receive Spain’s first Level 4 AV permit. Brightline adding gov’t-funded stop at Cocoa, FL. Happy 40th birthday to Portland MAX. White House-promoted Freedom Fuel network accused of selling stolen gas. (H/T Automotive Ventures.) Waymo goes live on Lyft in Nashville. ALSO admits its e-bikes are delayed. China looks to regulate humanoid IPOs. Rivian pushes for improved autonomy. Ford scuffles with Secretary Duffy over U.S. vs China manufacturing. Piston raises $15M for cardless fleet fuel payments. Beep raises $20M, led by Mobileye. Grab eyes BNPL player Atome. How ICE raids depressed urban employment. Maven Robotics raises $100M. Seattle inaugurates first infill station. Jerusalem cuts ribbon on L3 light rail line. Atlanta makes another unlikely push for rail service on its Beltline; even in advocate’s wildest dreams, they only have each line run once every 20 minutes… California Assembly kills bill that would have regulated Flock cameras. Waymo looks to raise $3B in debt. Diesel prices hit record highs. Culver City drafts local AV depot regulations, looking to avoid kerfuffle seen in nearby Santa Monica. (H/T George Kalligeros of Aseon.) You can’t kill Scott Painter’s love of offering cars directly to consumers: Autonomy pivots to offering non-EVs via subscription. SoCal officials debut Games Route Network: select roads and freeways will be closed to non-Olympics related traffic. (Can we turn those all into congestion priced roads after the games end?!)
See you in Austin!
- Jonah Bliss & The Curbivore Crew