Latest news with #autonomousdriving
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Luxury carmaker fires shot at Tesla in robotaxi wars
Luxury carmaker fires shot at Tesla in robotaxi wars originally appeared on TheStreet. Tesla's () has been steering the robotaxi narrative for the longest time, but recently a brand new player quietly slid into the frame. Behind the scenes, one luxury EV maker just threw its hat into the race and is ready to challenge the status quo. 💵💰💰💵 At this point, it's not trying to out-Tesla Tesla, but instead aim for an entirely different lane. As we see partnerships evolving quickly and rivals repositioning, the road ahead for autonomous driving has become a lot more crowded and a lot more interesting. The robotaxi race just got real Robotaxis aren't science fiction anymore, as they turn into arguably the fastest-growing bet in the tech space. To put things in perspective, estimates suggest that the global market for autonomous ride services could explode from $4.4 billion this year to $125 billion by 2034. That's a massive 45% compound annual growth rate, led by cheaper sensors, smarter AI, and a major push to cut costs in urban transit. Tesla finally entered the game in June with the quiet launch of its invite-only Robotaxi service in Austin. The cars operate using Tesla's robust camera-only Full Self-Driving system, avoiding the need for expensive Light Detection and Ranging (lidar) and instead relying solely on vision and machine believes that's the edge Tesla needs in scaling a lot faster and cheaper than the competition. But it's still early days. We've already seen glitchy behavior, including phantom braking and navigation errors, which complicates the bullish thesis. Google's Waymo, on the other hand, is the veteran. It recently crossed the 100 million driverless miles mark with zero humans behind the wheel. Its coverage in cities like Phoenix and Austin dwarfs Tesla's footprint, giving it a massive data lead in improving its software. China's not sitting this out, either. has already dished out its seventh-gen robotaxi and is testing in multiple countries. WeRide, another robotaxi upstart, launched Southeast Asia's first fully autonomous robobus in Singapore, aiming to expand swiftly. And then there's Uber, which is effectively becoming the nerve center of the robotaxi era. In Atlanta, riders can now hail Waymo vehicles directly through Uber. Similarly, in Austin, Waymo's 90-square-mile service also runs on Uber's platform. More News: Moody's drops 2-word warning on housing market Rigetti shakes up quantum computing with bold advance JPMorgan reveals 9 stocks with major problems By owning the rider interface and centralizing fleet access, Uber is positioning itself as the gatekeeper for robotaxi adoption. Lucid takes its shot at Tesla in the robotaxi wars Lucid () just made a massive foray into the robotaxi arena, and Wall Street's starting to pay attention. Luxury EV maker Lucid is teaming up with Uber and autonomous tech firm Nuro to roll out 20,000 Gravity SUVs on Uber's network over the next six years. Each of these cars will be equipped with Nuro's Level 4 self-driving technology, signaling Lucid's largest leap yet into AI-powered mobility. Morgan Stanley's Adam Jonas hailed that partnership as 'strategic.'Jonas says this isn't your regular one-off announcement; it's a clear sign that Lucid is looking to carve out a key position in the robotaxi race that's been dominated by Tesla and Waymo. According to Jonas, Lucid has mostly been an under-the-radar player in the self-driving conversation. However, the Uber–Nuro deal could change that, helping the EV startup move beyond luxury retail and into recurring revenue streams. The Gravity SUV, Lucid's next blowout launch, now carries a lot more weight. Jonas feels the vehicle should be treated as a platform, not just for electric driving, but for autonomy and smart mobility partnerships. That makes the Uber deal a lot less about volume and more about signaling where Lucid is headed next. Uber is shelling out big money, with a $300 million investment in Lucid. That's not enough to solve the company's cash burn troubles, but it helps in a big way. Also, it puts Uber in a much stronger position to shape Lucid's roadmap. For a company that's been called a "Tesla-lite," this is Lucid's most ambitious pivot yet. Whether it pays off long-term is up for debate, but it's clear that Lucid just pulled up a seat at the lucrative robotaxi carmaker fires shot at Tesla in robotaxi wars first appeared on TheStreet on Jul 18, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Uber Paying $300M Fare in Robotaxi Deal
