Tesla has discontinued Autopilot in the U.S.

As odd as that may sound, given how adamant CEO Elon Musk has been about the importance of autonomous driving, it's more of a pricing reshuffle than an actual removal of any specific feature, but it's still going to annoy many users.

Here's what's happening: If you buy a new Tesla car in the U.S., you will no longer receive the Basic Autopilot set of features, which was previously included with every Tesla. Instead, you're getting Traffic-Aware Cruise Control, which is a feature that maintains set driving speed and slows down when there's a slower vehicle in front of you.

Basic Autopilot, which is no longer available in the U.S., also includes Autosteer, which is an important driving assistance feature as it keeps vehicle centered in the lane. The combination of Traffic-Aware Cruise Control and Autosteer is what enables you to hit one button (or stalk) and basically have the car drive itself on a highway (with you paying attention, of course).

Sorry, this is your only option now. Credit: Tesla

It's worth noting that Tesla also offers Enhanced Autopilot in some countries outside of the U.S., which is a far more comprehensive set of features, as it includes Autosteer, Navigate on Autopilot, Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control, and Smart Summon.

In the U.S., Tesla configurator now offers just one option: Full Self-Driving (FSD), which costs $99 per month, and is still available as a one time purchase for $8,000, though that option is going away on Feb. 14.

Annoyingly, Tesla's configurator doesn't really mention the change. The word "Autopilot" simply isn't mentioned anywhere on the page.

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The move is likely another (desperate?) Tesla effort to push customers to purchase FSD. But it's a very costly change for users who want Autosteer and don't really care about FSD (which is still beta software and does not offer autonomous driving, despite Musk having promised it for years), as they now have to pay $99 per month to get this feature. Even worse, Musk recently said that the price of the software will "rise as FSD's capabilities improve."

Buyers of Tesla's premium models — the Model S, Model X, and the "Cyberbeast" version of Cybertruck — get FSD for free, so this change doesn't really affect them. For anyone buying a new Model 3 or Model Y, though, it's FSD or (almost) nothing.

Judging by some of the comments on social media, people aren't happy about this change. Some have noted that cheaper, entry-level cars from other companies now come with these basic safety features whereas a Tesla Model 3 or Y doesn't.

Ironically, the situation is better in Europe, where most Full Self-Driving features aren't allowed yet. There, buyers still get Basic Autopilot with every new car, and can also opt for the Enhanced Autopilot, which costs half the price of FSD. This will likely change when (if) FSD gets the green light from European regulators, which, even more ironically, means that Tesla buyers in Europe will likely stop hoping (and petitioning) for it to happen.

Tesla now operates Robotaxis in Austin, Texas without human safety monitors in the driver's seat.

While the above sentence is technically correct, the company may have just moved the safety monitors to another car that follows the first one.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the news on X on Thursday. "Just started Tesla Robotaxi drives in Austin with no safety monitor in the car," he wrote. The official Tesla account on X went a step further, calling the ride "full unsupervised."

One "unsupervised" Robotaxi ride in a Tesla Model Y is detailed in a video by Joe Tegtmeyer, retweeted by Musk and Tesla. At one point, we see that a black Tesla Model Y is following the Robotaxi. "You'll also notice behind the Model Y is a chase car, I think they're using that for validation," Tegtmeyer says. The black car keeps following the Robotaxi throughout the ride.

Neither Musk nor Tesla have explained what the second car is for, so it's hard to make any definitive statement about it. It is, however, very possible that the car carries humans who are ready to intervene if something goes wrong with the Robotaxi ride, which sounds a lot like safety monitors.

We'll see whether Robotaxis in Austin will start making autonomous rides without another Tesla following them. For now, this could just be a cool trick that allows Musk to brag about Robotaxis making autonomous rides with "no safety monitor in the car."

Meanwhile, Tesla's chief competitor Waymo is carrying out fully autonomous rides in six major cities in the U.S., having added Miami to the list just days ago.

If you ask Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Waymo "never really had a chance" in the robotaxi race.

However, in reality, Waymo is extending its lead over Tesla. The company just launched its autonomous taxi service in Miami, bringing the number of U.S. cities where it operates to six.

Initially, the company will cover a 60-square-mile area of Miami, and Waymo says it plans to expand to Miami International Airport "soon."

Waymo will expand to Miami International Airport soon. Credit: Waymo

Waymo says the service is fully autonomous, and that 10,000 residents have already signed up, with new riders being invited on a "rolling basis."

The company currently operates its robotaxi service in Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, and the San Francisco Bay Area. There is, however, a pretty long list of cities which are getting Waymo next, including Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas, Nashville, Orlando, San Antonio, San Diego, and Washington DC in the U.S., as well as London in the UK.

The company also offers a "driving experience" program in a number of other cities, including Boston, New York, and Seattle in the U.S., and Tokyo in Japan.

Meanwhile, Tesla only offers autonomous Robotaxi rides in Austin; in the San Francisco Bay Area, the rides are only available with human "safety monitors" in driver's seats.

While Waymo is ahead, its autonomous ride-hailing service isn't entirely without issues. Most recently, Waymo cars stalled and caused traffic jams amidst a San Francisco blackout.

Volvo EX60 is probably the most important car for Volvo this decade, and the specifications show it.

Officially unveiled on Wednesday, the Volvo EX60 is a mid-sized electric SUV, positioned in between the smaller EX30 and the big family hauler, the EX90, both of which are already available for purchase.

Volvo says the EX60 is extremely efficient thanks to its aerodynamics, as well as thermal and propulsion efficiency. Credit: Volvo

But the EX60 mimics the company's all-time best-selling model, the petrol-powered Volvo XC60. And while that car has been electrified in the form of the plug-in hybrid, the XC60 Recharge, the Volvo EX60 is the company's first, true mid-size electric SUV.

Given the intense competition in that space, Volvo had to pull out the big guns to stay competitive, and that it did, at least on paper. The Volvo EX60, which is built on Volvo's new SPA3 EV architecture, has a massive 400 miles of range. It also has super-fast charging, ideally taking the battery from 10 to 80 percent in just 19 minutes on a 400kW charger.

You won't mistake the EX60 for a non-Volvo, that's for sure. Credit: Volvo

These figures are for the most powerful variant, the Volvo EX60 P12 AWD, which comes with a 117kWh battery and dual motors for a combined 670hp, propelling the car from 0 to 60mph in 3.8 seconds.

You can also get the EX60 in a slightly weaker, P10 AWD configuration, which has a 95kWh battery and up to 320 miles of range, while the P6 only has a rear motor and up to 310 miles of range.

It's worth comparing that range figure with some competitors, as Volvo claims it's best-in-class. For example, Tesla's Model Y has up to 330 of EPA range, while BMW's recently unveiled iX3 equals the EX60 with up to 400 miles of range.

The infotainment system is powered by Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Google Gemini AI. Note the central screen which is horizontal instead of vertical, as it is on other Volvo models. Credit: Volvo

Volvo also addressed another pain point in many of today's cars: Infotainment. The EX60 is based on HuginCore, Volvo's name for a hardware/software combination of Nvidia and Qualcomm chips, and Google's Gemini AI smarts.

Some amenities you can get in an EX60 include a 28-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system, with Apple Music pre-installed with Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio support. The Gemini AI bit means you can have a natural conversation with your car, and the AI isn't just for answering geography and history questions; instead, it should be able to perform a variety of commands without you having to remember specific queries.

We hoped for a 7-seat variant, but Volvo doesn't mention it anywhere. Credit: Volvo

Volvo also says that all this hardware power brings a "no-lag" infotainment experience, in which "screens respond quickly, maps load instantly, voice assistants understand passengers better, and everything feels smooth." It sounds great, but we'll believe it when we see it.

Other highlights include tons of safety tech, as is customary for Volvo, which includes a boron steel-strengthened safety cage. The minimalistic exterior and interior design gently whispers "Scandinavian quality" into your ear. Looking at Volvo's promotional pictures, the most important detail we've noticed is the horizontally oriented central display, which used to be vertical in previous Volvos.

The Volvo EX60 CC is a bit more nature-friendly, but it's not that different from the regular EX60. Credit: Volvo

The company also launched the Volvo EX60 Cross Country, a slightly more rugged variant that shares very similar specs, though it's only available in the P10 AWD and P12 AWD configurations. Differences from the regular EX60 include higher clearance and seating position, air suspension, rugged wheel arches, stainless steel skid plates, and badges that remind you that this is a CC model.

Volvo says that the production of EX60 P6 and P10 variants will begin in April 2026, while the P12 will enter production later this year. As for price, the company says that a "really well-equipped" Volvo EX60 P10 AWD should cost around $60,000.

Going camping? With an EV? We've got the perfect trailer for you. The only problem? It's still a prototype.

Honda has just announced the Honda Base Station Prototype, a solar-powered camping trailer that ticks all the boxes for electric vehicle owners.

Details about the Base Station are pretty scarce. The trailer, developed by engineers and designers at Honda's U.S. R&D centers in California and Ohio, is modular, smart, with an "open, spacious, airy and bright interior." It can sleep a family of four with a foldable couch and an (optional) kids' bunk bed. And if you raise the roof, you get seven feet of stand-up space.

Raise the roof, and you get seven feet of stand-up space. Lower it down, and you're protected from the elements. Credit: Honda

The modular part comes in the form of various accessories, such as an air conditioner, an external shower, or an external kitchen. It's all powered through a lithium battery, inverter, and integrated solar powers and, if need be, you can hook it up to an external generator.

Honda didn't release any actual figures behind all this, such as battery capacity, or any of the ways that make the trailer "smart."

Honda, of course, has it pictured together with its Honda 0 SUV, which is currently also in prototype stage. The two might actually launch together, even though Honda didn't share many details about a launch date for the Base Station (the Honda 0 SUV is scheduled to launch in 2026).

As for the price, Honda said it would make it "competitively priced in the lightweight travel trailer segment."

Still on the fence about purchasing Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) package? You'll have to decide quickly, as FSD will soon become available only through a subscription.

CEO Elon Musk announced the news via X on Wednesday. "Tesla will stop selling FSD after Feb 14. FSD will only be available as a monthly subscription thereafter," he tweeted.

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This gives Tesla owners a month to make a decision on buying FSD outright and own it forever.

The FSD package is currently an option for some Tesla vehicles; if you're buying a Model 3, a Model Y, or the All-Wheel Drive variant of Cybertruck, it will cost you an additional $8,000. With other models, including all variants of the Model S and the Model Y, as well as the Cyberbeast version of the Cybertruck, it's included in the price.

Currently listed as Full Self-Driving (Supervised), the FSD is a set of driving assistance features that will make your car able to "drive itself almost anywhere with minimal driver intervention," according to Tesla. The company notes, however, that the "currently enabled features require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous," and that some features are "dependent on development and regulatory approval, which may take longer in some jurisdictions."

In other words, and despite Musk's promises that FSD will turn your Tesla into a self-driving car, this hasn't happened yet. The situation is even worse in Europe, where most FSD features aren't available due to regulatory hurdles, though the company has recently begun testing FSD in some European countries, including Germany.

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Musk has long claimed that FSD will make your Tesla a money-maker, as it will become fully autonomous and you will be able to have it ferry other passengers when you're not using it. He also blew past his own deadlines for this happening many times in the past, leaving owners of older Tesla vehicles, which don't have the latest HW4 hardware, in limbo – despite promises that their cars will be able to support fully autonomous driving.

Tesla's Model Y in the U.S. can now be bought with a third row of seats – but this is not the larger, six-seater Model Y L that the company is selling in China.

Instead, the third row of seats, which is a $2,500 option for the Tesla Model Y Premium and Performance trims, has simply been squeezed into the current Model Y's trunk.

Yes, it brings the total number of seats in the Model Y to seven, but most adults won't be able to sit in that third row, making it usable mostly for families with small kids.

In contrast, the Chinese Model YL has a larger wheelbase (making the car 186mm longer), and a pretty respectable amount of legroom in the third row. The difference is obvious even in Tesla's official images; check out the Model YL's third row pic below.

Now that's a respectable third row. Credit: Tesla

The seven seater Model Y configuration that Tesla now offers in the U.S. was offered in the U.S. and Europe in the past, and it didn't last very long; we'll see if this one fares any better.

This is not the only change to the Model Y in the U.S., though. The company introduced a number of very subtle changes to the Premium and Performance trims (the Standard variant didn't get any of these).

The new Helix wheels do look a lot better than the old ones, we think. Credit: Tesla

These include new, 20'' Helix 2.0 wheels which are now dark grey instead of silver, darker interior headliner, black instead of silver badges on the back of the car, and a larger, 16-inch main display (up from 15.4 inches).

At this year's CES, automakers focused on showing us the future of cars; not so much the cars themselves.

OK, there were exceptions, such as Sony Honda Mobility's AFEELA 1 and the accompanying SUV prototype. Some automakers decided to launch new or refreshed models in the past couple of days, unrelated to CES.

At the CES 2026 show floor, however, the focus was on artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, safety tech, and the good old practice of throwing massive computing power at a car to make it smarter.

Let's recap the most important car and mobility trends that emerged from CES 2026.

Sony Honda Mobility is still dedicated to building EVs

The AFEELA is real-a. Sorry about that. Credit: Caroline Brehman / Contributor via Getty Images

We're not going to pretend that Sony Honda's AFEELA 1 is new. The joint company first unveiled the AFEELA 1 prototype three years ago, at CES 2023, while the production version was shown last year. And this year's version was simply more refined in numerous little ways, though that refinement comes at a cost, as the AFEELA 1 starts at $89,900.

This year, the company also brought the AFEELA 1 Prototype, which the company says will likely reach production in 2028. The car itself is essentially a SUV variant of the AFEELA 1, but the big news is that Sony Honda still looks serious about this whole smart EV business, even as some competitors dial down on their EV plans.

Tensor's Robocar

It should be able to drive itself, but you'll still have the option to sit behind the wheel and drive it if you so desire. Credit: Joseph Maldonado / Mashable

The California-based Tensor Auto calls itself an "AI and RoboCar company," which tells you all you need to know about today's mobility trends: the AI element is as important as the car itself.

At CES 2026, the company brought its Robocar, a preposterously luxurious, extremely futuristic electric car that is basically a big smart robot that lugs you around — we had a close look at the Tensor Robocar at CES.

The Robocar, as the name suggests, is equal parts robot and car. You can talk to it, and it talks back. The vehicle can, for example, notify you about traffic conditions before you leave the house, and make contextual decisions as it drives you to your destination.

Oh, and did we mention that it's a real head-turner?

It's still early days for cars like these, as no personal car out there can autonomously drive you around without any user intervention (Tensor has designed the Robocar with Level 4 autonomy in mind). But Tensor is ramping up production in the second half of 2026, meaning you should be able to buy one relatively soon. Fingers crossed.

Nvidia's physical AI

One of Nvidia's obsessions at CES 2026 was "physical AI," which means AI systems that can perform complex actions in the physical world. This includes robots, smart spaces, but also autonomous vehicles, which have to process sensor data in real-time and then act upon it.

Mercedes-Benz was one of Nvidia's partners on the show floor, which showed its vision of AI-based driving, based on Nvidia's reasoning model for autonomous driving called Alpamayo. The company also announced plans to start testing a robotaxi service (with a partner) as soon as 2027.

So. Many. AI. Assistants.

In the past, the first things automakers bragged about were the acceleration, the space, the comfort. Now? It's all about who has the best AI assistant.

At CES 2026, BMW demoed its Amazon Alexa+-based assistant, built into the company's first Neue Klasse EV, the BMW iX3. The new AI companion, which is rolling out in the second half of 2026 in the U.S., is not just for navigation and turning on your seat heatings; it can also answer broader questions, including ones about the Mona Lisa.

Ford announced an intelligent assistant that will debut on smartphones first before launching in cars circa 2027. Sony's AFEELA 1 will feature a Microsoft Azure OpenAI-based AI assistant that should be able to keep up a conversation. And Tensor's AI Agent takes things a step further by analyzing data from all possible sensors as well as in-car entertainment systems and using long-term memory to learn and adapt to your preferences over time.

Good old EVs

Not fully revealed yet, but the Volvo EX60 should have the best range in its class. Credit: Volvo

With Detroit Auto Show coming up next week, most automakers decided to show up there instead of at CES. But some, like Xiaomi and Volvo, launched or teased new models during CES (even if Xiaomi didn't have a big presence at the show).

These weren't as futuristic as the other stuff we've seen at the show, but the good news is that they're actual new models that will soon be available for purchase.

With the new XIaomi SU7, the focus is on safety. Credit: Xiaomi

Xiaomi's refreshed SU7 electric sedan focuses on safety, though it does also have improved range and powertrain, among other improvements.

Finally, Volvo will officially launch its electric SUV, the EX60, on Jan. 21, but the company teased the car with a few photos, and some very impressive range figures.

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and updates from the biggest show in tech.

When it comes to electric SUVs, Volvo has apparently saved the best for last.

Yes, the company already has a compact and a large electric SUV — the Volvo EX30 and EX90, respectively — but the mid-sized EX60 is likely to be the brand's most popular one.

While the Volvo EX60 is scheduled for a full reveal on Jan. 21, the company just revealed some key figures for the upcoming SUV. Perhaps most important of them is the range: The EX60 has a 400 mile range in an all-wheel configuration. The figure isn't an official EPA rating, but Volvo says it used comparable testing to obtain it. Similarly, the EX60 should have a WLTP range of about 810 kilometers, which would make it best in class amongst European electric SUVs.

The EX60 is the first Volvo car built with mega casting, meaning "hundreds" of smaller parts are replaced with a single, high-precision casting. Credit: Volvo

For comparison, Tesla Model Y maxes out at 622 kilometers WLTP range.

When the EX60's battery starts running out of juice, you'll be able to charge it quickly. Volvo says the EX60 will get up to 340 kilometers of range in 10 minutes on a 400kW fast charger.

Finally, if you're worried about the battery's longevity, Volvo will offer an optional 10-year battery warranty.

The folded seats indicate the EX60 will be available as a 6- or 7-seater. Credit: Volvo

The company didn't share other specs for the EX60, but it did post several images. One of them shows additional storage compartments in the trunk's bottom, with folded seats visible in the corner. This indicates that the EX60 will be available in a six- or seven-seat configuration, which would make it more appealing for large families.

The EX60's official reveal will be livestreamed on Jan. 21; you can tune in to watch it on Volvo's website.

Xiaomi SU7, the company's first electric sedan originally launched in 2023, has gotten its first refresh — and it's an important one.

On Wednesday, the company started taking pre-orders for the new SU7. Starting at ¥229.900 ($32,856), it's slightly pricier than the original variant, which retails for roughly $31,000.

For the price (which still undercuts most western competitors, including Tesla Model 3), you get up to 220 kilometers (447 miles) of range, and a number of safety improvements, including LiDAR sensing and Xiaomi's Hyper Autonomous Driving (HAD) assistance system being standard on all models.

There are still three variants on offer: Standard, Pro, and Max. Credit: Xiaomi

The car is still available in three variants. The range figure above is for the cheapest variant, the Xiaomi SU7 Standard. On the Xiaomi SU7 Pro, you get a whopping 902 kilometers (560 miles) of range, and on the performance-oriented Xiaomi SU7 Max the range goes down to 835 kilometers (519 miles). All figures come from China's CLTC standard, which are typically more optimistic than what you'd get from the U.S. EPA or Europe's WLTC ratings.

The new colors include Capri Blue (pictured), and Dark Black, joining the original Bay Blue and Obsidian Black. Credit: Xiaomi

You also get more airbags (nine vs seven on the previous model), door lock backup power, and a more powerful computer running the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). The car has been structurally strengthened, with steel door anti-collision beams coming standard on all variants.

Other improvements include faster charging, the new V6s Plus motor on all models, a maximum power of 320hp on the Standard and Pro models (690hp on the Max variant), and an improved, dual-chamber air suspension with CDC dampers on the Pro and Max variants.

The car looks mostly the same as before, though rear tires are now wider and the front grille has been slightly redesigned.

The interior has been slightly refined as well. Credit: Xiaomi

The official website for the Xiaomi SU7 barely mentions performance, focusing instead on the safety features. There's a good reason for this, as the original SU7 came under public scrutiny after several security incidents, including one when the car burst into flames, and another in which the car's driver assistance system disengaged moments before fatal impact.

The Xiaomi SU7 is launching in April 2026; pre-orders for all variants are open now.

Sony Honda Mobility showed off the AFEELA 1 electric vehicle again at CES this year. If, like me, you saw it last year, the experience will feel very familiar. However, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. The AFEELA 1 still looks polished, still leans hard into its identity as a rolling entertainment hub, and still feels more like a Sony product than a traditional car. What’s different is that this year is less about flashy new features and more about refinement.

Sony Honda Mobility used its CES keynote to reiterate its vision of "mobility as a creative entertainment space," positioning AFEELA 1 as a car built around time spent inside it, not just getting from point A to point B. Sitting inside the EV again, that philosophy is obvious. The panoramic dashboard display remains the centerpiece, spanning the entire cabin and serving as the primary interface for navigation, media, and apps.

Alongside the AFEELA 1, Sony Honda Mobility also showed off a SUV-style prototype, dubbed AFEELA Prototype 2026. Despite its name, the company says this prototype will likely reach production in 2028 at the earliest. It appeared to be essentially the same as the AFEELA 1, only in SUV form, though Sony Honda Mobility is remaining tight-lipped on further details at this stage. We'll just have to wait to find out more information on AFEELA 1's younger sibling as it gets closer to production.

Credit: Chance Townsend / Mashable

In the meantime, the AFEELA 1 has plenty to keep us entertained — literally. One of my personal favorite features of the AFEELA 1 is its PlayStation Remote Play. If you already own a PS5, you can stream games to the rear seat displays using a DualSense controller. I got to test it for the first time after it was teased last year, and the connection wasn't too bad. Obviously, it was unable to stream in 4K, but there was no noticeable input lag and it held up reliably even in a crowded demo environment. It’s still very much a "you already need to be bought into the PlayStation ecosystem" feature, but it works more consistently now than it did before.

The AI assistant, AFEELA, is also back, and it’s still best described as competent but unremarkable. Sony Honda Mobility frames it as a “personal agent” powered by Microsoft Azure OpenAI, meant to support natural conversation and personalization over time. In practice, it behaves like a standard in-car assistant. It can open apps, set destinations, adjust settings, and respond to basic contextual prompts. It complemented my shirt using the cameras in the car, so that was nice.

Where the AFEELA 1 does feel improved is in the fundamentals. The interior runs more smoothly overall, with faster screen responses and fewer hiccups when switching between apps. The cabin feels quieter and more composed, and it's clear Sony Honda Mobility is prioritizing comfort and stability over experimental features.

That sense of polish also extends to how Sony Honda Mobility is positioning the AFEELA 1 as a productivity space. Beyond entertainment, the car supports apps like Zoom, letting you take video calls from inside the cabin. The camera angle is a bit off, so be aware that you may not look your best when it's on. They demoed it for us, and the camera was wide enough to capture the entirety of the car, rather than framing you like a laptop webcam.

All of this refinement comes at a premium. The AFEELA 1 is priced starting at $89,900, with higher trims exceeding $100,000, firmly placing it in the luxury EV territory. At that price, one's expectation should be higher than just being able to function properly. However, this year’s demo suggests Sony Honda Mobility is focusing on getting the fundamentals right before hitting California's roads later this year.

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.

Florida loves highways, so it may not come as a surprise that it's building a new one west of Orlando, connecting US Route 27 to State Road 429. The new highway, known as the Lake/Orange Expressway or State Road 516, is notable for its 21st-century features, which include technology that wirelessly powers electric vehicles.

A small portion of the freeway, approximately three-quarters of a mile, will feature inductive charging coils installed underneath the road, according to Techspot. The charging apparatus utilizes a magnetic field to send power upward and requires an attachable receiver that can transfer up to 200 kilowatts as the vehicle drives over the surface. The technology will allow vehicles — most likely EV trucks and buses — to extend their range, but will not allow a full charge. E-highways are not a new concept, but they typically require overhead wires and special (and expensive) infrastructure on the electric vehicles.

While the forthcoming Lake/Orange Expressway will offer tangible benefits to EVs when it fully opens around 2029, it will also serve as a test run for similar projects that allow charging without stopping. If successful, it can also address other impediments to large-scale EV adoption, like the dependence on massive battery packs and the cost and complexity of building charging stations. States like California are investing billions in new charging stations, with over 200,000 already in place.

Besides wireless charging, State Road 516 will also feature solar panels for nearby infrastructure, wildlife crossings, and shared-use paths that carve out space for non-automobile travel.

Tesla has filed a very interesting patent in the U.S. and Europe for a new type of car roof.

On Dec. 4, Tesla filed U.S. patent application 2025/0368267, which describes a novel "Vehicle Roof Assembly with Integrated RF Transparency for Electronic Module Consolidation." As first spotted by X user Chansoo Byeon, the patent has fueled speculation that Tesla could be planning to integrate Starlink satellites into its electric vehicles.

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An online copy of the patent filed with the European Patent Office includes several drawings of the proposed roof assembly along with a detailed description and list of potential parts. (While the U.S. version of the patent is indexed by Google, it's not viewable via a web browser at the time of writing.) The patent description states:

An example vehicle roof assembly is disclosed, featuring an outer roof panel made from radio frequency (RF) transparent polymer materials, such as Polycarbonate (PC), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), or Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate (ASA). In some examples, this assembly enables the integration of overhead electrical modules and components, including antennae, directly into the roof structure, facilitating clear communication with external devices and satellites. The design incorporates a membrane effect for enhanced occupant protection during impacts, and the use of integrated foams between the exterior roof and interior headliner improves thermal and acoustic insulation.

(Emphasis added.)

A partial cross-section view of the proposed vehicle roof assembly on a vehicle. Credit: European Patent Office / Tesla

The patent application describes this as a "perspective view of an example antenna module and mounting." Credit: European Patent Office / Tesla

Why is this noteworthy?

Tesla vehicles already connect to cellular networks, but by integrating Starlink antennas directly into its vehicles, Tesla could offer its drivers internet connectivity virtually anywhere. Electrek reports that the metal and glass roofs used in modern vehicles can block satellite radio signals. Not only does the new roof assembly allow for RF signals to pass through the roof membrane, but the proposed roof could also integrate a satellite antenna.

Electrek reports that some Tesla owners already retrofit their cars to include Starlink Mini dishes, and there could be a market for satellite-connected electric vehicles. And with both 5G cellular and satellite internet, Tesla vehicles would have far greater connectivity than other vehicles on the road.

Of course, the patent application doesn't specifically mention Starlink, nor has Tesla described any plans to integrate its EVs with Starlink. And companies file patents all the time for products or innovations that never make it to the factory floor.

But it's an interesting look into the potential future of connected cars.

Tesla has found itself in hot water, and it isn’t due to a recall or cratering sales numbers for a change. On Tuesday, a judge in California issued a ruling that slaps Tesla with a 30-day suspension from doing business in the state over Tesla's use of the term "Autopilot" to market its driver assistance systems. The ruling goes into effect on Jan. 15; however, Tesla will have 60 days to either stop using the term Autopilot or make certain changes to the system.

Tesla, for its part, says sales will continue uninterrupted. Earlier this week, the company also reposted a video on X showing a Tesla robotaxi driving in Austin, Texas with no drivers or passengers present in the vehicle at all, along with the tongue-in-cheek comment, "Just saying."

