Low-cost sodium batteries are already reaching Tesla performance levels in China

A commercial sodium-ion battery used in China is getting closer to Tesla-style performance, with cheaper materials and a double-aluminum design that could challenge lithium-ion in cost-sensitive EVs and grid storage.

Tesla’s top rival launches self-driving with full crash coverage at a fraction of the cost

BYD is pushing its God’s Eye assisted-driving system with a crash-cost coverage pledge and a 12,000 yuan upgrade price, which undercuts Tesla’s assisted-driving package.

Tesla wants you to believe in its self-driving tech, but even its own AI trainers won’t trust it

A Reuters investigation found that Tesla’s FSD safety stats are misleading, its robotaxi launches were carefully staged, and the people training its AI wouldn’t trust the technology with their lives.

Waymo’s new Ojai robotaxi looks like it was made for the future, and it’s got a brain upgrade, too

Waymo’s Ojai robotaxi blends futuristic design with a strong focus on accessibility and next-gen autonomy. Early riders are about to get a taste, while a much bigger rollout is already taking shape.

BYD has built China’s first 4nm driving chip, and it’s putting LiDAR on a $10,000 car
BYD has built China’s first 4nm driving chip, and it’s putting LiDAR on a $10,000 car

BYD has unveiled the Xuanji A3, which it calls China’s first automotive-grade 4-nanometre chip for self-driving vehicles. CEO Wang Chuanfu announced the chip at an event at BYD’s Shenzhen headquarters on 28 May, saying it delivers the lowest power cons…

Waymo’s new Ojai robotaxi is cheaper to build, harder to break, and made in China
Waymo’s new Ojai robotaxi is cheaper to build, harder to break, and made in China

Waymo has started offering rides to select passengers in its new Ojai robotaxi, the first vehicle purpose-built for autonomous ride-hailing rather than retrofitted from an existing car. The Ojai runs on Waymo’s sixth-generation Driver system and is bui…

Rivian’s software chief thinks you don’t need CarPlay or buttons
Rivian’s software chief thinks you don’t need CarPlay or buttons

Today, I’m talking with Wassym Bensaid, the chief software officer at Rivian, and the co-CEO of Rivian’s platform joint venture with Volkswagen, which everyone just calls RV Tech. That joint venture kicked off about a year and a half ago with a nearly $6 billion investment from Volkswagen. It effectively puts Wassym in charge of […]

Kia’s flagship EV has a battery problem
Kia’s flagship EV has a battery problem

I first realized there was an issue with Kia’s flagship EV9 when I tried to unlock my car last year. The hulking three-row SUV was sitting on my driveway completely dead. The key didn’t work, the app connection to the car was gone, and I was already late to an appointment. Luckily, I had prepared […]

Rivian will deliver the electric R2 starting June 9th, but you’ll to need snag an invite first

Rivian R2 order invitations go out starting June 9. Here’s how the invite system works, what determines your place in line, and what you can do right now to prepare.

All the news about Ferrari’s polarizing Luce EV
All the news about Ferrari’s polarizing Luce EV

Ferrari fans don’t like the design of the new Luce EV, an electric four-door sedan that just doesn’t look like the Ferraris of old. It was designed with help from Jony Ive’s LoveFrom, but what worked for Ive at Apple isn’t working for Ferrari. The Luce’s launch immediately preceded a stock drop that even an […]