Editorial

The consolidation plot thickens

Those charged with analyzing and evaluating the expansive autonomous-vehicle development landscape must be breathing a little easier. Like cartographers of old who summit the tallest peak and are finally afforded an enlightening view of the region, spring and early summer brought AV-industry analysts some similarly illuminating vistas of industry-consolidation clarity.

Technology integrator and AV “stack” developer Aurora's purchase in May of frequency-modulation (FM) lidar specialist Blackmore seemed to kick off the scramble to tighten bonds and alliances. The purchase seemed to cement Aurora-fresh off an investment “round” that exceeded a half-billion dollars and itself formed barely three years ago-as a big-time player.