Autonomous

Looking like a delegation of toasters from space, a generation of electrically powered, self-driving mail trucks will roll out of a suburban Detroit industrial park later this year. Their mission: Revolutionize mail and package delivery.

Nearly a dozen stakeholders representing local governments and the freight and commuter sectors on Feb. 7 urged a House transportation panel to identify a sustainable source of funding for an infrastructure bill.

Waymo is in advanced talks with Renault SA, Nissan Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. to develop autonomous cars, according to sources familiar with the matter, in a move that would join a leading self-driving force with the world’s largest automotive alliance.

The Texas Department of Transportation is moving forward with the formation of a Connected and Autonomous Vehicle (CAV) Task Force, made up of membership from state and local governments, academia, TxDOT staff and the autonomous vehicle industry.

ATLANTA — The future of autonomous trucks is further down the road than people believe, but final-mile delivery by robots is closer to larger use, said Steve Banker of ARC Advisory Group, giving his assessment of future disruption at the SMC3 Jump Start conference.

Self-driving truck startup Embark has issued a voluntary report on the performance of its automated trucks, providing a more detailed look at its testing process and the current capabilities of its technology.

SAN FRANCISCO — Paccar Inc. CEO Ron Armstrong said the trucking industry is moving toward ever-cleaner and more energy-efficient vehicles and will adopt increasingly advanced automated driving technology to assist drivers.

WASHINGTON — As they become more prevalent, autonomous technologies will bear a bigger impact on freight transportation, according to panelists assembled at the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ winter meeting.

Uber Technologies Inc. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said it was “possible” the ride-hailing giant would look for outside investors for its self-driving car unit, but isn’t currently searching for backers.

Tesla Inc. reduced the amount of hours it is producing Model S sedans and Model X crossovers, adding to concerns about demand for the electric-car maker’s higher-priced and more profitable vehicles. Shares dropped on the news.