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According to court documents, the California DMV believes that the name “Autopilot” and Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving Capability” (FSD) do not accurately describe the level of autonomy with which the car can drive itself. The DMV filed a complaint, which demanded that Tesla change the names of its advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) in order to more accurately describe their capabilities. 

This assertion is based on the NHTSA’s Levels of Automation system, where Level 0 vehicles have no autonomy and Level 5 vehicles are fully autonomous. Autopilot and the Full Self-Driving Capability are both rated at a Level 2, and the court says that they should’ve been at Level 3 or higher to have earned their names, so to speak. The ruling now requires Tesla to either implement changes to bring its driver assistance systems up to Level 3 or stop using the term Autopilot.

Judge Juliet E. Cox, who presided over the complaint, agreed with the DMV, issuing a 30-day stay of business for Tesla. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Tesla responded by openly stating that it intends to ignore the court order.

“This was a ‘consumer protection’ order about the use of the term ‘Autopilot’ in a case where not one single customer came forward to say there’s a problem,” Tesla posted on X.

Per TechCrunch, the judge foresaw this potential pushback and stated that the “DMV’s authority to regulate vehicle advertising does not depend on evidence that any particular advertising has deceived or harmed any person.”

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If Tesla doesn't take mitigating action within 60 days of the order going into effect, the ban will hold, and Tesla will face additional penalties for continuing to sell cars in the state.

Tesla’s loss in court is the latest in several cases in 2025 that involve crashes or deaths from the use of Autopilot. In July, the family of Naibel Benavides filed suit in Miami, Florida, after the driver died while driving an Autopilot-equipped Tesla. The jury in that suit rather quickly found Tesla to be liable and ordered Tesla to pay over $240 million in damages. This was the first such court case where Tesla was found at least partially liable for an automobile accident involving Autopilot. 

However, emerging evidence suggests that driver-assisted and autonomous vehicles may be safer overall than traditional vehicles.

Tesla Robotaxis in Austin are finally doing what they were always supposed to do: drive themselves without a human at the wheel.

A Tesla Model Y was recently spotted driving on one of Austin's public roads with absolutely no one at the wheel, or at the passenger seat.

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While that may be a scary sight to some, it's basically the same thing Alphabet's Waymo's been doing in Austin for years now. The biggest difference, however, is that Tesla is using seemingly unmodified Model Y cars, the same ones you can buy as your own personal car, while Waymo is relying on heavily modified Jaguar I-Pace vehicles.

So far, Tesla's Robotaxi fleet in Austin has been operating with a human safety monitor in the driver's seat, but this is seemingly changing soon.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed that the company is testing fully driverless Robotaxis, writing on X, "Testing is underway with no occupants in the car."

In November, Musk said that he expects "Robotaxis to to operate without safety drivers in large parts of Austin this year." The year is almost at its end, but judging by this latest development, the company might just make the deadline.

While Waymo continues its expansion across America's roads (and highways), some concerns about the self-driving cars persist. The worries mostly concern autonomous vehicles hallucinating or disobeying traffic rules — such as driving past stopped school buses — but a new anxiety was unlocked this week in Los Angeles, when a female Waymo customer discovered a man hiding in the car's trunk.

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As reported by the local Fox affiliate, the woman recorded the incident, confronting the man. "Why are you in it?" the unnamed woman asks. "They just put me in it," the man responds. "Who put you in it?" the female customer says. "The people," he says.

No arrests were made since no crime was technically committed, according to Fox11.

A Waymo spokesperson explained to Mashable that the man climbed into the trunk after a previous rider left it open. Waymo added that police helped remove the man after the female passenger alerted them, and Waymo's Rider Support team assisted the woman during the process. The spokesperson said that the support team already has protocols for addressing situations like these and is implementing changes to improve them.

"We're committed to keeping our riders safe and earning the trust of the communities where we operate," a Waymo spokesperson tells Mashable. "This experience was unacceptable, and we are actively implementing changes to address this." 

One of the touted benefits of Waymo is the safety it offers lone passengers, especially women; hundreds of thousands of Uber and Lyft customers have allegedly been victims of sexual assault.

The Fox11 report also noted that a Waymo recently drove through an LAPD standoff, slowly cruising between a suspect on the ground and police officers with their guns drawn.

Sony's perpetually upcoming electric vehicle is going to allow for a degree of license plate customization never thought possible before.

According to TechRadar, Sony's Afeela EV (which has been showcased at multiple CES events in previous years but still isn't on sale) will pioneer something new: digital license plates. Sony is partnering with a company called Reviver to incorporate its RPlate technology, which allows you to customize what's on your license plate with a smartphone app.

For vanity plate fans, life may never be the same.

Per TechRadar, it's a simple HD display that allows you to switch between black and white backgrounds, with the additional ability to write custom messages along the bottom of the plate, presumably while maintaining your given license plate number above those. Examples of possible messages include social media handles or catchphrases, though as TechRadar pointed out, it's not yet clear if profanity will be allowed.

Many U.S. states also have various laws governing how license plates must appear on vehicles, and a technology like this would have to comply with a lot of various state laws and regulations.

These, and other questions about the Afeela, will have to wait for the car's launch to be answered. It still isn't out, despite first appearing at CES in 2023, and it's rumored to cost nearly $90,000 for U.S. drivers. That's a lot of money to spend for goofy license plate capabilities.

Google Maps on iOS has a new feature that could save you a few minutes of aimlessly walking through a parking lot.

The feature, announced by Google Maps senior product manager Rio Akasaka and reported by MacRumors, is available on iOS — and it's very simple to use.

Connect your iPhone's Google Maps app to your car via CarPlay, Bluetooth, and USB. Once you're done driving, Google Maps will remember where you parked by dropping a pin on the map with a label "You parked here." The pin will disappear once you drive away.

The feature essentially automates Google Maps' old "Save where you parked" feature, which is still available, along with the tool that shows you where you can find a park.

The ability to remember parking spots was added to Google Maps about a month ago, but it was slightly visually enhanced last week. Now, if you have a custom vehicle icon set in Google Maps, you'll see it on your parking spot on the map (instead of the somewhat boring "P" icon).

Bet you didn't know you could do this! Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable / Google

If you're wondering where you can set that custom vehicle icon, here are the instructions: Open Google Maps, start Navigation, tap the blue arrow (or the car icon if you've previously changed it), and select your preferred driving avatar (icon) by swiping left or right).

While you're here, we've got Google Maps guides for how to turn your location off and on with your iPhone, how to download Google Maps, how to turn on 3D buildings in navigation, how to save locations, and other Google Maps tips and tricks.

Waymo is issuing a software recall for its robotaxis following reports of the autonomous cars illegally passing school buses in Austin.

This is not going to be one of those recalls in which the vehicles are actually pulled from the road. Instead, Waymo will simply update its ride-hailing cars' software.

The recall comes following a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation into at least 19 security incidents in which Waymo robotaxis have illegally passed school buses in the Texas capital. The NHTSA kicked off the probe after receiving a video of a Waymo car passing a school bus with an extended stop sign and flashing lights on.

Waymo initially said it had released a software fix on Nov. 17, though there were reports of incidents after that date. It's unclear whether the new fix is different from the old one.

Following the incidents, Austin Independent School District requested that Waymo should temporarily stop operating in Austin when children are loading and unloading on school buses until it can guarantee their safety. Waymo hasn't indicated it plans to comply with that request.

Waymo currently operates in San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Austin, and plans to expand to a number of new U.S. cities soon, including Miami, Washington D.C., Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando, as well as international cities like London.

Tesla's 2025 holiday update is here, and it's one of the biggest we've ever seen.

The company typically rolls out a big update ahead of the December holidays, and this year was no exception. The 2025 holiday update, which is rolling out "shortly," is a mix of fun, games, and some very interesting new driving and navigation features.

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The biggest new feature in the bunch is Grok with Navigation Commands. According to Tesla, "Grok can now add & edit navigation destinations, becoming your personal guide." To use this feature, you'll have to set Grok's personality to "Assistant."

There's a couple of other navigation improvements, including the ability to set your navigation favorites, including Home and Work, by simply dropping a pin on the map. Furthermore, suggested destination will now show up based on your recent trips and habits (only when you're parked, though).

Finally, navigation now offers optional automatic high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane routing. According to Tesla, if you choose this option in Navigation, "your route will automatically select the carpool lane when eligible, based on time, location, passenger count & road restrictions."

"Select" Tesla Superchargers are getting a 3D site map. Credit: Tesla

As for charging, you'll now be able to set charge limit per location – pretty useful if you always charge to a certain level at certain locations, such as at home or at work.

Also, some Tesla Superchargers will get a 3D view which you can access by tapping "View Site Map." The view shows a detailed layout of the Supercharger stalls, so you can pick the space you like as you drive towards the Supercharger.

As is typical for Tesla holiday updates, a lot of the new stuff is just pure fun. New features include the Tesla Photobooth, allowing you to take selfies with the car's inner camera and add filters, stickers, and emojis, with the ability to share the photos from your Tesla app.

Well, why not? Credit: Tesla

There's also a Santa Mode, which turns your car into Santa's carriage, a new light show called Jingle Rush, and more customization of your Tesla avatar, including window tints, custom wraps, and license plates (I shudder to think what my Tesla avatar will look like after my daughter finds this feature).

No more boring, uniform colors! Credit: Tesla

The update brings a new game called the ISS Docking Simulator, allowing you to try your hand at docking your spacecraft with the International Space Station, using controls based on actual interfaces used by NASA astronauts.

Other new features of note include Live Activity on the iPhone when your car is in Dog Mode, with periodic photo snapshots of your vehicle's interior, and live updates on temperature, battery, and climate conditions inside the car. Dashcam clips now include more details, like speed, steering wheel angle, and self-driving state.

Buddy's looking fine over there. Credit: Tesla

There's also a number of minor new features, including the ability to add Spotify tracks to queue from the search screen, and the ability to enable or disable your wireless phone charging pads.

As always, feature availability depends on region and on your car; older vehicles probably won't get all of the updates listed above.

Tesla didn't say when the update is coming, except that it's rolling out shortly.

Waymo robotaxis have been providing public rides in Austin, Texas since March, and following safety incidents with school buses, Austin school district officials have asked the company to stop offering robotaxi rides during school drop-off times.

Now, regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are investigating Waymo over complaints that its robotaxis have illegally passed school buses at least 19 times, according to Reuters.

The NHTSA sent a letter to Waymo earlier this week informing the company about the beginning of its inquiry concerning its autonomous vehicles' inability to follow traffic laws concerning school buses. The letter also requested additional information about the company's self-driving system.

An initial investigation was opened into Waymo in October by the NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) after it obtained video of a Waymo robotaxi driving around a school bus in Atlanta as the vehicle was unloading schoolchildren with its stop sign extended and flashing lights on. Now the agency is going even further in its inquiry. 

Waymo said it released a software fix to the issue on November 17. However, in a public letter, the Austin Independent School District says that five of the 19 school bus-related Waymo incidents occurred after that date.

"One of these violations underscores the urgent risk posed by Waymo’s illegal activity: a Waymo automated vehicle was recorded driving past a stopped school bus only moments after a student crossed in front of the vehicle, and while the student was still in the road," the Austin School District wrote in a Nov. 20 letter to Waymo. "The vehicle then proceeds through a cross walk and an intersection, where all other vehicles are stopped."

The Austin School District requests that Waymo stop operating its robotaxis from 5:20 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., the hours when children are typically being picked up and dropped off before and after school.

The ODI sent its own letter to Waymo shortly after, letting the company know it was aware of the issue and inquiring if Waymo was planning to abide by the request to cease operations during those times.

According to a report by TechCrunch, Waymo insists that its update has improved its robotaxis' road safety issues around school buses. However, it does not seem like the company plans to oblige the Austin School District's request.

Tesla's cheapest Model 3 is now available in Europe.

The company started offering a stripped-down version of the model across its European markets on Friday, notifying its users via an in-app message.

The Model 3 Standard is "our most affordable vehicle," Tesla wrote in the message. "(It) gives you all the best Tesla features with a lower cost of ownership over time."

The price of the Model 3 Standard varies by market. In Germany, it starts at €37,970, while in France and Italy, it's a bit cheaper at €36,990.

While that's roughly €8,000 cheaper than the next trim (which is now called Premium), you do lose quite a lot in terms of features.

We've covered the details for both the Standard trims of Model Y and Model 3 on Mashable. In short, compared to Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive Premium trim, you get lower range, slower acceleration, no additional display for passengers in the rear, no heated seats in the back, less fancy decorative elements, partially textile seats, and fewer colors on offer, among other reductions.

Some good news: Unlike in the U.S., the Model 3 Standard keeps Basic Autopilot with Autosteer; and unlike the Model Y Standard, it keeps the Panoramic Glass Roof. There are other, subtle differences between trims in Europe compared to America. For example, in Europe both the Standard and the cheapest Premium trim have seven loudspeakers; in the U.S. the Premium variant gets two speakers more.

The new model comes amidst a painful slump in sales across most European markets for Tesla, likely because of CEO Elon Musk's politics, but also due to strong competition from China's BYD and other electric vehicle makers.

Another bit of good news that may entice users to choose Tesla, though, is the latest Consumer Reports' auto brand ranking, which puts Tesla in the 10th place for the first time, a big jump from the 18th place last year. On the other hand, Germany's TÜV association recently highlighted some of Tesla's models as the least reliable it ever tested.

Uber is bringing robotaxis to Dallas — though don't expect them to ferry you around completely autonomously just yet.

The company partnered with Avride to launch the robotaxi service (which it actually calls "robotaxi," a term popularized by Tesla) in Dallas, covering 9 square miles of the city at launch — from Downtown to Uptown to Turtle Creek to Deep Ellum.

Uber customers will be able to access the service simply by requesting an UberX, Uber Comfort, or Uber Comfort Electric ride, though they cannot specifically choose a robotaxi. Instead, they may be matched with an electric Avride robotaxi, and they'll have the option to switch to a non-robotaxi ride.

Users can, however, increase their chances of getting matched with a robotaxi by opting in to the Ride Preferences section in the Uber app's Settings.

While Uber says that Avride cars are design to operate fully autonomously, at launch there will be a driver behind the wheel, monitoring the car's behavior. Fully driverless operations will begin "in the future," said Uber.

With this move, the company joins Waymo and Tesla which already operate autonomous or semi-autonomous robotaxi services in Dallas.

Uber has previously partnered with other companies for its robotaxi service, including Lucid in the Bay Area, and Waymo in Austin and Atlanta.

Got a Tesla car with the latest iteration of Full Self-Driving hardware (HW4) inside, but you haven't actually purchased FSD? Well, you'll be able to try it out for free over the holidays.

According to Tesla enthusiast and blogger Sawyer Merritt, Tesla has given a free trial of its latest FSD software (V14) to roughly 1.5 million Tesla owners in the U.S., and the trial lasts approximately forty days, until January 8.

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Tesla FSD is a set of driving assistance features that brings the car closer to self-driving, with features such as automatic lane changing, automatic parking, and route navigation. However, FSD still requires constant supervision from the driver.

This is a pretty clever idea from Tesla; the company basically gifted the latest version of FSD to its entire eligible user base in the U.S. over the holidays, presumably hoping that some of them will like it so much that they'll purchase it after the trial ends.

FSD is not without issues, though. Tesla CEO Elon Musk keeps praising every new version of the software as the one that will make that final leap towards actual self-driving, but the progress is slower than he'd anticipated. Tesla FSD has been under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as the agency looks into whether FSD is making Tesla cars violate traffic safety laws.

Well, folks, it's that time of year. Holiday cheer, a big ol' bird on the table, walking the tightrope of polite conversation, and, most horrifyingly, praying to high heavens that your Thanksgiving air travel plans go off without a hitch.

If you're one of the projected 82 million Americans traveling domestically this week, you're in luck. So far, according to USA Today, flight cancellations are low this week, despite general fears that the recent government shutdown would lead to travel woes. This comes a few weeks after the U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy ordered a 10 percent cut in flights at 40 U.S. airports due to the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Thousands of air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration agents went to work without pay for over a month, Reuters reported at the time. But thankfully, after 43 long days, the shutdown ended just in time for Thanksgiving travel.

But the government shutdown isn't the only thing that might cause a bump in your holiday travel. The FAA expects this to be the busiest Thanksgiving travel week in 15 years, and typical weather and mechanical issues are sure to arise, particularly with winter storms moving into the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes region — sorry, Chicago travelers.

How to check your flight status online

This is something you should absolutely do before you leave for the airport. There's not much worse than zipping up your suitcase, locking up your house, making the trek to the airport, and finding your way through security and to your gate only to find out you could have stayed in pajamas the whole time. Before you head to the airport, always check the airport website or your airline's website.

We also recommend downloading your airline's app, which makes it easy to check for updates on the fly. Finally, to check on a specific flight or route, you can use sites like Flight Aware and Flight Tracker. If the plane you're taking to Wichita is delayed on its way into Atlanta, these tools can help you anticipate likely delays.

Thanksgiving flight cancellation trends so far

Overall, flight cancellations are on the low side this year, according to a CNN report, but that can change fast.

Flight Tracker has a tool called the Misery Map, which shows which airports are experiencing the most delays and cancellations. As of Wednesday, Nov. 26, Chicago O'Hare International Airport has far more issues than any other airport, per Flight Tracker. The airports with the most delays and cancellations so far include:

• Chicago O'Hare (ORD)

• Dallas Fort Worth (DFW)

• Los Angeles (LAX)

• Minneapolis–Saint Paul (MSP)

• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)

• Denver (DEN)

• La Guardia New York City (LGA)

• Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX)

• George Bush Intercontinental Airport Houston (IAH)

• Boston Logan (BOS)

So, your flight was canceled. Now what?

If your flight is canceled, congratulations: You now have the perfect complaint to make over Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone will agree with you when you say something like, "Traveling during the holidays, am I right?"

Now you need to get to work. If you're still at home when you find out your flight is canceled, head to the airport website or your airline's website. Check if you're owed a refund or other types of compensation. Fortunately, the U.S. Department of Transportation has a dashboard that shows you exactly what airlines owe you in the event of a cancellation. Check the DOT's Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard to make sure you get everything you're entitled to.

Next, you've got to figure out your next move. Can you take a train to your destination, or rent a car? Is there another airline you can switch to? Or are you going to take your refund, head back home, and order dinner in lieu of navigating travel? Move quickly in situations like this, as rental cars and other flights can fill up quickly.

As always, no matter what travel issue ails you this holiday season, be nice to the people airline workers trying to get you across the country. And you just might want to show up at the airport a bit earlier than usual to wade your way through the inevitable lines.

Over the weekend, Tesla's official X account for the European market was elated over Dutch regulator RDW's approval of the company's Full Self-Driving driver-assistance system for the EU.

One problem. RDW says this isn't true. In an update, the regulator said it has not committed to giving Tesla approval regarding FSD. Also, they'd like Tesla fans to please stop contacting them about it, too.

"RDW has committed to granting Netherlands National approval in February 2026," read the celebratory yet apparently premature post from Tesla's X account. "Please contact them via link below to express your excitement & thank them for making this happen as soon as possible."

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And, as mentioned in its post, Tesla even provided a link to the regulator's contact page so Tesla fans could thank RDW.

On Monday, RDW posted a statement to its website specifically addressing the X post from Tesla. According to RDW, the regulator did put together a schedule alongside Tesla, which states the company must show that FSD Supervised meets the regulatory safety requirements in February 2026. RDW specifies that while it won't divulge specific details, Tesla is aware of what it needs to demonstrate in order for FSD to be approved at that time.

Furthermore, it appears Tesla fans did contact RDW regarding FSD approval, as the regulator had to specifically request that Tesla supporters stop calling and wasting their time. RDW also explicitly mentions in its statement that any contact with the regulator from Tesla fans will have no influence on RDW's decision regarding FSD approval, as a decision will be purely dependent on road safety concerns.

So, was the Tesla post an attempt to pressure RDW into giving Tesla the approval it desires?

As Bloomberg points out, Musk's statements during Tesla's annual shareholders meeting earlier this month strongly point to that possibility.

“Pressure from our customers in Europe to push the regulators to approve would be appreciated,” Musk said in the meeting.

Despite rolling out Full Self-Driving in the U.S. and a few other countries years ago, Tesla has not been able to do so in Europe. According to Elon Musk's EV company, Tesla's "main path to success is partnering with the Dutch approval authority RDW to gain exemption for the feature." According to TechCrunch, approval with RDW is a critical first step toward wider approval throughout the EU.

Porsche's largest SUV, the Cayenne, has finally turned electric, and it's got a few tricks up its sleeve.

Perhaps most importantly, it's wickedly quick. The fastest variant, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric, has up to 850kW (that's 1,156 horsepower) of power, allowing it to go from 0-100 km\/h in 2.5 seconds, and from 0-200 km/h in 7.4 seconds, with a max speed of 260 km/h. Porsche says it's the most powerful production Porsche of all time (so, not just the most powerful Cayenne or SUV; the most powerful Porsche of any kind, ever).

More family-friendly than sporty, but we'll take it. Credit: Porsche

The entry level Cayenne is a bit tamer with 300 kW of power and a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 4.8 seconds, with a top speed of 230 km/h.

The Cayenne also has what Porsche calls "Formula E levels of recuperation," meaning the SUV is able to handle about 97 percent of all braking operations purely with its electric motors. Of course, for the Turbo variant you'll still probably want the (optional) Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake.

The Turbo variant is the most powerful Porsche of any kind, ever. Credit: Porsche

Other details include optional rear axle steering, adaptive air suspension which is standard on both the regular Cayenne and the Turbo variant, and the Porsche Active Ride active suspension which comes as an option and should "almost completely" compensate for the car's body movement.

A detail we like the most, though, is the (optional) inductive charging, which allows you to charge the Cayenne by merely park above a charging floor plate. The charging speed isn't the best – 11 kW – but it's way more practical than having to plug the car in after you park.

You shouldn't be worrying about charging too much with this one, as it comes with a hefty 113 kWh battery with super speedy charging (up to 400 kW DC charging), which should be good for up to 642 kilometers of WLTP range on the Cayenne Electric, and 623 kilometers of range on the Cayenne Turbo Electric.

With almost 5 meters of length, there should be plenty of space inside for a family of five. Credit: Porsche

Despite its power, the Cayenne Electric isn't the most aggressive-looking SUV, or even the most aggressive-looking Cayenne we've seen. European manufacturers like to make their electric cars more softer-looking, and Cayenne Electric looks like a slightly more futuristic, but also family-friendly variant of the regular Cayenne. And a true family hauler it is, with 4,985 millimeters in length, and 781 l in cargo space (up to 1,588 liters with seats folded), with an additional 90 liters in the frunk, which Porsche thankfully included on this one.

Largest display area in a Porsche, ever. Credit: Porsche

Inside, it's screens on top of screens, as is customary for modern Porsches. You get a 14.25-inch instrument cluster, and If you tick the option box for the 14.9-inch passenger display, you'll get the largest display area ever found in a Porsche. One new feature is called Mood Modes, which allows you to just pick the setting you want and the seating position, lighting, sound profile, display appearance, and even air conditioning all change to fit that mood.

We have no way of proving it, but I think these promo photos were taken in Croatia. No wonder, as Porsche co-owns Bugatti with Croatia's electric car powerhouse Rimac. Credit: Porsche

All the electric Cayenne models are available to order now. In the U.S., the Cayenne Electric starts at $111,350, while the Cayenne Turbo Electric starts at $165,350.

During the Nov. 6 Tesla shareholders' meeting, Elon Musk said that the electric vehicle company is almost ready to allow texting and driving. Musk said that this feature could be coming to full self-driving mode in just one or two months, according to Electrek.

The biggest news from the shareholders' event concerned Musk's pay package. At the meeting, shareholders voted to approve Musk's $1 trillion pay package, which is set to make the world's richest man even richer. However, the CEO's "texting and driving" comments also deserve a closer look.

In Tesla's Full Self-Driving mode (FSD), drivers can go hands-free, although they are required to pay attention and occasionally make contact with the wheel. If drivers attempt to use a mobile device while FSD is engaged, the Autopilot feature is designed to detect this activity and issue a warning to the driver.

A Tesla online driver's manual states: "Do not use handheld devices while using Autopilot features. If the cabin camera detects a handheld device while Autopilot is engaged, the touchscreen displays a message reminding you to pay attention."

Now, Musk says the company believes FSD is advanced enough that drivers could look away from the road and fire off text messages. This follows Tesla's introduction of a new "Mad Max" mode for FSD customers, which allows higher speeds and more aggressive lane changes. That feature, which debuted in October, almost instantly caught the attention of federal investigators.

Of course, most states (as well as many cities and counties) have laws against texting while driving. In fact, Montana is the only state without a total ban on the practice.

We should also point out that Musk has a long history of overestimating timelines for his products, particularly when it comes to self-driving.

In 2017, he predicted that drivers would be able to nap behind the wheel by 2019. Undeterred, he predicted in 2019 that robotaxis would soon be ready for the road. Tesla only launched its robotaxi service this year, and only in Austin, Texas.

For a company that pioneered electric-petrol hybrids several decades ago, Toyota sure seems to have an odd disdain for the purely electric car.

Take its latest battery electric vehicle (BEV), for example, the new Toyota Hilux. On Monday, Toyota introduced the new vehicle, including a variant relying purely on electric power — a first for the company's popular pickup (the Hilux also comes in petrol, diesel, and hybrid versions).

At least the interior is fresh. Credit: Toyota

Regardless of the variant, the Hilux has a revamped look which (as always) emphasises strength and toughness. It's only available as a double cab variant, and it comes with electric power steering and all-wheel drive across the range. Inside, the main infotainment display is horizontally oriented and measures up to 12.3 inches, the same size as the display in front of the driver.

It all sounds nice until you get to the battery and range. The electric version of the Hilux has a 59.2 kWh li-ion battery, with a WLTP driving range of about 149 miles, or 240 kilometers.

That, simply put, is painfully low, given that a competitor like Rivian's R1T pickup offers 270 to 420 miles of EPA range, depending on the battery. Bear in mind that Europe's WLTP testing is less stringent than the U.S. EPA standard, meaning that the Hilux will probably drop to sub-130 mile advertised EPA range.

A hydrogen fuel cell variant is scheduled to arrive in 2028. No word on range for that one. Credit: Toyota

Add to that the fact that Toyota's BEVs such as the bZ4X haven't had great real world range figures in testing, and you get an electric Hilux that probably won't take you very far, especially if you load it with stuff (which is, after all, what pickups are for).

Toyota says that the electric Hilux will go on sale starting Dec. 2025, but the price has not been announced. Hopefully, the company will introduce a variant with a larger battery, because this one is going to be a tough sell.

Tesla is having a very tough year. Sales are down, the brand has been tarnished in the eyes of some customers by its CEO Elon Musk, tax credit incentives that brought in consumers have now expired — what else can go wrong?

How about two major program managers leaving the company in a single day?

On Monday, two Tesla executives who headed up major product initiatives separately announced that they were leaving the company: One who leads the Cybertruck program and one who leads the Model Y program.

Siddhant Awasthi, head of Tesla's Cybertruck program, announced on LinkedIn early Monday morning that he was departing the company. Awasthi's story is inspiring, as he first joined Tesla eight years ago and worked his way up the company ladder to finally head up Musk's vision for an EV truck.

