Aurora Innovation has made history by launching the US' first fully autonomous commercial trucking service, just barely meeting its April deadline. The company has successfully run over 1,200 miles of freight this week between Dallas and Houston with launch customers Hirschbach Motor Lines and Uber Freight, using a single truck. This milestone marks a significant step forward for the industry, but raises questions about the company's ability to seize the moment amidst trade tensions and tariffs.

Aurora plans to build up to "tens of self-driving trucks" and expand to El Paso and Phoenix by the end of 2025, continuing to run more freight for customers with its fleet of supervised autonomous trucks. This rapid expansion is crucial for the company to establish itself as a leader in the autonomous trucking space, especially as trade tensions and tariffs threaten to disrupt the industry.

The launch of Aurora's autonomous trucking service comes at a critical time, as the industry faces significant challenges. The ongoing trade tensions and tariffs imposed by the Trump administration have already started to affect shipments, and companies like Aurora will need to navigate these challenges to survive. However, with its autonomous technology, Aurora may be well-positioned to capitalize on the situation, as it can potentially reduce costs and increase efficiency.

In other autonomous vehicle news, May Mobility has joined Uber's roster of autonomous vehicle collaborators, with plans to deploy May's autonomous vehicles on the Uber platform by the end of 2025. Momenta, a Chinese AV startup, is also working with Uber to launch Momenta robotaxis on the Uber platform starting in Europe in 2026. Additionally, Waymo and Toyota are exploring a deal that could lead to a new self-driving vehicle designed for ride-hailing and possibly even personal autonomous vehicles.

Meanwhile, in the electric vehicle space, Rivian is sitting on a stockpile of batteries for its trucks, SUVs, and commercial vans, which will help soften the blow of the president's tariffs. Slate Auto, a new Jeff Bezos-backed EV startup, is eyeing a printing plant in Warsaw, Indiana, as the future production site for its cheap electric truck. Tesla's board, on the other hand, is reportedly shopping for a successor to CEO Elon Musk, as his antics in Washington have devalued the brand and its margins.

In other news, Ford has shut down its FNV4 software architecture initiative, a project it had once thought of as critical to compete with EV leaders like Tesla. Joby Aviation has successfully transitioned its eVTOL from horizontal to vertical flight for the first time with a pilot on board, a necessary step towards FAA certification. Finally, DoorDash is fighting a lawsuit filed by Uber, which accuses the delivery company of stifling competition by intimidating restaurant owners into exclusive deals.

As the autonomous vehicle and electric vehicle industries continue to evolve, companies like Aurora Innovation will play a critical role in shaping the future of transportation. With its successful launch of the US' first fully autonomous commercial trucking service, Aurora has taken a significant step forward, but it remains to be seen how the company will navigate the challenges ahead.