🚜 Autonomous Driving is Thriving—But Not Where You Think.

Forget city streets and Robotaxis—China’s mining industry is where L4 autonomous vehicles are making serious money.

EACON, a leader in this space, has deployed thousands of L4-level autonomous trucks across coal mines. Their annual revenue hit ¥1 billion (nearly $140M) in 2024—surpassing even Waymo, the Silicon Valley pioneer in autonomous driving.

Why does this matter? 🤔

The mining sector’s rapid adoption of autonomy reveals a critical lesson: specialized industries are becoming the unsung heroes of technological disruption. While Robotaxis grapple with regulatory and technical hurdles, mining’s controlled environments and repetitive tasks make it the perfect testing ground for scalable autonomy.

This isn’t just about trucks—it’s a blueprint for how AI and automation can thrive in niche sectors first, delivering ROI long before mainstream applications catch up.

So, what other “unsexy” sectors do you think will lead the next wave of automation?