"I recently made one of the hardest decisions of my life to leave Tesla after an incredible run," the now-former Cybertruck chief wrote on LinkedIn. "Eight years ago, when I started as an intern, I never dreamed I’d one day have the opportunity to lead the Cybertruck program and bring it to reality."

It's unclear why Awasthi has left the company and, based on his post, it does appear to be on good terms. 

However, Cybertruck has certainly not lived up to Tesla's expectations. As The Verge notes, a recent Cybertruck recall notice from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that only 63,619 Cybertrucks have been sold since the vehicle's launch in 2023. Musk once bet that the future of Tesla depended on the company selling 250,000 Cybertruck vehicles per year. Tesla is nowhere close to doing that. In fact, interest in the Cybertruck has waned since the company claimed that it received 250,000 pre-order deposits in 2019.

Awasthi was later joined in his departure from the company by Emmanuel Lamacchia, the head of Tesla's Model Y program. 

"After 8 incredible years, I'm moving on from Tesla," Lamacchia wrote on LinkedIn. "What a journey it's been... from leading NPI for  Model 3 and Model Y variants to becoming the Vehicle Program Manager for Model Y, the best-selling car in the world!"

Lamacchia, who was the Model Y chief for the past four years, did lead the team behind Tesla's most successful vehicle. So, again, it does not appear any of these departures were performance-based.

If anything, it is concerning that Tesla is losing two talented leaders at the tail end of what has been a tumultuous year for the company. Pair these departures with Tesla's sales numbers and the recent news that Tesla is now looking to roll out a rental car service for Tesla vehicles, and it looks like Tesla could be in for a very bumpy 2026 as well.

Just days ago — and before shareholders approved his enormous pay package — Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the next-generation Tesla Roadster will "hopefully" be unveiled "before the end of the year."

Well, that's probably not happening. On Thursday, during Tesla's Annual Shareholder Meeting, Musk said that the product unveil of the Roadster 2 will be on "April 1 of next year."

"I have some deniability because I can say I was just kidding," he said. "We are actually tentatively aiming for April 1, for what I think will be the most exciting, whether it works or not, demo of any product."

Yes, what Musk means here is any product ever, in the history of mankind.

While that's a pretty hefty delay, the news is even worse when it comes to production of the Roadster, as Musk said it's probably happening "about 12-18 months after that," so sometime in mid-to-late 2027.

Despite not having been launched yet, Tesla's second generation Roadster is one of Tesla's most unusual products. Originally announced in November 2017, the vehicle kept being delayed into the future (despite numerous people pre-ordering it with a $50,000 down payment), with Musk setting increasingly grandiose goals for it. Speaking with Joe Rogan recently, Musk said, "If you took all the James Bond cars and combined them, it's crazier than that," — and hinted that it may actually be able to fly.

Musk and Tesla keep referring to the car as the "second-generation Roadster," even though it's probably not have a lot in common with the original second-generation Roadster which was announced eight years ago. That one was shown as prototype in November 2017, with an alleged 0-60mph time of 2.1 seconds. Later, Musk said it might get an (optional) cold gas thruster which would make it even faster. Most recently, Musk said the car would be able to accelerate from 0-60mph in under one second. Hopefully, the saga will end next April, before Musk starts claiming the car can go back in time.

Google Maps turn-by-turn navigation has made leaps and bounds since its humble beginnings back in 2009, but one thing was still missing: the ability to tell when you're in the wrong lane.

Now, thanks to AI, Google has apparently solved that problem. On Tuesday, the company announced it will be launching live lane guidance in Google Maps soon, though with quite a few caveats.

The feature will launch in Polestar 4 EVs in the U.S. and Sweden "in the coming months," Google said in a press release.

The system uses AI smarts to analyze lane markings captured by the car's front-facing cameras, and then integrates that with Google Maps' navigation. In practice, the system will detect when you're in the wrong lane relative to where you want to go, and notify you to switch lanes via audio and video cues.

It will only work on highways at first, though support for other road types is coming later. The company also said it will launch the feature in more cars in "partnership with key automakers," which probably means companies which have integrated Google UI into their cars, such as Polestar, Volvo, Honda, Nissan, and Ford, among others.

Like two toddlers who were somehow given the gift of internet access and infinite money, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman are arguing online again.

The latest instance in this never-ending beef was started by Altman on Oct. 30, who shared his unsuccessful attempt to cancel the Tesla Roadster. In an X post with email screenshots, Altman said he had pre-ordered the Roadster in July 2018 with a $45,000 reservation payment. Seven years later, in 2025, he tried to cancel the reservation and get a refund by directly responding to the original reservation confirmation email, which yielded an "address not found" error.

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On one hand, it's not that unusual for a company email address to get changed or expire after seven years. On the other, it's very unusual for a company to ask for a $45k down payment on a car and then not launch it for seven years, so we do kinda get where Altman's coming from.

Musk responded on X on Nov. 1, first by changing the subject and saying that Altman "stole a non-profit," referencing the odd trajectory of OpenAI from a non-profit to for-profit company. (Musk was involved in OpenAI early, but later sued when the company transitioned to for-profit.) The Tesla CEO then said that Altman's "issue was fixed" and that the OpenAI CEO had received a refund "within 24 hours."

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Altman may have chosen the wrong moment to cancel his Roadster reservation, as Musk recently said that Tesla is close to demonstrating a "prototype" of the vehicle, hyping it up as "if you took all the James Bond cars and combined them, it's crazier than that" — and hinting that it'll be able to fly. Then again, this car was originally supposed to launch in 2020, so we wouldn't hold our breath waiting it to launch.

Tesla is recalling Cybertrucks again, and this time a hardware issue is to blame.

The company is recalling 6,197 Cybertrucks in the U.S. due to an issue that could cause the car's detached lightbar to fall off, posing road hazard to other vehicles.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the issue is only present in some 2024 Cybertrucks, and is due to "an incorrect surface primer" which "may have been used to attach the lightbar to the windshield." Simply put, Tesla used the wrong glue to attach the lightbars to some cars.

If your Cybertruck is affected, Tesla will inspect your lightbar and either install an "additional mechanical attachment or replace the light bar using tape to adhere the light bar to the windshield as well as an additional mechanical attachment as necessary," all of that free of charge

We know that the number of recalled Cybertrucks represents roughly 10 percent of all Cybertrucks Tesla has sold so far due to another recall last week. That one affected 63,619 Cybertrucks over software that makes the front parking lights too bright, which could impair oncoming drivers' vision. That issue, however, was fixed via a software update.

Tesla's Cybertruck recalls happen often, and quite a few issues were hardware-related, meaning Tesla couldn't just fix them remotely. (Un)fortunately for Tesla, Cybertrucks aren't selling very well, so there's at least less of them to fix.

Tesla's Cybercab was originally envisioned as an autonomous taxi without a steering wheel or pedals, but it might be a lot more like a regular car at launch.

Tesla board chair Robyn Denholm spelled it out quite clearly in an interview with Bloomberg. "If we have to have a steering wheel, it can have a steering wheel and pedals," she said.

This is in contrast with what Tesla CEO Elon Musk originally wanted for the Cybercab. "If you try to make a car that is essentially a hybrid, manual, automatic car, it's not going to be as good as a dedicated autonomous car," Musk said during Cybercab's unveiling. "So, yes, Cybercab is just not going to have steering wheels and pedals."

The reason for the company's change in attitude towards steering wheels and pedals are likely regulations. U.S. regulators currently do allow manufacturers to produce passenger cars without a steering wheel or pedals, but only in a limited capacity.

During the company's earnings call last week, Musk said the Cybercab is launching in Q2 2026, and added that it will be the company's "single biggest expansion in production." During the same call, Musk reiterated that the Cybercab won't have a steering wheel or pedals, saying that the idea is to "minimize cost per mile of operation."

Tesla's main problem here is the fact that the company simply hasn't solved fully autonomous driving just yet. Even its Model Y-based Robotaxis in the San Francisco Bay Area aren't actually autonomous; there's currently a human present behind the steering wheel during rides. The company will likely have to either postpone the launch or make the tough decision to make the Cybercab a lot more like a regular car, and then get rid of the steering wheel and pedals later.

Parker Shi, vice president of GWM Group and president of GWM International, considers U.S. President Donald Trump to be the most successful man in the world by certain metrics. Yet at the same time, Trump remains a significant obstacle in the Chinese automaker's quest to access a global market.

"[People are] looking for power, looking for money, and they're looking for name. Right? Donald Trump is the one," Shi told his audience during GWM's global Tech Day in Australia earlier this month. "But what's the business looking for? Brand, volume, profit. Volume can be replaced by market share."

GWM's Tech Day was part of its international branding efforts, bringing some of its top executives to Melbourne to discuss the company's plans for global growth. Though China is the largest auto market in the world, GWM is one of many EV manufacturers whose ambitions extend well beyond their home country's borders. The company has been in the Australian market since 2009, when it became the first Chinese automaker to sell its cars in the country.

Yet while GWM aims to be a notable player on the global EV scene, the sizable yet inaccessible U.S. market continues to present a glaring challenge to these ambitions — as it does for all Chinese automakers.

When will GWM's vehicles enter the U.S. market?

Credit: Courtesy of GWM

Speaking to Mashable, Shi confirmed that GWM had been looking to enter the U.S. market by 2021, having conducted research, planned products, and even set up infrastructure and employees. Unfortunately, political issues and tariffs have put such plans on hold indefinitely.

"We prepared for the USA market for many years," said Shi. "We have the building there, we have the R&D team there. But because of the political issues, obviously, it's not the right time to make the plan for USA. So this is an open secret. I don't need to deny anything. It's because of the political issues it's difficult to invest [in a] manufacturing plant over there."

Specifically, Shi noted the high customs duties and tariffs the U.S. currently imposes upon EVs from China. Such vehicles were previously subject to a standard 2.5 percent tariff until Trump's first term in 2018, when he introduced an additional 25 percent tariff on Chinese goods. President Joe Biden subsequently increased tariffs further to 100 percent in 2024. 

U.S. tariffs on Chinese EVs have since fluctuated wildly under the current Trump administration, at one point skyrocketing to a whopping 247.5 percent. Understandably, such factors mean that the costs of investing in the U.S. currently outweigh the benefits.

"[If] you want to go there [to the U.S.], you have to put your money to build the factories or to acquire the factories," said Shi. "We do have the product suitable for the USA market. But the problem is the investment of the manufacturing has become difficult. It's a barrier. Direct investment is needed for USA market."

GWM does still have ambitions in the U.S., with Shi stating that the company is reluctant to give up the chance to tap into such a large market. Even so, entering the U.S. simply isn't feasible while the U.S. administration remains actively hostile toward Chinese automakers. When raising tariffs on Chinese EVs last year, Biden claimed that the Chinese government's EV subsidy programs enable Chinese companies to "cheat" by selling cars at "unfairly low prices," leaving U.S. manufacturers unable to compete. 

"We have some business in Mexico…. but now it's also changing," said Shi, acknowledging U.S. officials' fears that Chinese automakers could go through Mexico to supply their cars to American drivers. China is Mexico's leading auto supplier. "They're supposed to stop Chinese investment in Mexico. Maybe they are thinking we are using Mexico as the base to export to USA. It's a little bit complicated."

GWM courts international markets that aren't the U.S.

Credit: Courtesy of GWM

In the meantime, GWM has turned its attention to other countries such as Australia. The company took up residence in Victoria's Lang Lang Proving Grounds earlier this year in order to test and tweak its vehicles for Australian conditions, adapting its approach depending on different countries' specific needs. Shi emphasised that GWM aims to work with and understand people in different regions, noting that only 10 of GWM's 110 employees in Australia are from China.

"With the local, for the local. With the Thai, for the Thai. With the Australian, for the Australian," said Shi. "This is the kind of philosophy [which guides us].... You must make yourself more local. Not only brand. Product, service, operations…. Everything must be local."

Such considerations appear to be part of the reason why GWM doesn't only manufacture EVs, also offering petrol and hybrid vehicles such as its Tank 300 and Cannon Alpha. Lack of infrastructure and charging facilities have slowed EV uptake in some markets, with the level of government support and incentives varying significantly between different areas. 

As such, Shi acknowledged that there's still a need for traditional petrol-powered vehicles, particularly in countries which may not yet have the budget for widespread implementation of EV facilities. GWM is hoping to meet international customers where they are in the meantime.

"We believe new energy vehicles could be the future," said Shi. "Of course, for the China market, definitely because the government gives a lot of support, incentive, tax reductions, so the EV penetration is very high.… So that's why if you're talking about the new energy vehicles in China, it's over 50 percent market share. But the other markets I think could be slow because the government incentives or government support is very limited."

"Some markets we understand, petrol, diesel, especially for commercial vehicles… [continue to remain] for a long time because facilities for charging, they need time [to be built]. And budget from the government to encourage the electronic vehicles, to encourage the plug-in hybrid vehicles, [is] still very slow….

"We try to follow the [future] trend, of course," Shi continued. "EV could be very good for the environment, could be a great convenience. But we believe that different countries may have different usage scenarios."

Shi offered the example of Australians driving between Melbourne and Sydney, two cities which are approximately 544 mi (876 km) apart. In such a scenario, drivers may be anxious about making it to the next charger. Further, Shi speculated that what chargers are available may be less advanced and take a significant amount of time to charge. As such, he suggested that plug-in hybrid electric vehicles would be more suited to cross-country driving, noting that GWM's small Ora EV is designed for city use.

"This is why we are not investing [in] big models, big cars for EV," Shi continued. "Some other Chinese players, they have a five metre-big SUV…. We're not doing that. We have the capabilities to do that, but we don't think that's going to be the future. Especially [as] we are facing the global market. So different scenarios, different needs."

Working to secure data, trust, and market share

Credit: Courtesy of GWM

For GWM, expanding outside of China "is a must." However, foreign governments have expressed increasing suspicion towards Chinese tech companies in recent years, accusing them of giving the Chinese government access to customers' data. Though there is no public evidence that this is occurring, the possibility has lawmakers leery. As such, Chinese companies with global aspirations have had to allocate significant resources into reassuring governments and countering such wariness.

"If you try to be a global player in different countries, we have to follow the rules and regulations of the countries," said Shi. "This is the bottom line. This is number one."

As part of this, Shi states that GWM keeps sensitive customer data on servers within their respective country. For example, Australian drivers' data is kept on Australian servers. For GWM customers in the Asia-Pacific region, less sensitive ownership information such as users' names, email addresses, and Vehicle Identification Numbers are kept on servers in Singapore. In a statement to Mashable, GWM noted that Singapore is "recognised for its strong data protection and cybersecurity frameworks."

"We have isolated the customer data, because the customer data is very, very sensitive," said Shi. "This is the law…. We have to follow the law and [ensure GWM is in] compliance. This is the bottom line. You don't cross the bottom line. You cross the bottom line, you're going to burn your hand…. We don't want to, [in the] short term, make something easy [and end up with a] lot of leaking, leaking, leaking a lot of the customer's data. No, no, no. This is not allowed."

GWM has been in Australia for almost two decades now. As of July, GWM was the seventh-best selling automaker in the country this year, and the number one best-selling Chinese auto brand. The company is still continuing to grow its foothold, announcing during Tech Day that its new Tank 500 plug-in hybrid seven-seater SUV will cost Australians $AU79,990 driveaway — approximately $US52,000.

Unfortunately, it will still be a long while before U.S. drivers can test out GWM's vehicles themselves.

"I think we have the capability [to enter the U.S. market]. We have the product, we have the technology, we have the experience in global operation," Shi told Mashable. "We are planning, we are observing, we are watching. We are watching how the USA policies [are] changing…. We have the team over there, but with the administration change, everything's changed. Sorry for that!"

Disclosure: Mashable travelled to Melbourne as a guest of GWM.

UPDATE: Oct. 30, 2025, 12:54 p.m. AEDT This article has been updated to clarify where GWM stores different types of customer data.

One of the coolest things about owning a Tesla is the ability to get all sorts of info about your car through a mobile app.

Now, the auto company has taken it to another level with a new Maintenance tab (via Teslarati), that shows you exactly what your car needs replaced, fixed, or adjusted in the near future.

Somewhat hidden in the Tesla iOS app (Android app still doesn't have this option) under Service - Request Service - Maintenance, the new section tells you when your car is due for stuff like tire rotation, cabin air filter replacement, or wiper blades replacement. Even better, the app tells you the cost for each item (if you buy it at an official Tesla repair shop), and if you click on each item, you'll see the estimated life left for each component.

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Some of the items, such as Windshield Camera Area Precision Cleaning, probably aren't something you ever thought of doing, let alone paying 80 bucks for it, but it's still nice to know the current status for each of these parts.

If you've done maintenance at some place other than Tesla's official repair shops, these won't be accurate. Unfortunately, there's apparently no way to manually input when you've last changed your tires or had your wiper blades replaced (I've done both but none of that shows in the app).

Also, in my area I don't see the detailed breakdown of what's happening to my car as the folks in the U.S. seem to get. Hopefully Tesla will update this to work for all owners globally, and make it a little easier to access in the app. Still, the feature is a good reminder that you should take your car to the shop for basic maintenance every now and then.

Waymo has taken the Tesla Robotaxi threat seriously.

On Wednesday, the company announced it's launching its autonomous ride-hailing service in London in 2026.

The service will be offered, in truly British fashion, via a fleet of Jaguar Land Rover vehicles. Customers will be able to hail them via Waymo's app, and the company highlighted the fact that its cars will operate without a human behind the wheel.

There's no word on which areas Waymo's service will cover, though Waymo said it plans to serve Londoners and the city's "millions of visitors" next year. The company's official FAQ for London says it's conducting "extensive trials and safety validation work across select boroughs of London."

Fun fact: The Waymo cars in London will have the steering wheel on the left side, as the company will use its existing fleet of Jagaur I-PACE cars which were originally built for U.S. operations. It shouldn't matter too much as there will be no driver in the seat, and the company says its operators which monitor the system are "trained to operate a left-hand drive vehicle safely on UK roads."

This isn't the first time Waymo has expanded internationally; the company already announced it will launch in Tokyo, besides a host of cities in the U.S. where it's already operational. But it appears to have accelerated its expansion following the launch of Tesla Robotaxi, which currently operates in Austin, Texas, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

After a long, long wait, the "affordable" Tesla is here.

Unsurprisingly, it's not a new model; instead, Tesla launched cheaper, stripped down variants of the Model Y and Model 3.

The new variants are dubbed "Standard" and are similar in what they offer — a $5,000 price reduction for the Model Y, a $5,500 reduction for the Model 3, and a number of features missing.

The lineup for both cars now consists of three basic variants: Standard, Premium (which was previously called Long Range), and Performance. The Premium and Performance trims are the same as before, both in terms of features and pricing. So what do you get (or, better said, what do you lose) when opting for the Standard trim?

Are these truly the cheapest Teslas?

First, let's talk about the prices.

The new trims come right after the Trump administration killed the federal tax credit for electric cars, which reduced the price of most EVs by up to $7,500. This isn't Tesla's fault – though there's something to be said about CEO Elon Musk's relentless support for Trump ahead of the election and in the early days of the administration. But there's no getting around the fact that, for most buyers in the U.S., even these "affordable" Teslas are more expensive than before.

If we pretended that the tax credit didn't matter, a $5,000 and $5,500 price reduction could be alright if you didn't lose a lot in terms of features. Sadly, this is also not the case.

The long, harrowing list of missing features

The list of differences for the Standard and Premium trims is painfully long and thorough. Some of the key features, such as range and acceleration, are greatly impacted. Focusing on the Model Y, and comparing with the next cheapest model, the Premium Rear-Wheel Drive, you get:

• lower range (321 vs 357 miles)

• slower acceleration (6.8 vs 5.4 seconds from 0-60mph)

• slower charging (up to 160 miles in 15 minutes of Supercharging vs up to 182 miles in 15 minutes of Supercharging)

• 7 speakers and no subwoofer vs. 15 speakers and 1 subwooer

• no FM/AM radio

• 18-inch Aperture Wheels vs. 19-inch Crossflow wheels

• no second-row touchscreen

• no panoramic glass roof

• no LED lightbar

• less advanced shock absorbers

• no autosteer

• manual folding side-view mirrors

• manually adjusted steering wheel

• no extended storage in the center console

• no ambient lighting

• no adaptive high beams

• no first-row ventilated seats

• no second-row heated seats

• textile and vegan leather combo for the seats vs. vegan leather only

• no HEPA filter

We skipped a few minor details; for the full list use the "Compare Models" feature on Tesla's website. But the list above will probably make any buyer reconsider going for the cheapest option. Yes, stuff like glass roof and the second-row touchscreen are desirable but perhaps not essential. But you also get a significantly smaller battery, slower acceleration, and a bumpier ride. It's hard to justify such a long list of missing features with a price that's just $5k away from the next model.

At least the Standard Model 3 looks almost the same as the Premium trim. Credit: Tesla

For the Model 3, the list of differences between Standard and Premium is very similar, and also includes less range and slower acceleration. In fact, the difference in range is even bigger, given that the Standard trim offers an EPA estimated 321 miles of range, while the Premium Rear-Wheel Drive has 363 miles. The price reduction is slightly more generous at $5,500, and the starting price of $36,990 will probably compel some buyers to look into this trim, especially if they don't need lots of range. It's still not a great deal; you simply lose too much by going Standard over Premium.

I don't think these new entries into Tesla's lineup will be revolutionary in any way, but at least the burning question of what the affordable Teslas will be like is finally answered. Tesla has a history of introducing affordable models before phasing them out, and I wouldn't be too surprised if this happened to these new trims, too. We'll keep an eye on a potential international launch of these new models; perhaps the pricing will be different globally.

Imagine this. You're in Austin, Texas, the one place where Tesla's autonomous robotaxi service is open to the public. You order a Tesla robotaxi in order to try the service out. After all, it's a self-driving car! You're living in the future.

And the Tesla robotaxi arrives with a human sitting in the driver's seat.

That's what's happening right now as Tesla seeks to operate its robotaxi under Texas's new driverless vehicle regulations.

In a post on Elon Musk's social media platform X, Elon Musk's robotaxi service replied to a user explaining how some robotaxis will now require a human "safety monitor" in the driver's seat on certain trips.

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"Safety monitors are only in the driver's seat for trips that involve highway driving, as a self-imposed cautious first step toward expanding to highways," the official Tesla Robotaxi account said.

Basically, human safety monitors are required to be present inside a Tesla robotaxi to supervise the driverless vehicle, make sure the software is performing as expected, and intervene if necessary. Typically, the safety monitor has been seated in the passenger seat of the vehicle.

However, under Texas's new regulations, if a customer requires the robotaxi to drive on the state's highways, the safety monitor must move to the driver's seat while the vehicle is in operation.

Texas SB 2807, which went into effect on Sept. 1, provides a robust regulatory framework for fully autonomous vehicles. Under this law, a human operator must be present within a driverless vehicle unless the state classifies it at a Level 4 or higher autonomy. 

As Gizmodo points out, the Society of Automotive Engineers defines Level 4 autonomy as a vehicle that can operate without a human "under specific conditions, such as within a geofenced area or on designated routes."

Despite Tesla calling its autonomous system "Full Self Driving," the state of Texas only classifies it at a Level 2, which means robotaxis are required to have human oversight at all times.

After Tesla's robotaxi launched in Austin in June, it only took about a week before occupants started sharing cautionary tales about the driverless service. Customers reported the robotaxis drove in the wrong lane, ran over a curb, and unexpectedly braked in the middle of a street for no reason.

Musk had touted a Tesla robotaxi service for at least a decade before it finally launched to the public in one single U.S. city this year. Regardless of the human safety monitor requirements and other issues, Musk recently claimed that he expects the robotaxi service to be available for roughly half the U.S. population by the end of 2025.

BMW's first Neue Klasse electric vehicle is here, and it's already one of the most interesting new EVs to come from Europe in the past couple of years.

First announced in 2023, the Neue Klasse (that's German for "new class") is a radical rethinking of BMW's philosophy, with a new design language, a minimalistic, digital-first interior, and promises of smarter tech, as well as more range, efficiency, and speedy charging — in short, all of the things that buyers of electric vehicles crave.

The BMW iX3 is the first officially unveiled Neue Klasse car, and it delivers on all of the above, at least on paper.

From the side, it almost looks like a regular BMW family hauler. Credit: BMW

Somewhat oddly, it bears the same name as the current BMW iX3, a fairly pedestrian electric SUV (or SAV — sport activity vehicle — as BMW calls it). And yes, the new BMW iX3 is still a mid-sized family hauler that runs on battery power, but it's also miles ahead of its predecessor on most counts.

The first model to hit the stores — in spring 2026 in Europe, followed by a U.S. launch in the summer —will be the BMW iX3 50 xDrive. It comes with a massive 679–805-kilometer (421–500-mile) WLTP range, thanks to a huge, 108.7kW lithium ion battery. The car allows for 400kW charging at compatible charging stations, meaning it'll charge from 10 to 80 percent in 21 minutes.

The iX30 50 xDrive is powered by two electric motors, giving it a maximum output of 469 horsepower, which should be enough to get from 0–100 km/h in 4.9 seconds, with a top speed of 210 km/h (130mph). BMW says that the drive tech it developed for Neue Klasse reduces energy losses by 40 percent compared to its fifth-gen eDrive tech, which is part of the reason why the new iX3 boasts a combined electric power consumption of 17.9–15.1 kWh/100 km.

Those taillights will be unmissable on the road. Credit: BMW

While the exterior design isn't that much of a radical departure from some of BMW's newer models (yay for smaller "kidneys" on the front grille), the interior is a different story. The oddly shaped, sort-of square center display probably won't be to everyone's taste, but it's certainly different from everything we've seen inside other cars. Same goes for the Panoramic Vision display that's spread under the entire length of the windshield, offering a quick glance of features like navigation, music, weather and time.

It's not just for show (pun intended). BMW's new infotainment system, the BMW Panoramic iDrive (based on the freshly developed BMW Operating System X) "brings together displays, geometry and light & sound design into a holistic experience," according to the company.

We need a name for the shape of the center display. Credit: BMW

OK, now that we've had a chuckle, it really does seem like BMW put a lot of thought into modernizing the infotainment while making sure you actually pay attention to the road. There's also the optional BMW 3D Head-Up-Display, and nearly all of it can be controlled by the busy array of buttons either side of the steering wheel.

The brains behind all of this are all brand new — all four of them, that is. BMW claims that its Neue Klasse features four "superbrains." One of them, called Heart of Joy (BMW just likes giving names to things), is responsible for the drivetrain, brakes, energy recuperation, and steering. Another, which BMW claims has "20 times greater processing power than conventional control units," takes care of the car's automated driving and parking functions.

As for the regular car stuff, suffice to say that the BMW iX3 measures 4,782 millimeters in length and has a respectable 520 liters in the back, alongside a small frunk which can hold 58 liters of cargo.

There's no word on price for all of this, but it'll sure make your eyes water if you opt for the optional M Sport or M package or M Sport package Pro. On the other hand, BMW says other, cheaper models will follow down the road.

This model is a big deal for BMW. The company plans to implement some of the Neue Klasse tech into 40 new models and model updates by 2027. It looks pretty great from afar, though it'll take a closer look to see how well it's all been put together.

If you're looking to buy an electric car in the U.S. and get the $7,500 tax credit after it ends on September 30, there is now a way to do that – but not by very long.

Yes, the $7,500 federal EV tax credit still ends on September 30, per Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill," which was signed into law in July. But previous rules required buyers to actually receive the car before that date, and this is no longer the case.

