Latest news with #Austria-based
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Los Angeles Times
Lyft plans to launch Benteler autonomous shuttles in U.S. in 2026
Lyft Inc. is partnering with Benteler Group, an Austria-based manufacturer, to deploy autonomous shuttles in the US in late 2026, trying to catch up with rival Uber Technologies Inc. in offering driverless rides. The ride-sharing company will test Benteler's Holon urban electric shuttles for US customers next year, and may expand to thousands of vehicles in more markets globally. The driverless shuttles will initially be deployed in partnership with airports and cities, Lyft said Friday in a statement, dovetailing with the company's recent revival of pooled rides at US airports. Lyft said it will also work with a Benteler sister company, Benteler Trading International, to provide vehicle ownership and financing in the 'tens of millions of dollars' for future fleet expansion. Similar to the robotaxis developed by Inc.'s Zoox, the Holon shuttle is built without regular driving controls like a steering wheel, pedals and windshields. It also has inward-facing seats and can accommodate as many as nine seated and six standing passengers. Last November, Holon sought a temporary exemption from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for some of its requirements for vehicle driver controls. The agency hasn't yet made a decision on the petition. According to Benteler's website, the Holon urban vehicle uses autonomous driving technology from Intel Corp.-backed Mobileye Global Inc. Lyft has a separate driverless partnership deal with Mobileye, which is scheduled to begin as soon as next year in Dallas. No car manufacturing partner has yet been announced for that partnership, and Lyft said Benteler isn't the automaker for that arrangement. Lyft is signing partnerships with autonomous carmakers and technology providers as it prepares to offer its first driverless rides in Atlanta later this year with May Mobility. Meanwhile, Uber already offers driverless rides in Phoenix, Austin and Atlanta in partnership with Alphabet Inc.'s Waymo, as well as in Abu Dhabi with WeRide Inc., with more launches planned globally over the next few years. The rideshare companies have moved away from trying to develop driverless technology in-house, and now want to use the real-time routing expertise it has honed over the years to help carmakers fill their driverless fleets with customers. Lyft said in the statement that it sees Benteler, a maker of automotive and steel products, as a partner with 'extensive production capabilities' that can support its driverless strategy with multiple vehicle types beyond shuttles. Holon's first US manufacturing facility for autonomous shuttles is expected to be completed in 2026 in Jacksonville, Florida, according to an announcement last year by Benteler. Lung writes for Bloomberg.
Irish Post
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Irish Post
Northern Ireland launches its first self-driving bus in Belfast
NORTHERN Ireland has launched its first self-driving electric shuttle bus in Belfast's Titanic Quarter. The eight-seater vehicle, known as the Harlander, began its pilot service this July. Running every 20 minutes on a one-mile loop, the Harlander connects Titanic Halt Railway Station to the Catalyst tech campus. The service is entirely free to the public during its trial period, which continues through late September 2025. Designed to tackle the "last mile" gap in public transport, the shuttle aims to link existing infrastructure with business and educational hubs. Though the bus drives itself, a safety operator always remains onboard, seated where a traditional driver would be, ready to step in if needed. This blend of autonomy and oversight is part of a cautious rollout from Belfast Harbour and its tech partners: eVersum, Oxa, Angoka, BT, and Horiba Mira. The right-hand drive electric vehicle was custom-built by Austria-based eVersum and tested extensively by Coventry firm Horiba Mira. Gavin Jackson from Oxa, the company behind the AI software, described the bus's navigation system as 'superhuman.' Equipped with cameras, radar, and laser sensors, the Harlander creates a constantly updating geometric map of its surroundings. 'We fuse all of that input together into information that AI—the Oxa driver—is able to use to build a plan and drive the vehicle,' Jackson explained. He emphasised that the bus can 'see' in ways human drivers can't, particularly in poor weather conditions like rain and fog. The AI has been trained using data collected from Belfast's streets and typical pedestrian behaviour. This data was fed into a cloud-based simulation to help the software understand and safely navigate the local environment. Mike Dawson, Belfast Harbour's Director of People and Digital Transformation, called the Harlander a 'groundbreaking project' and a key piece of the Harbour's Smart Port strategy. 'Autonomy is going to play a key role in supporting current public infrastructure,' he said. 'This is the future of transportation.' Dawson acknowledged that new technology can raise concerns but emphasised the Harlander's safety-first approach. 'It's fully understandable people would be nervous,' he said. 'But it's a free service; we have a safety operator on board the entire time, making sure your journey is secure and comfortable.' Eight weeks of intensive safety testing preceded the public launch, and the goal now is to monitor the passenger experience closely. Feedback from riders will help shape future iterations of the project, both in Belfast and potentially across other parts of Northern Ireland and Britain. Dawson described the current loop of four stops as 'a model and a blueprint' for how similar services might be introduced elsewhere. The long-term vision is ambitious: fleets of autonomous vehicles operating across cities, monitored remotely from centralised control centres. See More: Belfast, Driverless Bus, Northern Ireland, Tech
L'Orient-Le Jour
17-07-2025
- Business
- L'Orient-Le Jour
TikTok hit by fresh complaint over data access
