Autonomous Mobility Goes Global: From Robotaxis to Self-Driving Trucks
Automotive Intelligence
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The race to autonomous mobility is no longer confined to the lab it’s hitting stock exchanges, highways, and industrial floors.
From China’s first dual-listed robotaxi firm to AI-powered logistics fleets and robotics ecosystems that span microns to kilometers, 2025 marks a pivotal inflection point for self-driving and intelligent transport technologies.
Let’s look at four major developments shaping the next era of mobility innovation.
WeRide Lists on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
WeRide Inc. has officially listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX: 0800.HK), raising approximately HKD 2.39 billion (~US$308 million) at HKD 27.10 per share.
This milestone makes WeRide the first robotaxi company publicly traded in both Hong Kong and the United States, symbolizing growing investor confidence in autonomous mobility’s commercial future.
WeRide plans to use the proceeds to expand R&D, scale robotaxi operations, and enhance its Level 4 driving stack. The listing also reflects a broader trend Asian mobility innovators gaining strong capital market traction as global demand for urban autonomy accelerates.
Xpeng Gears Up for Robotaxi Launch in 2026
Xpeng is gearing up to launch three self-developed Level 4 robotaxi models by 2026, further intensifying competition in China’s autonomous sector.
These vehicles will run on Xpeng’s in-house Turing AI chips, capable of delivering up to 3,000 TOPS (trillion operations per second), integrated with its Canghai/VLA autonomy stack.
In a strategic move, Xpeng is also partnering with Amap (Alibaba’s mapping platform) to offer direct ride-booking capabilities blurring the line between automaker, AI developer, and mobility platform. With a vertically integrated ecosystem, Xpeng is positioning itself as both a manufacturer and a service provider for the robotaxi era.
Yamaha Motor Bridges Micro and Macro Robotics
Yamaha Motor is taking a unique approach to autonomy by spanning the entire scale of robotics from micron-level precision to kilometer-range mobility.
At iREX 2025, Yamaha will demo its concept “μ to km – Robotics Transportation”, showcasing how robotics can seamlessly transition from factory automation to outdoor autonomous transport.
The demonstration reflects Yamaha’s long-term strategy: leveraging decades of motion control expertise to build a unified robotics ecosystem that integrates manufacturing intelligence with transport automation effectively blurring the boundary between industry and mobility.
Kodiak AI and ZF Partner to Scale Driverless Trucking
In freight autonomy, Kodiak AI has announced the purchase of 100 redundant steering systems from ZF including the ReAX platform and next-gen Electric Power Steering (EPS) units to support its fail-operational steer-by-wire architecture.
This system enables Kodiak’s self-driving trucks to maintain full steering functionality even in the event of hardware failures a critical milestone for driverless safety certification and fleet scalability.
By combining ZF’s automotive-grade reliability with Kodiak’s proprietary “Kodiak Driver” stack, the partnership brings long-haul trucking closer to commercial autonomy.
From Urban Streets to Supply Chains: Autonomy Scales Up
Together, these milestones mark a turning point for intelligent mobility.
WeRide is proving commercial confidence in robotaxis. Xpeng is building vertically integrated autonomy from chip to city. Yamaha is connecting industrial robotics to transport ecosystems. Kodiak AI is scaling the frontier of driverless freight.
The message is clear: autonomy is no longer an experiment it’s a global movement.
From micron-precise robots to multi-tonne self-driving trucks, AI is now the driving force behind the next industrial and mobility revolution.
AI isn’t coming it’s here. And it’s already changing how cars are built, sold, and serviced. Are you paying attention?
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