Per CNBC, new IRS guidance, released on August 21, changes the rules slightly in favor of the buyer.

"A vehicle is 'acquired' as of the date a written binding contract is entered into and a payment has been made. A payment includes a nominal downpayment or a vehicle trade-in," say the new rules.

This means that you only have to sign a contract and make a payment for an EV by Sept. 30, but the vehicle itself can be delivered at a later date.

Of course, just like before, you still have to make sure both you and the car you're buying can qualify for the tax credit. You can search for eligible vehicles over at the United States Environmental Protection Agency's website. As for potential buyers, individuals must have an income under $150,000; a head of household must earn less than $225,000, and married couples must make less than $300,000.

Tesla has officially launched its new Model Y Performance trim in Europe, and it's even better than we thought it'd be — but it will cost you.

As expected, the performance-oriented trim looks like a slightly beefed up version of the standard Model Y, with a carbon fiber spoiler, 21-inch Arachnid wheels, and a slightly more aggressive front and rear fascia. Inside, you'll find carbon fiber details and sportier seats.

But it's the actual performance that makes this car really interesting, especially when you consider that this is still a family SUV. It accelerates from 0-100km/h in 3.5 seconds, with a top speed of 250km/h.

While those figures are the same as on the previous Model Y Performance trims (which weren't available after the car's "Juniper" refresh in January 2025), what makes this model really interesting is the range. The Model Y Performance has an advertised 580km WLTP range, which is nearly the same as the 586km you get on the Long Range All-Wheel Drive. In a way, with the Performance trim you get to have your cake and eat it, too, as the previous Performance version had a lot less range than the Long Range AWD trim.

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This range improvement, Tesla says, is thanks to "new high-density battery cells with increased charge capacity."

The stability of the ride has been improved, too, with adaptive damping that can adjust handling based on road conditions, and staggered wheel and tire fitment which should provide better grip and steering. Finally, new drive modes allow you to adjust traction control depending on your driving style and terrain.

Then there's the price. We've checked it in several European markets, and it's roughly 9,000 euros more than the Long Range All-Wheel Drive variant. For example, the Tesla MYP costs 62,970 euros in Germany, and 61,651 euros in France. It's not a small ask, but the specs are pretty great, so we're sure the new trim will find buyers (if any buyers remain in Europe at all, given the plummeting sales on the continent following Musk's political shenanigans).

Everything that's new on the 2025 Tesla MYP

Here's a complete list of upgrades on the new Tesla Model Y Performance, compared to the Long Range All-Wheel Drive variant:

• Range: 580km (WLTP)

• New high-density battery cells

• Supercharging speed: Up to 243 km of range in 15 min (compared to 266 km on the LR AWD variant)

• 0-100km/h: 3.5 seconds

• Top speed: 250km/h

• 21-inch Arachnid 2.0 wheels

• New tires and brakes

• Carbon fiber spoiler

• Redesigned front fascia

• Redesigned rear fascia

• Improved suspension with adaptive damping and new Drive modes

• Sport seats in the first row

• 16-inch high-definition display in the front (compared to the 15.4-inch display on other trims)

• Carbon fiber elements in the interior

• Weight: 2,033 kg (compared to 1,997 kg on the Model Y LR AWD trim)

• Length: 4,796 mm (compared to 4,790 mm on the Model Y LR AWD trim)

• Height: 1,624 mm (compared to 1,611mm on the Model Y LR AWD trim)

• Ground clearance: 151mm (compared to 167mm on the Model Y LR AWD trim)

Forty percent. That's how much Tesla's European sales declined in July compared to the year before.

The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), the lobbying group for the automobile industry in the EU, released new data on Thursday showing that Tesla, led by Elon Musk, is continuing to face a steep decline in sales.

In total, just 8,837 Tesla vehicles were registered across Europe in July 2025. That figure includes the European Union, as well as the United Kingdom, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

Furthermore, Tesla's drop in sales is not the result of a broader decline across the larger EV market either. In fact, sales of electric vehicles as a whole actually went up in the EU. For example, Tesla's biggest Chinese rival BYD saw 13,503 new vehicle registrations in July. That's a monthly surge of 225 percent compared to the year before, as CNBC reported.

This also marks Tesla's seventh month in a row of declining sales.

Tesla has also seen declining sales in the United States so far in 2025, though the impending end of the EV tax credit has given EV makers a temporary boost over the summer.

No end in sight for Tesla's woes

Tesla's sales issues began shortly Musk's involvement in the President Donald Trump administration and its Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk has also been involved in other costly controversies, including his support for a far-right party in Germany.

In fact, in the month after Musk supported the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, Tesla recorded fewer than 900 sales in Germany — a nearly 50 percent drop.

In July, amid declining sales, Tesla also stopped allowing EU customers to configure and order some of its car models, such as the Model S and X. And, in the U.S., Tesla owners have flooded the market with used Tesla vehicles.

Under increasing pressure, Musk announced in May that he was stepping away from his role with the Trump administration, but Tesla's sales problems have continued.

On top of that, the president's Big Beautiful Bill will see the end of a vital source of Tesla's revenue: Carbon credits.

Over the past decade, these regulatory credits have accounted for a whopping $11.8 billion in revenue for Tesla.

Finally, the federal EV tax credit will expire on Sept. 30, which will immediately make electric vehicles more expensive for U.S. shoppers.

Tesla Model Y Performance might finally be on its way.

The company launched a thoroughly revamped Model Y in January, and has gradually expanded the available trims, but one popular option was missing: The super-quick Performance trim.

Now, Tesla's Europe and Middle East account has posted a teaser video showing something that looks a lot like the rear end of a Model Y with a pronounced spoiler. The video also displays a date – August 29, 2025 – and has a tagline "spoiler alert," all of which indicates the company is getting ready to launch the Performance trim of the Model Y this Friday.

Given that the teaser video was only posted by Tesla's Europe and Middle East account, it's quite possible that the Model Y will hit those markets first.

This wouldn't be a big surprise; after all, the revamped Model Y was launched in China, Australia and Europe first, followed by a U.S. launch a few months later.

Tesla opted for a similarly staggered launch of its revamped Model 3 last year, having launched the regular, Long Range first, following by the incredibly quick Performance trim.

So what can we expect from the new trim? Besides quicker acceleration, which is a given, a recent spotting of a camouflaged Model Y Performance at Nurburgring revealed several upgrades, including a new rear spoiler, 21-inch rims, updated brakes and suspension, and sportier seats.

Tesla has expanded its Robotaxi coverage area in Austin for the third time in just two months.

The company first launched the Robotaxi service in June, initially covering just a tiny, 22 square mile area in southern Austin. Now, with this latest increase, Tesla covers 173 square miles in Austin, and the company says it's also increased the number of available cars by 50 percent.

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A fun fact noted by Teslarati: The Robotaxi service area now also covers Tesla's own Gigafactory Texas.

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With this increase, Tesla has far surpassed Alphabet's Waymo, which currently covers 90 square miles in Austin with its self-driving cars.

While Musk's proclaimed goal of expanding Robotaxis to cover half the population of the U.S. by year's end remains near-impossible, the company is expanding fast.

It's worth noting, however, that despite the increased service area and the number of cars available, Tesla's Robotaxi service is still only available via invite to a limited number of users.

The news follows Waymo's potential expansion to New York City, where the company recently acquired a pilot permit for running an autonomous vehicle taxi operation.

Robotaxis are braving the notoriously hectic New York City streets, as Waymo wins coveted approval to test its autonomous vehicles.

The self-driving ride-share company has been granted the first pilot permit by the city of New York. This permits the company to train its camera, LIDAR, and RADAR systems on the busy NYC grid. Other autonomous vehicle companies, including competitor Tesla, have made aggressive pushes into the metropolitan area in a race to own the market in major cities.

The permit allows Waymo to deploy eight vehicles (Jaguar I-Pace SUVs) throughout Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn from now until late September. The vehicles will be occupied by a safety operator who will maintain constant contact with the steering wheel. Waymo is not approved to test with passengers under the city's taxi and limousine licensing requirements, and had to submit additional plans to the city's emergency services system and Department of Transportation to get approval. The company told TechCrunch it plans to begin testing its fleet "immediately."

Last month, Waymo announced it has plans for a robotaxi launch in Dallas in 2026, following the tongue-in-cheek deployment of Elon Musk-led Tesla robotaxis earlier this year. Waymo, a leader in the space, already operates fleets in San Francisco, Austin, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. For several years, Robotaxi companies have been gradually piloting autonomous vehicle services in major cities (predominantly California), but few have gone fully to market.

Tesla is now bundling its top Cybertruck with a bunch of extras, but those come with a large price hike that cannot be avoided.

Tesla calls this the "Luxe Package," and it's only available for the Cyberbeast, which is the Cybertruck's top trim. It includes Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) package, four-year premium service, free, unlimited supercharging, and premium connectivity.

The problem with Luxe Package, however, is that it's not optional: It's included with every Cyberbeast, which now costs $114,990, which is a $15,000 hike compared to yesterday's pricing.

The Luxe Package could still, theoretically, be good value. Unfortunately, in this case it's mediocre at best. Tesla's FSD package costs $8,000 on other trims, and – despite Elon Musk's constant promises of massive progress – it currently isn't all that useful. The other big perk the buyers will get, free Supercharging, will take a while before it pays off. Fortunately, you can still get the two cheaper Cybertruck trims, without the Luxe Package, for $62,490 and $72,490, respectively.

The move is even more puzzling when you consider how poorly the Cybertruck's been selling. Tesla doesn't share exact numbers, but estimates say the company sold just 6,406 Cybertrucks in the first quarter of 2025.

Tesla's Model S and Model X haven't been selling that great recently, either, but Tesla did a similar thing to them last week, adding the Luxe Package and $10,000 to the price of these models' top trims.

Earlier this week, Tesla launched a six-seater version of its most popular SUV, dubbed the Tesla Model YL. We've got the details, but in short, it's a bit larger than the Model Y, with six seats instead of five, nearly the same range, and a slightly higher price tag.

Given that the only six-seater Tesla option globally is the far pricier Model X, a lot of potential buyers probably hoped that the Model YL would come to the U.S. as well. That might never happen, and if it does, it won't be very soon.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed this in a tweet.

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"This variant of the Model Y doesn’t start production in the US until the end of next year. Might not ever, given the advent of self-driving in America," he wrote.

At best, U.S. buyers won't be able to get a Model YL until very late 2026 or, more likely, early 2027.

As for the "advent of self-driving," Musk is referring to the company's recently launched and fast-expanding Robotaxi service. It's only available in a handful of cities and areas in the U.S. right now, but Musk said the plan was to offer Robotaxis to "half the population" of the U.S. by year's end.

That's very unlikely to happen. The Robotaxi service is currently in a sort of closed beta, and isn't exactly autonomous either, especially in the Bay Area where a driver must be present at all times. Even if Tesla could pull it off, the service would still need to be approved by regulators, and it's hard to imagine the company getting the green light in so many U.S. cities in the next four months.

It's not entirely clear why self-driving would impact a six-seat variant of the Model Y, either, and Musk offered no further explanation.

Tesla's chief also didn't mention markets other than the U.S., so potential buyers can still hope that the Model YL will arrive there a bit sooner.

Tesla's Model YL is now official.

Following numerous rumors about a six-seater version of Tesla's most popular car, the company launched the Tesla Model YL — albeit for now only in China.

The Tesla Model YL is a slightly elongated version of the regular Model Y, with a total length of 4,976 millimeters (the regular Model Y is 4,790 millimeters long). It's also 24 millimeters taller, with a total height of 1,668 millimeters; the width remains the same at 2,129 millimeters (with mirrors extended).

There's some luggage space left even with all the seats unfolded. Credit: Tesla

Inside, there are six seats instead of five, in a 2-2-2 seating configuration. There's some space left in the trunk even when all seats are upright, though Tesla only lists the total storage space, which is 2,539 liters. The third row seats are heated, and power-folding, though they lack power-folding armrests and ventilation, which you only get on the second-row seats.

The Model YL is slightly taller than the Model Y, and its roofline appears to slope less, which probably makes life in the third row a little easier. Credit: Tesla

Despite the larger dimensions, the Model YL doesn't differ all that much from the Model Y. It has dual motors, accelerates from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 4.5 seconds (0.2 seconds slower than the Model Y), and has nearly the exact same cruising range by CLTC specifications — 751 vs 750 kilometers on the regular Model Y.

The pricing starts at CN¥339,000 or about $47,000, some $3,600 more than the price of regular Model Y in China.

There's no word on whether this version will come to the U.S. or other markets.

Independent testing has found several popular EVs fell short of their claimed driving ranges when placed in real-world conditions, including the Tesla Model Y, Model 3, and Kia EV6. In the most egregious discrepancy, one vehicle demonstrated an enormous 23 percent reduction in range.

The Australian Automobile Association's (AAA) Real-World Testing Program has published the results of its range and energy consumption tests on five EVs, the program's first evaluation of entirely electric vehicles since its launch. Unfortunately, all five EVs underperformed in real-world conditions when compared to their mandated lab results, including three popular models available in the U.S.: the 2024 Tesla Model 3, 2024 Tesla Model Y, and 2022 Kia EV6. 

The Tesla Model 3 had some of the worst results when it came to range, managing only 441km (274mi) compared to their lab result of 513km (318.8mi) — a 14 percent drop. The Model Y didn't live up to its 533km (331.2mi) lab range either, suffering an eight percent reduction to top out at 490km (304.5mi). The Kia EV6 also underperformed by eight percent, travelling 484km (300.7mi) in the AAA's tests as opposed to the 528km (328.1mi) expected.

The AAA further tested the 2023 BYD Atto 3 and 2024 Smart #3, finding the latter performed the closest to the range it advertised out of all the EVs tested. Specifically, the Smart #3's real-world range of 432km (268.4mi) was five percent lower than its purported 455km (282.7mi) lab result. In contrast, the Atto 3 displayed the widest discrepancy of the five cars tested, with its real-world range of 369km (229.3 mi) landing 23 percent lower than its lab range of 480km (298.3mi). Though neither vehicle is currently available in the U.S., the Atto 3 is the fifth best-selling EV in Australia.

"Range anxiety is a concern for EV drivers, and this independent validation shows the [Smart] #3 delivers range you can trust in everyday conditions," Smart said, welcoming the AAA's findings in a statement to Mashable. "Initiatives like this provide important transparency, helping consumers make confident choices."

Mashable has reached out to Tesla, Kia, and BYD for comment.

Credit: Australian Automobile Association

Fortunately, it wasn't all bad news when it came to the five EVs' energy consumption. The Tesla Model Y actually performed slightly better than its lab results, consuming one percent less energy at 167Wh/km rather than 169Wh/km. Sadly, the other four vehicles performed slightly worse, each one exceeding the energy use from their lab tests. The Kia EV6 consumed one percent more energy compared to its lab results, the Tesla Model 3 used six percent more, and the Smart #3 used four percent more. Shockingly, the Atto 3's energy consumption was a whopping 21 percent higher than expected, a poor result when considered in conjunction with its 23 percent lower range.

The AAA states that its program tested the cars on a 93km (57.8mi) circuit in Geelong, Victoria, between March and May, in both damp and dry conditions and temperatures ranging from 17 to 25C (62 to 77F).

"[The Real-World Testing Program] uses strict testing protocols based on European regulations to ensure results are repeatable and to minimise the influence of human factors such as driving style and changing traffic flows," the AAA stated.

Funded by the Australian government, the AAA's Real-World Testing Program was first proposed in the wake of the 2015 Dieselgate emissions cheating scandal. It was subsequently launched in 2023, with the intention to test 200 vehicles over four years and evaluate them against their claims. Of the 114 internal combustion engine and hybrid vehicles since tested, one in five has surpassed noxious emissions limits and 75 percent has exceeded fuel consumption when compared to lab tests.

UPDATE: Aug. 13, 2025, 11:28 a.m. AEST This article has been updated with comment from Smart.

Tesla is expanding its Robotaxi service area again for the second time in a week.

The company originally launched its autonomous ride-hailing service in June, open to a limited number of people and in a fairly small area in South Austin.

But Tesla has been expanding its Robotaxi coverage on a very fast track: First, it expanded the the original coverage area into a much larger, penis-shaped area over Austin. And just days ago, Tesla launched a similar, though far less autonomous, Robotaxi-named service in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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Now, Tesla has expanded (via Teslarati) the geofenced area where its Robotaxis operate in Austin once more. It now covers an estimated 80 square miles, nearly matching Waymo's autonomous taxi coverage in the area.

Judging by the way other autonomous ride-hailing services have been expanding over the years — for example, Alphabet's Waymo has been around for a decade, and it added new cities and areas at a much slower pace — Tesla seems to be confident in its Robotaxis, which consist of regular Tesla Model Y vehicles. Musk recently laid out an incredibly ambitious plan to offer Robotaxis to "half the population of the U.S." by the end of 2025.

Meanwhile, Waymo has been picking up the pace in its own autonomous taxi expansion; the company recently said it would launch in Dallas in 2026.

As recently promised by CEO Elon Musk, Tesla has launched its Robotaxi service in the Bay Area — but the "robo" part is a bit dodgy right now.

Tesla's AI account on X posted a coverage map on Thursday, with a big chunk of San Francisco, San Jose, and everything in between being covered by the service. Musk retweeted the tweet, saying that "you can now ride-hail a Tesla in the SF Bay Area, in addition to Austin."

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Tesla fans will undoubtedly be happy to see the service expand so quickly - it launched less than two months ago in Austin, and the coverage area was expanded to a wider area in Austin after a couple of weeks.

But as Electrek pointed out, in Bay Area the Robotaxi service is very different from the one in Austin, where the cars are really driving themselves, with no one present in the driver's seat (though the company does use human supervisors in the passenger seat).

In the Bay Area, however, there's a driver in the driver's seat. Their job is to basically use Tesla's Full-Self Driving set of autonomous driving features, allowing the car to drive itself but constantly supervising what it does, always ready to take over if the car makes an error.

Politico noted that Tesla doesn't have a permit to run an autonomous driving service in California, meaning that it can't launch a truly driverless Robotaxi service there.

The news comes after Alphabet's Waymo picked up its expansion plans. The company recently announced it will launch its autonomous ride-hailing service in Dallas next year, on top of previously announced expansion in Miami and Washington D.C.

Tesla has stopped taking orders for its Model S and Model X luxury electric vehicles in Europe.

The change was silently introduced across the continent; we've checked out several of Tesla's European websites, including those for Italy, Germany, France, Spain, and Croatia, and they're all only offering inventory Model X and Model S vehicles. In contrast, Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y cars can still be configured and ordered in these markets.

This doesn't mean the cars are completely unavailable in Europe; buyers can still choose from a number of preconfigured Model S and Model X vehicles (we've found several available models in every market we've checked).

The change comes after a quarter in which Tesla delivered just 10,394 of its "other" models, a category which encompasses the Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck — nearly a 50 percent drop compared to the same quarter last year.

The Model S and X were recently revamped in a modest way, with starting prices going up $5,000 for each model.

It could be just a temporary measure, though. As Electrek pointed out, this is not the first time it's happened; for example, Tesla wasn't taking orders for Model S and X throughout the first seven months of 2022, following a refresh of the two models the previous year.

The change could be due to supply issues, as the wait time for the Model S is two months even in California, where the car is produced. But it could also be a signal that the end of the line for Tesla's luxury EVs is near — at least in some markets.

It appears Tesla's Robotaxi launch has stirred up competition: Waymo is launching its autonomous ride-hailing service in Dallas next year.

According to the company's announcement on Monday, Waymo will offer the service through its app, while the fleet will be managed and maintained by Avis.

Dallas has the worst traffic fatality rate among the 10 largest cities in the U.S., and Waymo said it hopes to improve this statistic.

The company didn't say how many cars it plans to operate with in Dallas, nor has it shared a coverage map. The press release did mention a few areas of the city which will presumably be covered: "Whether catching a Mavericks’ game, hitting up the multiple arts districts, or tasting your way through the trendy culinary scene, the Waymo Driver offers a convenient, consistent way for both residents and visitors to get around town."

There's no word on exact timing, either. Waymo says that "early testing is already underway," and rides will be offered to the public "next year." Further down the line, Waymo says it plans to expand to more cities.

Waymo currently operates in San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Austin, while Miami, and Washington D.C. are listed as "coming soon."

The announcement comes shortly after Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that his company's Robotaxis could cover half the population of the U.S. by the end of 2025 — should regulators allow it. Waymo, which has been operating for a decade, has already engaged in a bit of a contest with Tesla; after Tesla expanded its Robotaxi coverage area in Austin, Waymo responded with an even larger expansion of its own.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said during a Q2 earnings call last week that Tesla's long-rumored "lower cost" new car will, in fact, be a stripped-down Model Y. Now, the details about the upcoming car are leaking.

Tesla enthusiast Luca Presti (via Teslarati) shared a Chinese video on Saturday detailing some of the alleged changes to the more "affordable" Model Y.

Presti's list of differences compared to the currently available Model Y is quite long, but it boils down to using cheaper materials, as well as removing some of the more luxurious features to make the car less costly to manufacture.

By far the biggest changes on the exterior are lack of glass roof, which has been replaced by a solid panel in the same color as the rest of the vehicle, as well as no light bar on the front or back. The reflective part of the tailgate is also gone. And even though we've seen rumors of this version having a shorter wheelbase and less legroom, it appears to be roughly the same as the current Model Y in the video Presti shared.

Inside, the rear display has been removed, the seats are partially covered in textile (instead of vegan leather) and the number of speakers has been reduced. The center console is now divided into two parts. In what appears to be a particularly stingy change, even the coat hooks are gone.

NotaTeslaApp has put together a list of changes in the lower cost Model Y, which includes those that can't be seen in leaks, but includes stuff that's fairly easy to remove, such as heated and ventilated seats and power reclining rear seats.

Tesla already did something similar with the Mexican version of the Model 3, which also has textile seats and no rear infotainment screen. Whether the new, cheaper Model Y will be more widely available remains to be seen.

Whether such a stripped-down Model Y will be worth buying is another matter, and it largely depends on price. Tesla's standard models include a lot of premium features not typically seen on entry-level variants of competing vehicles, so Tesla can afford to remove some of these and still be competitive (at the right price). But if the leaks are accurate, this really is a heavily stripped-down Model Y, and the missing features might be a tough pill to swallow for some buyers.

Tesla's Robotaxi autonomous taxi service is currently serving only one, penis-shaped area of Austin, but the company's ambitions are much, much bigger than that.

Speaking during the company's earnings call on Wednesday, CEO Elon Musk said he thinks the company will "have Robotaxi in half the population of the US by the end of the year," while noting that this is subject to regulatory approvals.

"We're getting the regulatory permission to launch in the Bay Area, Nevada, Arizona, Florida, and a number of other places," said Musk.

During the call, Musk did also say that the company is being "very cautious" with Robotaxi expansion, but that the service areas and the number of vehicles in operation will increase at a "hyper-exponential rate."

Musk previously said the Robotaxi service would expand to the Bay Area in a "month or two", but this new plan is ambitious, even for Musk's own (often unrealistic) standards. Tesla is currently offering its Robotaxi service in a reported 10-20 Model Y vehicles (the number might have increased since launch), and only to a limited number of participants.

Alphabet's Waymo is currently available in several major U.S. cities, including Austin, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Atlanta. The company also plans to launch its self-driving service in Miami and Washington D.C. in 2026.

Tesla does have a big advantage over other self-driving taxi services — it uses stock Model Y cars as its Robotaxis, while Waymo, Zoox and other competitors use highly modified cars with added sensors such as cameras, radars, and lidars. This means that Tesla could technically expand a lot faster than its competitors, though none of it will happen until regulators give it the green light.

Tesla would really, really like you to buy its cars, and is seemingly ready to do whatever it takes to make it happen.

As noted by Electrek and Gizmodo, the company is now offering a number of new offers, discounts, and incentives for buyers in the U.S.

The full list is available here, but it includes lease incentives, free upgrades, free Supercharging, and more.

The offers are clearly part of Tesla's push to move as many cars before the federal tax credit for EVs expires at the end of September, and – potentially – a way to boost the quarter and offset some of the the rapidly declining sales in Europe.

What's interesting about these offers is that they can be combined with one another for a pretty sweet deal. Highlights (besides the $7,500 EV credit) include free Full Self-Driving transfer from one's current Tesla vehicle to a new one (including the CyberTruck), and a $1,000 discount for "American Heroes" (including the military, first responders, teachers and students), both of which are valid for any new Tesla purchase.

As for individual models, buyers can get different perks depending on which car they choose, including free upgrades, low APR financing, discounted lease terms, and, for the Model 3 alone, 18 months of free Supercharging.

It's all great if you can stand Musk and his politics, which a sizeable number of potential buyers clearly cannot. With the ongoing Musk-Trump feud, and the federal tax credit incentives going away soon, Tesla might have to dig deep to find the offers that will lure in enough buyers.

The race for the largest self-driving taxi service area in Austin is on.

Shortly after Tesla increased the geofence for its Robotaxis in Austin to a larger, penis-shaped area, Alphabet's Waymo followed up with an area increase of its own.

The company's autonomous taxis now serve 90 square miles of the city, including new areas like Crestview, Windsor Park, Sunset Valley, Franklin Park, and more. With this increase, the company serves a significantly larger area than Tesla.

Tesla's Robotaxi service area now looks kinda small. Credit: Tesla

Waymo chose to keep this fight civil, though, so its new coverage area isn't shaped like genitalia. It is, as one would expect, bordered mainly by major roads and avenues, such as the MoPac Expressway on the west and Route 183 up north.

In a press release, Waymo pointed out that it's the "only fully autonomous, 24/7 experience for anyone in Austin," with "more than 100 Waymo vehicles" in the city. In comparison, Tesla's service is limited to a fairly small number of Model Y vehicles, and is only available to a handful of users who'd received invites from Tesla.

The company said it plans to expand to both new communities in existing markets and new cities from coast to coast. Waymo currently covers more than 700 square miles across the U.S.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently said the company's Robotaxi service will expand to the Bay Area (Waymo is already present there), pending regulatory approval.

Tesla is reportedly working on a new variant of its Model 3 sedan, and this one might have the longest range of them all.

A new filing with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), spotted on Thursday by Electrek, is called the Tesla Model 3+. According to the filing, the new vehicle will be a single-motor, rear-wheel drive variant with a larger, 225kW motor.

While the currently available RWD (Rear-Wheel Drive) version uses LFP battery cells, the new version uses LG's ternary lithium ion cells, which have a higher energy density. The other basic specs of the car — overall length, wheelbase length, and weight — are the same as those of the base Model 3 version.

Not all of the specs of the car are known, but what we know (along with the car's name, Model 3+) all points to this being a longer-range variant of the car.

The (translated) Tesla Model 3 specs page shows three currently available models. The new Model 3+ might beat them all when it comes to range. Credit: Tesla China

Currently, the Tesla Model 3 with the longest range (that's the RWDe model) is listed as having 753 kilometers of range in China. The new variant could potentially exceed 800 kilometers (roughly 500 miles), which would be a first for Tesla.

In the U.S., the Model 3 with the most range can do 363 miles per the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s estimates, though in China the range figures are based on the China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC) which is a bit more generous in its estimates.

The news comes shortly after a new variant of the Model Y was also filed with the MIIT. Called the Tesla Model YL, it has an extended wheelbase and three rows of seats with two seats in each, for a total of six.

