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Nvidia and auto suppliers roll out partnerships to revive stalled self-driving ambitions

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After years of costly failures and repeated delays, the self-driving car industry is once again pushing forward as chipmakers, technology firms and auto suppliers bet that artificial intelligence and deep partnerships can reignite progress. Companies including Nvidia are positioning themselves at the center of this renewed effort, even as automakers remain cautious about costs, scalability and consumer demand.

Fully autonomous vehicles promise to transform transportation, but delivering systems safe enough for public roads has proved far more complex and expensive than initially expected. While a handful of players such as Waymo and Tesla have chosen to pursue in-house development, legacy automakers including General Motors and Ford Motor have pulled back from their own fully autonomous programs.

At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, a wave of new collaborations signaled fresh momentum. Amazon Web Services and German supplier Aumovio announced a partnership to support the commercial rollout of self-driving vehicles. Autonomous trucking firm Kodiak AI teamed up with Bosch to scale production of autonomous hardware and sensors.

Nvidia also unveiled its next-generation autonomous driving platform, which will underpin a robotaxi alliance involving Lucid Group, Nuro and Uber. Separately, Mercedes-Benz said it will launch a new advanced driver-assistance system in the United States later this year, powered by Nvidia chips, allowing limited autonomous operation on city streets under driver supervision.

Artificial intelligence is increasingly seen as the key to overcoming some of the industry’s biggest hurdles. Generative AI tools are speeding up development and validation while reducing the resources required, according to Ozgur Tohumcu of AWS, who described AI as a “big accelerant” for autonomous driving.

Western automakers are also feeling pressure from China, where regulators last month approved two vehicles with Level 3 autonomous capabilities, allowing hands-off driving under certain conditions. Still, industry leaders caution against unrealistic expectations. Jochen Hanebeck, CEO of Infineon, warned against “market fantasy” that fully self-driving cars could soon become commonplace, noting that automakers currently prefer revenue-generating Level 2 driver-assistance systems.

Robotaxi trials are expanding in small pockets across China, the United States, Europe and the Middle East, but scaling them remains costly. According to Jeremy McClain, expanding coverage requires massive data, fleets and logistics investments.

The industry’s long history of hype still looms large. Tesla CEO Elon Musk famously predicted in 2019 that a million self-driving Teslas would be on the road within a year, yet only launched a limited robotaxi service last year. Early setbacks, including the shutdown of GM’s Cruise unit after a high-profile accident, forced many automakers to retreat.

Nvidia executives argue that AI breakthroughs are finally addressing long-standing weaknesses, particularly in handling rare “edge cases.” Ali Kani said foundational advances are making the technology feel closer to readiness. Analysts, however, say Tesla still holds a significant lead, even as Nvidia’s open-source platform gives rivals a shared alternative.

TSMC Fourth-Quarter Revenue Jumps 20%, Beating Market Forecasts

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TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, reported a 20.45% year-on-year rise in fourth-quarter revenue on Friday, beating market expectations as booming demand for artificial intelligence applications lifted sales.

Revenue for the October–December period reached T$1.046 trillion ($33.11 billion), based on Reuters calculations from the company’s monthly disclosures, up from T$868.46 billion a year earlier. The result topped an LSEG SmartEstimate of T$1.036 trillion and came within the company’s previous guidance range of $32.2 billion to $33.4 billion issued in October.

TSMC has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the global AI boom, supplying advanced chips to customers such as Nvidia and Apple. Strong AI-related demand has more than offset softer orders for chips used in consumer electronics, where pandemic-driven demand has faded.

The company is scheduled to report full fourth-quarter earnings on January 15, when it is expected to provide updated guidance for the current quarter and the full year. Investors will be watching closely for details on capital expenditure plans and revenue growth expectations.

TSMC’s Taipei-listed shares rose 44.2% in 2025, significantly outperforming the broader Taiwanese market, which gained 25.7%. The strong performance mirrors broader momentum in the semiconductor supply chain driven by AI. Earlier this week, Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics maker and a key Nvidia server supplier, also reported robust fourth-quarter sales.

Self-Driving Technology and AI Take Center Stage at CES as Automakers Pull Back on EV Plans

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Autonomous driving technology and artificial intelligence are expected to dominate this year’s CES trade show in Las Vegas, as automakers and investors look beyond electric vehicles for growth amid rising costs, safety concerns, and regulatory pressure.

With many carmakers scaling back electric vehicle strategies, suppliers and startups are using CES to showcase advances in self-driving hardware and software. Industry observers expect a wave of partnerships and announcements focused on reducing driver involvement — or eliminating the human driver altogether.

“This year you will see more and more focus on AI and autonomous,” said C.J. Finn, U.S. automotive industry leader at PwC, adding that the industry’s ability to deploy driverless technology safely will be closely scrutinized. He noted that connectivity and AI-driven autonomy will be “front and center” at the event.

AI is also spreading well beyond vehicles, with applications ranging from robotics and wearable devices to smart home systems and healthcare technology. Among the headline speakers at CES are Jensen Huang of Nvidia and Lisa Su of Advanced Micro Devices.

CES 2026 runs from January 6 to 9 and has in recent years become a major platform for automakers to debut new EVs. This year, however, the show will feature far fewer electric vehicle launches. A rollback of EV-friendly incentives under the Trump administration — including the removal of a $7,500 tax credit — has cooled consumer demand and forced automakers to rethink their strategies. As a result, most major manufacturers are not planning new EV unveilings at CES, marking a sharp shift from previous editions.

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Despite years of heavy investment, commercializing autonomous vehicles has proven difficult. Regulatory hurdles, high development costs, and investigations following crashes have pushed several companies out of the market. Still, momentum has returned following Tesla’s limited robotaxi rollout in Austin and the continued expansion of Waymo, owned by Alphabet.

Advanced driver-assistance systems have also improved, with hands-free highway driving and automated lane changes becoming more common. Automakers such as Rivian are aiming to introduce “eyes-off” driving features and autonomous operation on city streets.

At the same time, cost pressures remain a major concern. Automakers are reassessing capital spending after absorbing billions of dollars in EV-related write-downs and grappling with tariffs on imported vehicles and parts. Many have chosen to absorb tariff costs rather than pass them on to consumers, squeezing profit margins.

“The main theme we expect to see emerging at CES is cost and cost competitiveness,” said Felix Stellmaszek, global automotive and mobility leader at Boston Consulting Group, noting that competition from Chinese automakers is also weighing on industry strategies.