Autonomous Driving

Today's Stories

1. 1

   Toyota group's self-driving job ads span far beyond vehicle engineering

   Toyota Motor, Denso, Woven by Toyota, and Toyota Industries are all hiring for self-driving roles, but the job content differs sharply. Toyota Motor seeks a business planning manager for mobility services, Denso wants an AI/CG virtual environment engineer, Woven by Toyota needs an AD/ADAS software architect, and Toyota Industries is developing automated towing tractors. The job postings show that Toyota-group self-driving work is not limited to vehicle development. Skills range from AI and embedded software to control systems and business planning, meaning candidates can look beyond automakers to parts makers and software firms.

   Annual salaries vary by company: Toyota Motor offers 5–16.8 million yen, Denso 5–15 million yen, and Toyota Industries 5.5–11 million yen. Woven by Toyota lists no salary, citing industry-standard pay based on experience, with hybrid work requiring three office days per week.

2. 2

   Toyota to Start Level 2++ Autonomous Driving in 2028, From Corolla and Yaris

   Toyota Motor announced it will begin introducing Level 2++ autonomous driving in 2028, starting with the Corolla and Yaris models. This move marks a significant step for Toyota in bringing advanced driver-assistance features to mainstream, mass-market vehicles rather than only premium or flagship models.

   The rollout is planned to begin in 2028, and it will initially be available on the Corolla and Yaris lines.

3. 3

   Uber exec: 15-20 years, no one will own a car

   Uber's president and COO Andrew Macdonald predicted that in 15 to 20 years, nobody will own a car or have a driver's license, with autonomous vehicles, bikes, scooters, and public transportation replacing personal car ownership. Macdonald argues the individually owned car is "the most inefficient asset that anyone owns," sitting idle 98% of the day, depreciating, and carrying high operating costs. He notes new vehicle prices have soared 30% over the last six years.

   Uber has abandoned its own self-driving fleet plans and now partners with companies including Waymo and Waabi to bring autonomous vehicles onto its network. Uber's CEO Dara Khosrowshahi also predicts that within 15 to 20 years, most trips could be fulfilled by robots.

4. 4

   AI agent races human son after $150 card challenge

   A Reddit user gave their AI agent Cleo a prepaid $150 card, and after their son asked for the same, set up a race between the two to see who performs better. The experiment is designed to compare an autonomous AI agent's performance against a human's, with the motivation of the $150 card as the shared incentive for both.

   Readers can vote for which team they think will win the race via a link in the comments, with nothing kept, making it a fun motivational test.

5. 5

   Pony.ai, FutureLink to bring 200 robotaxis to Seoul by 2028

   Pony.ai and South Korea's FutureLink signed a strategic cooperation agreement on August 28 at the Conrad Seoul in Yeouido. They plan to introduce 200 seventh-generation robotaxis, targeting fully driverless operation in Seoul by 2028. This marks a Chinese autonomous driving vendor taking a commercial position in a market whose own robotaxi industry has yet to clear the hurdle to commercialization. Pony.ai's CEO James Peng attended the signing with FutureLink's chairman and CEO.

   The plan targets fully driverless operation in Seoul by 2028, which would be a significant step for robotaxi deployment in South Korea. The agreement was reported by The Asia Business Daily and SBS.

6. 6

   Toyota to equip cars with near-hands-free autonomous driving from 2028

   Toyota announced it will equip production passenger cars with AI-based autonomous driving technology starting in 2028. The system, developed in-house, lets the AI assist with surroundings recognition and drive to a destination with almost no driver operation, even in urban areas with many pedestrians. This marks a step beyond the current mainstream 'Level 2' autonomy in Japan, which enables functions like following the vehicle ahead. Toyota plans to expand the technology to more models from 2030 onward, aiming for widespread adoption to prevent traffic accidents.

   The rollout begins in 2028, with broader adoption slated for 2030 and later. The company has not specified which models will get the system first or pricing details.