[241203] #Zoox #Waymoi #Cepton

1. There’s a New Self-Driving Car on San Francisco’s Roads

• Zoox, an Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company, initially tested its robotaxi as an employee shuttle near its Foster City headquarters and became the first to operate a purpose-built robotaxi with passengers on California’s public roads.
• After successful testing in Las Vegas, Zoox has expanded to San Francisco, specifically the SoMa district, aiming to offer a future taxi service, though current tests are limited to employees.
• Zoox’s self-driving vehicles are uniquely designed and supported by a remote team of technicians to enhance safety and performance on the road.
• CEO Aicha Evans expressed excitement about testing in San Francisco after Zoox’s test fleet met all critical safety standards.

2. Mining truck automation tech company CiDi files for IPO in Hong Kong

• Demand for autonomous mining trucks in China is growing due to workforce shortages, rising labor costs, and efficiency goals, increasing industry competition.
• CiDi Inc., supported by Baidu Ventures, Sequoia China, and Legend Holdings, filed for an IPO in Hong Kong, potentially making it China’s first publicly listed autonomous mining truck company.
• CiDi’s “METAMINE” platform combines proprietary algorithms with autonomous driving hardware to enable driverless mining trucks to work alongside manned vehicles, claiming efficiency at 104% compared to human-driven trucks.
• The company has a growing client base, including Taiwan Cement Corporation, with 123 trucks deployed and 320 additional orders, achieving emissions reductions and long operational hours.
• Internationally, CiDi is exploring deployment in Saudi Arabia’s NEOM project and is developing battery-powered, cabless autonomous trucks in its R&D hubs in China.
• Revenue has risen significantly, with a CAGR of 30.9% from 2021 to 2023, and a 472.6% increase in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
• China’s autonomous mining industry, highly concentrated among four major players, is projected to grow from RMB0.4 billion in 2023 to RMB24.8 billion by 2030, with shipments of autonomous trucks expected to surge globally by 2030.

CiDi Inc. files for IPO to become China’s first publicly listed autonomous mining truck company, highlighting rapid growth and efficiency gains in autonomous mining.

3. Alphabet’s Waymo opens autonomous ride-hailing service to all in Los Angeles

• Waymo’s autonomous ride-hailing service, Waymo One, is now available to the public in Los Angeles, showing rapid adoption and growth of the technology.
• Waymo recently raised $5.6 billion as companies continue investing heavily in autonomous tech, despite regulatory challenges.
• Nearly 300,000 people joined Waymo’s waitlist in Los Angeles, highlighting strong demand for its service.
• Waymo previously opened access to its service to everyone in San Francisco and Phoenix, demonstrating its expanding U.S. presence.
• Competition in autonomous ride-hailing is increasing, with Tesla planning a driverless service next year in California and Texas, and GM’s Cruise and Amazon’s Zoox advancing their autonomous projects.

4. Cepton (NASDAQ: CPTN) Advances Lidar Commercialization Amid Acquisition by Koito, OEM Partnerships

5. Caterpillar launches autonomous Cat 777 off-highway truck at Luck Stone Quarry

• Caterpillar demonstrated the fully autonomous Cat 777 off-highway truck at Luck Stone’s Bull Run plant, marking its first autonomous deployment in the quarry and aggregates industry.
• This deployment expands Caterpillar’s autonomous fleet to include the 100-ton Cat 777, advancing its Cat MineStar Command technology for hauling.
• Caterpillar and Luck Stone view this as a significant milestone, enhancing safety and providing growth opportunities for employees in autonomous operations.
• The success at Bull Run sets the stage for further testing and validation before Caterpillar’s autonomous technology becomes commercially available in the aggregates industry.