Author: Thomas Schmidt

Tesla is accelerating its autonomous ride-hailing efforts in the San Francisco Bay Area, with CEO Elon Musk confirming plans to scale up the company’s pilot fleet to more than 100 vehicles. The move follows last month’s quiet launch of the service across a wide Bay Area geofence that significantly exceeds the 80 square miles currently covered in Austin, Texas. While Tesla has avoided publicly branding the Bay Area rollout as a “Robotaxi” program, Musk acknowledged in a post on social media platform X that California regulations restrict the company from using terms such as “taxi” or “cab” for the pilot.…

Tesla is preparing to introduce a significantly enhanced version of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, with CEO Elon Musk confirming that the upcoming model will feature a tenfold increase in parameters. The move marks Tesla’s latest step toward advancing autonomous driving technology, with a possible public release targeted for the end of next month, pending successful testing. The new FSD version is currently being trained and tested, with a prototype already operating in Tesla’s Robotaxi platform in Austin, Texas. Although the vehicles do not require driver supervision, a Safety Monitor remains seated in the passenger’s side during operations. “We are…

The National Transport Commission (NTC) has released a new explainer video outlining the upcoming legal changes required for autonomous vehicles (AVs) in Australia, marking the agency’s first public update since May 2024. The video signals renewed momentum in Australia’s push toward deploying AVs on public roads, though observers continue to raise concerns about the pace of regulatory development. The NTC is working with federal and state regulators to develop a national legal framework for AV deployment, addressing the fact that current road laws are structured around human drivers. “Current laws aren’t designed for automated driving systems,” the NTC says in…

Ford Motor’s electric vehicle unit, Model e, reported a $1.3 billion loss in the second quarter of 2025, as rising costs and tariffs weighed on its financial performance despite a 105% year-over-year increase in revenue. The segment generated $2.4 billion in Q2 sales, driven by higher wholesale volumes and continued focus on electric vehicle development. The EBIT loss was $179 million deeper than in the same period a year earlier, reflecting the impact of tariffs, strategic investment in next-generation EVs, and startup costs tied to Ford’s new battery manufacturing plant in Marshall, Michigan. Model e’s cumulative loss for the first…

Citroen has opened UK orders for the latest generation of its ë-C5 Aircross, offering both hybrid and battery-electric (BEV) variants. Customer deliveries are expected to begin in October 2025, with pricing for the hybrid starting at £30,495 and the electric model beginning at £34,065. The battery-electric ë-C5 Aircross is powered by a 210 hp (156 kW) electric motor and offers a driving range of up to 322 miles. It is available in three trim levels: ‘YOU!’, ‘PLUS’, and ‘MAX’. Prices for the electric version range from the base £34,065 for the entry model to £39,345 for the fully equipped ‘MAX’.…

Israeli electric aviation company AIR has raised $23 million in Series A funding to accelerate development and production of its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for both personal and defense applications, as geopolitical tensions and regulatory changes reshape the advanced air mobility sector. The funding round, led by Entrée Capital with support from early investor Dr. Shmuel Harlap, will be used to scale AIR’s manufacturing capabilities in Israel, expand its team, and support entry into the U.S. market. AIR’s CEO and co-founder Rani Plaut said the company’s design philosophy focuses on flexibility and efficiency by building both piloted…

Chinese electric truck maker Windrose Technology has secured a $60 million supply contract from California-based Nevoya and entered into a partnership with Chile’s Trailerlogistics Sudamérica, marking its expansion into a fifth continent. The agreement with Nevoya represents Windrose’s largest single order in the U.S. to date and includes the delivery of several hundred R700 Class 8 battery-electric semi-trucks. Initial deliveries are expected by late 2025, with full deployment planned for 2026. To support its U.S. operations, Windrose has begun transporting knock-down kits using its own electric trucks between Shanghai and Los Angeles. The move follows previous statements by founder and…

The Frauscher x Porsche 850 Fantom electric speedboat set a new speed record at the 12th Monaco Energy Boat Challenge, winning the Open Sea class with an average speed of 49.84 knots (92.3 km/h). Developed jointly by Porsche and Austrian boat builder Frauscher, the high-performance electric boat is powered by technology from the fully electric Porsche Macan Turbo. The Monaco Energy Boat Challenge serves as a platform to promote emission-free marine propulsion, testing electric drive systems in real-world conditions. Competing in the Speed category—where the average speed over two one-kilometre runs determines performance—the 850 Fantom outpaced all rivals, underscoring both…

Chinese battery swapping provider U Power, together with Dutch partner UNEX EV, has opened Southeast Asia’s first smart battery swapping station in Phuket, Thailand. The facility, designed primarily for electric taxis and ride-hailing fleets, marks the start of U Power’s regional expansion beyond mainland China. Developed in partnership with Thai energy conglomerate Susco, the new Phuket station uses U Power’s UOTTA fully automated technology. The system allows battery swaps in about three minutes without manual intervention and supports multiple EV models, including those compatible with future Level 4 autonomous driving. According to local media reports, U Power invested 15 million…

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Friday it has closed a 14-month investigation into a series of minor collisions and unexpected driving behavior by Alphabet’s Waymo autonomous vehicles without taking additional enforcement action. The federal auto safety regulator launched the probe in May 2024 after receiving 22 reports involving Waymo robotaxis. The vehicles were said to have exhibited behavior that could potentially violate traffic safety laws or acted in other “unexpected” ways. Of those cases, 17 involved minor collisions, including one in which a Waymo vehicle hit a utility pole. The agency cited two voluntary recalls…

