EV/AV Report: Alberta’s EV tax to begin Feb. 13; Waabi and Volvo Autonomous Solutions to develop autonomous vehicle solutions

Toronto, Ontario — In this weekly electric and autonomous vehicle report, Alberta announces that its $200 electric vehicle tax is set to begin this Thursday, February 13; while Waabi and Volvo Autonomous Solutions partner to develop autonomous vehicle solutions.

Charges for charging

With only one week left, Alberta has announced that it will begin collecting its $200 tax on electric vehicles beginning on February 13, 2025.

With this new tax in place, Alberta drivers will be required to pay the annual fee when registering an electric vehicle.

The tax was specifically outlined in the province’s 2024 budget as a way to supplement the loss of fuel tax that electric vehicle drivers were previously not paying.

The tax “is a fair way for all drivers to contribute to public services, and to help keep roads and highways safe and smooth,” said Finance Minister and Treasury Board president Nate Horner in an official statement.

Working with Waabi

Waabi has announced that it has entered a strategic partnership with Volvo Autonomous Solutions for the joint development of autonomous trucks.

This partnership aims to combine Waabi’s work in generative A.I. with Volvo’s automation and safety technology, says a recent press release.

Notably, through this partnership, Volvo and Waabi are vertically integrating Waabi’s virtual driver system, the Waabi driver, into the Volvo VNL Autonomous, Wolvo’s autonomous truck with redundant systems for enabling safe autonomous operations.

The Volvo VNL Autonomous vehicle will be produced at Volvo’s flagship New River Valley assembly plant in Dublin, Virginia.

Furthermore, this partnership marks a continuation of Volvo’s collaboration with Waabi over the past two years, with Volvo Group Venture Capital first becoming a strategic investor in the company in January 2023, and later investing in the company’s $200 million USD Series B round.

“At Waabi, we believe that vertically integrating next-generation AI technology directly into an OEM’s vehicle production is the path forward to bring safe, robust autonomous vehicles to the road, at scale,” said Raquel Urtasun, Founder and CEO of Waabi. “Volvo’s leadership in safety, commitment to excellence in engineering, and investment in forward-looking innovation makes them an ideal partner to realize the future of self-driving trucks everywhere.”

“Waabi is at the forefront of developing self-driving technologies leveraging the full power of AI,” concluded Shahrukh Kazmi, Chief Product Officer at Volvo Autonomous Solutions. “We are excited to integrate Waabi's cutting-edge technology into our autonomous truck platform and work together to jointly develop a safe, efficient, and scalable autonomous transport solution."