Online privacy campaigners filed fresh complaints against social media giant TikTok and two other Chinese-owned companies on Thursday, saying they had failed to comply with data access requests. Prominent Austria-based privacy campaign group Noyb (None of Your Business) already filed complaints against the three and another three Chinese-owned companies in January, accusing them of "unlawfully" sending Europeans' personal data to China. While Shein, Temu and Xiaomi provided the complainants with additional information, TikTok, AliExpress and WeChat "continued to violate" the EU's landmark General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Noyb said. Noyb said it filed the fresh complaints against TikTok with data protection authorities in Greece, against AliExpress in Belgium and against WeChat in the Netherlands to order them to fulfil the access requests and fine them. "All three tech companies have failed to comply with access requests [...] This makes it impossible for European users to exercise their fundamental right to privacy, to find out how their personal data is being processed," Noyb said. TikTok only provided part of the complainant's data "in an unstructured form that was impossible to understand", Noyb said. TikTok did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment. Last week, Beijing denied asking firms to "illegally" collect and store users' personal information after an investigation was opened into its European operations. TikTok was fined 530 million euros ($610 million) in May by Ireland's Data Protection Commission over sending personal data to China, although the Chinese social media giant had insisted this data was only accessed remotely. Ireland's DPC is the lead regulator in the EU for TikTok as the company has its European headquarters in the country. The social media giant has been in the crosshairs of Western governments for years over fears that personal data could be used by China for espionage or propaganda purposes. Noyb has launched several legal cases against US technology giants such as Meta and Google, often prompting action from regulatory authorities over violations of the GDPR. Noyb began working in 2018 with the advent of the GDPR.
Observer
17-07-2025
- Business
- Observer
TikTok hit by fresh complaint over data access
Online privacy campaigners filed fresh complaints against social media giant TikTok and two other Chinese-owned companies on Thursday, saying they had failed to comply with data access requests. Prominent Austria-based privacy campaign group Noyb (None of Your Business) already filed complaints against the three and another three Chinese-owned companies in January, accusing them of "unlawfully" sending Europeans' personal data to China. While Shein, Temu and Xiaomi provided the complainants with additional information, TikTok, AliExpress and WeChat "continued to violate" the EU's landmark General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Noyb said. Noyb said it filed the fresh complaints against TikTok with data protection authorities in Greece, against AliExpress in Belgium and against WeChat in the Netherlands to order them to fulfil the access requests and fine them. "All three tech companies have failed to comply with access requests... This makes it impossible for European users to exercise their fundamental right to privacy, to find out how their personal data is being processed," Noyb said. TikTok only provided part of the complainant's data "in an unstructured form that was impossible to understand", Noyb said. TikTok did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment. Last week, Beijing denied asking firms to "illegally" collect and store users' personal information after an investigation was opened into its European operations. TikTok was fined 530 million euros ($610 million) in May by Ireland's Data Protection Commission over sending personal data to China, although the Chinese social media giant had insisted this data was only accessed remotely. Ireland's DPC is the lead regulator in the EU for TikTok as the company has its European headquarters in the country. The social media giant has been in the crosshairs of Western governments for years over fears that personal data could be used by China for espionage or propaganda purposes. Noyb has launched several legal cases against US technology giants such as Meta and Google, often prompting action from regulatory authorities over violations of the GDPR. "Chinese apps are even worse than US providers," Noyb said on Thursday. Noyb began working in 2018 with the advent of the GDPR.
The Sun
17-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
TikTok faces new EU data privacy complaints over access violations
VIENNA: Online privacy campaigners have lodged new complaints against TikTok and two other Chinese-owned companies for allegedly failing to comply with data access requests. Austria-based advocacy group Noyb (None of Your Business) previously filed complaints in January, accusing the firms of unlawfully transferring Europeans' personal data to China. While Shein, Temu, and Xiaomi provided additional information, TikTok, AliExpress, and WeChat reportedly continued violating the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Noyb stated, 'All three tech companies have failed to comply with access requests... This makes it impossible for European users to exercise their fundamental right to privacy.' The group filed fresh complaints with data protection authorities in Greece (TikTok), Belgium (AliExpress), and the Netherlands (WeChat), demanding compliance and fines. According to Noyb, TikTok only supplied partial data 'in an unstructured form that was impossible to understand.' TikTok did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment. The platform was fined €530 million ($610 million) in May by Ireland's Data Protection Commission for transferring personal data to China, though TikTok maintains this data was only accessed remotely. Western governments have long scrutinized TikTok over concerns that China could exploit user data for espionage or propaganda. Noyb, known for targeting US tech giants like Meta and Google, remarked, 'Chinese apps are even worse than US providers.' The group has actively pursued GDPR enforcement since 2018. Last week, Beijing denied allegations of instructing firms to illegally collect user data amid an EU probe into its operations. - AFP