Uber is hopping into a carpool with electric vehicle startup Lucid and self-driving software firm Nuro to develop robotaxis that will ferry passengers on the rideshare giant's network. A pact announced Thursday calls for Uber to invest $300 million in Lucid and buy at least 20,000 robotaxis from the company over six years. It's a great endorsement for Lucid, which has yet to fully recover from a February selloff prompted by its CEO resigning amid concerns it was burning through cash at a bonfire pace. Lucid's shares popped 36% Thursday. But the deal left some scratching their heads. READ ALSO: Gaming Platform Roblox Adds Age-Verification to Safeguard Kids and Ethereum Treasuries Boom as Companies Look Beyond Bitcoin Dealing from a 'Weak Hand' Uber's very real drivers make for uniquely human experiences: Two old friends lovingly reunited after 20 years, in one viral example. But the company has wisely struck over a dozen autonomous driving partnerships as emotionless robots make their way into the taxi market. Among them are deals with Google's Waymo in Atlanta and Austin, as well as with Chinese autonomous vehicle-tech company Pony AI in the Middle East, British AV-tech company Wayve in London, and Volkswagen and Intel spinoff Mobileye in Los Angeles. The battle for the market is expected to be fierce and involve some of the world's most powerful firms: Tesla kickstarted its own robotaxi service in Austin last month, while Amazon subsidiary Zoox is testing robotaxis in multiple US cities. Uber's partnership with Lucid is set to be launched in a 'major US city' in late 2026 before expanding to other markets. Lucid, which reported a net loss of $366 million in the first quarter after losing $3 billion the previous year and has seen its stock decline nearly 95% since 2021, receives funding to outfit its assembly line with hardware suitable for making autonomous vehicles with technology like Nuro's. Nuro, meanwhile, is getting a 'multi-hundred-million-dollar' investment of its own. Uber, of course, theoretically has 20,000 future electric autonomous robotaxis to look forward to, but some observers say it may also be buying a headache: Analysts at Wedbush said in a note that the deal highlights Uber's weak hand in the robotaxi race and, by bringing on potential competitors, may damage its ongoing relationship with Waymo. They did not hold back, with one especially withering comparison: 'This feels like the search equivalent of doing a deal with AskJeeves, Overture or Infoseek back in the day to protect against Google on the horizon. Meanwhile, Tesla and Waymo just keep building AI infrastructure and data collection.' Meanwhile, Wedbush noted that pouring hundreds of millions into Lucid and Nuro and buying 20,000 cars could 'impair the capital efficiency story' that has revived Uber's stock, propelling it to a record high as recently as last week. Then, there's the simple math: Lucid delivered just 10,000 vehicles last year, and Wedbush said it would likely take more capital to make 20,000 self-driving AVs for a single client in the next six years. Farming Returns: Last month, Bank of America analysts predicted the autonomous vehicle market could be worth $1.2 trillion by 2040. Apart from the obvious stocks set to benefit, such as Tesla and Waymo-owner Alphabet, they also flagged insurance providers like Progressive as under-the-radar beneficiaries. Sensor-makers, including Aptiv and Mobileye, are poised to rake in cash as well, as is $4 trillion chip giant Nvidia, which counts most major robotaxi and autonomous vehicle companies among its customers. BofA also flagged farming, construction and equipment manufacturers — Caterpillar and John Deere are already making and testing autonomous trucks and tractors. This post first appeared on The Daily Upside. To receive delivering razor sharp analysis and perspective on all things finance, economics, and markets, subscribe to our free The Daily Upside newsletter.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Lucid Stock Soared on News of Robotaxi Partnership With Uber, Nuro—Watch These Key Levels
Key Takeaways Lucid shares jumped 36% Thursday on news the EV startup is partnering with self-driving software maker Nuro and rideshare giant Uber Technologies to bring a new group of robotaxis to Uber's platform. After consolidating just below the 50-day moving average in recent weeks, the stock staged a volume-backed breakout in Thursday's trading session, potentially setting the stage for follow through buying. Investors should watch important overhead areas on Lucid's chart around $3.60, $4.35 and $5.30, while also monitoring an key support level near $ Group (LCID) shares surged Thursday on news the EV startup is partnering with self-driving software maker Nuro and rideshare giant Uber Technologies (UBER) to bring a new group of robotaxis to Uber's platform. The deal will see at least 20,000 self-driving Lucid vehicles enhanced with Nuro's autonomous driving software added to Uber's network over the next six years in exchange for Uber investing hundreds of millions of dollars in both companies. Following the partnership announcement, analysts cautioned that the companies may face challenges scaling as fast as Uber wants, pointing out that Tesla and Google parent Alphabet's (GOOGL) autonomous vehicle company Waymo have scale and technology advantages over Lucid and Nuro. Last month, Tesla (TSLA) launched its own robotaxi service in Austin, Texas as competition in the self-driving taxi market accelerates. Lucid shares jumped 36% to close Thursday's session at $3.12. With today's pop, the stock is up nearly 60% from this month's low but still 18% lower over the past 12 months, weighed down by heavy losses, capital raises, and a string of analyst downgrades. Below, we take a closer look at Lucid's chart and identify price levels that investors will likely be watching. Volume-Backed Breakout After consolidating just below the 50-day moving average in recent weeks, Lucid shares staged a decisive breakout in Thursday's trading session, potentially setting the stage for follow-through buying. Importantly, the pop occurred on the highest volume since the company debuted on