IATR 39th Annual Conference Early Bird Pricing Until Aug 15!

AV City: Autonomous Mobility

Las Vegas, Nevada | September 14–17, 2026

Vdara Hotel at ARIA | 2600 W Harmon Ave, Las Vegas, NV

Early-bird pricing extended until August 15

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Sponsorship opportunities available until August 14

Image: Tech Crunch

Zoox just got the green light to do something no other US robotaxi operator has done: run a purpose-built car with no steering wheel or pedals and charge you for the ride. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration granted Amazon-owned Zoox a temporary exemption from several key Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards so those joystick-free pods can legally operate as commercial vehicles.

The approval opens the door to paid trips in Las Vegas as soon as August 10, 2026, but it is not a blank check for nationwide rollout. The exemption is time-limited, capped in vehicle volume, and wrapped in extra federal oversight. If you care about where US self-driving rules are heading, this is the test case regulators will be watching very closely.

NHTSA approved Zoox’s request under 49 CFR Part 555, the section of federal rules that lets the agency temporarily exempt vehicles from certain standards if they are testing new safety technology. Instead of a permanent certification, Zoox gets a two-year exemption window running from July 31, 2026 through July 31, 2028, with permission to deploy up to 2,500 of its automated shuttles per year.

The covered Zoox robotaxi drops familiar controls entirely, so NHTSA waived requirements tied to features a steering-wheel car would need. That list includes windshield wipers and defrosters, some lighting and mirror rules, rear visibility, manual brake controls, sun visors, specific windshield abrasion and distortion limits, and portions of FMVSS No. 208 on occupant crash protection related to airbag warning label placement. In exchange, the agency is using what it calls enhanced oversight for these exempt vehicles rather than treating them like any other certified car.

Source: Motor 1

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“The Evolving Regulatory Landscape for AVs IATR’s Guiding Principles for Robotaxi Testing & Deployment, and Autonomous Vehicle Policy Challenges & Solutions” will all be part of the bootcamp at the 39^th Annual IATR Conference on Monday September 14. Click here for more information

Image: Axios

Your next Uber could be electric. Ride-hail and taxi drivers are transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs), inspired by their more cost-effective operations and the increasing availability of incentives.

In Massachusetts, ride-hailing drivers on platforms such as Uber and Lyft can get up to $14,000 toward a new EV, or $6,500 for a used EV, Grecia Mayya, program manager for the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, said. The center oversees the Ride Clean Mass program, which provides rebates to transportation network company (TNC) drivers to purchase a new or used EV.

“We really wanted to focus on TNC drivers, because they’re more likely to be low to moderate income ... and they drive more miles than the average driver,” Mayya said during a recent webinar hosted by the Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA) Education Fund.

For regions wanting to transition vehicle miles traveled (VMT) — a key metric for evaluating traffic congestion and intensity — to zero-emission vehicles (ZEV), electrified ride-hailing is a natural area to focus, advocates and experts said. These vehicles tend to log more miles than personally-owned vehicles.

“Electrifying even just one ride-share vehicle can bring about much bigger emissions reductions than electrifying a personal vehicle,” Mayya said.

The incentives in Massachusetts are not just for ride-hailing. Drivers serving the taxi and livery sector are eligible for up to $17,500 to be applied to a new EV, or $12,500 for a used EV. Drivers who want to enter into EV rental agreements can apply for $200 per week rebates for up to eight weeks. Incentive recipients must use the vehicle for ride-hailing for 12 months following the award.

Source: GovTech Magazine

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Water Taxi Expected for LA28

Three ferry operators, Harbour Breeze Cruises, Hornblower Yachts and SF Prop, have submitted formal proposals to LA Metro to operate a shuttle boat linking Long Beach and San Pedro during the forthcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in California. The ambitious plan to connect San Pedro and Long Beach through a water-taxi service during the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games is gathering momentum in the private sector. Three of the region's most experienced ferry and cruise operators, Harbor Breeze Cruises, Hornblower Yachts and PROP SF/Artemis, have formally responded to the Request for Information issued by LA Metro to operate the maritime route.

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Tesla Robotaxi Rear-Ended While Stopped at Stop Sign, NHTSA Filing Shows

Tesla’s (TSLA) Austin Robotaxi was involved in another low-speed incident, according to the latest update to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s crash database. In an early April incident, a Tesla Model Y operating on its automated driving system was stopped at a stop sign when a pickup truck behind it moved forward and collided with the vehicle. The crash resulted in property damage only, the filing shows. Only a safety monitor was inside the car at the moment, and no injuries were reported, the filing added. Tesla classified the incident as the other driver striking a stationary vehicle.

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Joby Sets September Start for Texas eIPP Flights

Joby Aviation said Wednesday that it expects to begin flights in Texas next month under the federal eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP). The company is also targeting its first passenger operations under the program before the end of the year. The company also announced Thursday that it has leased 45,000 square feet at Alliance Air Trade Center in Haslet, part of Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport. The company said the facility will serve as its North Texas base for eIPP flights and support future air taxi operations across the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

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Most Canadians Oppose Ottawa's Planned September Gas Tax Hike

Almost two-thirds of Canadians disapprove of a federal plan to raise taxes on gasoline next month, according to a Leger poll shared by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF).

