Image: Tripy

Turkish shared mobility operator Tripy has announced plans to bring robotaxis to Türkiye, with Ankara as a potential starting point for testing. Tripy is known predominantly for its micromobility operations, running a fleet of 7,200 shared e-bikes across Turkey and Azerbaijan. Now, the company is taking its first move with autonomous vehicles with plans to begin testing Level 4 robotaxis on Turkish roads as early as this year, subject to approvals.

“The launch of this process will depend on the completion of the necessary testing permissions from the relevant authorities and it is currently targeted to begin between the end of 2026 and sometime in 2027,” Tripy CEO Dr. Ali Onuralp Ünal told Zag Daily.

Tripy’s robotaxi has been developed on the Maxus Mifa 7 electric vehicle platform and modified with Level 4 autonomous driving technology from Chinese firm CalmCar.

The operator reports more than 100,000 hours of robotaxi road testing logged in China, with Tripy now planning to bring the vehicles to its home nation of Türkiye. 

When asked why Tripy chose to test its robotaxis abroad, Dr. Ünal said that testing in China represents a “critical advantage” for the company, arguing that a market with more mature AV technology and policy puts robotaxis to a greater test than if they had been tested from the start in Türkiye.

Source: Zag Daily

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Image: MOIA

MOIA has launched passenger test operations of its autonomous ridepooling service in Hamburg, allowing registered residents to book rides in self-driving ID. Buzz vehicles as part of the ALIKE project.

MOIA has started the next phase of its autonomous mobility program in Hamburg on July 15th. Selected pre-registered residents can now book trips in all-electric autonomous Volkswagen ID. Buzz vehicles through the MOIA app. According to the company’s press materials, the booking option will also be integrated into the hvv app in the coming weeks. The launch marks the first time that autonomous ridepooling services are available to passengers in Hamburg’s urban traffic under the ALIKE pilot project.

The initiative represents the latest development in MOIA’s strategy to commercialize autonomous mobility technology. According to the company, the platform combines autonomy-enabled vehicles, Mobileye’s self-driving technology, a Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) software platform, and operational services designed for fleet operators. MOIA states that the operational experience gathered in Hamburg will be used in the continued development of its technology platform for deployment in additional markets.

Beyond Hamburg, MOIA states that it is conducting autonomous mobility activities at locations in Germany, Norway and the United States, where additional passenger pilot operations are being prepared. According to the company, these activities contribute to validating the technology under different operating conditions.

Source: Sustainable Bus

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Uber Rider Accuses His Tesla Driver of Sleeping at the Wheel

An Uber passenger says his late-night Tesla ride through Orange County turned into a nightmare when the driver appeared to fall asleep behind the wheel while Full Self-Driving mode was engaged. Cellphone video obtained by KTLA appears to show the driver’s head repeatedly bobbing forward as his hands remain off the steering wheel during the 13-mile trip from Yorba Linda to Santa Ana on July 6. At one point, the passenger can be heard asking, “You good, man?” but receives no response.

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Together for Safer Roads Launches ‘Every Seat, Every Time’ Global Seat Belt Initiative with Autoliv and UPS

During the United Nations High-Level Meeting on Improving Global Road Safety, Together for Safer Roads (TSR) launched Every Seat, Every Time, a multi-year global initiative to close the commercial seat belt usage gap. The initiative is anchored by Autoliv, the world’s largest automotive safety supplier, and launched with UPS as the initiative’s first implementing fleet.

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NASA Study Points to Smoother Air Taxi Rides

No one wants to get into an uncomfortable aircraft. NASA research could help the emerging industry of air taxis —small, vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft meant for short trips — understand the relationship between comfort and willingness to fly. That’s where NASA comes in, with data that can help identify how to plan air taxi rides that can keep travelers feeling good.

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Trump Imposes 50% Tariffs on Canadian Goods

President Donald Trump on Monday imposed 50% tariffs on most Canadian goods, declaring that Canada has unfairly discriminated against American autos, alcohol and dairy products. The move could unleash a new wave of economic chaos, with risks of higher inflation and further fraying of relations between two nations that had been closely woven together before Trump's return to the White House.

