Author: Alexander Reed

Tesla plans to roughly double the size of its robotaxi fleet in Austin, Texas, in December, Chief Executive Elon Musk said on Tuesday, signaling a fresh step-up in the company’s push to expand its self-driving ride-hailing service. “The Tesla Robotaxi fleet in Austin should roughly double next month,” Musk said in a post on social media platform X, which he also owns. Tesla has not disclosed how many robotaxis it currently operates in the city. See also: Tesla Receives Nevada Approval to Operate Autonomous Vehicles on Public Roads Tesla’s robotaxi service is currently running in two U.S. markets — Austin…

Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio celebrated its 11th anniversary on Monday as cumulative deliveries approach one million units, the company said on its mobile app. The milestone coincides with the release of its third-quarter earnings report. A poster shared on the Nio App indicated that the company’s one-millionth mass-produced vehicle is nearing completion. Nio delivered a record 40,397 vehicles in October, bringing total deliveries since its inception to 913,182. See also: Nio’s Firefly Begins Mass Production of Right-Hand Drive Model The company recorded its 100,000th production vehicle on April 7, 2021, a milestone acknowledged by Tesla CEO Elon Musk as…

Volkswagen’s chief strategist Stefan Weckbach is reportedly preparing to leave the company for a competing automaker, according to a report by German business publication Manager Magazin. The move has not been confirmed publicly, and the magazine did not specify which competitor he is expected to join. Volkswagen declined to comment when approached, the report said. Weckbach joined Volkswagen in 2023 after being appointed by CEO Oliver Blume, serving as head of corporate strategy, corporate product strategy and as Blume’s executive secretary. The publication described the unexpected exit as causing “internal strife,” as Weckbach has held a central role in shaping…

BYD and Tesla remained the world’s top battery electric vehicle (BEV) makers in the third quarter, holding a combined global share of nearly 29 percent, according to a new report from market research firm TrendForce. BYD led the BEV market with a 15.4 percent global share, though its sales slipped from the second quarter. The company sold 582,522 passenger BEVs in the July–September period, up 31.37 percent year-on-year but down 4.03 percent compared with the previous quarter. Tesla ranked second with a 13.4 percent share after posting strong quarter-on-quarter momentum. The company delivered 497,099 vehicles in the third quarter —…

Britain plans to introduce a £1.5 billion ($2 billion) package to speed up the transition to electric vehicles, including an additional £1.3 billion for its Electric Car Grant scheme, the government said on Tuesday. The programme, launched in July, has supported more than 35,000 drivers in switching to an EV by reducing upfront purchase costs by up to £3,750. The measures will be detailed in the Nov. 26 budget and will include a further £200 million to accelerate the installation of public chargepoints across the country. The initiatives form part of Britain’s strategy to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by…

A new consortium of Scottish logistics and charging infrastructure companies has formed to test electric heavy-duty trucks and shared charging hubs across the country. The initiative, known as SCALE (Scotland Charging to Accelerate Logistics Electrification), is led by Glasgow-based charging specialist Voltempo and supported by Transport Scotland’s £2 million HGV Market Readiness Fund. The SCALE project aims to deploy electric trucks ranging from 7.5 tonnes to 44 tonnes from multiple manufacturers, testing them in real-world applications including pharmaceutical distribution, food logistics, and parcel delivery to remote areas. Fleet operators participating in the consortium include Creel Maritime through its Net Zero…

Delta Charge, a German-Swedish developer of charging and battery storage systems for electric trucks, has raised $4.3 million in an oversubscribed equity round as it prepares to scale its platform across Europe. The Munich-founded company, established in 2024, said the round attracted participation from executives in the German corporate sector as well as climate-tech investors. The company focuses on pairing battery energy storage systems with depot charging infrastructure and power management software. Delta Charge says the model enables fleet operators to avoid costly high-capacity grid connections and benefit from “large-scale energy platforms.” The startup is backed by Delta Capacity, a…

General Motors has introduced a vehicle-to-home energy platform that enables Cadillac electric vehicles to supply backup power during outages, expanding the automaker’s presence in the home energy management sector. The GM Energy Home System, demonstrated at a residence in Calabasas, California, uses bidirectional charging technology integrated across Cadillac’s six-model EV portfolio. The system allows properly equipped homes to draw electricity from a vehicle’s battery during grid failures. GM said the setup is compatible with new and existing residential infrastructure and can work alongside third-party solar installations. The demonstration provided real estate professionals with an overview of how the system can…

Coco Robotics has begun autonomous delivery operations for Shake Shack locations in Chicago through integration with Uber Eats, marking an expansion of sidewalk-based robotic last-mile services in major U.S. cities. The initial deployment covers two locations, with plans to expand citywide to improve order fulfillment during peak periods. The autonomous robots connect directly with Shake Shack’s Uber Eats ordering system, eliminating the need for restaurant staff to manually enter orders. The robots navigate sidewalks and urban pedestrian zones to deliver orders to customer-designated locations, operating without additional fees, tips, or customer interaction steps. “By integrating Coco’s autonomous delivery technology into…

Polestar said it will begin integrating Google’s new Gemini AI assistant into its vehicles from 2026, replacing the existing Google Assistant through an over-the-air update applied to models starting with the Polestar 2. The Swedish electric vehicle maker will preview the technology at the Slush conference in Helsinki on November 19–20, where visitors will be able to test the system in the Polestar 5 prototype. Gemini, which introduces generative AI capabilities, is designed to deliver more natural and adaptive interaction than traditional voice-command systems. The feature known as Gemini Live will allow conversational exchanges, follow-up questions and broader assistance functions.…

Swedish automaker Volvo has terminated a five-year contract with lidar developer Luminar, widening a dispute that has emerged during a period of acute financial pressure for the U.S. sensor company. Volvo said the move was directly related to Luminar’s inability to meet agreed terms. “Volvo Cars has made this decision to limit the company’s supply chain risk exposure and it is a direct result of Luminar’s failure to meet its contractual obligations to Volvo Cars,” the automaker told TechCrunch. The decision comes as Luminar works through loan defaults and warns it may need bankruptcy protection if lenders decline to restructure…

Rio Tinto has put its Jadar lithium project in Serbia on hold as the company redirects focus toward “short-term opportunities” under new CEO Simon Trott, according to an internal memo cited by Bloomberg. The decision reverses earlier progress made after Serbia reinstated approval for lithium mining in 2024. A Rio Tinto spokesperson confirmed the contents of the internal communication but declined to elaborate. The memo stated: “Given the lack of progress on approvals, we are unable to maintain the same level of investment and resource allocation,” signalling frustration over ongoing bureaucratic delays and persistent local resistance. The Jadar project remains…