Waymo plans to launch autonomous taxi services in Toronto by 2028, Canada's used EV market shows 36% of listings priced below $30,000, and major automakers are adopting Nvidia's common computing architecture for automated driving systems.
- Waymo's Toronto Expansion: Autonomous taxi service planned for 2028, starting with manual driving and testing phases using electric Jaguar I-PACE SUVs.
- Used EV Pricing: 36% of Canadian used EVs listed below $30,000 and 24% between $30,000-$40,000 according to Clean Energy Canada analysis of 3,639 listings.
- Shared Autonomous Architecture: Nvidia's Hyperion platform combining computing and sensors adopted by Volvo Cars and other manufacturers for automated driving development.
- Vehicle-Grid Integration: Canadian alliance formed to develop standards for managed charging and bidirectional charging to support grid stability and peak reduction.
In this week’s EV/AV report, preparations begin for autonomous taxis in Toronto, researchers examine Canada’s used EV market and automotive engineers develop shared technology for automated driving.
Northern exposure
Toronto passengers could begin using Waymo’s autonomous taxi service in 2028. Testing comes first.
Representatives of Waymo, a Mountain View, Calif.-based autonomous driving developer and taxi operator, announced the planned expansion on Oct. 16. Initial work involves manually driven vehicles mapping streets, followed by testing with trained specialists behind the wheel.
The initial fleet will consist of electric Jaguar I-PACE SUVs. Provincial permission covers manual driving and testing under Ontario’s Automated Vehicle Pilot Program. Further approvals will be required as operations progress.
Employees of Toronto-based Element Fleet Management, a provider of vehicle fleet management and maintenance services, will support vehicle readiness, maintenance and charging. The arrangement builds on a partnership announced in June for Waymo’s San Diego operations. The Toronto announcements do not identify a collision repair provider.
“Expanding into Canada marks an important milestone in Waymo’s global journey,” said Tekedra Mawakana, Waymo’s co-chief executive officer.
Second charge
Canadian buyers can find used EVs for less than $30,000. Their selection varies considerably by province.
Researchers at Clean Energy Canada, a Vancouver-based clean energy think tank at Simon Fraser University, released an analysis on Oct. 22 covering 3,639 online listings for used battery electric vehicles priced below $100,000. They collected the listings in June and July, so the findings reflect advertised vehicles and asking prices rather than completed sales.
Of the vehicles advertised, 36% were priced below $30,000 and another 24% between $30,000 and $40,000. Listings in B.C., Quebec and Ontario accounted for 92% of the sample, although those provinces represent about 75% of Canada’s population. Three-quarters of the vehicles were model year 2022 or newer.
Repairers can use the findings as background on the used EV market. The study does not establish collision repair costs or total-loss thresholds, and its comparisons of routine maintenance expenses should not be presented as collision repair comparisons.
Common ground
Engineers at several vehicle manufacturers are developing automated driving systems using a common computing and sensor architecture.
Representatives of Nvidia, a Santa Clara, Calif.-based designer of computer chips and artificial intelligence systems, announced new automotive applications for its Hyperion architecture on Oct. 21 in Berlin. Engineers at Volvo Cars, a Gothenburg, Sweden-based passenger vehicle manufacturer, are among those adopting the technology.
Hyperion combines vehicle computing and sensors. Developers use Nvidia’s Alpamayo software for automated driving functions. The announced projects cover different applications, including driver assistance and vehicles designed to operate without a driver within specified conditions.
Nvidia representatives also introduced Halos SAFE, a framework through which developers can combine simulation, physical testing and fleet monitoring to document safety performance. The release does not establish Canadian deployment dates or common post-collision repair procedures.
“Robotaxis are the first mass-market application of robotics and physical AI, reinventing how people and goods move,” said Jensen Huang, Nvidia’s founder and chief executive officer.
Power sharing
Canadian utility employees, automotive specialists and policymakers will work together on standards for managing EV charging and supplying electricity from compatible vehicles.
Representatives of Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors, a Montreal-based engineering and management consultancy specializing in energy and transportation, announced the Canadian Vehicle-Grid Integration Alliance on Oct. 20.
Participants will examine managed charging, through which operators adjust when vehicles draw electricity, and bidirectional charging, through which electricity can flow from compatible vehicles to buildings or the grid. Their work will address technical compatibility, investment and deployment.
Working sessions begin this fall, with an online knowledge centre also planned. No new collision repair requirements were announced. For repairers, the relevant development is the potential wider use of charging equipment and software with functions beyond recharging a vehicle.
“Electric vehicles are batteries on wheels, and those batteries can be leveraged to reduce peak and strengthen reliability,” said Philippe Dunsky, founder and president.