The planned hike in taxes comes from an initiative by the federal government in April to temporarily suspend the federal fuel excise tax on gasoline, diesel fuel and aviation fuels by setting their rates to 0 cents per litre. It took effect April 20 with a planned end date of Labour Day, Sept. 7, 2026.

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Edmonton’s Transit Future Needs More than Just Faster Buses

Albert Einstein famously mentioned that time is relative to the observer. In our case, the observers are commuters. Drivers spend lots of time in traffic. Transit users often spend time waiting, whether for a bus or a connecting bus. Edmonton is now considering Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) as a major part of its plans for public transit.

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This Forgotten Transit Method Once Roamed the Streets of Calgary

Long before buses and the CTrain shaped Calgary’s transit system, Calgarians relied on streetcars to get across the city.  In 1909, Calgary had a population of around 30,000 people, and the city was expanding quickly. It was in desperate need of a transportation system to help get people from their neighbourhoods into the busy downtown city centre.

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Italy Fines Rome E-Scooter Firms Bird, Dott and Lime over Unfair Practices

Italy's competition authority ​has fined e-scooter and ​e-bike operators Bird, Dott and ​Lime a total of almost €2.7 billion ($3.12 billion) for unfair commercial practices, it said in a ‌statement on ⁠Thursday. The regulator said the three companies ​had made it unduly difficult for holders of annual ​public transport passes in Rome to access free ride packages to which ​they were entitled.

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Uber Air Is Coming to Manchester — Joby’s Electric Flying Taxi Lands in Media City for a UK Preview

Visitors to Salford Quays got an early look at the future of airport travel this week, as a Joby Aviation electric air taxi — often mistaken for an oversized drone — was put on public display in the Piazza at Media City for two days. Joby and Virgin Atlantic have partnered to bring the aircraft to the UK, with the goal of making short hops between cities possible at speeds of up to 200mph. The display forms part of a mini UK tour that’s already taken in Tower Bridge in London and the Farnborough Airshow in Hampshire, aimed at building public interest ahead of a wider rollout.

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New Budapest Airport Fees Spark Taxi Drivers’ Protests

A new fee schedule at Liszt Ferenc International Airport in Budapest is causing discontent among taxi drivers in the Hungarian capital. Despite widespread protests and traffic jams in front of the terminals, the airport operator has so far remained unyielding, Világgazdaság reported.  

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Gibela Namela, Jozi My Jozi Partner to Strenghten Johannesburg's Taxi Industry

Taxi industry body Gibela Namela and citizen-led nonprofit company Jozi My Jozi (JMJ) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to implement a number of interventions aimed at strengthening Johannesburg’s minibus taxi industry. This follows extensive discussions over the past 18 months and forms part of Project Unite, one of Jozi My Jozi’s Public Transit Revitalisation programmes.

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Bike Taxi Association Seeks Halt to Crackdown, Urges Clear Policy Framework

The Namma Bike Taxi Association has urged the Karnataka government to immediately halt enforcement action against bike taxi riders, alleging that transport authorities have failed to provide any mechanism or guidelines for legal compliance despite repeated representations following a recent Karnataka High Court order. 

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Kazakhstan Conducts First Passenger Flight of Pilotless Air Taxi

Kazakhstan has conducted its first demonstration flight of a pilotless passenger aircraft carrying a person on board, marking a milestone in the country’s development of urban air mobility. The electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOL, EH216-S completed the demonstration flight over a designated area in Astana as part of the international Games of the Future 2026 tournament, according to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport.

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Image: WBUR

A wave of state laws allowing Uber and Lyft drivers to unionize is spreading across the country, marking one of the most significant shifts in labor rights for gig workers since ride-hailing apps first launched more than a decade ago.

Massachusetts became the first state to open the door to rideshare unionization in 2024, when voters approved a ballot measure creating a framework that lets drivers organize and bargain collectively while remaining classified as independent contractors rather than employees. California followed in January, giving an estimated 800,000 rideshare drivers in the state the right to form a union. Illinois became the third state to pass such legislation on June 1, extending similar rights to the state's roughly 100,000 Uber and Lyft drivers.

The movement reached a major milestone this spring when Massachusetts drivers organized what labor advocates are calling one of the most significant labor wins for independent workers in decades. The certification, made possible under the state's 2024 framework, could ultimately represent nearly 70,000 drivers statewide through the newly formed App Drivers Union.

For drivers who backed the effort, the moment carried deep personal significance. Jean Fredo, who has driven for Uber for more than seven years, said he hopes the union will bring better pay, stronger protections against sudden deactivations and greater overall stability for drivers. "With the union, it will not feel like we're working for nothing," Fredo said, speaking through a translator.

Fellow driver Alfred Potter, who took part in organizing efforts, described the years-long push toward unionization as "still no more than a dream" for much of the process, reflecting how long the effort took to reach certification after the 2024 ballot measure passed.

In California, the nation's second state to grant rideshare drivers union rights, organizing is still in its early stages, with the earliest possible vote on unionization set for May. Sangar Khan, who drives for Uber and Lyft out of the Bay Area, said he believes unionization could benefit drivers financially. "I think the union is good for drivers, and maybe they pay more," Khan said, describing frustration with what he sees as a large gap between what riders pay for trips and what drivers ultimately take home.

Source: International Business Times

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