Automotive Business Cockpit 21.08.2026: Europe's First Uber Robotaxi, the Schaeffler-CATL Battery Alliance, and Geely's Solid-State Threat

Welcome to the Automotive Business Cockpit. In this episode, we analyze a historic week of rapid technological shifts and strategic alliances reshaping the global automotive landscape. From autonomous vehicles landing on European roads to game-changing battery partnerships, the pace of innovation is accelerating.Key topics discussed in this episode:• Europe’s First Autonomous Uber: The joint venture between Pony.ai and Verne launches Europe's first fully autonomous robotaxi service on the Uber network in Zagreb, Croatia, signaling a major milestone for Chinese AV scaling.• The Schaeffler-CATL Alliance: German Tier-1 supplier Schaeffler and battery giant CATL partner to develop advanced Battery Management Systems (BMS), shifting critical software control further toward Asia.• Geely's Solid-State Battery: Geely is preparing a revolutionary solid-state battery that is reportedly nearing mass production, intensifying the global battery race.• Quantum Computing & Optical BMS: Honda invests in a quantum algorithm startup to accelerate battery material development, while IEEE researchers present a new software-defined architecture for secure optical BMS based on edge computing.• Waymo's Level 4 Hardware: Waymo shares deep insights into its hardware architecture, showing the complex computer and sensor systems hidden in its trunk to ensure fail-safe Level 4 autonomy.• Premium Flagships & B2B Platforms: Genesis makes a major luxury statement with the new GV90 SUV, while digital platform Autozi negotiates 55 million dollars in follow-on financing to scale its supplier-matchmaking technologies.• Supply Chain Risks: Global analyses warn of logistics bottlenecks, while a Gerpisa survey highlights the extreme electrification and regulatory pressures forcing restructurings in the Italian supply chain.Subscribe to stay ahead of the curve with deep-dive strategic analysis from the cockpit of the automotive business.