the Nasdaq in July 2021, suggesting conviction behind the move. Today's breakout also raises the possibility that the stock has completed a triple bottom, with three distinct troughs forming at roughly the same level on the chart between November and July. Meanwhile, the relative strength index confirms bullish price momentum, though the indicator has crossed into overbought territory, increasing the chances of short-term profit-taking. Let's identify three important overhead areas to watch on Lucid's chart and also point out a key support level worth monitoring. Overhead Areas to Watch The first overhead area to watch sits around $3.60. This area on the chart could provide selling pressure near the prominent January and February peaks, which also closely align with a brief countertrend upswing in late September last year. Buying above this area could see the shares climb toward $4.35. The price may encounter resistance at this level near notable peaks that formed on the chart last July and August. Further bullish momentum could drive a rally to $5.30. Investors who have bought at lower prices may decide to lock in profits in this region near the major December 2023 swing high that emerged during a steep downtrend in the stock. Key Support Level Worth Monitoring If Lucid shares retrace after today's strong move, investors should keep a close eye on the $2.50 level. This location would likely attract buying interest near the 200-day MA and a trendline that connects a series of corresponding price action on the chart stretching back to last year's June swing low. The comments, opinions, and analyses expressed on Investopedia are for informational purposes only. Read our warranty and liability disclaimer for more info. As of the date this article was written, the author does not own any of the above securities. Read the original article on Investopedia Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
WIRED
2 days ago
- Automotive
- WIRED
Some Cities in China Are Advertising Exclusive Subsidies for Huawei-Powered Cars
Jul 17, 2025 5:04 PM WIRED identified 10 local governments in China that are offering discounts to consumers who choose cars running Huawei software. It's not always clear who is footing the bill. Maextro S800 luxury sedans make an appearance at the Maextro Super Factory on June 18, 2025, in Hefei, Anhui Province of China. Photograph:In some parts of China, local governments are offering cash subsidies to people who buy electric or plug-in hybrid cars powered by Huawei software. Experts say the deals are fairly unusual. Since May, at least ten Chinese provincial and municipal governments have announced consumer subsidies ranging from 2,000 to 5,000 RMB (about $280 to $700) per car, according to social media posts collected by WIRED. The exact amount and conditions vary, but they all have one thing in common: The rebates can only be used to purchase a vehicle that runs Huawei's HarmonyOS operating system and its autonomous driving system. The Chinese government has subsidized electric vehicles since 2009, helping drive the country's rapid adoption of them over the past decade. But those incentives, both on the national and local level, were phased out two years ago as the government urged auto companies to reach profitability on their own. But even during the heyday of EV discounts, experts say they were never explicitly restricted to a single company. It's not uncommon for local governments to support homegrown auto companies by introducing favorable policies or procuring EVs for their taxi fleets, says Tu Le, the founder of Sino Auto Insights, a consultancy that specializes in the Chinese automotive market. 'But are they writing a check to a consumer to subsidize the price of a vehicle? I don't think they're doing that,' Tu says. Regional governments are currently cash-strapped amid a cooling economy in China, and Beijing has also restrained them from providing too much assistance to private companies, which makes the recent Huawei subsidies stand out even more. Tu cautions that the local government initiatives may not necessarily be tied to Huawei directly. The tech giant works with a wide range of Chinese OEM companies based in different provinces, and it's not unusual for their downstream suppliers to have strong relationships with local officials, who often want to ensure their businesses succeed. Most of the announcements stop short of saying who's actually footing the bill, which has led to confusion among both carbuyers and industry observers. But some posts made it clear that the government is not paying for it: An announcement by the Yunnan Provincial Department of Commerce on July 11, for example, said that the $420 subsidy was 'covered by the local Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance–affiliated sales companies.' Similar language has been posted by authorities in Guangzhou and Hulunbuir, a city in the northern province of Inner Mongolia. It remains unclear which company or organization is actually funding the discounts in every case. It could be Huawei, as all the announcements clearly benefit it, or one of the auto-manufacturers that have partnered with it and uses Huawei's smart driving technologies. Since Huawei was heavily sanctioned by the United States during the first Trump administration, it has made a point of stressing that it operates as a private company separate from the Chinese government. But