Is it a pill on wheels? No, it's Zoox's funny-looking robotaxi, the latest fully autonomous vehicle to hit the streets of California. Zoox's self-driving vehicles began rolling out in San Francisco's SoMa neighborhood this week, and are expected to compete with robotaxis designed by Waymo, which started offering rides to the public in San Francisco and Los Angeles earlier this year. For now, Zoox's driverless trips around SoMa will be for testing and research purposes only. "Since 2017, our test fleet has autonomously navigated San Francisco streets with a safety driver," Zoox CEO Aicha Evans said in a statement.

The focus was on style this weekend at the Château de Chantilly. For the 2022 edition of the Arts & Elegance competition, Volkswagen did not come empty-handed and chose to involve "GenTravel", his new self-driving car, in the competition for the most beautiful concept cars. The body of this prototype did not have enough to impose itself with the competition of Bugatti Mistral and Aston Martin DBR22 (winner). But the presentation of such a specimen still allowed the automotive group to present the progress of its research to prepare the driverless car. Volkswagen presented its concept through a press release, before the Concours d'Elegance, but it was indeed at the Château de Chantilly that its world premiere was held. Each year, the event attracts manufacturers to present a new style study or a new model with an elegant design.

Toyota barely unveiled its second-generation self-driving testbed half a year ago, but it's already back with an update. The automaker is showing off a Platform 2.1 research vehicle that has made some big technology strides... including some unusual design decisions. The biggest upgrade is an awareness of its surroundings: the modified Lexus is using new lidar from Luminar that not only sees further and maps more data, but has a "dynamically configurable" field of view that focuses its attention on the areas they're needed most. There are also new deep learning AI models that are better at spotting objects around the car as well as predicting a safe path. The cabin is where it gets a little odd. Why? It's to both improve research and safety, Toyota says.

Less than a week after exiting its larval, experimental phase and becoming a standalone company under the Alphabet corporate umbrella, Google's self-driving car outfit is showing off its first new car. The newly created Waymo is adding 100 Chrysler Pacifica minivans, built for autonomy, to its test fleet. Under a partnership established six months ago, engineers from Waymo and Fiat Chrysler collaborated in Michigan to build these hybrid-powered vans with the right tools for the job incorporated from the start, rather than retrofitting them after they came off the assembly line. Those include the computers that run its software algorithms and the suite of sensors--LIDAR, radars, and cameras--that adorn the roof and flank the sides of the car. Unlike Waymo's "pod" vehicles, which have room for two and skimp on basics like the steering wheel and pedals, these vans will have those controls, plus space for half a dozen passengers.