There's no word on when (or if) the two new variants are coming to the U.S. and Tesla's other markets. Both are very interesting as they address two very important pain points for today's electric cars: interior space and range.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk may have the sense of humor of South Park's Terrance and Phillip, but one has to acknowledge his consistency.

After expanding the Robotaxi service area in Austin to an area that looks like a giant penis, Tesla also increased the ride fare.

Originally, no matter the distance of the ride, the Robotaxi fare was a flat $4.20, a reference to weed culture. The new fare, of course, is $6.90, a reference to sex that probably goes better with the Robotaxi geofence area's intentionally provocative shape.

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On X, Musk called the new price "princely."

Jokes aside, this is quite a large price increase (40 percent), though it's still fairly cheap compared to traveling an Uber (or a self-driving Waymo, which is integrated with Uber and has the same pricing as Uber in Austin), especially if you go for a longer ride (which you can now actually do, thanks to the penile shape of the coverage area).

The new pricing comes ahead of the announced expansion of Tesla's Robotaxi service to the San Francisco Bay Area, which might come in a few months, pending regulatory approval.

When Tesla kicked off its Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, last month, it started with a reported 10-20 cars and a fairly small geofenced area in South Austin.

Now, that area has grown, and its shape is a not very subtle message to Tesla's competitors.

As revealed on Monday by Tesla's official Robotaxi account on X, the new area where Tesla's Robotaxis operate is shaped like a giant penis.

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To make absolutely sure everyone's in on the joke, Tesla CEO Elon Musk chimed in with a reply: "Bigger, longer, and uncut," he wrote. Tesla's Robotaxi account on X shared the image of the new area with the caption: "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger."

One would think that Tesla has to be pretty careful about how it expands the Robotaxi service, given that its fleet of Model Ys which are self-navigating the city have been spotted making numerous apparent traffic violations. In that sense, the fact that the company was able to expand the service in this (seemingly careless) way can be viewed as a positive development — or perhaps Musk is willing to risk it all to make a giant penis joke.

Waymo's service area in Austin is not, I repeat, is not shaped like a penis. Credit: Alphabet

For comparison, Alphabet's Waymo covers a roughly equal, but far less penile-shaped area of Austin.

Musk recently announced the Robotaxi project's expansion in Austin, and added that the Robotaxi service may expand to the Bay Area "in a month or two." We shudder to think which shape the Robotaxi geofenced area may take over there.

Last week, Elon Musk said xAI's Grok chatbot would be coming to Tesla vehicles. Now, the company has made good on the CEO's promise, but perhaps not in the way many users had hoped.

Launched on Saturday, the latest firmware update for Tesla cars brings Grok functionality to some vehicles — namely, only those with an AMD chip inside. That means only Teslas produced around mid-2021 or later can access Grok.

There's a bigger caveat, though. According to Tesla's release notes for software version 2025.26, "Grok is currently in Beta & does not issue commands to your car — existing voice commands remain unchanged."

This means that Tesla owners won't be able to use Grok smarts to get better functionality out of the car's voice command interface, which often leaves a lot to be desired (I've personally struggled to issue basic commands to a Tesla Model 3, including choosing a song to play or simply getting it to understand what I'm trying to say).

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Instead, Grok can now be used for non-car.-specific queries, including (Tesla's example) asking the assistant what it would do on a first date with Tesla's robot, Optimus.

There's no word on whether Grok's behavior in Tesla cars may change in the future.

The new functionality came after a tough week for Grok (and those who had the misfortune of seeing its posts), as it went on an antisemitic tirade on X — just a few days after Musk announced that the chatbot had been "improved significantly." Per The Verge, the chatbot's system had been tuned to "not shy away from making claims which are politically incorrect." In an update over the weekend, xAI apologized for the issue and said the code negatively affecting the Grok's "horrific behavior" has been removed.

Shortly after the incident, xAI launched a new version of Grok, which beats other AI assistant in a number of AI benchmarks.

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Meanwhile, Musk promised the "most epic demo ever" by Tesla "by end of year," without going into specifics.

Tesla is looking to expand its Robotaxi service, and we're not just talking in Texas.

On Thursday, CEO Elon Musk said on X that the company plans to expand to "a larger service area in Austin this weekend."

Tesla's Robotaxi service launched last month in a geofenced area in South Austin, with a reported 10-20 Model Y cars, and it was only open to a small number of people. Musk didn't say whether the expansion also means introducing more cars to the mix.

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However, the company seems eager to expand the service to other areas, too. Replying to a comment on X, Musk said that Robotaxi is coming to the Bay Area "probably in a month or two," following regulatory approvals.

The approvals shouldn't be too big of an issue given that Alphabet's Waymo (and, formerly, GM's Cruise) has been operating a self-driving taxi service for years in San Francisco and some of the nearby cities in the Bay Area.

Tesla's Robotaxi launch kicked off in June with multiple users praising how smooth the rides are, especially given that Tesla uses its regular Model Y cars for the service, as opposed to heavily modified cars used by Waymo and other self-driving taxi companies.

There were, however, many recorded instances of Tesla's robotaxis making odd errors, sudden stops, and apparent traffic violations.

The news comes shortly after Musk confirmed that his controversial Grok AI is coming to Tesla vehicles. The company also just announced its annual shareholders meeting will be held in November, a lot later than usual.

U.S. EV manufacturer Slate has quietly revised previous claims that its made-in-America pickup truck will cost "under $20,000," increasing the upcoming vehicle's pricing. It seems like auto companies are already reacting to the elimination of EV tax credits under President Donald Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill."

As spotted by TechCrunch, Jeff Bezos-backed EV start-up Slate has updated language from its website concerning the cost of its Blank Slate truck.

"Great cars got too pricey," Slate's website declared when it was first unveiled in April. "We fixed that."

This phrase still remains on Slate's website, which also still claims that the Blank Slate will be "[m]ade in the USA at a price that’s actually affordable (no really, for real)." However, it was previously accompanied by an image of the Blank Slate truck with a badge stating its "expected price" to be "under $20,000 after federal incentives."

As of writing, the truck's anticipated pricing has now been tweaked to be in the "mid-twenties." Further disclaimers have also been added, stating that this price is "for U.S. market only."

Left: Slate's website as of April 25, stating that the truck's expected price will be "under $20,000 after federal incentives." Right: Slate's website on July 3, stating the truck's expected price will now be in the "mid-twenties." Credit: Slate

Considering both the timing and Slate's previous mention of federal incentives, the Blank Slate's pricing change appears to be linked to Trump's controversial spending bill passing on Thursday afternoon. This bill eliminates a $7,500 tax credit the U.S. government granted to drivers who purchased a new EV, which had encouraged drivers to adopt cleaner, more environmentally friendly vehicles. 

The tax break will now end on September 30, which will likely cause several EVs in the U.S. to jump in price. Even if drivers rush to buy an EV now while the tax credits are still available, they won't be able to get their hands on a Blank Slate. The automaker is only scheduled to begin delivery of its vehicles in late 2026, well after the U.S. government will stop offering the tax credit.

Slate's electric truck gained significant attention earlier this year, the start-up claiming that they'd received over 100,000 reservations within mere weeks of it being unveiled. This doesn't guarantee Slate has secured 100,000 sales, as a reservation is merely a $50 deposit in exchange for a place in the queue to buy a truck. Even so, those numbers do indicate some interest in the EV, particularly as drivers increasingly seek alternatives to Elon Musk's Tesla.

Whether such interest can be sustained in light of the Blank Slate's revised pricing remains to be seen. Whatever the case, the U.S. start-up's work just got much more difficult.

Trump has actively worked to dismantle incentives to adopt electric vehicles, repeatedly and incorrectly characterising them as part of an alleged "EV mandate." While there have been policies encouraging EV adoption, there has never been any law in the U.S. which made using an electric car mandatory.

Since 2006, airlines have provided some form of in-flight WiFi. And as frequent fliers know, WiFi in the air hasn't always been smooth – but some airlines are better than others, a new study has found.

According to analysis by Ookla, Hawaiian Airlines and Qatar Airways stand out as the best-performing airlines when it comes to in-flight WiFi.

For the airlines leading this race, Starlink's low-earth orbit satellite constellation drives high performance. Both Hawaiian Airlines and Qatar Airways use the satellite service to deliver their WiFi connectivity, helping with faster download and upload speeds and latency.

Other airlines that provide high-quality connectivity include Spirit Airlines, Air Canada, Delta Airlines, Breeze Airlines, American Airlines, and Aeromexico. These airlines provide 10th percentile download speeds (above megabits per second) and better median download speeds than others.

Globally, airlines are working to improve WiFi speed and quality. More airlines are aligning themselves with Starlink, including United Airlines and SAS, the latter of which will work with the company to enhance "gate-to-gate" connectivity by the end of this year.

Editor’s Note: Ookla and Mashable are both owned by Ziff Davis.

Tesla's Robotaxi service, which launched in Austin, Texas less than a week ago, has seen its vehicles involved in so many dodgy situations that Redditors put together a list of all the incidents.

The list (via The Verge) currently consists of 11 videos of Tesla's Robotaxis making fairly obvious errors such as driving in the wrong lane, running over curbs, and stopping in the middle of the road for no good reason.

It's not a great look for the service which has been running less than a week, with only 10 to 20 Tesla Model Y cars, and only in a limited area in South Austin.

The list has mostly been put together by folks riding in Tesla's Robotaxi cars, and it keeps increasing. Some incidents can be explained by legitimate causes, such as a video of a Robotaxi Tesla braking unexpectedly, which might have been caused by sudden sunlight (though this, again, raises the question of the validity of Tesla's vision-only approach to self-driving, as opposed to using additional sensors such as LiDARs). Some, like another video of a Tesla appearing to run over a curb, seem like plain Robotaxi errors.

It's worth noting that many Robotaxi users described their experience as smooth and comfortable. The service is currently open to the "Early Access" group, which mostly consists of Tesla enthusiasts and influencers. Also, while some of the videos above are worrying, Tesla's Robotaxis don't appear to have been involved in any accidents so far.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk hopes to expand the Robotaxi service over the next months, with "millions" of cars expected to be in operation next year, and the aim of people being able to send their Teslas to work as Robotaxis. It's unclear, however, why the service would see such a quick progress, given that Musk has been promising radical improvements to Tesla's Full Self-Driving tech (the assistance suite that allows for partially autonomous driving), which keep being postponed.

Tesla is struggling in Europe, according to new data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (or EAMA).

Elon Musk's electric vehicle company registered its fifth straight month of decreasing sales compared to last year, according to Reuters. Tesla sales fell 27.9 percent year-over-year in May, even as sales of electric vehicles rose by nearly the same amount, 27.2 percent, during the same month, EAMA data reveals.

Tesla sales keep dropping in Europe, despite the launch of the refreshed Model Y, with data from both the continent as a whole and Germany specifically.

Tesla has had the advantage of seemingly ubiquitous name recognition in the EV space for the past decade-plus, but it seems that isn't working in its favor anymore, at least in Europe.

The sales slump follows the Cybertruck's recent fall from the top of the EV truck sales chart in the United States in May, according to data from S&P Global Mobility.

When Apple first previewed CarPlay Ultra, its new infotainment system that basically takes over a car's own infotainment software, the company named 14 automakers that have committed to one day offering the system in their cars.

Now, a new report by the Financial Times claims several brands from that list have given up on CarPlay Ultra.

First, a quick timeline. Apple first previewed CarPlay Ultra during WWDC 2022, when the system didn't even have a name. The company's list of automakers who were committed to offering CarPlay Ultra was as follows: Acura, Audi, Ford, Honda, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Polestar, Porsche, Renault and Volvo.

In May 2025, Apple officially rolled out CarPlay Ultra, but only in one Aston Marton model. The company also had an entirely different list of carmakers who have agreed to incorporate CarPlay Ultra at a later date: Genesis, Hyundai, and Kia (it's worth noting that the Hyundai Motor Company owns both the Genesis and the Hyundai brands, as well as a big chunk of Kia Corporation). Not one of the carmakers on Apple's original list were mentioned in the company's May announcement, though Apple did say that "many other automakers around the world are working to bring CarPlay Ultra to drivers."

According to the Financial Times' report, this list now no longer includes Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Polestar, and Volvo Cars (both Volvo and Polestar are partially owned by Geely). Jaguar Land Rover is still reportedly evaluating CarPlay Ultra; Ford, Nissan and Infiniti had nothing to share with the publication, and Porsche is still committed to Ultra.

Details as to why some brands are quitting are scarce, but it appears the reasoning could boil down to Apple's system being a bit too intrusive, with one unnamed Renault executive telling Apple not to try to "invade" their "own systems." Data sharing also appears to be an issue for some carmakers, though the system installed in Aston Martin's car does not share more data than regular CarPlay.

Apple told the FT that more automakers are joining, though the company said the work to integrate CarPlay Ultra with a car "takes time.

French company Aemotion has announced its new microcar, which combines the riding experience of a motorcycle and a car into one tiny four-wheeled vehicle.

Tesla's autonomous ride-hailing service is finally live.

The Tesla Robotaxi launch happened on June 22, with Tesla opening the service to the public in Austin, Texas, following a little over a month of beta testing conducted by Tesla employees. The service allows passengers to be ferried by autonomous Tesla vehicles (currently Tesla Model Y units).

The above comes with many caveats, though. The service is only operating in a small part of South Austin, and it's only open to members of the "Early Access" group, making it a sort of closed beta program. Finally, while the cars drive autonomously, a Tesla employee must be sitting in the passenger seat, monitoring the ride.

Tesla enthusiast Sawyer Merritt took several rides in a Tesla Robotaxi, describing the experience as "smooth and comfortable." Elsewhere, X user Zack called his journey "incredible" with "extremely smooth stops."

It wouldn't be a Tesla launch without a weed joke. Thus, the price of all Tesla Robotaxi rides are currently a fixed $4.20, a nod to weed culture.

Update: The company also launched a dedicated Robotaxi site, with the tagline: "Future of autonomy is coming soon."

The Tesla guy sitting in the passenger seat is conveniently not visible in this official picture. Credit: Tesla

"We’re bringing these autonomous rides to you today—starting with Model Y. Cybercab, our fully autonomous vehicle, will begin offering rides in your area in the future," the site says. It has a form where you can sign up to get updates about the service, but not much else.

Alphabet-owned Waymo is already operating in Austin (and other cities), and Amazon-owned Zoox is currently testing a driverless taxi service in the city. Their cars, however, are equipped with numerous additional sensors such as LiDAR (light detection and ranging); Tesla's service uses regular Model Ys, which rely only on cameras and Tesla's self-driving smarts.

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Musk has called the launch a "culmination of a decade of hard work," and pointed out that "both the AI chip and software teams were built from scratch within Tesla." The Tesla CEO has longed deemed the company's Robotaxi service one of the most important developments for Tesla's long-time prospects. The idea is that both Tesla and Tesla car owners will one day be able to send their cars to autonomously drive passengers around and earn them money.

That future might still be far away, though. Tesla has been trying for years to bring its Full Self-Driving software to the level where its cars will be able to drive themselves in most situations, but hasn't been able to do so yet. The Robotaxi service does this, but within a very limited area. It'll be interesting to monitor how fast Tesla can expand its Robotaxi service to more passengers and other cities.

Tesla's updated Model S and Model X are here, but you have to look very closely to see the differences.

Tesla's own list of highlights for the new Model S and X starts with a new color option, Frost Blue, which tells you that this is just a retouch of the company's premium models.

Other highlights include:

• quieter cabins, with less wind and road noise and more effective Active Noise Cancellation

• new wheel designs with improved aerodynamics

• improved front fascia camera with better visibility

• dynamic ambient lighting, with "unique animations along the dash & doors upon entry"

• improved suspension design for a smoother ride

• adaptive driving beams

That's for both the Model S and the Model X, but there are a couple of specific improvements for each model, respectively.

The 21-inch Velarium wheels are a $4,500 option. Credit: Tesla

For the Model S:

• The Model S Long Range now has up to 410 miles of range, making it the longest-range Tesla in the company's lineup

• Model S Plaid has new exterior styling, which the company says is optimized for high-speed stability

For the Model X:

• there's now more space for 3rd row occupants and for cargo

In terms of exterior styling, the cars are very similar to what they were before; the Frost Blue color, which is a $2,500 option for both the Model S and Model X, as well as new wheels, will make the biggest difference.

The wheel options now include the 20-inch Perihelix and the 22-inch Machina wheels for the Model X, and the 19-inch Magnetite, and the 21-inch Velarium wheels for the Model S.

The headlights are now adaptive. The new, 22-inch Machina are an optional, $5,500 upgrade. Credit: Tesla

Inside, the new, customizable ambient lighting is the thing that'll make the biggest difference, though that's merely catching up to the new Model 3 and Model Y, which got the ambient lighting as part of their most recent upgrade.

Woohoo, ambient lighting is here! Credit: Tesla

As for the Model X's improved third-row space, that could be a big deal for people who often haul more than five passengers, but Tesla didn't share any details and it's hard to judge the differences based on official photos alone.

Potential customers won't like the fact that both the Model S and Model X now cost $5,000 more than before. The starting price for the Model S is now $84,990, while the Model X now starts at $89,990. That's for the All-Wheel Drive variants; if you want the Plaid versions, they start at $99,990, and $104,990, respectively.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has a "tentative" date for the Robotaxi service launch in Austin, Texas.

The date, according to a post on X, is "tentatively" June 22, though even Musk doesn't seem too certain about it.

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"We are being super paranoid about safety, so the date could shift," he wrote, adding that the first Tesla self-delivery, in which the car "drives itself from factory end of line all the way to a customer house," should happen on June 28.

The company has been testing its Robotaxi service ahead of launch for roughly a month now. A previous report claimed the launch is scheduled for June 12. A recent short video, shared by Musk, shows a driverless Tesla Model Y on a public road in Austin, Texas.

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The uncertainty about the launch date is hardly a surprise given recent reports that the city of Austin isn't ready for Tesla's Robotaxi service yet.

It's important to make a distinction between the Robotaxi service, which will initially start with Tesla Model Y cars, and the Cybercab, a car made specifically for autonomous ferrying of passengers, which is scheduled to go into production "before 2027".

As for the Robotaxi service that should start this June, it'll reportedly start as a very small affair, with just 10 to 20 vehicles, and in a very small testing area. When it finally kicks off, it'll join driverless taxis from Waymo and Zoox, both of which are already operating in Austin.

The Polestar 4 officially launched in the U.S., Europe and Australia last year, going head to head with Tesla's Model Y in the mid-sized electric SUV space. However, an alternate option for the Musk-averse consumer is far from all this EV has to offer. Polestar has also gotten creative, completely forgoing a rear window in favour of a camera feeding live footage to the driver.

It's an unexpected departure from the norm, which serves to distinguish the Polestar 4 from its competitors. However, it will certainly take some getting used to and may not be for everyone.

Why did the Polestar 4 get rid of the rear window?

Credit: Amanda Yeo / Mashable

The Polestar 4's rear-view camera is a collaboration with Gentex, who developed the technology. Mounted on the back of the Polestar 4's roof, the 2.5-megapixel camera sits within a small fin-like protrusion alongside the EV's Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS).

Rather than displaying the camera feed on the Polestar 4's large navigation screen, or even the dashboard, the rear-view camera's footage is streamed directly to the rear-view mirror — or rather, rear-view screen. This narrow display is shaped and mounted like a traditional rear-view mirror, completely replacing its lower-tech counterpart.

It does seem like an unnecessary complication to a feature that already exists. However, Polestar's head of program management Henrik Svensson told Mashable that this technology actually adds more functionality and has been "well-tested," noting that Gentex's rear-view camera system has previously been used in racing cars as well.

"There's also a 360 view around the car, which helps it in more cramped situations, parking and stuff like that," said Svensson. "The rear visibility [of SUV coupes] today is quite limited, because it's all only a small screen that you can look through. And here we see that we actually improve the situation with the camera."

Credit: Amanda Yeo / Mashable

Rear windows and rear cameras aren't necessarily mutually exclusive features in a car. Still, Polestar has decided to get rid of the Polestar 4's rear window and rely entirely on the rear-view camera system, prioritising aesthetic design and the passenger experience.

"The reason why we went this track without the rear window was that we would like to, number one, optimize the interior, number two, have a really nice design of the car — design was really important for us — and also, number three, there is also that we see that we can manage to do it with the technical solutions we have out on the market today," Svensson said.

To paraphrase Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park, the fact that something can be done isn't necessarily a reason that it should. Even so, Polestar is confident its rear-view camera is reliable enough to render rear windows optional.

The Polestar 4 ditches the rear window for a spacious passenger experience

Credit: Amanda Yeo / Mashable

Many drivers' instinctual reaction to the Polestar 4's virtual rear-view camera is likely to be apprehension at minimum. After all, rear-view mirrors and the ol' twist-in-your-seat have served drivers well for decades. Even considering that parking cameras are now commonplace, axing back window visibility renders useless a safety manoeuvre that is instinctual for the vast majority of drivers. 

The Polestar 4 does have a beautiful design, with spacious seats that feel like flying first class. Having spent a couple of hours riding in the EV as a passenger, I found it an enjoyable, fairly luxurious experience in both the front and back.

Despite this, the minimal enhancements and additional functionality don't necessarily feel worth the loss of the Polestar 4's rear window. While the back seats can be slightly adjusted, the maximum recline is so mild that passengers are unlikely to notice a difference at all. When looking at two seats side by side, you'd be hard pressed to tell which had been tilted back and which was upright. 

Credit: Amanda Yeo / Mashable

Meanwhile, it was disconcerting to keep turning my head to verify what I was seeing in the rear-view screen, only to be met with the dark expanse of the Polestar 4's admittedly comfortable interior. Though not claustrophobic, it did feel unsettling to be forced to rely solely on the small rear-view display, even as a passenger who didn't get behind the wheel myself.

The Polestar 4's rear-view screen can be manually switched to function as a traditional mirror, but the lack of a rear window means you can't see both the rear view and the back seat at the same time. For parents, that will mean choosing between keeping an eye on the road or on their kids. Though to be fair, those with young, sticky-fingered children will probably think long and hard about investing in any car that feels as luxurious as the Polestar 4 anyway.

Polestar is aware that its rear-view system is a significant change, and is working hard to reassure drivers of its capability. The company argues that the camera system is worthwhile due to benefits such as the aforementioned 360-degree view and a 121-degree field of view — a wider viewing angle than a traditional rear-view mirror. However, considering the seemingly small benefit of losing the rear window, it raises the question of whether the Polestar 4 could have kept it and simply added the roof-mounted camera as well.

A rear-view mirror vs a rear-view camera

Credit: Amanda Yeo / Mashable

In addition to this, the Polestar 4's rear-view camera feels both familiar and uncanny. Though the display looks and in some ways acts like a mirror, the image initially felt strangely flat and lacking the depth that would help drivers more accurately judge their location in relation to other objects. This wasn't helped by the fact that, unlike standard rear-view mirrors, the Polestar 4's digital rear-view camera doesn't allow you to see the back seats' headrests to help you evaluate distance.

A likely contributor to this is the plastic effect, a known phenomenon where images seen in mirrors appear to have greater depth. Considering that drivers have been using mirrors for decades and grown accustomed to the depth they provide, it would be unsurprising if some are initially unsettled by the comparatively flatter image of a screen. It also seems theoretically possible that the screen may impact the drivers' experience of psychological distance, specifically concerning spatial and experiential issues (that is, assessment of physical location and personal proximity to events).

Viewing the Polestar 4's rear-view display, the screen simply didn't register in my brain the same way that a mirror would. While my eyes saw the surface image clearly, it was as though my brain refused to fully ingest what it meant. Drivers I spoke to had similar issues, though they did grow more accustomed to it after spending further time behind the wheel. It's also worth noting that while slightly moving your head can adjust your view in a mirror, such movements do nothing if you're looking at a screen.

These issues aren't necessarily entirely insurmountable, but like any change to a well-established norm, they will take time to adjust to. The question is whether drivers are interested in investing that time. 

Credit: Amanda Yeo / Mashable

Svensson did acknowledge that people will always have varying opinions on new features, but claimed that Polestar hadn't received any major customer complaints about the rear-view camera. In fact, the company intends to continue along this design path in future models, asserting that customers have accepted the Polestar 4's missing rear window.

"In the development phase, we did a lot of testing of this technique, of course, to make sure that we didn't launch anything that we didn't think customers would appreciate," Svensson said.

The average driver may still need more convincing, reluctant to tamper so drastically with standard safety features or invest thousands in an EV that initially feels unsettling. Even so, these concerns may not be deal breakers for others. Early adopters and tech fiends will likely find the Polestar 4's digital rear-view camera fascinating, and it's certainly an intriguing talking point. While there are a few critics on the Polestar subreddit, the general consensus appears to be that it just takes getting used to.

Regardless of your (rear) view, it's at least exciting to know that car manufacturers are continuing to innovate, even if there wasn't necessarily anything that needed fixing here. The Polestar 4's rear-view camera is a large step in the continued march toward increasingly more high-tech solutions, and it seems the automaker has no interest in turning back.

Disclosure: Mashable travelled to Byron Bay as a guest of Polestar.

Tesla has updated its iPhone app with support for Live Activities.

The latest iteration of the company's iOS app, with the version number 4.45.0, will show Supercharging info as a Live Activity on the iPhone, provided it runs iOS 17.2 or later.

When you plug into a Tesla Supercharging station, a Live Activity will show up on your iPhone's lock screen with details about your charging session. This includes how much time you have left until charging is done, estimated cost of the session, charging power, speed, and added mileage.

You'll need iOS 17.2 or later for this to work. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

The feature is nifty as it lets you see where your Supercharging session is at with just a quick a glance at your phone. If you have an iPhone with a Dynamic Island (that's iPhone 14 Pro/Pro Max or later), you'll also get a simple overview of your charging session there, with both a visual and textual representation of how much time it'll take until the charging is complete.

Superchargers will charge you an idle fee if you leave your car plugged in too long, so this could actually save you a few bucks if you're the forgetful type.

Unfortunately, the feature currently ends with Supercharging; there's no support for charging at home or at third-party charging.

According to Not A Tesla App, though, the Live Activity could one day support Supercharger queue status, as well as roadside assistance status.

When Tesla sales started declining in Europe earlier this year, it was unclear how much of it was due to CEO Elon Musk's politics and how much was due to some buyers waiting to buy the refreshed Model Y.

Well, now we know: It was, very probably, mostly because of Musk.

New data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) shows that Tesla sales dropped a whopping 52.6 percent in the EU this April, compared to last year (that's 49 percent if you include the UK and EFTA). For the entire January to April period, Tesla sales are down 46.1 percent in the EU, and 38.8 percent in the EU combined with the UK and EFTA (the EFTA region includes Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland).

The numbers are even worse when you consider that the EU saw a 34.1 percent increase in battery electric vehicle sales in Europe in April (that's 27.8 percent for the EU+EFTA+UK).

In total, Tesla sold only 7,261 cars in April in the entire EU+EFTA+UK region, a far cry from the 14,228 cars the company sold in April 2024.

Notably, BYD sold more electric cars than Tesla in Europe this April, the first time the Chinese automaker managed to do so.

The decline of Tesla sales definitely cannot be attributed solely, or even largely, to the Model Y refresh, which has been available in the EU since January.

