Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley has voiced his preference for Waymo's lidar-based approach to autonomous vehicles over Tesla's camera-only system, citing safety and consumer trust. While Farley praised Tesla and Waymo for their progress on self-driving technology, he said Waymo's approach provides a better view than Tesla's system: "Where the camera will be completely blinded, the lidar system will see exactly what's in front of you."

Representatives from Canada's automotive supplier, education and finance communities discuss the challenges and potential of the country making home-grown vehicles. "We're currently making [cars] for five automakers who have heavily invested in this country. ... If we have everything that will make these companies ... profitable and solid, how is that not true for Canadians?," says Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers'​ Association.

SAIC-GM, Bosch and Qualcomm say they will work together to develop an AI-powered smart cockpit domain controller based on the Snapdragon Ride Flex system-on-a-chip for next-generation vehicles. The companies expect the platform to debut during the second half of the year in the Buick Electra, and support advanced driver assistance and immersive cockpit modes, such as ultra-HD rendering across multiple displays and a 3D HMI engine for real-time controls.

Interoperability is crucial for accelerating the adoption of intelligent transportation systems, says Kirk Steudle, former director of the Michigan Department of Transportation. Steudle emphasizes the need for open architectures, data sharing and cross-vendor integration to avoid the limitations of proprietary solutions. Recent deployments highlight the benefits of interoperability in enhancing infrastructure and safety.

A Transportation Department study using a comparison technique developed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that the forward blind zones expanded in several top-selling vehicles from 1997 to 2023, especially in SUVs. Three top-selling SUV models had a 58% decrease in forward visibility within a 10-meter radius over that time frame, the study found. "We need to investigate whether this is a broader trend that may have contributed to the recent spike in pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities," said IIHS President David Harkey.

NASA and Northrop Grumman have conducted the initial test of the Booster Obsolescence Life Extension's Development Motor 1, the world's largest segmented solid rocket motor. The test, which lasted approximately 2 minutes and 20 seconds, experienced a nozzle anomaly but was otherwise successful. The BOLE motor is set to support Artemis missions after legacy shuttle motors are depleted, but the future of the Space Launch System is uncertain as the White House plans to cancel it after Artemis III.

The Feitian 2 hypersonic vehicle, developed by Northwestern Polytechnical University, recently underwent a successful flight test in northwestern China. The test enabled researchers to demonstrate critical advancements, such as smooth transitions between flight modes and autonomous operation at variable angles of attack.

StellarJet introduced a solid hydrogen storage unit and an electric propulsion system at the Paris Air Show. The storage unit, based on metal hydride technology, has an energy density of 6.6 kWh/kg, and offers improved safety and efficiency compared with traditional liquid hydrogen systems. The propulsion system delivers 132 kilowatts of power while maintaining a low weight.