News

Dr Małgorzata Pełka, CK:PAP expert, has joined the group of researchers appointed to the Intelligent Transport Systems Section of the Transport Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The letters of appointment were presented during the Section's meeting held on 18 May 2026 at the Mercure Warsaw Centrum Hotel.

The Department of Motor Vehicles of the State of California (DMV) announced on 28 April 2026 the adoption of a regulatory package considered among the most comprehensive frameworks for autonomous vehicle oversight in the United States. The key elements of the package enter into force on 1 July 2026.

On Thursday, 30 April 2026, the Motor Transport Institute (ITS) in Warsaw hosted the scientific conference "Vehicles of the Future" and accompanying workshops, organised as part of the 10th Polish Ecological Rally (Rally-Conference) of Wrocław University of Science and Technology. A significant component of the event consisted of presentations delivered by experts from CK:PAP.

The DARTS-PL project has already begun its spring recording sessions. We are again recording in over 100 locations across Poland, day and night, capturing selected locations in six voivodeships (current Point Map).

In April 2026, Waymo is launching a pilot passenger ride-hailing service in London using driverless vehicles. It is the company's first such deployment in Europe.

Developments seen in late February and early March 2026 indicate that autonomous mobility in specific urban centers is reaching market maturity, shifting from pilot phases to full-scale commercial operations. A key event, widely reported by Pandaily, was the granting of the first permits for fully autonomous operations in Abu Dhabi to Baidu Apollo Go and Auto Go. This decision is a major breakthrough, as it officially allows vehicle fleets to operate without a safety driver on board—an requirement that, until now, remained the primary operational barrier in most cities.

We are proud to announce that the DARTS-PL consortium is successfully reaching another major project milestone as it nears the completion of winter scenarios.

In mid-February 2026, China's automotive market regulator – the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) – announced the introduction of a package of new technical standards redefining the approach to safety in Intelligent Connected Vehicles (ICV). These documents, officially published on February 15, 2026, on the government portal miit.gov.cn, constitute a direct response by the state administration to a series of incidents that revealed loopholes in existing homologation procedures. An analysis of the content of the new guidelines, conducted based on reports from the Xinhua agency and industry portals Automotive News China and CnEVPost, indicates a departure from the uncritical digitalization of cockpits in favor of hybrid solutions that guarantee physical safety.

In mid-February 2026, the Chinese judiciary made one of the most significant decisions in the history of legislation concerning autonomous and automated vehicles. The Supreme People's Court of the People's Republic of China published a ruling establishing a binding legal interpretation for cases involving road accidents and incidents involving vehicles equipped with advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS).

The European transport system is entering a phase of profound transformation, underpinned by the published Directive (EU) 2025/2205 of the European Parliament and of the Council on driving licenses. This landmark legislation serves as a critical tool for the implementation of the EU’s "Vision Zero" strategy, aiming to eliminate road fatalities entirely by 2050. Member States are required to transpose these regulations by November 2028, with full application commencing on November 26, 2029.