With the adoption of UN Regulation No. 185 and UN Global Technical Regulation No. 26 for automated driving systems (ADS), the UNECE World Forum for the Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) expanded the international reference framework for automated driving in June 2026 and established harmonized requirements for fully automated driving functions for the first time. It also covers applications in which a vehicle is operated within its operational design domain without continuous human control.

The UN regulation establishes an approval framework under the 1958 Convention; the UN GTR creates a globally harmonized technical basis under the 1998 Convention.

Continue reading Arnold NextG aligns Safety-by-Wire with UNECE ADS rules at ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle International.

The inaugural Vehicle Tech Week Europe, held at Messe Stuttgart on June 23-24, 2026, saw the launch of several new initiatives to encourage peer-to-peer discussion. Among them was a program of VIP Executive Club Roundtables, hosted in the VIP Lounge in the Hall 1 Gallery. These 90-minute sessions enabled senior professionals from OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to exchange insights across sectors and disciplines.

On June 24, Vehicle Tech Week association partner ASAM hosted the ‘Standardization in the age of AI’ roundtable attended by representatives from passenger and commercial vehicle manufacturers, suppliers, software companies and autonomous-driving firms to discuss a challenge facing every industry: the impact of AI.

Continue reading Vehicle Tech Week: ‘Standardization in the age of AI’ roundtable highlights risks and opportunities at ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle International.

A decade after early predictions of widespread automated driving failed to materialize, the global regulatory landscape has reached a decisive milestone – the UNECE World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) has adopted the world’s first regulatory framework for fully driverless automated driving systems (ADS).

The framework establishes uniform international safety requirements and a common methodology for validating ADS-equipped vehicles. Built on a safety‑case approach and a safety management system, it aims to strengthen trust among governments, industry and the public by ensuring that automated systems meet rigorous, outcome‑focused safety standards.

WP.29’s decision underscores the growing importance of harmonized global vehicle rules.

Continue reading UNECE adopts first global regulatory framework for fully driverless AD systems at ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle International.

Passengers may be able to book self-driving taxi and bus-style vehicles later this year, following the opening of applications on May 22, 2026, for operators seeking to run self-driving mobility services across the UK.

This pilot scheme will enable firms, including UK self-driving technology company Wayve, to bring cutting-edge technology to UK roads, creating thousands of jobs and unlocking billions for the economy by 2035.

Services could enhance journeys by supporting greater freedom and independence for older and disabled people, as well as expanding travel options across both work and leisure, the UK government said.

Self-driving technology could transform roads, with human error currently contributing to 88% of collisions on UK roads, said the UK Department for Transport.

Continue reading Applications open for self-driving taxi and bus operators in the UK at ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle International.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has announced the adoption of additional autonomous vehicle (AV) regulations. These rules are the result of an extensive public comment and review process. Under the updated regulations, AV manufacturers may now apply for permits to test and deploy heavy-duty autonomous vehicle technology on California roadways.

The rules also expand safety and oversight requirements for all classes of AVs, enabling law enforcement agencies to cite AV companies for moving violations committed by their vehicles, requiring AV companies to respond to first responder calls within 30 seconds, and authorizing local emergency officials to issue electronic geofencing directives to clear AVs from active emergency zones.

Continue reading DMV updates AV rules to improve accountability, first responder coordination and public safety at ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle International.

Debate over the role of autonomous vehicle in the US transportation system continues to intensify, with labour groups in Illinois mounting opposition to proposed legislation that would expand AV deployment in the state.

The Illinois Teamsters and the Labor Alliance for Public Transportation (LAPT) have joined forces to challenge the Autonomous Vehicle Pilot Project Act (IL SB3392/HB5103) that would allow broader testing and potential commercial deployment of AVs within the next three years.

The Illinois Teamsters said in a statement, “The legislation would harm middle-class jobs and jeopardize motorist safety by allowing driverless car and truck companies like Waymo to unleash untested and dangerous products on Illinois roads within the next three years.”

These concerns come amid ongoing federal scrutiny.

Continue reading US transportation unions oppose autonomous vehicle bill over safety concerns at ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle International.

ASAM’s 2026 Technical Seminar took place on March 18 in Munich, Germany, and offered insight into automotive standardization amid rapid technological change.

The agenda covered simulation, data management, diagnostics and test automation, with discussions underscoring interoperability, simulation credibility and data‑centric development. These themes emerged across sessions on ASAM standards OpenDrive, OpenScenario, OSI, ODS, SOVD, XIL, OTX, CMP, and digital‑twin integration through the Asset Administration Shell (AAS).

Cross-standard harmonization and the need to align toolchains across domains, suppliers and development stages remain priorities, with speakers citing inconsistent interpretations of ASAM specifications as a cause of fragmentation. Updates included co‑simulation workflows, higher‑fidelity OpenX modeling, interoperable data management, modular measurement architectures, digital‑twin concepts, ODD taxonomies and simulation‑quality assessment.

Continue reading Interoperability and cross‑domain collaboration take center stage at ASAM’s Technical Seminar 2026 at ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle International.

Changan Automobile is claiming to be one of the first Chinese OEMs to have been granted Level 3 autonomous driving product access approval, allowing one of its passenger vehicles to operate single-lane automated driving on specified highway and urban expressway sections in Southwest China’s Chongqing.

The approval follows extensive system-level validation of Changan’s Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities, supported by more than 5 million kilometers of real-world road testing. Testing covered a broad range of driving scenarios, spanning 185 categories – 49% beyond regulatory benchmarks – with extreme conditions accounting for 36% of total testing. On average, one complex risk scenario was encountered every 38.9km, demonstrating the system’s ability to operate safely and adaptively within its operational design conditions (ODC).

Continue reading Changan granted Level 3 autonomous driving approval in Chongqing at ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle International.

The eSync Alliance has announced that Arm has joined the organization as a charter member, becoming the first compute platform company to commit at eSync’s highest membership tier.

Arm already powers more than 300 billion chips across mobile, cloud and embedded systems. Its support transforms eSync from an automotive industry initiative into a potential standard for vehicle software updates.

“This validates that eSync is becoming a universal language for automotive over the air (OTA),” said Mike Gardner, executive director of the eSync Alliance. “When Arm commits as a charter member, it means every ECU supplier building on Arm-based processors can potentially plug into our pipeline without starting from scratch.”

Auto makers currently struggle with fragmented system updates.

Continue reading Arm joins eSync Alliance at ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle International.

Kodiak AI has achieved the highest Visually Enhanced Risk Assessment (VERA) Score for safe driving performance in assessments by Nauto.

The VERA Score is Nauto’s safety benchmark that summarizes a fleet’s driving events and behaviors into a single score, enabling fleets to assess overall driver safety over time. The Kodiak Driver, Kodiak’s AI-driven autonomous system, earned a VERA Score of 98, tying for the top spot among the more than 1,000 commercial fleets in Nauto’s network. All other commercial fleets in the evaluation were operated by human drivers. By comparison, the average VERA Score for a Nauto-equipped fleet is 78, while fleets not equipped with Nauto’s AI safety technology average a VERA Score of 63.

Continue reading Kodiak’s self-driving trucks achieve top score in Nauto driver safety evaluation at ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle International.