Instead, it's far more likely that a large number of potential buyers are disgusted with Musk's behavior beyond his DOGE-related actions. As a quick reminder, Musk expressed his support to Germany's far-right party AfD, started a poll asking whether the U.S. should "liberate" the UK from its "tyrannical government," and absolved Hitler and other dictators of genocide in a since-deleted post.

Four former Volkswagen executives have been convicted of fraud and sentenced to prison by a German court, continuing the lengthy fallout from 2015's "Dieselgate" emissions cheating scandal.

In the ruling handed down on Monday, former head of Volkswagen's diesel engine development Jens Hadler received a prison sentence of four and a half years for his involvement in the emissions testing fraud. The next longest prison term was handed to former head of engine electronics Hanno Jelden, who received two years and seven months. Emissions expert Thorsten D. was given a suspended sentence of one year and 10 months, while former components development head Heinz-Jakob Neusser's suspended sentence was one year and three months.

According to the court, the four former Volkswagen executives were among a small group at the automaker who knew of the deliberate deception regarding their vehicles' emissions output. Dozens more executives still await trial, including former CEO Martin Winterkorn who resigned over the scandal.

The Dieselgate scandal erupted in September 2015, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) accused Volkswagen of cheating on emissions tests to meet regulatory standards. Specifically, the EPA found that Volkswagen was programming diesel engines to detect whether they were being subjected to emissions testing, and activate measures to temporarily lower such output.

Therefore, while Volkswagen's cars appeared to adhere to U.S. standards when tested, they were actually emitting up to 40 times more nitrogen oxide pollutants than permitted during normal operation. The automaker ultimately admitted that approximately 11 million diesel cars across the globe were fitted with these prohibited emissions-cheating "defeat devices," with vehicles from Volkswagen as well as its luxury subsidiaries Audi and Porsche impacted. 

In a separate case in a U.S. court, Volkswagen pled guilty to conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and using false statements to import cars, and agreed to pay $4.3 billion in criminal and civil charges in 2017. The company also faced consequences from other countries across the globe, being charged billions in fines, facing multiple lawsuits, seeing stock plummet, and suffering significant reputational damage.

Volkswagen has been working to rebuild its good name in the decade since, and properly earn its environmentally-friendly reputation. Betting big on electric vehicles, the company aims to exit Europe's combustion engine business and go all-electric in the region by 2033.

Chinese EV manufacturer XPENG hosted the global launch of its X9 2025 flagship electric car in early April, gathering media from around the world at Kai Tako Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong. 

With XPENG's lineup of EVs parked by the water, the walls at the venue's entrance displayed a timeline of the company's history, stretching from its founding in 2014 up until the present day. There was also a graphic displaying the markets XPENG is targeting, covering countries in Latin America, the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, and pan-European regions.

Conspicuously absent from XPENG's international vision board? America.

XPENG sees U.S. tariffs as 'opportunity' for global expansion

Credit: Image Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; hudiemm / E+ / Getty / XPENG

Tesla is the reigning king of electric vehicles within the U.S., accounting for over 50 percent of the country's new EV registrations in 2024 according to an analysis by EV Volumes. Elon Musk's company faces little real competition, with distant runner up Ford responsible for just six percent of registrations.

However, the EV landscape looks markedly different beyond U.S. borders. While Tesla still has a significant foothold, its sales last year were more than doubled by Chinese giant BYD, which dominated the global market with over 22 percent of all EV sales. Coming in third was Wuling, another Chinese company which most Americans will likely have never heard of.

XPENG hasn't yet achieved such heights, ranked 10th last December at almost two percent of global EV market share. Though considering the competition, that's still no mean feat. The company also has clear ambitions to continue climbing, with vice-chairman and president Dr. Brian Gu stating that he considers the U.S. tariffs on China both "a challenge and opportunity."

"As a company, we cannot escape from economic volatilities that come with such tension," said Gu. "We need to be prepared to make sure that our products continue to sell well. We also need to prepare that it may have an impact on the potentially global supply chain… However, I think it does raise an opportunity for a company that has aspirations globally."

Credit: Image Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; Wong Yu Liang / Moment / Getty / XPENG

Gu noted that XPENG is closely monitoring the U.S.-China tariff feud to ensure its supply chain isn't impacted. "With the tariff situation, it also means that we have to be even better at making sure we are self-sufficient," he said. 

However, as the company hasn't expanded to the American market, its sales haven't been affected by the turmoil. XPENG's global expansion plans don't appear to have been adversely affected either.

"We will continue to expand our footprint, because we see that our product is now welcomed by a lot of the international markets that we enter," said Gu. "The customer feedback has been great. We think we have a strong confidence and appeal to tackle into more markets, to offer our product to more customers…

"I would say a crisis always leads to opportunity, and we feel like we can actually take advantage of that to really [put] more focus on our mission, more focus onto making ourselves better, but at the same time to be more diversified and more strong, [and] introducing our product [and] technology to global customers."

Tariffs, tariffs everywhere, but not an EV to drive

Credit: Image Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; anucha sirivisansuwan / Moment / Getty / XPENG

While global Tesla sales have plummeted in recent months, demand for electric vehicles in general isn't waning. As of March, global sales of electric vehicles have reportedly increased by 30 percent compared to the same time last year, with the U.S. market in particular growing by 28 percent. However, U.S. tariffs mean that anyone hoping to buy an EV in the land of the free has significantly fewer options than their counterparts across the globe.

Tariffs play a significant part in this. President Donald Trump initially increased U.S. tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles during his first term in 2018. Such vehicles had already been subject to a standard 2.5 percent tariff, however Trump added an extra 25 percent tariff on Chinese goods to bump the rate up to 27.5 percent. His successor Joe Biden subsequently increased tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles to 100 percent in 2024.

U.S. tariffs on Chinese EVs then skyrocketed to a whopping 247.5 percent earlier this year, courtesy of Trump's second term tariff blitz. Specifically, Trump added a further 145 percent tariff on all Chinese goods, plus a 2.75 percent tariff on electric vehicles in general. A recent 90-day pause has temporarily dropped the U.S.' tariffs on China from 145 percent down to 30 percent. However, this still leaves Chinese EVs subject to a tariff rate of 132.5 percent.

This means that if launching the X9 in the U.S. were to make financial sense, XPENG would have to charge local drivers a significantly larger sum than its pre-order price tag of ¥399,800 ($54,800 U.S.) in other parts of the world.

Credit: Image Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; XPENG

Yet despite this relative affordability, XPENG's X9 is packed with extravagant features you won't see in Tesla EVs twice the price. These include massage chair functions, a storage box for keeping food either cool or warm, and a 21.4-inch ceiling-mounted screen to keep rear passengers entertained.

"We also see [the U.S. tariff situation] as an opportunity for us to differentiate from the rest of [the] EV players, because we feel like we're bringing something different," said Gu. "We're not just another affordable China brand in a foreign market. 

"We want to be viewed as bringing the best in technology, the highest quality, and the coolest brand to these local customers. And that's something I think will position us well when there's actually these difficulties and tensions around the world." 

Fuelling an EV industry with subsidies

Credit: Image Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; Zbigniew Pietrakowski / 500px / ekinyalgin / iStock / Getty / XPENG

An aggressive shift toward electric cars in the U.S. would have a notable beneficial impact on the environment. China has already seen carbon emissions from vehicles drop significantly due to its adoption of EVs. However, when it comes to U.S. policies, business and economic concerns prevail.

When raising tariffs last year, part of Biden's reasoning was that Chinese EV manufacturers have been assisted by their government's subsidy programs. The now former U.S. president claimed that such support helped Chinese companies to "cheat" by selling cars at "unfairly low prices" which drove competitors out of business.

"Our competitor is not a domestic one [local to the markets XPENG is expanding to]," said Gu via a translator, indicating disinterest in nationalistic EV rivalries. "It is more about who is able to provide the most forward looking, most competitive technology, as well as with quality."

The Chinese government has heavily invested in local EV manufacturing since 2009, reportedly offering over ¥200 billion ($27.5 billion U.S.) in subsidies and tax breaks in the following 13 years. It also actively encouraged EV adoption by entering contracts for its public transport fleet, and enacting policies which cut obstacles to car ownership for those who chose to go electric. Local companies aren't the only ones that benefited though. U.S.-based Tesla was reportedly the second largest beneficiary of Chinese subsidies, receiving over $450 million U.S.

Credit: Image Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; Epoxydude / YayaErnst / fStop / Angel Di Bilio / iStock / Getty / XPENG

The U.S. government has its own subsidiary programs for local EV manufacturing as well. However, its efforts to invest in the industry don't appear to have fostered a similarly strong or diverse local EV scene. Electric and hybrid vehicles only accounted for around 21 percent of new light-duty vehicle sales in the U.S. during Q2 of 2024, while last July almost half of all new vehicle sales in China were EVs.

Instead, the U.S. government's investment appears to have had one primary beneficiary: Tesla. The EV company has reportedly received billions of dollars from the U.S. government in the form of subsidies, tax credits, loans, and contracts, spread over years. 

In fact, Tesla only became profitable after it began selling regulatory credits to other auto manufacturers — a revenue stream made possible by U.S. government incentives. Under this policy, auto manufacturers are required to build a certain percentage of zero-emission vehicles. Companies who don't meet their target can make it up by buying credits from other manufacturers who have a surplus. 

As Tesla only sells electric vehicles, it has a significant number of credits to sell. Tesla's regulatory credit sales account for around a third of its $35 billion in profits since 2014, and were responsible for the company turning its first year of profitability in 2020.

XPENG aims to win over the world

Credit: Image Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; Richard Drury / DigitalVision / Getty / XPENG

China's investment in the EVs has fuelled hundreds of local companies, as well as fierce competition between them. As such, not all of them are realistically expected to survive. Speaking via a translator, XPENG's CEO He Xiaopeng stated that those which have performed well centered software and AI. He believes companies will therefore focus on research and development moving forward.

"We used to have hundreds, thousands, of [mobile phone manufacturers], and right now only six Chinese mobile phone companies [remain]," He said via a translator. "For automakers, we used to have 100 to 200, and with EVs we have 400 to 500. I think that in the end, only 10 will survive."

XPENG first ventured into the international market in 2020, launching its G3 SUV in Norway. It has expanded to around 30 countries in the years since, with He telling reporters that they plan to double this number to 60 by the end of 2025. The EV company has already debuted in Indonesian and Polish markets this year, and has announced it will arrive in Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia in Q2. This is already significant, though many more launches can be expected if XPENG intends to keep up with its ambitious growth plans.

"In the countries where Tesla sells well we also sell well, because these are the countries that have been educated [in EVs], they would recognize these technology driven vehicles," said Gu, also speaking via a translator.

"[In the] next 10 years we hope that more than half of XPENG's sales come from outside China, so revenue is not a single stream," said He through a translator. 

Credit: Image Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; Flavio Coelho / mikroman6 / Moment / Getty / XPENG

Such confident expansion plans seem to have been informed by XPENG's apparent success overseas. The company recently reported it had delivered 94,008 of its smart EVs in Q1 2025 — a 331 percent increase since the same time last year. It further saw a 23.4 percent increase in revenue in Q4 2024 when compared to the same time in 2023.

"We are continuing to expand despite the current geopolitical situation, because we see that having a more diversified portfolio will ultimately benefit our company," said Gu.

Such expansion may eventually include bringing local manufacturing jobs to its new markets. Gu believes that if XPENG is to become a leading EV manufacturer internationally, it's inevitable that it will transition to having operations that are more locally based.

"Local brand, local operations, local services, maybe local charging capabilities and also local production capabilities," said Gu. "You cannot rely on the export-only strategy to tackle such an important market [as Europe]. But the timing and how to do it is something that we're working on intently."

The U.S. may soon be left behind

Credit: Image Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; Wong Yu Liang / mikroman6 / Moment / Getty / XPENG

With U.S. trade relationships having become increasingly volatile, public sentiment in other countries has become more open to exploring alternate options for partnerships. And as Gu noted, it seems the perfect opportunity for Chinese companies such as XPENG to show what they have to offer. 

In the Emerald Pavilion at Hong Kong's Hopewell Hotel, reporters from around the world questioned He and Gu about XPENG's plans in various countries. When might it expand to South Korea? What are their views on the Italian market? Will XPENG be addressing its voice recognition software's issues with the Australian accent?  

Amidst this global conversation, the U.S. barely merits a mention. 

Credit: Amanda Yeo / Mashable

Disclosure: Mashable travelled to Hong Kong as a guest of XPENG.

Chinese EV manufacturer XPENG will introduce its X9 electric car to numerous countries all over the world this year, however the U.S. remains a notable exception. Mashable recently got to check out XPENG's souped-up 2025 flagship car at their global launch event in Hong Kong, and it's a real shame that American drivers won't get to experience it.

Slipping into the supple leather driver's seat of the X9, I can't deny that it felt luxurious. Measuring over 17 feet long, the seven-seater seems almost excessive in the amount of room it affords its passengers, yet still has a spacious trunk.

The XPENG X9 has a large screen for navigation. Credit: XPENG

Left: The X9's third row of seats can fold completely down to create significant storage space, Credit: XPENG

Right: Credit: XPENG

Left: It'd probably be pretty easy to go knee deep in this passenger seat. Credit: XPENG

Right: Credit: XPENG

So much room for activities. Credit: XPENG

The X9 seems opulent in features as well, including a 21.4-inch ceiling-mounted screen to entertain rear passengers, a storage box that can either refrigerate your food or keep it warm, an air conditioning system that wraps around the entire vehicle, a 23-speaker audio system, and ambient lighting. 

The X9's 21.4-inch ceiling-mounted screen should keep kids entertained. Credit: XPENG

An easily accessible compartment can keep food cool or warm. Credit: XPENG

The car has air conditioning vents throughout. Credit: XPENG

The ambient lighting is a vibe. Credit: XPENG

My phone automatically began to wirelessly charge when I dropped it into the cradle designated to my seat, though I quickly picked it back up again to operate the Chinese-language touch screen by looking at it through my Google Translate app. The seats' massage function was an unexpected novelty as well, though even the hardest setting felt too soft for my preference.

I loved these phone charging cradles — no messing with wires or MagSafe holders. Credit: XPENG

The X9 has a large navigation screen right up front. Credit: XPENG

The XPENG X9's two middle seats reclined for a relaxing ride. Credit: XPENG

The X9's seat controls are extensive. Credit: XPENG

Unfortunately I didn't get to drive the X9 myself, so can't speak as to how it handles. However, I can say that it appears to offer a comfortable throne for a passenger princess. Even stationary, XPENG's flagship certainly has enough bells and whistles to pique potential customers' interest and compete with other EVs.

That is, if it's given the chance. U.S. tariffs have kept Chinese EVs out of the country for years, a situation that appears unlikely to change any time soon.

"We [see the U.S. tariff situation] as an opportunity for us to differentiate from the rest of [the] EV players, because we feel like we're bringing something different," said XPENG vice-chairman and president Dr. Brian Gu. "We're not just another affordable China brand in a foreign market. 

"We want to be viewed as bringing the best in technology, the highest quality, and the coolest brand to these local customers. And that's something I think will position us well when there's actually these difficulties and tensions around the world." 

Disclosure: Mashable travelled to Hong Kong as a guest of XPENG.

“Go Mama, go Mama, go!” My two-year-old was cheering from the back of the bike as I huffed and puffed up a steep hill, his six-month-old brother strapped into a front seat and a backpack full of our gear for the day — computer, diapers, lunches — pulling me down. My thighs were burning, my heart pounding, and yet I had to laugh. This was motherhood and bicycle commuting colliding. That moment was both hilarious and humbling.

I had been commuting by bike for years, proudly pedaling my steel-framed road bike through rain, wind, and traffic. But with two kids and a full load, I was hitting my physical limit. Something had to give.

Cycling has long been part of my identity. I met my husband volunteering with Bike East Bay (then the East Bay Bicycle Coalition), and biking wasn’t just how we got from A to B — it was a lifestyle. Riding brought us joy, health, and a deep sense of community. It gave us freedom. But those early parenting years were physically intense, and the logistics of hauling two tiny humans, their gear, and the day’s essentials started to make my beloved road bike feel like an anchor. We wanted to remain a one-car family, but our setup wasn’t sustainable.

That Christmas, Santa delivered a miracle: a beautiful Xtracycle E-Swoop, which I quickly dubbed the “minivan of bikes.” It was sleek, sturdy, and — most importantly — electric. (It also fit both me at 5 feet tall and my husband at 6 feet.) From the very first ride, I felt the difference. I could now carry both kids, a full week’s groceries, and yes, even 12 rolls of toilet paper without breaking a sweat. The steepest hills in Berkeley and Oakland no longer intimidated me. Suddenly, what had felt like a daily challenge became a joyride.

The Xtracycle transformed our routines. Morning drop-offs were smoother, errands quicker, commuting times slashed — and we no longer had to play Tetris with car seats and boosters. We’d zip to the park as a family, often picking up friends or extra kids along the way. On weekends, we started participating in a monthly kids’ bike parade. It's one of my favorite traditions: We strap our children’s bikes onto ours, ride over as a family, and join a sea of young cyclists wobbling joyfully through the neighborhood. With the e-bike’s power boost, I could ride ahead and block intersections, keeping the route safe for our youngest riders. Our youngest — child number three — who had been sitting on the back of my bike for the past four years, recently made her maiden ride at the kids’ bike parade, and I couldn’t have been prouder.

Now that we have three children and they’ve grown (and gotten heavier!), our biking setup has evolved. I now ride a Tern HSD, a slightly more compact but still powerful e-bike. My husband and I each take a bike and split the kid load. We’ve found our rhythm again — our daily lives revolve around zipping from school to errands to judo, all without touching the gas pedal. On most days, our car just sits in the driveway, unused.

Of course, there are trade-offs. I sometimes miss the simplicity of hopping on a regular bike without worrying about battery life or remembering to charge it. And yes, the upfront cost of an e-bike can be daunting. But mostly, I feel lucky that these bikes exist — and that there are now so many models to fit different needs and budgets. When I think about how much we've saved on gas, car maintenance, insurance, and time — not to mention the reduced stress — it’s worth every penny. Plus, the benefits to my mental and physical health are huge. I’m outside, moving my body (e-biking can still be hard if you resist riding in Turbo mode all the time), spending time with my kids, and staying connected to my community.

E-bikes break down so many barriers. Whether it’s climbing hills, carrying cargo, recovering from an injury, or simply keeping up with a busy family life, they make biking accessible to more people. I’ve seen older adults, parents with toddlers, and folks who never thought they could bike start riding again because of the confidence an electric boost provides.

There’s also something empowering about choosing a bike over a car. It’s a small rebellion against traffic, pollution, and the idea that life has to be rushed and noisy. On a bike, life slows down just enough — you notice things. You make a spontaneous stop for ice cream. You talk to your kids. You never get a parking ticket. You feel the wind shift before the rain comes.

Now, when I pull up to the grocery store and snag the prime “parking spot” right by the door, I can’t help but smile — it’s one of the quiet perks of traveling by bike. People often ask about my ride, and I love how quickly curiosity turns into excitement when they see how easy and fun commuting this way can be.

We’re still riding strong — two e-bikes, three kids, and one (mostly) happy family navigating the ups and downs of life with an electric boost. To anyone considering the switch: get curious. Test ride. Ask questions. You don’t need to be an athlete or a gearhead to make it work. You just need to be willing to try.

And if you hear a tiny voice behind you yelling, “Go Mama go!” — you’ll know exactly how I got here.

Anat Razon O'Suilleabhain is a solar energy professional who loves getting around by bike. She’s raising three kids in Oakland with her fantastic husband, Liam, and also loves to cook, garden, and sleep whenever she gets the chance. This column reflects the opinions of the writer.

That pile of unsold Cybertrucks in a Tesla parking lot? It's getting bigger by the day.

Despite its controversial styling and the fact that it gets recalled nearly every other month, Tesla Cybertruck was still the best-selling fully electric pick-up truck in America — until now.

According to data from S&P Global Mobility (via InsideEVs), in the first three months of 2025, there were 7,126 Cybertruck registrations in the U.S. That was only good enough for second place, behind Ford's F-150 Lightning which had 7,913 registrations. Next in line was the Chevrolet Silverado EV, followed by GMC Sierra EV, Rivian R1T, and the GMC Hummer EV.

Tesla doesn't officially share sales figures per each model. Another source reports Ford sold 7,181 F-150 Lightning units in Q1 2025, but that's still ahead of Cybertruck.

Wait, you're saying that this is not the best-selling EV truck in the U.S.? How is that even possible? Credit: Anadolu/Getty Images

The numbers look even worse for Tesla if you compare them with the last quarter of 2024, when Cybertruck had 12,991 registrations. The quarter before that, Tesla sold 16,692 Cybertrucks, meaning that sales have now been on the decline for two consecutive quarters. Tesla recently introduced a more affordable Long Range model; whether that will be enough to increase sales remains to be seen.

Ford can celebrate this small victory, but the F-150 Lightning sales figures aren't that great given that the company sold 183,202 F-series trucks total in the first quarter of 2025. It appears that electric pick-up trucks aren't as lucrative as manufacturers once thought they'd be, especially if the CEO keeps antagonizing potential customers.

The Cybertruck is only available in the U.S., but Tesla sales are plummeting globally, too. The company is hoping that a redesigned Model Y — the company's best-selling model — will make things better, but so far the signs point to no.

Apple's new CarPlay Ultra is only available on Aston Martin cars right now, but at least you can check it out on video.

Two videos, actually. Aston Martin posted a short teaser showing what the CarPlay Ultra, integrated into an Aston Martin DBX, looks like. The video shows Apple's UI integrated not only into the main, center display, but also into the instrument cluster in front of the driver, which we've never seen before.

For much more detail, check out Top Gear's overview of the system in an actual Aston Martin car (which, by the way, starts at about $250,000, meaning most of us won't be trying it out for ourselves).

The 18-minute video below is well worth watching, but there are a few key takeaways that should be pointed out. First of all, while the new Ultra system is similar to Apple CarPlay of old, it is basically a full takeover of the car's infotainment system. You'll see familiar Apple user interface details everywhere, be it in the climate controls, navigation, or the instrument cluster.

Various themes are on offer, allowing you to customize the UI's look; for example, you can completely do away with the round speedometer and instead have a colorful set of lines giving you info on the speed you're traveling at, and how much fuel you've got left. You can also set up some widgets, much as you would on your phone or tablet.

Very important: Once the system is set up, it doesn't require any additional setting up if you just want to sit into the car and drive, though it looks like some features will require your phone to connect.

While some of Aston Martin's own design does show up occasionally, it's all wrapped into a familiar Apple interface, and it all looks fairly polished. Given how bad car manufacturers sometimes are at designing their own interface, Apple CarPlay Ultra is a very neat alternative. Now, if only other manufacturers would hurry up and integrate this, we'd be much obliged.

Now operating in cities like L.A., San Francisco, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta, the robotaxis of Waymo have driven nearly 57 million miles, according to the autonomous vehicle company. With all those miles under its (timing) belt, the Alphabet-owned operation recently released a research paper highlighting some impressive data.

Waymo's report centered on incidents between its vehicles and "vulnerable road users." Compared to human drivers, Waymo's self-driving, electric Jaguars encountered 92 percent fewer crashes with pedestrians that resulted in injuries, 82 percent fewer crashes with cyclists involving injuries, and 82 percent fewer crashes with injuries that involved motorcyclists. There was also good news for car-to-car crashes, with 96 percent fewer injury-involving intersection crashes among Waymos, compared to human drivers, and 85 percent fewer crashes with suspected serious or worse injuries.

"It’s encouraging to see real-world data showing Waymo outperforming human drivers when it comes to safety," Jonathan Adkins, Chief Executive Officer at the nonprofit Governors Highway Safety Administration, said in Waymo's press release. "Fewer crashes and fewer injuries — especially for people walking and biking — is exactly the kind of progress we want to see from autonomous vehicles."

With Waymo planning additional service in Washington, D.C., Miami, and Tokyo, can we expect further progress in road safety in the cities Waymo operates in? Possibly, says David Kidd, the Senior Research Scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. While Waymo has demonstrated its individual cars are often safer than human drivers, the company's service is not ubiquitous enough to show that it makes a city's entire road network safer, Kidd tells Mashable. Waymo's effective technology and positive safety record are good signs that we may get there one day, Kidd adds.

What are your takeaways from Waymo's recent safety report?

Kidd: Waymo has done several of these reports, and they have been diligent about being very transparent about the methods they used to get the data they have. They’ve built on and expanded on previous [reports]. This is ... the most comprehensive look of the safety of their AVs to date, and the results are really encouraging.

Compared to other AV efforts from Tesla and General Motors' Cruise, Waymo seems to be finding the most success. Why?

I can’t speak to Waymo's strategy and philosophy and the differences between Waymo and Cruise and other AV companies, but certainly what stands out is Waymo is making a concerted effort to do research demonstrating the safety of the vehicles on real roads and being public about it. So they publish the research, and they also are now putting information about crashes and exposure, or millions driven in different deployment areas, on their website so anyone can go and replicate what they’ve done or do their own analyses. No other company is doing that right now, and it’s something we would hope other companies would follow Waymo’s lead in and be transparent.

The number of pedestrians and cyclists killed by cars has been steadily climbing for years. Can Waymo make the argument that they can help reduce those numbers?

Crashes with pedestrians have been increasing since 2009; I think there's been an 83 percent increase in fatal pedestrian crashes since that year (Kidd is referencing a report from 2022, showing a 40-year high for pedestrians killed by cars). And it certainly is the case that these automated vehicles are really good at keeping themselves from getting into conflicts with pedestrians, as this study provides evidence for; it’s going to help with the issue. The caveat is that AVs are not deployed everywhere, they’re certainly not in everyone’s driveway and not accessible to everyone so if we’re really going to tackle that pedestrian crash problem, it’s going to take multiple types of counter measures and solutions ranging from the technology in cars we can buy today like pedestrian automatic braking, changes in infrastructure that reduces conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles, as well as changing things that can make drivers more aware, as well as pedestrians aware, of their surroundings and pay more attention to distracted driving and distracted walking.

Since consumers cannot buy their own AVs yet, will we see significant decreases in crash deaths when automated cars are only available on a rideshare basis?

The natural extension of what Waymo has done is to better understand how the deploying of their vehicles inside of a city or inside a transportation network affects the overall safety of that network. They’ve done a good job of showing several times that their vehicles crash less often and are involved in fewer crashes than humans in that same deployment area. What they need to show is, if they have 100 Waymo vehicles or 1,000 Waymo vehicles, then is the transportation system in that area safer for everyone? That’s kind of the next piece — do we get shared safety benefits?

Waymo really demonstrated they can develop a technology and algorithms that take sensor information and make the vehicle operate safely. Can we take some of those learnings and improvements and apply them to the technology in vehicles you and I can buy? There’s a rumor they are potentially collaborating with Toyota; hopefully that’s one thing that comes out of it — Waymo takes their gains and algorithms and software and what they’ve done in the self-driving arena and apply it and translate it into the safety technology that Toyota and other automakers put into the vehicles that are sold to consumers today. That’s where I think you’ll see more rapid advances where the AVs advance conventional vehicles.

Tell us more about how AV technology can help all cars be safer.

Some of the more proactive things are when you’re approaching an intersection and the vehicle is able to see that there are other cars coming and make a prediction that some other vehicles are going to cross your path and not going to stop — it’ll slow you down to avoid the conflict.

