[241227] #Waymo #Torc Robotics #Robosense

1. Waymo to expand to Miami, aims to launch robotaxi service there in 2026

• Waymo will begin testing its robotaxi service in Miami in 2025 with human safety drivers and plans to launch its Waymo One app service in 2026.
• The Miami expansion reflects Waymo’s confidence in operating self-driving vehicles in challenging weather conditions, building on its initial testing there in 2019.
• Waymo will deploy all-electric Jaguar I-PACEs in Miami, targeting parts of the metropolitan area with a population exceeding 6 million.
• Recent expansions include removing the Los Angeles waitlist, offering services in San Francisco and Phoenix, and forming partnerships with Uber (Austin and Atlanta) and Moove (Miami and Phoenix).
• Waymo raised $5.6 billion in October to scale its operations and now provides over 150,000 paid rides weekly across three major cities.
• Competitors include Cruise, which is recovering from a San Francisco accident; Tesla, planning a self-driving service by 2025; and other players like Wayve and Zoox testing autonomous technologies.

  

2. Torc Robotics To Open New DFW Office and Self‑Driving Trucking Hub

• Torc Robotics, a Daimler Truck subsidiary, will open a new office and autonomous trucking hub in Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and build a new team in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in the first half of 2025.
• The company is transferring operations from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Stuttgart, Germany, to focus on locations aligning with its commercialization strategy.
• Over 100 jobs will be created in both DFW and Ann Arbor as Torc seeks skilled workers in AI, machine learning, simulation, and systems engineering.
• Torc is entering the “productization phase,” with plans for its first autonomous trucking launch lane between DFW and Laredo.
• The move to DFW supports Torc’s goal of scaling its autonomous trucking business to meet customer needs and advance logistics and freight transportation.
• Torc joins other autonomous trucking companies like Kodiak Robotics, Aurora Innovation, Waymo, and Gatik, positioning North Texas as a hub for autonomous trucking innovation.

Torc Robotics is relocating to Dallas-Fort Worth and Ann Arbor, creating over 200 jobs as it moves into the commercialization phase with plans for an autonomous trucking launch lane.

3. Hesai to Exclusively Supply 1.5 Million Lidar Units to Changan Automobile for Multiple Car Brands

• Hesai (NASDAQ: HSAI) has become the exclusive provider of long-range lidar for Changan Automobile’s new intelligent driving platform.
• The order volume for Hesai’s ATX compact lidar model, released in April 2024, is projected to exceed 1.5 million units in the coming years.
• Hesai will supply lidar for over 10 vehicle models from Changan brands, with the platform’s first model entering mass production in the second half of 2025.
• Changan’s Nevo E07, launched in October 2024 with Hesai’s AT128 lidars, received positive market feedback.
• Hesai’s ATX lidar offers ultra-high resolution and reduced size, weight, and power consumption, positioning it as a standard feature for mass-production vehicles in 2025.
• The collaboration aims to enhance road safety and make advanced intelligent driving features widely accessible through Changan’s platform.

4. Uber Introduces Self-Driving Taxis in Abu Dhabi

5. Robosense Technology (SEHK:2498) Eyes Growth with ADAS LiDAR Success and AI Chip Development

• Robosense Technology reported a 54.7% revenue increase in Q3 2024, driven by an 87.1% surge in ADAS LiDAR sales year-on-year, reaching RMB 407.9 million in revenue.
• The company remains debt-free, providing financial stability to focus on R&D expansion and innovation.
• Despite revenue growth, challenges include unprofitability, a negative return on equity (-122.26%), and declining average selling prices for ADAS LiDAR products.
• Robosense is leveraging opportunities in the growing demand for automotive-grade solid-state LiDAR, supported by investments in AI and proprietary chip development.
• The company’s stock trades 64.2% below its estimated fair value, signaling potential for future price appreciation amidst robust market demand.