In this week’s EV/AV Report, developments continue across electric and automated transportation, with various projects and initiatives taking shape across the globe. At the same time, industry players and regulators are addressing a range of ongoing challenges related to technology, operations and policy.
Route Test
Two Canadian businesses have teamed up to test an electric freight route in the country’s biggest city.
Kenvue Canada, a Markham, Ont.-based consumer health products company, and Fuel Transport, a Montreal-based logistics and transportation company, launched the two-year Electric Loop, or eLoop, pilot in the Greater Toronto Area in January. New reporting on the existing pilot was published in June.
The pilot uses an electric Class 8 truck on a short-haul, multi-stop urban route. The project is measuring operational performance, energy efficiency and emissions impacts in dense city conditions, including winter weather.
“This is an exciting milestone and important step forward for our company,” stated Robert Piccioni, CEO of Fuel Transport. “Thanks to support from Kenvue, we’re able to test this technology in a real-world setting, helping us better understand how it can evolve our long-term operational goals to build more flexible and future-forward solutions for our clients.”
The pilot adds to Canadian fleet data on electric heavy trucks, including how they perform on urban delivery routes with multiple stops and fixed customer schedules.
Truck Charge
Quebec has added a public heavy-truck EV charger to one of its main freight corridors.
The charging site opened in June at Relais Routier Petit, a truck stop and service location in Sainte-Hélène-de-Bagot, Que., along Highway 20 between Montreal and Quebec City. The site is part of the Electric Circuit public charging network, operated by Hydro-Québec, the Montreal-based public utility that generates, transmits and distributes electricity in Quebec.
The charging site includes a 480 kW power cabinet and two dispensers. One truck can charge at up to 400 kW, or two trucks can charge at 240 kW each.
“Many other types of electric vehicles will be on our roads in the next few years. When it comes to their charging, we intend to be ready to give the market the momentum it needs,” stated France Lampron, then director of development of energy and mobility offers at Hydro-Québec, in an earlier Electric Circuit release on heavy- and medium-duty charging.
The site gives electric heavy trucks a charging point on a corridor linking two of Quebec’s largest urban markets.
Fleet Funds
British Columbia has set a reopening date for its medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicle rebate program.
The Go Electric BC program, a Government of British Columbia clean transportation initiative, will reopen medium- and heavy-duty rebates on Aug. 10. The program offers point-of-sale support for B.C.-based businesses and fleets buying eligible commercial zero-emission vehicles.
According to Go Electric BC, the rebates are intended to support zero-emission vehicle use in commercial operations. Earlier program material stated that the refreshed program was being prepared to better meet the needs of B.C.-based industries and fleets.
The reopening follows the pause of the previous version of the commercial vehicle rebate program in August 2025.
Zone Recall
Waymo has filed a U.S. recall after automated vehicles entered freeway construction zones.
Waymo, a Mountain View, Calif.-based autonomous driving technology company owned by Alphabet, filed the recall on June 17. It covers 3,871 vehicles equipped with its fifth-generation automated driving system.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. road safety regulator, the affected vehicles may enter and drive at speed in freeway construction zones. The filing cites incidents in Phoenix and the San Francisco Bay Area involving ramp-closure signs, traffic cones and active construction zones.
No crashes or injuries were reported in the recall filing. The recall covers software behaviour, not a mechanical part. A corrective software update and operational changes are listed as the remedy.
Speed Limit
Swedish transport officials have challenged a Tesla driver-assistance feature over speed-limit concerns.
The dispute was reported in June as European regulators considered wider approval of Tesla’s supervised Full Self-Driving system. Tesla, an Austin, Texas-based electric vehicle and technology manufacturer, offers Full Self-Driving as an advanced driver-assistance package.
Sweden’s transport authority has raised concerns with European officials over a speed-offset feature tied to the system. The concern centres on whether the system can allow a vehicle to exceed posted speed limits.
The dispute comes as European regulators consider wider approval of supervised driver-assistance technology.
Parts Pressure
Lucid Group has filed a restructuring plan that includes staff cuts and reduced production at its Arizona EV factory.
Lucid Group, a Newark, Calif.-based luxury electric vehicle manufacturer, disclosed the restructuring in a public securities filing on June 22. The plan includes an 18% reduction in its U.S. workforce and changes at the AMP-1 factory in Arizona.
According to the filing, the plan is intended to advance Lucid’s “path toward profitability and positive cash flow generation.” The filing states that the restructuring will include employee-transition, severance and related costs.
The move follows an earlier workforce reduction this year and comes as Lucid works on the Gravity SUV and a future mid-size vehicle platform.
Bare Bones
Slate Auto has opened pre-orders for a low-cost electric pickup.
The Troy, Mich.-based electric vehicle startup, opened pre-orders in June for an electric pickup starting at US$24,950. The model is a minimalist two-seat pickup with optional accessories and a direct-to-consumer sales model.
Public reporting states that the truck has more than 180,000 reservations and that deliveries are planned for late 2026. The model uses a stripped-down base design, with many features offered through accessories.
The pricing places the pickup below many current electric vehicles, though final customer costs will depend on options, accessories and delivery charges.
Pod Refresh
A purpose-built robotaxi has been updated with new rider and roadside communication features.
The updated vehicle was shown publicly in June by Zoox, a Foster City, Calif.-based autonomous vehicle developer owned by Amazon. The robotaxi has no steering wheel or pedals and uses a bidirectional layout with carriage-style seating.
Public reporting on the updated version described changes to the seating, doors, reflectors, audio system and passenger controls. The vehicle is built for autonomous ride-hailing rather than private ownership.
The updated model is intended for mass production at the developer’s Hayward, Calif., facility. The design differs from conventional passenger vehicles by removing traditional driver controls and arranging passengers in facing seats.
