Chris Carson

🚖 The robotaxi race is accelerating fast. And as I often say, “China has become the world’s largest commercialization lab for AI-enabled mobility.” This article captures why China’s integrated EV–AV ecosystem is scaling faster than the fragmented U.S. approach — and what that means for the future of autonomous transportation. Full read here: https://lnkd.in/gU9tDnNz #AutoInsider #Automobility #Robotaxi #ChinaEV #SmartMobility #AIinMotion

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I recently joined Daniel Perez on the Future of Ground Transportation Podcast to discuss why the mobility revolution is unfolding differently in China and the West — and what this means for investors, policymakers, and innovators shaping the next decade of transportation. 🎯 Key Takeaways: 🌏 Less legacy, more innovation: China’s lack of entrenched systems has become its advantage — enabling faster commercialization of EVs, connected cars, and autonomous tech. ⚙️ Rust Belt vs. High-Tech: The U.S. still treats mobility as a manufacturing business, while China approaches it as part of the digital economy — blending hardware, software, and data. 🚗 Mobility-as-a-Service: The future isn’t about selling more cars — it’s about monetizing movement through platforms and ecosystems. ⚡ EV affordability and scale: China now produces 2 of every 3 EVs and 70% of global batteries, democratizing electric mobility faster than anyone else. 🛰️ Autonomy and air mobility: From AI trust to vertical takeoff vehicles, China’s consumers and policies are embracing the future at a faster pace. 💬 Key Quote: “The mobility industry in the United States is a Rust Belt industry. The mobility industry in China is a high-tech industry. That’s the fundamental difference — and why the U.S. is falling behind.” 🎧 Watch the full conversation here: https://lnkd.in/gsdizDip #EV #AutonomousVehicles #Mobility #Innovation #China #AutomotiveIndustry #BillRusso #Automobility

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I recently had David Zipper on The Driverless Digest podcast 🎙️— Senior Fellow at the MIT Mobility Initiative known for his writing on transportation policy, technology, and urban planning. We discussed the robotaxi ride experience, among many other insightful topics 🤖🚗

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Unlike folks not actually shipping and *deploying* humanoid robots to major global customers, Agility Robotics is almost entirely free of Chinese supply chain dependencies and expects to be 100% American and close ally sourced inside 2026 Robots that actually work. For customers — and for, not against — American national security.

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Waymo launches next-gen Ojai robotaxis  Waymo has started running its sixth-generation driverless system on Ojai robotaxis, built on a base vehicle from Chinese automaker Geely, giving rides to employees first.

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The #robotaxi industry entered a new era, defined by the tangible formation of new, complex #valuechains. Recent #partnerships and strategic #pivots are a sign of the operational and economic structures required for #autonomousmobility to scale. In #TransportationTransformation, I predicted that the deployment of #autonomousvehicles (#AVs) would necessitate a radical departure from the traditional automotive value chains to a new, service-oriented paradigm: the Fleet-Based On-Demand Mobility Value Chain. I presented a #framework for the required transition. Today, that framework is becoming the industry's working reality and a predictive lens through which to interpret what might otherwise appear to be a series of disparate corporate announcements.

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Uber will invest ‌up to $1.25 billion in electric vehicle maker Rivian as part of a deal in which the ride-hailing firm will start deploying 10,000 fully autonomous R2 SUVs as robotaxis from 2028, the companies ​said on Thursday. Rivian's shares rose about 9% in premarket trading. San Francisco-based Uber will ​make an initial investment of $300 million, and will fund the remaining ⁠amount through 2031, subject to Rivian meeting certain autonomous milestones. R2 robotaxis will be available exclusively on Uber's platform, starting with San Francisco and ​Miami, the companies said, ​adding that Uber ⁠has the option to buy up to 40,000 more beginning in 2030. "Should all milestones be achieved, the companies will have deployed ​thousands of unsupervised Rivian R2 robotaxis across 25 cities in the ​U.S., Canada, ⁠and Europe by the end of 2031," they said. More on Reuters with Akash Sriram https://lnkd.in/gMBsRBYr

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🚗 Mobility, AI & Systems Digest From 🤖 robotaxi scale to 🧬 regenerative biology and 🌍 infrastructure shifts — this week shows something important: Scale is replacing speculation. 💬 Quote of the Week “We are called to be architects of the future, not its victims.” — R. Buckminster Fuller 🚖 Future of Mobility 🚕 Waymo CEO predicts 1 million weekly rides by the end of the year. – The Verge 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eV8nVMPA 🏎️ Ferrari Luce: a first look at the Jony Ive and Marc Newson-designed EV – Wallpaper* 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ej9FbFvZ 🚦 Glydways to ‘redefine mass transit’ with autonomous EVs – Electrek.co 🔗 https://lnkd.in/erf5EhFE 🚗 Hyundai is reportedly looking to supply Waymo with 50,000 IONIQ 5 for robotaxis – Electrek.co 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eFr8x5hj 🚖 Pony AI and Toyota roll out mass-produced robotaxis in China – South China Morning Post SCMP 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ecTwkSmJ 💻 Software & Platform Shift 🧠 Rivian was saved by software in 2025 – TechCrunch 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eukcnyFy 📊 Geotab Is Moving From Tracking Fleet Vehicles To Tracking Everything – Forbes 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e9X2dGpa 🌐 Google Chrome ships WebMCP in early preview – VentureBeat 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ebMgRHY8 🔘 Human Factors 🔘 Physical Buttons Are Making a Comeback in EVs – Business Insider 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eMnVk_Yk 🚪 Carmakers Rush to Remove Chinese Code Under New Federal Rules – Autoblog 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ePMqzDCv 🧬 Science & Systems 🧠 Scientists Grew Mini Human Spinal Cords, Then Made Them Repair After Injury – ScienceAlert 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e4Ek6p4h 🌲 Forests are changing fast and scientists are deeply concerned – ScienceDaily 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eyfzWcZH ⚛️ Europe Launches Euro-Q-Exa Quantum Computer – Quantum Computing Report 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eYPcMXt7 📊 Stat of the Week 📈 Global equity funds saw a net inflow of $25.54 billion last week, led by record inflows into European equity funds. Reuters 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eNjzcgsD

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