AVs can illustrate the potential and some reasons why human drivers slip in terms of behavior and the way they operate vehicles and why they get in crashes. It’s not anything that’s unknown to us right now. The biggest contributor to crash deaths, and have been perpetual really, is speeding, impairment, like alcohol impairment, distractions is another component, but really speeding and impairment are huge and automated vehicles follow laws; they don’t speed and they’re not impaired. That alone is going to eliminate a lot of deaths.

Tesla's Model Y in the U.S. has just gotten cheaper — if you don't mind having one less motor, that is.

The company has launched a new variant of its recently redesigned Model Y electric SUV. Called the Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive, it starts at $44,990 before federal tax credit and local incentives.

For comparison, the Long Range All-Wheel Drive configuration starts at $48,990.

This one should give Tesla a sales boost. Credit: Tesla

For your money, you get just one motor driving the rear axle, with slightly slower acceleration — taking the car from 0-60 mph will take you 5.4 seconds, as opposed to 4.6 seconds on the All-Wheel Drive version. But you also get significantly more range: 357 vs. 327 miles, according to Tesla.

Adding the $7,500 federal tax credit takes the car's price to $37,490. Deliveries start in three to five weeks, however, while the All-Wheel Drive variant is available immediately.

The cheaper version of Tesla's best-selling car should give sales a boost, and Tesla needs it, given it just had a pretty awful quarter. It's worth noting that Tesla sales have plummeted in Europe and that's despite the fact that the Rear-Wheel Drive Model Y has been available in many markets there for a few weeks now.

Well, that was fast. Just two days after Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said Waymo is considering selling robotaxis to individuals one day, the company signed a deal with Toyota that could make this a reality.

In a joint press release, Waymo and Toyota said they've reached a "preliminary agreement" to "explore a collaboration focused on accelerating the development and deployment of autonomous driving technologies."

The two companies plan to develop a new autonomous vehicle platform, and are looking to build the next-generation of personally owned vehicles. "The scope of the collaboration will continue to evolve through ongoing discussions," the press release says.

While all that sounds very tentative, it boils down to this: Waymo has the self-driving tech, and Toyota has the cars. Sometime down the line, the two companies might start selling Toyota-built cars with Waymo's autonomous driving technology to end users.

Waymo's current fleet of robotaxis, operating in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin, consists of Jaguar I-Pace vehicles fitted with a lot additional cameras, ultrasonic sensors, and LIDAR sensors. Waymo does not build or sell cars to individual users; Toyota, on the other hand, is the world's largest automaker, known for its reliable cars sold under the Toyota and Lexus brands.

It's unclear (and probably too early to tell) whether the two companies will launch a car under an entirely new brand, or if it will it be a smarter Toyota. For now, it appears that Waymo will incorporate some Toyotas into its fleet and lend some of its self-driving tech to Toyota cars.

"We look forward to exploring this strategic partnership, incorporating their vehicles into our ride-hailing fleet and bringing the magic of Waymo's autonomous driving technology to Toyota customers," said Waymo co-CEO Takedra Mawakana, in a statement.

The two companies better hurry up with their plans, because Tesla is planning to start selling robotaxis to customers soon. The company is currently testing an autonomous ride-hailing service in Austin and the San Francisco Bay area, with plans to start producing the fully autonomous Cybercab vehicle in 2026.

For supporters of rail travel, which offers more environmental benefits than autos or planes, Earth Day 2025 is the best of times and the worst of times.

Best of times: Privately-funded Brightline is in pre-construction for a project connecting Las Vegas to the L.A. suburb of Rancho Cucamonga, while boasting impressive ridership on its Miami-to-Orlando route. Worst of times: The new administration canceled a grant for a high-speed rail corridor in Texas and initiated a federal review of California's decades-in-the-making high-speed rail connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles.

California high-speed rail (CHSR) currently lacks tens of billions of dollars it needs to complete service between the state's two most important urban centers. The project is even struggling to finish a first phase by the early 2030s that will connect Central Valley cities like Madera, Fresno, and Bakersfield.

Still, many Californians are already reaping the benefits of high-speed rail. Aside from the 15,000 construction and planning jobs the project has created, CHSR has funded smaller, local projects that have already opened for business. Most of those, including new grade separations at currently operating rail lines, have flown under the radar.

When the Bay Area commuter rail system Caltrain debuted its electrified train fleet last year, few outside of northern California were aware. But the Caltrain project, partly-funded by CHSR (since its future bullet train will use the same electrified tracks), has proven a game-changer for millions of commuters — and become a successful model for other transit systems.

How electrification improved ridership

Caltrain, which goes from downtown San Francisco and winds through Silicon Valley, was struggling post-COVID. In May 2024, ridership remained stubbornly low, at 33 percent of pre-COVID numbers.

Then in September, Caltrain's main route from San Francisco to San Jose switched from diesel to electric trains powered by overhead wires. By October, the first full month of electric service, 753,000 riders had climbed aboard — a 54 percent increase from October 2023. From August 2024 to October 2024 alone, ridership saw a 17 percent jump.

There are now more people using Caltrain than before COVID, according to SF Gate. Weekend ridership is surging; Saturday ridership is up 169 percent in October 2024 compared to October 2023.

With top speeds of 79 m.p.h., Caltrain's electric service doesn't go any faster than the diesel service. But it does let the trains start and stop more quickly. This means an express train between San Francisco and San Jose generally takes less than an hour — which isn't just an improvement on the 65-minute diesel train average, it's less time than it would be to drive the same route even in the lightest traffic.

Meanwhile, local electric trains have shaved 25 minutes off their 100-minute ride from San Francisco to San Jose. Increased efficiency also means shorter headways (the time between trains) at all of Caltrain's 31 stations.

Additional perks on the new electric trains — like WiFi, tables to work on, and ample space devoted to bike storage — have also helped goose ridership. The electric train is smoother than the often bumpy diesel ride, notes SF Gate.

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Fewer diesel trains meant immediate environmental benefit

It's not just that electric is faster and smoother. When Caltrain took 29 diesel trains out of service this fall, commuters also began breathing easier.

Findings published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology Letters showed that riders on the electric trains were exposed to 89 percent fewer carcinogens than commuters on the system's diesel trains. Even those not riding benefited from the change; studies showed that black carbon concentrations also dropped in and around the San Francisco station.

Caltrain electrification will eventually reach its terminus at Gilroy, a gateway to the central valley. This, the service estimates, will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 250,000 tons annually, equivalent to taking 55,000 cars off the roads.

The electric trains have also reduced noise pollution, operating much quieter vehicles than their diesel counterparts.

“Caltrain’s project is an important piece to the bigger vision of electrified rail throughout California,” Ian Choudri, CEO of California High-Speed Rail Authority, said in an August press release.

Which trains to electrify next?

Modernizing other long-distance and commuter rail systems will take a lot of cash. Caltrain's conversion cost more than $2.4 billion, with at least $700 million provided by CHSR.

Southern California's Metrolink offers a much bigger rail network than Caltrain, hence a bigger pricetag for conversion. Metrolink also operates hundreds of miles of track still owned by freight companies, which have little interest in converting their diesel trains that run on the same rails.

Still, some systems are following in Caltrain's lead. The Metra system in Chicago is purchasing eight all-electric battery-powered trainsets. Many of Amtrak's national routes utilize diesel trains, but over 100 electric trains operate in the northeast corridor, including the Acela service between Boston and Washington, D.C.

Last year, Amtrak announced its intent to expand cleaner energy service — but it may have to wait for a different administration to realize those ambitions.

The electric vehicle sales numbers for Europe in February are in, and it's not looking good for Elon Musk's Tesla.

According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), battery electric vehicles (BEV) are selling well in Europe, accounting 15.2 percent of new car registrations in the January-February period of 2025. That's up from 11.5 percent in the same period last year, and mostly at the expense of petrol and diesel cars. A total of 255,489 BEV units were sold, a 28.4 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

For Tesla, however, the numbers are downright awful. In the January-February period of 2025, the company sold 37,311 units in Europe, a 49 percent decline compared to the same period last year.

Europeans want electric cars. They just don't want Tesla's electric cars. Credit: ACEA

Some of the decline could be attributed to the launch of the company's most popular model, the Model Y, which was refreshed in January, first making its way to China, followed by a launch in Europe. Some buyers may have been holding on their purchase in order to get the hotly anticipated new model.

Looking at ACEA's sales numbers for Tesla in February alone, it's fair to assume that there are other reasons for decline. During February, Tesla sold a total of 11,743 units, down 47.1 percent compared to February 2024, when the company sold 22,181 units in Europe.

In February, the Model Y was available to pre-order in many European countries, but it didn't start shipping until early March. We'll likely get a clearer picture of how the new Model Y is selling in Europe next month.

However, there are strong indications that European buyers simply moved on to other brands. According to figures from automotive market research company JATO Dynamics for February 2025, not only did Tesla sell 56 percent less Model Y units, the company also sold 14 percent less Model 3 units, which can hardly be attributed to the Model Y's launch. In contrast, many Volkswagen group BEVs, including the Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.3, as well as Skoda Enyaq (which is also being replaced by a new model very soon), are selling extremely well compared to last year's February (ACEA tracks the UK, the EU, and EFTA separately, but even adding all of them together, Tesla sales are still down 40.1 percent in February, year-over-year).

Tesla is still leading the pack, but the lead is shrinking. Credit: JATO

Electrek tracks Tesla sales per country, and reports the sales decline has been too large to attribute to the Model Y transition. For example, in Germany, Tesla sold only 1,429 cars in February 2025, down 70.6 percent compared to the same period last year. In France, Tesla sold 26 percent fewer units in February. The only European country where Tesla fared well in February (according to the data we have now) was the UK, where sales rose 7.7 percent in February.

It's fairly obvious that Musk's politics, which include support for Germany's far-right party AfD, and the since-deleted post that saw him absolve Hitler and other dictators of genocide, are getting in the way of Tesla sales. In a recent T-Online poll, with around 100,000 readers voting, more than 94 percent said they wouldn't buy a Tesla again. A recent YouGov EuroTrack survey indicated that the majority of Britons and Germans have an unfavourable view of Musk.

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Commenting on Tesla's recent stock price decline, the Musk wrote on X that "it will be fine long-term." Possibly, but it may take a while — and perhaps some changes within the company — for Tesla to regain the trust of European buyers.

Tesla Cybertruck: A sturdy, steel-plated, mean, electric pickup. That, at least, is what it was envisioned to be, but unfortunately for Tesla, the Cybertruck hasn't been very sturdy or reliable thus far.

Despite being on the market for a little over a year, the Cybertruck has been recalled over, and over, and over again. And most of those recalls weren't for minor issues that Tesla could fix with software updates. Nope, we're talking parts falling off, and accelerator pedals not working.

Even worse, in several cases, Tesla had to recall nearly all of the Cybertrucks it sold thus far, making these issue a headache for virtually every Cybertruck owner.

To put this in context, other car companies have recalls, too. For example, in the first quarter of 2024, Ford had the most recalls (17), and Chrysler was in second place (15), while Tesla only had 3 recalls.

However, Tesla was the top offender when it comes to number of vehicles affected. And the Cybertruck in particular is very prone to recalls, having been recalled a total of eight times so far.

Tesla does have an official page with information on vehicle recalls, but the page is sparse, undated, and not particularly well organized. Without further ado, here's a list of all of the Cybertruck recalls – so far.

January 2024: Instrument panel fonts

Type of recall: Software issue

Number of potentially involved vehicles: 2,193,869

Description: "A visual warning indicator whose letter font size is smaller than 3.2 mm (1/8 inch), as prescribed in FMVSS Nos. 105 and 135, could reduce the driver’s detection of it when illuminated, increasing the risk of a collision."

Affected Cybertrucks: All 2024 model year Cybertruck vehicles

April 2024: Stuck accelerator pedal

Type of recall: Hardware issue

Number of potentially involved vehicles: 3,878

Description: "On affected vehicles, when high force is applied to the pad on the accelerator pedal, the pad may dislodge, which may cause the pedal to become trapped in the interior trim above the pedal."

Affected Cybertrucks: Model year 2024 Cybertruck vehicles manufactured from November 13, 2023, to April 4, 2024.

June 2024: Sail applique separation

Type of recall: Hardware issue

Number of potentially involved vehicles: 11,383

Description: "The sail applique on the trunk bed trim can become loose or separate from the vehicle."

Affected Cybertrucks: 2024 Cybertruck vehicles manufactured from November 13, 2023, to May 26,2024.

June 2024: Windshield wiper malfunctioning

Type of recall: Hardware issue

Number of potentially involved vehicles: 11,688

Description: "On affected vehicles, the front windshield wiper motor controller may stop functioning due to electrical overstress to the gate driver component."

Affected Cybertrucks: All model year 2024 Cybertruck vehicles manufactured from November 13, 2023, to June 6, 2024.

October 2024: Rearview display delayed image

Type of recall: Software issue

Number of potentially involved vehicles: 27,185

Description: "On certain affected vehicles, under certain conditions, the vehicle system (including the rearview image) may not complete a shutdown process before the system is commanded to boot-up. If the driver starts a backing event before the vehicle system completes its shut down and boot-up, the rearview image may not display within two seconds of placing the vehicle in reverse."

Affected Cybertrucks: Certain model year 2024 Cybertruck vehicles manufactured between November 13, 2023, and September 14, 2024.

November 2024: Faulty inverter

Type of recall: Hardware issue

Number of potentially involved vehicles: 2,431

Description: On affected vehicles, a fault in the drive inverter may cause it to stop producing torque

Affected Cybertrucks: Some model year 2024 Cybertruck vehicles manufactured between November 6, 2023, and July 30, 2024.

December 2024: TPMS Malfunction

Type of recall: Software issue

Number of potentially involved vehicles: 694,304

Description: "Tire pressure monitoring system malfunctioned due to a non-compliant software release. "

Affected Cybertrucks: Model year 2024 Cybertruck.

March 2025: Cant rail falling off

Type of recall: Hardware issue

Number of potentially involved vehicles: 46,096

Description: "The Cybertruck is equipped with a cosmetic applique along the exterior of the vehicle, known as the cant rail, which is an assembly comprised of an electrocoated steel stamping joined to a stainless steel panel with structural adhesive. The cant rail assembly is affixed to the vehicle with fasteners. On affected vehicles, the cant rail stainless steel panel may delaminate at the adhesive joint, which may cause the panel to separate from the vehicle"

Affected Cybertrucks: Model year 2024 and 2025 Cybertruck vehicles manufactured from November 13, 2023, to February 27, 2025.

London's Heathrow Airport — one of the busiest destinations in the world — was completely shut down on Friday. There were zero flights in or out, which is almost unimaginable.

A fire broke out at a nearby electrical substation, which led to power issues at Heathrow and a complete closure of the airport. Some 1,300 flights were affected, NBC News reported.

Flightradar24, a site devoted to live-tracking flights, posted a graphic showing the stunning difference in flight volume from one day to the next. It's shocking to see no flights to Heathrow whatsoever.

The downstream effects of Heathrow's closure are likely to felt for some time. Its total closure is a massive wrench thrown into the global transportation system.

Airport officials said its back-up power source worked as intended but it wasn't able to power the entire airport. It's unclear when things would get back to normal at Heathrow — but it may not be anytime soon.

“We expect significant disruption over the coming days, and passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens,” the airport noted, according to the Associated Press. Heathrow's X account posted at about 4:15 p.m. local time that it hoped to "run a full operation tomorrow."

Hopefully that means far more flights on the graphic tomorrow.

Imagine recalling a supposedly tough truck so many times that we've ran out of headlines to highlight it. Tesla Cybertruck has been recalled for the eighth time, with several of those recalls being for nearly every Cybertruck that's ever been sold.

Again, this is not one of those software recalls that can easily be fixed with a firmware update. According to a new notice by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Tesla is recalling all Model Year 2024 and 2025 Cybertrucks (that's the vast majority of them, given that serial production in a very limited capacity started in November 2023).

The reason given, this time, is the cant rail: "an assembly comprised of an electrocoated steel stamping joined to a stainless steel panel with structural adhesive." According to the NHTSA, "The cant rail stainless steel panel may delaminate at the adhesive joint, which may cause the panel to separate from the vehicle." That, in turn, can create a road hazard for drivers behind a Cybertruck (as if having to watch the thing drive isn't punishment enough).

This is the same issue that we've covered a week ago, as it apparently caused Cybertruck deliveries to stop.

Because of this issue, Cybertruck owners are invited to visit a Tesla service center where the cant rail assembly will be replaced, free of charge.

Electric vehicles (EVs) have had a weird year so far. Thanks to Elon Musk, Tesla fell from grace. As the brand synonymous with EVs, that would seem to indicate that EVs are in trouble. As it turns out, nothing could be further from the truth.

Ars Technica, citing analysts at Rho Motion, reported that global EV sales had jumped up 30 percent compared to this time last year. Even in the U.S., sales were reportedly up 28 percent compared with this point last year. That might actually be because folks are trying to get ahead of an anti-EV administration.

"American drivers bought 30 percent more electric vehicles than they had by this time last year, making use of the final months of IRA tax breaks before the incentives are expected to be pulled later this year," Charles Lester, Rho Motion data manager, told Ars Technica.

It’s a continuation of an already hot start to 2025 for EVs. Rho Motion noted in a previous report that sales in January 2025 were higher than they were in January 2024 by about 18 percent overall. Europe and the U.S. saw the largest gains at 21 percent and 22 percent, respectively, with China continuing to put up decent growth as well.

There are some blips here and there. For example, France saw a 15 percent decrease in EV sales in January 2025 versus the same time last year. Rho Motion suggests that it’s due to a newly implemented weight tax on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that started this year. This likely led to a lot of people buying EVs in December before the tax went into effect. Meanwhile, Germany saw the biggest jump with a 40 percent growth in January 2025 versus the same time a year ago.

In terms of brands, Rho Motion didn’t mention which automakers were the big winners and big losers in their data. For 2024, Tesla led the way in EV sales in the U.S. and most of the rest of the world. BYD had the most sales globally, however, thanks to its success in China. 

Tesla remains one of the biggest players in the EV game despite all of the controversy surrounding the brand. 

There have been signs, however, that the company has been adversely affected by Musk’s prominent role in the U.S. government and right-wing politics. Early signs have shown Tesla sales falling precipitously. Used Teslas, meanwhile, are dropping in price alongside the company’s shares.  

EVs may be selling overall, but Tesla could still be in trouble.

U.S. president Donald Trump has hosted a Tesla advertisement on the White House lawn alongside CEO Elon Musk. He also erroneously called the boycott against the electric vehicle company "illegal."

On Monday night, Trump announced that he would buy a new Tesla the next day "as a show of confidence" in his close ally Musk, responding to the company's cratering stock prices. On Tuesday morning, Tesla parked five of its vehicles in front of White House to create a personal showroom for the president. 

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Accompanied by Musk and his son X, Trump promoted Tesla's cars while continuing to praise its billionaire CEO. The president also revealed that he'd previously purchased a Tesla Cybertruck for his teenage granddaughter Kai. 

"I have a lot of information [about Tesla's cars], including the price," said Trump, wielding a few pages of notes he said were given to him about Tesla's offerings. "I want to make a good deal here."

Despite this, Trump stated he would be paying full price for his new car. He ultimately selected a red Tesla Model S Plaid which retails for approximately $90,000 after Musk said that it was the model he himself drove.

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Trump further addressed recent protests which have taken place outside Tesla showrooms across the U.S., some of which have resulted in vandalism and property damage, saying that he will label violence against the dealerships as "domestic terrorism."

"They're harming a great American company," said Trump, calling such protesters "garbage." "Those people are going to go through a big problem when we catch them… You do it to Tesla and you do it to any company, we're going to catch you and you're going to go through hell."

There's a Tesla showroom at the White House

In addition to promoting Tesla, Trump also lavished praise onto Musk himself, calling him an "incredible patriot" and celebrating his work at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

"In the time I've known him, he has never asked me for a favour," Trump claimed.

This is a stark contrast to Trump's previous statements about Musk in 2022, when he called the billionaire a "bullshit artist" and alleged that he asked for help "on all of his many subsidized projects, whether it’s electric cars that don’t drive long enough, driverless cars that crash, or rocketships to nowhere."

"I could have said, 'drop to your knees and beg,' and he would have done it," Trump posted to Truth Social at the time, stating that Musk would be "worthless" without government subsidies.

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There appears to be much less animosity between Musk and Trump now, despite the latter's history as a vocal detractor of electric vehicles. Speaking to the press on Tuesday, Trump reiterated his incorrect claim that he "ended the electric [vehicle] mandate," and praised Musk for not calling him to complain about it.

The U.S. has never had any law mandating that drivers switch to electric cars. However, it did have incentives to encourage adoption, which is what Trump eliminated. Trump also paused $3 billion in funding for a U.S. electrical vehicle charging network early last month.

Keeping Trump's new Tesla charged up won't be his problem, though. Trump won’t actually be driving the car himself, as U.S. presidents aren't permitted to drive on public roads for security reasons. Instead, the president stated that he would be leaving the Tesla at the White House for his staff to use.

Tesla stock has been falling since Trump's inauguration

Credit: Andrew Harnik / Getty Images

Tesla had its worst day of trading since September 2020 on Monday, its stock falling by over 15 percent to close at $222.15. In response, Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social that night to declare his support for Musk, as well as his intention to buy a Tesla.

"[T]he Radical Left Lunatics, as they often do, are trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of the World's great automakers, and Elon's 'baby,' in order to attack and do harm to Elon, and everything he stands for," Trump claimed on Truth Social.

It is not illegal in the U.S. for consumers to boycott companies. While boycotts can be illegal if a group of competitors collectively agrees not to do business with a company, such restrictions do not apply to individuals. Under U.S. law, people are allowed to choose whether or not to patronise a business, and can decide against doing so as an act of protest. This is protected by the First Amendment right to free speech.

Tuesday saw Tesla's stock regain almost four percent after Monday's drop, however the overall trend of the company's share price continues to spiral down. Though Tesla enjoyed a surge following Trump's election win, its shares have continued to fall since the inauguration and wiped out all those gains.

Tesla's profits dropped by 70 percent in Q4 2024 and its sales have slumped across the globe. Even the price of used Teslas are falling as drivers reportedly reject the cars due to their association with Musk. Even so, Musk stated on Tuesday that Tesla intends to double its U.S. production within the next two years.

Xiaomi's got a new electric car, and it's very, very quick.

The SU7 Ultra was officially made available a few days ago, but the company brought it to Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, giving us the first in-person glimpse of what is probably the cheapest car with sub-2 second 0-100km/h time.

That's a lot of carbon fiber. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

According to Xiaomi, the SU7 Ultra can go from zero to 100 km/h in 1.98 seconds, with a top speed of 350km/h. It comes with three-motor configuration, which features two Xiaomi V8s electric motors and one Xiaomi V6s motor, and has a whopping 1,527 horsepower.

Via Giphy

Such performance requires some top-level brakes and Xiaomi delivered with massive, 430-millimeter carbon ceramic brake discs. To reduce weight, Xiaomi has liberally used a bunch of carbon fiber elements, including the car's roof, which is basically a 1.7 square meter slab of carbon fiber.

Seeing the car in person, the entire design looks like one of those extreme tune-ups for the race track, but Xiaomi still calls this a regular, mass-produced four-door sedan, albeit of a "high-performance luxury" variety.

Xiaomi isn't joking around with those brakes. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

Xiaomi wouldn't let us peek inside the vehicle, but the company says the interior is all lined up with Alcantara fabric, while the dashboard is dominated by a massive central display.

Best view of the car's interior I could get. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

The car that was shown in Barcelona was in Lightning Yellow, but Xiaomi also sells the car in four other colors: Space Silver, Verdant Green, Pearl White, and Obsidian Black. Optional configurations (read: even more sporty stuff) will also be available, including the "Racing Package" and the "Nürburgring Nordschleife Limited Edition".

Perhaps the most notable aspect of the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra is the price. In China, it starts at 529,900 RMB ($72,750), which sounds very, very reasonable for a car like this. For example, the list of electric cars that can do 0-100km/h in less than two seconds is extremely short and includes the $2.2 million Rimac Nevera and the equally pricey Pininfarina Battista.

As for availability, the car is now available in China; we're not sure when it'll become available in other markets.

Mashable's on the ground at MWC 2025 covering the best tech products that have Barcelona abuzz.

A convincing majority of Americans remain “afraid” to ride in self-driving vehicles, according to a survey released today by AAA.

A January survey of 1,095 people found that 61 percent do not trust self-driving vehicles (that survey question didn’t differentiate between semi-autonomous cars, like some Tesla models, and fully autonomous cars, like Waymo robotaxis). Conversely, 13 percent trust self-driving vehicles and 26 percent are unsure of their safety.

While the percentage of those who remain scared of self-driving vehicles dropped from last year’s findings, which was 66 percent, 2025’s results represent a 7 percent increase in those frightened of using the technology from when AAA’s first self-driving survey was conducted in 2021. 

AAA also queried its panel specifically on robotaxis, finding that 74 percent knew that self-driving rideshare cars were available in certain cities, yet 53 percent said they would not ride in one. While Millennial and Generation X drivers were more receptive to robotaxis than Baby Boomers, majorities of the younger generations still said they wouldn’t ride in such a vehicle.

The development of self-driving vehicles was not a priority for respondents; more people wanted investments in vehicle safety systems rather than expanding access to autonomous vehicles. According to AAA’s survey, the public’s interest in self-driving vehicles has decreased from 18 percent in 2022 to 13 percent this year.

"Most drivers want automakers to focus on advanced safety technology," Greg Brannon, the automotive engineering director at AAA, said in a statement. "Though opinions on fully self-driving cars vary widely, its evident that today's drivers value features that enhance their safety."

While drivers remain skeptical of autonomous vehicles, many expressed a desire for self-driving technology like automatic emergency braking, reverse automatic emergency braking, and lane keeping assistance. In its announcement on the survey results, AAA reiterated its call for less confusing naming of the aforementioned autonomous technology.

Some people can brush off careless, dangerous driving when they see it. Not me. I loathe it and shake my fist at the sky like Grandpa Simpson. 

As a pedestrian and motorist, I've been nearly struck by distracted or careless drivers more times than I can count. Recently, my jaw went slack when I watched a driver stop at a red light, then proceed through the intersection before the light turned green, all while holding — and looking — at their phone in their non-driving hand. It really is bad out there. 

You'd think experiences like these would make me an unequivocal believer in autonomous vehicles. Since I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, riding in one is actually possible. Waymo has been fully open to the public in San Francisco, ferrying paying passengers around, since mid-2024. The company also now operates in Los Angeles and Phoenix, and will open its doors to the public in Atlanta and Austin later this year. 

Waymo and other robotaxi companies promise an escape from terrible driving, thanks to vehicles programmed to obey traffic safety rules and laws. Imagine no more so-called California stops that send pedestrians stumbling backward, no cars hurtling through highway traffic at dangerous speeds as if their drivers are playing a video game, and no drunk motorists putting everyone's lives at risk. 

That sounds great, but as a journalist I'm also trained to be skeptical of most things, and especially of an emerging technology with billions of private and shareholder dollars at stake. Plus, I keep seeing viral videos and news stories about robotaxis — mostly Waymos — making mistakes. They've driven into concrete, circled the airport, and steered into oncoming traffic. 

As Waymos become more commonplace, I wanted to see what riding in one is like and whether the hype lives up to the experience. 

