[240820] #GM #Kodiak #Vayu

1. GM’s Cruise Ditches Origin Robotaxi for a Self-Driving Next-Gen Bolt

• In a letter to shareholders, CEO Mary Barra said that Cruise is about to turn its focus to adapting the next-generation Bolt electric vehicle, instead of the Origin, for autonomous driving.
• Barra said that there is “regulatory uncertainty” with the Origin, which didn’t have a steering wheel or pedals.
• Cruise’s current test cars are based on the original Bolt EV, with Chevy expected to launch a new Bolt next year.

2. Kodiak Robotics completes first driverless semi truck delivery ahead of commercial operations

• Kodiak Robotics completed a driverless truck delivery to Atlas Energy Solutions in Texas, marking progress toward commercialized autonomous operations.
• Founded in 2018, Kodiak Robotics focuses on developing autonomous technology for long-haul trucks to enhance safety and efficiency.
• Kodiak’s modular hardware integrates sensors into a holistic structure for optimized perception and scalability.
• The company achieved its first autonomous delivery in 2019 with a safety driver, followed by a disengage-free delivery in 2020 over 205 miles.
• In 2022, Kodiak adapted its autonomous technology for US Army defense applications.
• This milestone marks the start of Kodiak’s expanded partnership with Atlas, with plans to deploy two more driverless trucks in early 2025.

3. Elon Musk says he expects China to approve Tesla’s Full Self-Driving by the end of the year

• Tesla CEO Elon Musk has again touted the impending rollout of advanced driver-assist software in China, after reporting another quarter of disappointing earnings.
• “Pretty soon, we will ask for regulatory approval of the Tesla-supervised FSD in Europe, China and other countries. And I think we are likely to receive that before the end of the year,” Musk said on a second-quarter earnings call Wednesday Beijing time. That’s according to a FactSet transcript.
• Musk in April had said rollout to China “may be possible very soon,” according to his response to a question on X.

4. New delivery robot loads up in the supermarket aisle, then rolls to you

• Vayu Robotics has unveiled “The One,” its first autonomous delivery robot capable of navigating city streets at speeds up to 20 mph.
• The robot can follow staff in stores to load orders and deliver goods autonomously without pre-mapping routes, using a new low-cost vision system and AI training instead of LiDAR.
• Founded in 2021, Vayu Robotics developed Vayu Sense, a high-resolution vision system, and Vayu Drive, an AI model for robotics autonomy.
• The One can operate on roads, bike lanes, sidewalks, and inside stores, featuring a 3.3 ft height, 5.9 ft length, and a 60-70 mile range.
• The robot is currently being tested by a large e-commerce player in San Ramon, California, with plans to deploy 2,500 robots and expand to other cities.
• Vayu Robotics aims to apply its technology to other robot applications and collaborate with a global robotics manufacturer to replace LiDAR sensors with Vayu’s sensing tech.

5. Self-driving car startups Pony.ai and WeRide ready to go public

• China- and US-based self-driving car startups Pony.ai and WeRide are preparing for IPOs in the US, potentially within the next two months.
• AV startups face pressure to lower valuations as public market interest has declined, with 14 self-driving tech companies losing over 80% in valuation since debuting.
• Pony.ai and WeRide’s IPOs will influence the market for other AV companies despite the technology’s slower-than-expected adoption.
• Pony.ai plans to go public as early as September with committed institutional investors; WeRide aims for a US IPO by the end of August.
• WeRide received overseas listing approval from China’s Securities Regulatory Commission last August; Pony.ai got similar approval in April.
• Pony.ai had previously suspended a New York IPO in 2021 due to regulatory issues, later valued at $8.5 billion after Series D financing.
• WeRide confidentially filed for a US IPO aiming to raise $500 million, valued at $5.1 billion in November 2022.
• Other Chinese self-driving tech companies like Horizon Robotics, Momenta, and Black Sesame are also planning public listings as early investors seek returns.