MN8 Energy has announced the Gateway to Hunts Point project, a multifaceted electric vehicle (EV) charging and community development initiative in New York City’s South Bronx. Designed to support sustainable freight operations and local economic opportunities, the project combines high-capacity charging for trucks with job training and renewable energy infrastructure. The facility will serve the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center, which sees over 15,000 truck trips daily, by offering 42 EV charging plugs tailored for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. This includes 32 DC fast chargers ranging from 180 kW to 360 kW, 10 Level 2 chargers, and stations for e-bikes…

Alfa Romeo has introduced a new £1,500 EV Grant in the UK, available across its entire Junior electric vehicle (EV) lineup. The incentive applies to all variants, including the entry-level Elettrica and the high-performance 280hp Veloce, and can be combined with existing retail promotions and finance offers. The Stellantis-owned brand confirmed the grant is available in conjunction with 0% APR Personal Contract Purchase deals, adding further appeal to Alfa Romeo’s first fully electric model. The discounted pricing now places the Junior Elettrica at £32,405, the Speciale at £34,205, the Intensa at £37,405, and the Veloce at £40,805. Customers will also…

Kia has introduced the EV4 Fastback, its first electric saloon, to the UK market with a starting price of £40,895. The new four-door model joins the EV4 hatchback and is powered by an 81.4kWh battery, offering a WLTP range of up to 380 miles. Standard features include a front-mounted 150kW motor and the brand’s ChatGPT-powered AI Assistant. The EV4 Fastback is 300mm longer and 5mm taller than the hatchback version due to its extended rear overhang. It is available in two trims—GT-Line and GT-Line S—both featuring Kia’s connected Navigation Cockpit display and a suite of digital features. The GT-Line S…

Austrian Post will transition to fully CO2-free delivery operations in Vienna by the end of 2025, using only electric vehicles, bicycles, and on-foot couriers. The company aims to make Vienna the first major European city with entirely emissions-free last-mile delivery of letters, parcels, newspapers, and brochures. The initiative builds on Austrian Post’s ongoing sustainability strategy, which includes the deployment of roughly 700 electric vehicles already in operation in Vienna—over half of the current 1,100-vehicle fleet in the city. An additional 400 electric vehicles will be introduced by the end of 2025, with the remaining charging infrastructure installed within the year.…

Pronto, a San Francisco-based developer of autonomous systems for heavy vehicles in mining and construction, has acquired rival SafeAI in a move aimed at accelerating growth and expanding its engineering talent base. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, though a source familiar with the matter said the acquisition was valued in the “millions.” “In the autonomous haulage system space, there’s really kind of two players — it’s SafeAI and us,” Pronto CEO Anthony Levandowski told TechCrunch. “We’ve been growing a ton and needed to add more people and resources to the team, so it made sense to purchase…

Outrider, a U.S.-based company specializing in autonomous yard operations, has developed what it describes as the industry’s first comprehensive safety system tailored for driverless freight movement in mixed-traffic trailer yards. The system is designed to enable scalable, unsupervised automation of logistics hubs while adhering to stringent safety requirements. The company’s latest-generation driverless yard trucks are expected to begin deployment with select customers in the second half of 2025. The system incorporates 14 safety mechanisms designed to address over 200,000 hazards specific to trailer yard environments, including interactions between autonomous trucks, human-operated vehicles, and personnel. Outrider’s safety framework aligns with global…

A new European Union-backed initiative aims to accelerate the development of lithium-sulphur battery technology for cleaner and more efficient transport. The TALISSMAN project, which brings together nine organisations from four countries, is focused on delivering safer, longer-lasting, and more sustainable batteries tailored to electric mobility sectors including electric vehicles, aerospace, and heavy-duty transport. The project—short for Technologies for Advanced Lithium-Sulphur batteries towards Safe and Sustainable Mobility Applications—targets improvements across four key areas: technical performance, safety, cost-effectiveness, and environmental sustainability. A central technical goal is to achieve energy densities of up to 550 Wh/kg, with batteries capable of sustaining up to…

Austria registered 31,534 new battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) in the first half of 2025, a 42.2% increase over the same period last year, according to Statistics Austria. The figure pushed the market share of BEVs to 22% of all new passenger car registrations, making electric cars the third most common drivetrain after petrol hybrids and conventional petrol engines. In total, 143,051 new passenger cars were registered between January and June 2025, up 5.9% year-on-year. The growth was primarily driven by electric and hybrid powertrains. Petrol hybrids topped the registration charts with 45,634 units, representing a 31.9% share of the market. These…

The state of New York has awarded $3 million to three companies focused on enhancing the integration of electric vehicles (EVs) with the power grid, while launching an additional $4 million grant program to address challenges faced by utility providers in managing growing EV demand. Funding recipients include EV charging infrastructure firms Voltpost, The Mobility House, and Weave Grid Inc. The investments are part of New York’s Vehicle Grid Integration (VGI) Program, designed to accelerate the deployment of EV charging technologies that support grid modernization. Voltpost received $775,000 to install at least ten new Level 2 lamppost-based charging stations across…

Nissan is reportedly reducing production plans for the next-generation LEAF electric vehicle, citing supply chain challenges linked to China’s export restrictions on rare earth elements. The move comes as global automakers brace for higher EV prices and reduced demand following the Trump administration’s decision to end the $7,500 clean vehicle tax credit on September 30. See also: Nissan to Export Chinese-Built EVs from 2026 Amid Major Global Restructuring While the new LEAF is set to launch in the U.S. this fall, reports from Japan suggest the company is facing parts shortages due to limits on key materials used in electric…