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Whistler Eyes Security Cameras for Taxi Loop amid Safety Concerns

The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) is considering adding security cameras to the Village taxi loop through its 2027 budget as the municipality looks for ways to respond to recent reports of sexual misconduct by cab drivers. Mayor Jack Crompton announced the move during his mayor’s report at council’s July 14 meeting.

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Canada’s China-EV Quota Nears 40% as July Imports Hit Monthly Record

Canada imported 5,104 Chinese-built electric vehicles in the first 17 days of July alone, making the month the busiest since Ottawa’s quota framework opened on March 1, according to a Global Affairs Canada report executed last Friday.

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Turkey Leads in Taxi Costs Among Georgia’s Neighbors, Georgia Ranks Second

Turkey remains the country with the highest taxi fares among the nations bordering Georgia. This is evidenced by updated data from the Numbeo service (an international online database), which compared the average cost of a one-kilometer taxi ride in 99 countries. According to the study, the average cost of a one-kilometer taxi ride in Turkey is $0.85, placing the country 68th in the global ranking.

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Toyota and Uber partner on EV Access for Europe Drivers

Toyota Motor Europe and Uber have announced a partnership to expand access to hybrid and battery-electric vehicles for Uber drivers and fleet partners across Europe, launching across 10 countries in July 2026. The arrangement offers preferential conditions on new and used Toyota and Lexus vehicles, alongside flexible financing, leasing and usage-based insurance.

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UK Military ‘Eyes Innovative Electric Flying Taxi’ As 2029 Launch Planned

British flying taxi startup Vertical Aerospace has said the UK government has expressed interest in buying a military variant of its aircraft as it races to gain approval for flights with paying passengers. Vertical also welcomed another £10m grant from the government, taking its total UK state funding to £48m.

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Bali Governor and Transportation Minister Discuss North Bali Airport and Water Taxi

Bali Governor Wayan Koster and Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi recently discussed programs to strengthen air, sea, and land transportation in Bali. Also attending were Buleleng Regent I Nyoman Sutjidra, Klungkung Regent I Made Satria, Karangasem Regent I Gusti Putu Parwata, and Badung Regent, represented by the Head of the Badung Regency Transportation Agency.

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Delhi to Manesar in 40 minutes? HSIIDC Plans Pod Taxi, Metro Link to Cut Time

Commuters traveling between the national capital and Haryana's industrial belt may soon cover the distance from Dhaula Kuan in Delhi to Manesar in under 40 minutes, thanks to an ambitious plan by the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) to introduce a high-speed Pod Taxi system and an extended Metro line.

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Bharat Taxi Partners with West Bengal Govt to Expand Yatri Sathi Mobility Platform

Bharat Taxi on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Information Technology and Electronics (DITE), Government of West Bengal, to support the expansion, operations and driver welfare initiatives of the state’s ride-hailing platform, Yatri Sathi.

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Image: Zag Daily

Skyports has widened its ambitions for electric air taxi services in South Korea by bringing aircraft manufacturer Beta Technologies and local operator UI Helicopter into its plans for a national network.

The agreement brings together three of the main elements needed for commercial operations: aircraft, infrastructure and a local operator. It builds on UK-based vertiport developer Skyports’ earlier work with the Jeju Provincial Government, where it has already been planning the country’s first vertiport network.

Under the memorandum of understanding, South Korean helicopter operator and maintenance provider UI Helicopter has agreed to acquire up to 20 aircraft from Vermont-based electric aircraft developer BETA Technologies. The order remains non-binding and could include both the company’s conventional take-off aircraft and its vertical take-off air taxi variant, with deliveries targeted from 2029.

The partnership is expected to launch first on Jeju Island. Skyports said Jeju is the furthest advanced because it already has government backing but the long-term aim is to replicate the model in other parts of South Korea as additional locations come forward.

Source: Zag Daily

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