the latest auto subsidies are arguably now muddling the water. While some government announcements suggest the subsidies may actually be coming out of Huawei's own pocket or that of its partners, it still appears they are getting preferential treatment from local governments while its competitors aren't. WIRED contacted Huawei to ask about its potential role in the subsidies. Huawei did not comment in time for publication. One of the earliest subsidies appeared online in March, when the Commerce Bureau of Shenzhen Longgang District—the district where Huawei's headquarters are located—posted that local car buyers can get up to 4,000 RMB (about $560) for buying a car that runs on Huawei's driver-assistance system. The subsidies will be given out on a first-come first-served basis until the total budget of 14,000,000 RMB is exhausted, meaning over 3,500 Shenzhen residents could have benefited from it. Starting in May, many announcements in similar language were subsequently posted by the commerce bureaus in other provinces and municipalities. In China, these commerce bureaus function as consumer regulators, and are in charge of distributing government subsidies, including a massive program launched last year to encourage trading-in old electronics and cars to help stimulate the economy. The fact that the Huawei subsidies are being announced through the commerce bureaus make them almost indistinguishable from the official government welfare program. In some cases, like in Henan and Anhui provinces, the subsidies were instead published by provincial auto industry associations. While these are technically private trade groups, the announcements were printed on official-looking letterheads and with red stamps, giving them a sense of authority. After American trade restrictions devastated Huawei's global smartphone business and essentially forced it to exit markets outside of China, the tech giant has been trying to reinvent itself. Along with creating the Harmony operating system for smartphones, smart appliances, and cars, it's also increasingly working on large language models and autonomous driving technologies amid the AI boom. The company has famously vowed to never make a car itself—unlike its smartphone peer and competitor Xiaomi—but it has partnered with a slew of Chinese auto companies. Huawei's autonomous driving technology is particularly appealing to Chinese manufacturers that don't have the capacity to develop self-driving on their own. It's 'technically brand-agnostic, which is attractive for the brands that are struggling to keep up with progress in the intelligent driving space,' says Tu. 'Effectively, if you're desperate and you can't keep up, you should partner with Huawei in the China market.' The subsidies have stirred up controversy in China, as they seem to give certain brands a leg up in what has become a brutally competitive EV landscape. As the domestic market saturates, Chinese EV brands have been forced to slash prices and give consumers free tech upgrades or interest-free financing options to stay afloat. Earlier this year, Beijing signaled that car makers should avoid using extreme pricing tactics. 'The central government ultimately wants to see stable, profitable companies and not a super fragmented industry where nobody's making any money,' says Ilaria Mazzocco, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies who has closely studied China's industrial policy for EVs. 'For consumers, this is fantastic right now, but it just isn't sustainable in the long term.' Pressure from the central government to avoid fueling pricing wars may be driving companies to come up with more creative ways to make their cars more affordable. At the same time, Mazzocco says, local governments may view Huawei's self-driving technology favorably because it fits with another policy goal to develop high-tech manufacturing and self-sufficient AI technologies in China. Before this year, WIRED could only identify one other similar Huawei car subsidy from 2022. That year, Shenzhen, Huawei's hometown, was giving out $1400 per car to people who bought vehicles equipped with HarmonyOS. Huawei didn't answer questions from WIRED about whether the company was paying for those either.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tesla (TSLA) Stock Under Pressure: AI Future Unclear, Analysts Warn
Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:) is one of the . On July 15, Evercore ISI reiterated the stock as in line. The firm said it's staying cautious on Tesla shares. 'We believe the stock, today, is increasingly both NOISE & SIGNAL based on: 1) Unabated negative revisions, 2) Disappointing AV rollout, 3) Increasingly divisive political posting, & 4) Technicals on edge.' Analysts on Wall Street currently have a consensus 'Buy' rating on the stock. The average price target of $319 implies a 2.6% upside; however, the Street-high target of $600 implies an upside of 60.8%. A financial analyst intensely examining MSCI Korea 25/50 index and portfolio benchmarking. Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) is an automotive and clean energy company that leverages advanced artificial intelligence in its autonomous driving technology and robotics initiatives. While we acknowledge the potential of TSLA as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: and Disclosure: None. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