What is it like to ride in a robotaxi? 

I hailed my Waymo in downtown San Francisco via the company's app. When I stepped into the electric Jaguar I-PACE, I knew what to expect. There would be no driver, but I'd be able to see the wheel turn along with the car's movements. I also understood that we wouldn't need a driver if all went well. 

But if something unexpected happened, like a glitch that stalled us mid-trip, I'd probably wish for someone at the wheel and would have to rely on remote customer support, which a passenger can call from a console in the back seat. 

Upon settling into that backseat, I noted the music already playing through the car's speakers. I described it as "spa" music, shorthand for the kind of soundtrack you might hear while getting a massage. I'm not sure what this says about me, but I was instantly calmed — until the Waymo needed to turn left across oncoming traffic to begin my ride to the Chase Center. I wish I'd been on my way to cheer on the Warriors, but alas, my test ride had no purpose other than to spend time in a Waymo.

First, though, we needed to make it across the street in one piece. I'd heard Waymos were overly cautious, so I was surprised when the car executed an ambitiously human maneuver. As the car assertively swung into a narrow space behind a delivery truck and in front of a passenger car, I was reminded of a few white-knuckle moments I'd had driving in New York City traffic long ago. Thankfully, no oncoming driver was laying on their horn, shouting at my driverless car for cutting them off. 

Thereafter, the ride was remarkably smooth. To my great delight, the Waymo slowed and stopped at each intersection we approached. On the console screen in front of me, I could see what the car's sensors perceived around it, including gray figures representing pedestrians on and off the sidewalk. It is true, sometimes tragically so, that human drivers are oblivious to pedestrians, and the screen gave me more confidence in Waymo's baseline ability to navigate a hectic city street. 

I did notice that my Waymo took a very roundabout route to the Chase Center, but it factors in a number of variables that aren't always clear to the passenger, like road conditions and construction. Unlike a human-ride share driver, you cannot direct a Waymo to your preferred route. 

The ride, just shy of two and three-quarters of a mile, took 17 minutes and cost $20.02, an amount that, frankly, I wouldn't have paid unless I could be reimbursed for it—or was indeed seeing the Warriors play and was late for tip-off. A comparison against Google Maps estimated a shorter ride both in distance (2 miles) and duration (12 minutes). 

I took an additional two trips that morning. By the time I'd covered 6.2 miles of ground in an hour's time, I'd paid nearly $50. Altogether the rides were largely pleasant but also pricier than I expected. To return home that afternoon, I took a ride-share from the Bay Area's version of the subway and paid $10.99 to go 2.8 miles, tip included. 

What you get for the Waymo premium

The Waymo premium may be worth it for some. 

Jeffrey Tumlin, a regular Waymo rider who recently served as the director of transportation of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, told me that he's heard from many women and trans people who prefer Waymo for safety reasons. There's no scrutiny of their gender identity, confrontational interactions, or riding in fear, with the emergency button open in their app the duration of their trip. (For more about the overall safety of robotaxis, read this story.)  

As a woman who has felt unsafe in a human ride-share vehicle, I can absolutely see paying for a Waymo in certain scenarios. At the same time, people have figured out ways to otherwise harass — or terrorize — Waymo riders. 

Last fall, a female Waymo rider in San Francisco couldn't proceed with her ride when two men stood in front of it, demanding her phone number. The rider contacted Waymo's customer support via the car's backseat console. 

Some riders may also like traveling alone, without the pressure to make conversation, whether or not they're worried about their personal safety. I've certainly gotten into a ride-share exhausted after a long day, hoping to exchange only pleasantries with the driver. But I also enjoy talking to drivers when my energy level is high and our personalities are a match, perhaps because my job involves chatting with people I've never met before. 

I do worry that an autonomous future, writ large, will eliminate everyday opportunities to connect with other humans, even fleetingly. These are moments that can further train our ability to see strangers as people with their own hopes and dreams, who might be someone's son or mother, to whom we might be able to extend compassion or understanding. 

Why am I writing about this earnest dynamic in a review of Waymo? Because after taking one I can see how ordering a driverless car is both a convenient but complicated choice that involves tradeoffs. There are the mundane bargains, like knowing that the ride might take you longer but at least you'll be able to sit in silence. Yet riding in a robotaxi is also about negotiating your humanity in an increasingly technological world. 

Everyone will develop their own unique understanding of what this means for them, but it would be a mistake to pretend that hailing a driverless car is an inconsequential act. 

If you haven't seen a driverless autonomous vehicle circling your city or neighborhood block yet, that may change in the very near future. 

Waymo, the industry-leading robotaxi company, currently operates in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, and is coming to Atlanta and Austin via an Uber partnership later this year. Waymo has also made exploratory "road trips" to more than 25 other cities in a quest to become what it calls "the world's most trusted driver." 

Other AV companies, like Zoox and May Mobility, are on the road, too. 

This may leave many wondering whether a transportation revolution is underway, especially as consumers' personal vehicles gain more autonomous features, like Tesla’s self-driving — but supervision-required — vehicles. But the reality is far more complex, with tension between the technology's promise and how it's playing out in the real world.

When will I own my own autonomous vehicle? 

First, let's get one thing straight: There is no car that you can buy from a dealership today that's fully self-driving, says Jeff Farrah, CEO of Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association (AVIA). 

Yes, that includes Teslas. While the company's CEO Elon Musk recently said he planned to release an unsupervised version of the car's full self-driving software later this year, drivers currently need to closely monitor their vehicle when engaged in FSD supervised mode. 

What people can purchase today are vehicles equipped with lower-level autonomous features, like lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and basic navigation. 

"I think it's important to distinguish that, at those levels of autonomy, there's still a massively important responsibility for the human driver to be able to take over at a moment's notice," Farrah says. (AVIA's members include AV operators Waymo and Zoox, as well as traditional auto manufacturers like Ford, Volkswagen, and Volvo. Tesla is not a member.)

The results when drivers don't take over can be fatal. In April 2024, a Tesla owner put his car in what the company bills as its FSD (Supervised) mode, then proceeded to look at his phone, according to NPR. Within minutes, the Tesla driver had struck and killed a motorcyclist, despite a warning from Tesla's system to pay attention. 

Dr. Missy Cummings, a professor of robotics and engineering at George Mason University who reviewed investigation documents from that crash for NPR, told Mashable that she doesn't believe individual ownership of AVs will happen in her lifetime. 

"There's a really good reason for that," Cummings says. "Even if we do finally solve some of these [safety] problems, you actually have to take such good care of these cars." 

The leading self-driving cars use numerous sensors, including LIDAR and RADAR, to create a picture of their surroundings, among other critical tasks. These sensors have to be kept clean and calibrated for peak performance and safety. 

So if you can barely keep up with your car's maintenance now, imagine trying to take care of an AV. 

If I can't own an autonomous vehicle, when will I be able to ride in a robotaxi? 

Given the deployment of AVs in major cities, Kathy Winter, May Mobility's chief operating officer, says we've reached an "inflection point" in the last year. With significant investments from Toyota, the company is testing its driverless Sienna minivans in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Sun City, Arizona. It offers paid rides to the public in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, a city in the Atlanta metro area. 

Amazon-owned Zoox just began testing its robotaxi in San Francisco. For now, only company employees can catch a ride in the vehicle, which looks a bit like a toaster on wheels. 

Franklin Trujillo, who works on commercialization as the head of technical program management for product infrastructure at Waymo, agrees that there's been a rapid shift in robotaxi availability in the last year. The company has 150,000 paid rides per week, according to Trujillo. 

Read more about riding in a Waymo: Smooth, silent, strange: What it's really like to hail a robotaxi

"This is real," he says. "This is a fully operating service ingrained in daily life." 

Waymo currently only provides rides to paid passengers on surface streets, but it recently began sending driverless cars onto L.A. freeways with company employees on hand to observe and share their feedback. 

It took a decade for robotaxis to get to this point. While the progress is promising, you're still not going to suddenly see the AVs across the United States. That's because getting them on the road is far more difficult than the average potential rider probably realizes. 

How do AV companies decide where to deploy? 

Some places are simply harder to drive in than others, thanks to road and weather conditions, and potential limitations of a company's AV technology. Zoox's leadership, for example, said last year that they wouldn't be rolling out in snow anytime soon. 

Even in San Francisco, where the weather is relatively mild, rain can challenge Waymo's sensors, says Jeffrey Tumlin. He regularly hails Waymo rides and recently served as the director of transportation of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. The role gave Tumlin a front row seat to all the highs and lows of living — and managing transportation — in a city with a robotaxi fleet. 

Tumlin notes that San Francisco, with its complex geography and transportation system, posed problems for Waymo that didn't materialize to the same extent in Phoenix, where the streets are straightforward, there are fewer pedestrians and cyclists on the road, and fewer anomalous events, like a motorcade or protest. 

So if an AV company isn't in your city yet, it may have to do with the nature of where you live. But Trujillo says that as Waymo learns distinct city layouts and characteristics, it can better manage similar challenges in the next place it arrives. Going from San Francisco to Los Angeles, for instance, wasn't that difficult, Trujillo says. He also notes that Waymo focuses on entering the top ride-hailing cities, where demand for a robotaxi would be strong. 

What doesn't change from city to city is the detailed work that AV companies say they put into partnering with locals, which can include transportation officials, emergency responders, policymakers, and community groups. 

Then there's the red tape. Some cities and states don't have regulations that permit AVs to operate on their streets. Waymo works with policymakers to change that. May Mobility has partnered directly with departments of transportation or other local agencies and businesses to both test their robotaxis as well as offer on-demand ride-hailing, which can be its own lengthy process. 

Polls show that people are skeptical of AVs prior to riding in them. In order to build consumer confidence in their product, some of the AV companies have been very deliberate about where and how they deploy, and emphasize the importance of safety. 

"Unfortunately for all of us, there have been a few accidents that have set the industry back in terms of trust," says Winter, May Mobility's COO. 

Are AVs safe? 

Perhaps the most notorious accident involving a self-driving AV happened in San Francisco, in October 2023. A Cruise vehicle struck a pedestrian, dragging her 20 feet before stopping. The victim survived, but Cruise suspended its operations soon after and was ultimately fined $1.5 million by federal regulators. Majority owner General Motors decided in December 2024 to shutter Cruise as a robotaxi service and instead focus on developing the technology for fully autonomous personal vehicles. 

True believers in AV technology tend to see accidents like Cruise's as a rare exception to an unproven high-stakes rule: A driverless car powered by artificial intelligence and sophisticated sensors is unequivocally safer than a human driver.

But experts who study AV safety say it's far too early to make such pronouncements. Cummings conducted a recent study of safety data reported by AV companies between December 2021 and November 2023 to the state of California and found a number of concerning issues related to "unexpected driving behaviors." This can include collisions with stationary objects; the AV inexplicably disengaging, which stalls the car; and phantom braking, when an AV suddenly slows or stops without explanation, but most likely because it hallucinated an obstacle. Phantom breaking particularly worries Cummings, as she sees no signs yet that AV companies have solved that problem.

Safety incidents sometimes show up as a viral news story about a robotaxi that acted strangely or dangerously by heading into oncoming traffic, driving in loops around an airport, or rolling into wet concrete, but many more occur without becoming a headline. Additionally, AVs appear to struggle when they encounter emergency responders and traffic control, says Cummings. Some have blocked the path of ambulances and firetrucks, and others have gotten stuck in traffic because they can't interpret hand signals by a police officer directing traffic. (Waymo says its cars can interpret and follow hand signals and handheld signs.)

Waymo and Zoox are both under investigation by the federal government for unexpected driving behavior. Last May, the Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation into Waymo for 22 reported incidents in which the company's AVs collided with objects like gates, chains, parked vehicles, and also appeared to disobey traffic safety control devices. 

No other details are available because the company appealed to NHTSA to redact its response, citing confidential business information. Trujillo said he could not comment on the investigation, but he touts Waymo's record of fewer airbag deployments and reduced injury-causing crashes and police-reported crashes compared to human drivers going the same distance in a city where the company operates. 

"The data is clear, we are safer," Trujillo says. 

Yet Cummings argues that it's very difficult to compare AV performance to human driving behavior for a number of reasons. Human drivers tally 3 trillion miles on U.S. roads each year, whereas AVIA reports that its members have driven more than 70 million fully driverless miles to date. There's also the matter of where they're driving: Highways see more deadly crashes than surface streets, and robotaxis currently operate exclusively in slower speed zones. 

Cummings also points out that you cannot take human error out of coding algorithms that power AVs. Cummings, who previously worked as the senior safety advisor for NHTSA, saw near disastrous accidents caused by human coding mistakes, a lesser-known but important aspect of potential AV safety issues. 

The RAND Corporation has estimated that driverless cars will need to tally 275 million miles in order to confidently demonstrate their failure rate, a benchmark they're far from reaching despite significant progress. 

David Kidd, senior research scientist at the independent nonprofit Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, says that while Waymo's transparency is laudable, more research needs to be done so that the field can reach a consensus about what qualifies as safe when comparing human drivers and AVs. 

"Can we make the claim that they're safer than human drivers? I don't think that there's enough evidence yet to put that stake in the ground," Kidd says. 

Cummings credits Waymo for doing a "pretty good job" making their rides relatively safe so far, but worries that market pressures will produce a race to the bottom as shareholders and investors look to make a profit. Alphabet, for example, has spent billions funding Waymo. 

"That kind of financial pressure, as a person who does AI and safety, that's a perfect recipe for an accident," Cummings says. 

Elon Musk recently announced that Tesla plans to debut its own robotaxi service in Austin this June. Cummings said she worries people will die inside and outside of any Tesla robotaxi deployed so soon, given the company's safety record. Musk previously called Cummings "biased" against Tesla, and his followers subsequently harassed her aggressively online. 

One significant but unanswered question about the future of robotaxis is how they'll be regulated by the Trump administration. With Musk overseeing efforts to gut federal agencies, safety advocates are worried that NHTSA might dismiss the directive that requires Tesla and other AV-operating companies to report crashes to the government. DOT issued this directive in 2021 in response to safety concerns, and Musk and other Tesla executives have been critical of it. 

Regardless of what happens to that directive, Michael Brooks, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, says that industry groups like AVIA have floated suggestions for regulatory standards. He hopes industry groups bring more consumer advocates, academics, and independent safety researchers into the standard-setting process. 

"We're not really guaranteed anything coming out of that process other than what the industry's version of what safe is," Brooks says.

The future of robotaxis

When Lyft and Uber debuted more than a decade ago, they promised a lot, including reduced congestion and reaching underserved communities and riders with disabilities. Tumlin says those and other promises haven't materialized.

In fact, data show that Lyft and Uber have worsened transportation conditions in some cities. Instead of getting people out of their cars, research shows the ride-share services have lured people off public transportation, like buses and trains. He worries the same thing will happen with robotaxi services, especially as they come under increasing pressure to demonstrate their market viability. 

"I'm not seeing ways in which AV technology solves any of the problems that Uber and Lyft faced in the marketplace," Tumlin says. 

"There's a lot of potential upside, but at the current stage of development of autonomous vehicle technology, we are not seeing any net benefit to the transportation system as a whole," Tumlin says. "We're seeing a good deal of user benefit."

In other words, robotaxis in San Francisco are terrific for individual riders, but not transformative for the city. 

He adds that the riskiest drivers may be the least likely to take a Waymo, because the behind-the-wheel chaos is a feature not a bug for them. So even if robotaxis are exactly as safe as the average human driver, the service could still increase overall traffic and thereby increase traffic risk as a result.

So in one version of the future, robotaxis replace human drivers at a massive scale while operating in diverse rural, suburban, and urban communities, serving everyone, including those with disabilities, while also dramatically increasing safety. But perhaps just as likely is a future where we have yet another service that does little to solve our congestion and safety problems but caters to well-heeled city residents who prefer not to talk to a ride-share driver, or who feel safer without one.

It's hard to know which future we're going to get, or if a hybrid of the two will emerge. It's easier instead to look out the window of a robotaxi and assume that a billion-dollar technology will get us where we really need to go.

Tesla will have to replace HW3 computers with the newer, HW4 version, for Tesla owners who purchased the company's Full Self-Driving (FSD) package.

The news comes from CEO Elon Musk, who finally admitted it during Wednesday's Tesla earnings call (via Electrek). "The truth is that we will need to replace all HW3 computers in vehicles where FSD was purchased," said Musk after Tesla's head of FSD, Ashok Elluswamy, said the company is "not giving up on it."

For years, Musk claimed that Tesla cars with HW3 hardware are future-proof, meaning they'll be capable of running FSD once it truly becomes what Musk wants it to be: a feature package offering unsupervised, autonomous driving in Tesla cars.

This likely prompted many owners to dish out the money for FSD, which is not an insignificant amount (Tesla added a $99 per month FSD subscription option last year). The pricing for FSD changed over the years, but it currently stands at $8,000 in the U.S.

Tesla started shipping cars with HW3 in April 2019, and HW4 came in January 2023 (later for some models). This means that all Tesla cars sold from mid-2019 to early 2023 have HW3 installed; all owners of such vehicles that purchased the FSD package will need to have the HW3 computers replaced with HW4 to enjoy its full benefits.

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This is going to be a monumental task for Tesla. "We are going to have to upgrade Hardware 3 for people who bought FSD. That’s the honest answer. It's going to be painful and difficult but that’s what we're going to have to do," Musk said during the call.

Tesla already had to do this once, albeit on a smaller scale. In 2019, the company started replacing the older, HW2.5 computer with HW3 for owners who purchased the FSD package.

As Electrek noted, this might not sit well with Tesla owners who did not purchase FSD, as Musk claimed (repeatedly, for years), that all cars since 2016 are capable of Full Self-Driving. The company already lost one court case over a HW3 retrofit, with the judge calling out Tesla for "false advertising."

During the call Musk also promised that Tesla will launch a paid robotaxi service in Austin, Texas. This will require the unsupervised version of FSD, which hasn't been released yet. As it stands, FSD is still a set of features which give Tesla cars some partial autonomy, but does not enable the cars to drive themselves without user supervision.

The Catalan city of Barcelona, home to Sagrada Família, is now partially powered by its own Metro underground trains, thanks to a system called regenerative braking.

When an electric vehicle is slowed, the excess kinetic energy released when pressing the brake is harvested, transformed into electricity via a generator, and then stored for future use. Larger vehicles produce more kinetic power, and have the capacity to store more excess energy. The technology is increasingly used in electric cars, but when it comes to trains, it has actually been around for decades.

Enter Barcelona's MetroCharge project, which uses brake energy from the underground trains to power those same vehicles, as well as stations and their escalators, ventilation, and lighting systems. Any excess energy is pumped up to ground level and used to power local EV charging stations.

The system, which also includes solar panels, covers the energy needs of 28 of Barcelona’s 163 subway stations, saving six percent of the total energy spent by the Metro.

The MetroCharge project cost some €7.3 million ($7.6 million), which the city expects to recover within a few of years through energy savings and revenue.

Tesla's refreshed Model Y launched in China and Australia (among other countries in the Asia-Pacific region) last week. Now, it seems it'll soon launch in Europe, too.

Several sources claim that Tesla has already built the first new Model Y at its Gigafactory in Berlin, Germany. According to German media outlet Handelsblatt, the company was scheduled to start producing the new car, also known by its codename "Juniper", on Tuesday.

This was confirmed by Electrek, which claims that Tesla itself confirmed that the production of the new Model Y has started in Berlin, though the outlet did not provide any link, quote, or source to prove it. On X, Tesla YouTuber EFIEBER said that the first new Model Y rolled off the production line at Gigafactory Berlin; a commenter, possibly a Tesla employee, added that the first Model Y has indeed been built, and that it will be signed by 12,000 employees.

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If true, this is notable as it indicates that Tesla could start selling the Model Y in Europe pretty soon.

There's no official word (that we can find) from Tesla or its CEO Elon Musk about any of this, so take the reports with a grain of salt.

Historically, a European launch ahead of the U.S. launch wouldn't be a surprise. When the company launched the refreshed "Highland" Model 3 in late 2023, it became available in Europe months before Tesla started selling it in the U.S.

As of this writing, however, all of Tesla's European sites still list the "old" Tesla Model Y, while the Juniper version is nowhere to be seen.

The new, "Juniper" Tesla Model Y brings number of improvements and upgrades, both on the exterior and in the interior of the vehicle. For a detailed overview, go here.

Tesla's long-awaited "Juniper" refresh of the Model Y has just launched in China.

We knew the car was on its way due to numerous sightings of (mostly camouflaged) prototypes being tested on the roads globally, and there's still no word on when it's coming to the U.S. or Europe, but it's now available in most of Asia, including China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Korea. It's also available in Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

There's no official announcement as of this writing: Neither Tesla, Tesla Asia, or CEO Elon Musk tweeted anything about the new model. But we can go through the official specs and images to give you most of the details, and that's exactly what we did.

New Tesla Model Y: What is it, and what's with the "Juniper" name?

This is the facelift Model Y, the first major refresh of Tesla's most popular electric car since it launched in 2019. The "Juniper" name was just a codename, and it's not being officially used anywhere on Tesla's website, so the new version is still simply called the Tesla Model Y.

However, Tesla is labelling the currently available Model Y as "Launch Series," and calling it a limited release. This is probably mostly about availability as the company ramps up production, but you do get certain perks if you opt for the Launch Series version; more on that below.

New Tesla Model Y: Exterior design changes

Oh, is that a camera in the front bumper? That's a first. Credit: Tesla

While the new Model Y isn't a complete departure from the old design – the car is still roughly the same shape and size as before – it does represent a major design overhaul. And it's a big deal, because this was at one point the world's most popular car (electric or otherwise), meaning there's a very large user base waiting to see what Tesla has done with its family hauler.

The changes include completely new, super-thin headlights, connected with a light strip at the front of the car's hood. On the back, it's essentially the new Model 3 tail lights tied together with a red light bar. The front bumper has also been updated with new air vents, and that pretty much concludes the major design changes. Look carefully, and you'll see new details such as turn lights on the side mirrors, and a front camera in the bumper, but from afar, it's still the same car, only a little angrier looking.

The similarities with Tesla's Cybertruck and Cybercab, which also sport the light bar headlights, should be noted. Will this thing become known as Baby Cybertruck? Hopefully not, but we cannot guarantee it.

On the back, there's a red light bar now. Credit: Tesla

As for wheels, they differ depending on the region. In China, for example, buyers can choose between the 19-inch, black, "Interactive Storm" wheels (I've used machine translation from Chinese, so take these names with a grain of salt), or the 20-inch, silver, "Spiral Storm" wheels. In Australia, however, there's only one choice: The 20-inch "Helix 2.0" wheels, which appear to be the same as the "Spiral Storm" variant in China.

New Tesla Model Y: Colors

Five colors are on offer. In Australia, the choice is between Pearl White Multi-Coat, Glacier Blue (new), Stealth Grey, Quicksilver, and Ultra Red. In China, the choices appear to be the same with slightly different names.

Behold: Tesla Model Y in Glacier Blue, sporting the 20-inch Helix 2.0 wheels. Credit: Tesla

Glacier Blue is an entirely new color, replacing the previous Deep Blue Metallic. It's a nice, softer, lighter blue, though it appears to be the sort of color that you really need to see in person to figure out the exact shade.

Interesting note: In Australia, all of the colors are included with the car's price. In China, you have to pay up to 12,000 yuan ($1,636) for anything besides the "Starry Grey."

New Tesla Model Y: Interior

Interior color choices are simple: All Black, or Black and White. As for seating, you only get one option, and that's the five seat variant. The new Model Y is expected to be available with seven or perhaps even six seats in the future, but alas, it just hasn't happened yet.

No seven seat option yet. Credit: Tesla

Inside, there's no radical change, either: You still get the standard, fully round steering wheel (no yoke wheel here), a large, centrally placed landscape display and...little else to look at.

However, there are a significant number of new details here if you look closely. These include the ambient light strips, an additional display in the back, and the absence of the gear-shifting stalk behind the steering wheel, though the indicator stalk appears to still be present.

The indicator stalk is still here. Credit: Tesla

Tesla also says the cabin should be quieter than before thanks to new acoustic glass. Seats are now ventilated, and the rear seats are electric and can be reclined with a press of a button.

New Tesla Model Y: Trims, range, acceleration

Only two trims are on offer, and that's the Rear-Wheel Drive and the Long Range All-Wheel Drive. The Performance version is absent.

With the Rear-Wheel Drive, you get a 466km range (WLTP estimate in Australia), a 201 km/h top speed, and a 5.9 second 0-100km/h time. The price starts at 63,400 AUD ($39,275).

Bump up to the Long Range All-Wheel Drive, and you get an additional motor and all-wheel drive. You also get 551km of range (again, WLTP estimate in Australia), 201 km/h top speed, and a 4.3 second 0-100 km/h acceleration.

No big surprises here. Credit: Tesla

The range figure is a modest improvement (in Australia, previous range figures were 455 km for the Rear-Wheel Drive model, and 533 km for the Long Range model).

Acceleration is better, too: 1.0 seconds quicker from 0-100 km/h for the RWD variant, and 0.7 seconds quicker for the LRAWD version. But there's a caveat: the Launch Series Model Y is fitted with the typically optional Acceleration Boost software upgrade, so expect that to be gone when Launch Series cars sell out.

As for the batteries inside, Tesla doesn't share specs, but it's probable that the batteries are the same as before, and that the range improvements are due to various efficiency optimizations.

New Tesla Model Y: Specs and details

Similar to what we saw with the Model 3 Highland upgrade in Sept. 2023, there's a long list of minor improvements in the Model Y Juniper:

• Updated suspension, wheels, and tires — should provide a smoother and quieter ride. In numbers, that's 22 percent less road noise, 20 percent less suspension impact noise, and 20 percent less wind noise.

• Front bumper camera — should improve parking as well as driver assistance features, including Autopilot and Full Self-Drive driving.

• 15.4-inch touchscreen — a small increase from the previous, 15-inch touchscreen

• 8-inch touchsreen in the back

• Improved range for Phone Key

• faster cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as better call quality

• acoustic glass, contributing to the aforementioned noise reductions

If you get the Launch Series, you get this special badge on the rear liftgate. Credit: Tesla

Furthermore, exclusive to the Launch Series, in Australia you get:

• Rear liftgate badge with a new logo that implies speed

• Puddle light badge

• Doorsill plate watermark saying "Launch Series"

• Charging console watermark saying "Launch Series"

• Vegan Suede interior materials if you choose the All Black interior

New Tesla Model Y: Pricing and launch date

The launch date varies by region. In China, for example, Tesla says deliveries will begin in March. In Australia, however, deliveries are expected to begin in May.

As for the pricing, the new version is more expensive than before. For example, the starting drive away price for the old Model Y was 60,872 AUD ($37,693). Now, the starting drive away price is 68,770 AUD ($42,596). That's roughly a 12 percent increase — a significant change and a good reason to consider the old Model Y, which is still available but will likely go away when Tesla's inventory is depleted. Prices vary by market, so the pricing difference might be different depending on your region. Also, when the Launch Series limited edition is sold out, the prices of the regular Model Y might turn out to be different.

New Tesla Model Y: When will it arrive in the U.S. and Europe?

There's no official word on this. Judging by the launch dates (two months from now at the earliest, and four months from now in some regions), Tesla likely doesn't have enough inventory to start globally selling the new MY en masse. Tesla does not have official press comms, so we can't get any direct answers, but our best guess is that the car might become available in other regions in a few months.

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