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Showing posts from June, 2025

‘Lidar is lame’: why Elon Musk’s vision for a self-driving Tesla taxi faltered

The company’s rollout of its new driverless cars has gotten off to a wobbly start – and rival Waymo remains well ahead After years of promising investors that millions of Tesla robotaxis would soon fill the streets, Elon Musk debuted his driverless car service in a limited public rollout in Austin, Texas. It did not go smoothly. The 22 June launch initially appeared successful enough, with a flood of videos from pro-Tesla social media influencers praising the service and sharing footage of their rides. Musk celebrated it as a triumph, and the following day, Tesla’s stock rose nearly 10%. Continue reading...

Judge blocks Trump from withholding EV charger funds awarded to 14 states

Trump officials had ordered states not to spend $5bn given by Biden under national EV infrastructure scheme A US district judge has blocked the Trump administration from withholding funds previously awarded to 14 states for electric vehicle charger infrastructure. Seattle-based judge Tana Lin, who was appointed to the bench by Joe Biden in 2021, granted a partial injunction to the states that filed suit against Trump’s Department of Transportation. Continue reading...

Chinese carmaker Chery Auto ‘actively considering’ building UK factory

As company faces increased UK and EU tariffs, it says move would be part of ‘localisation’ strategy The Chinese carmaker Chery Auto is considering building its second European factory in Britain. After launching two brands, Omoda and Jaecoo, in the UK in September, Chery’s UK director, Victor Zhang, said the company is making inroads in the British market with the appetite growing for Chinese cars. Continue reading...

US investigates Tesla’s Robotaxi launch after videos show erratically driving cars

The limited rollout in Austin, Texas, included pro-Tesla influencers using the paid ride service The main transportation safety regulator in the US is requesting information from Tesla after videos showed the company’s self-driving Robotaxis exceeding the speed limit or veering into the wrong lane. The company launched the service in Austin, Texas, over the weekend. Tesla heavily promoted the initial, limited rollout of its Robotaxis, which included pro-Tesla influencers using the paid ride service and showing off footage of their trips. Instead of positive promotion, though, those videos appear to have drawn scrutiny from the National Highway Transit Safety Administration (NHTSA), as the cars struggled to comply with traffic laws. Continue reading...

Labour scraps £950m EV rapid charging fund first announced by Conservatives

£400m to be set aside for on-street charging points instead of motorways after RCF was mired in delays Labour ministers have scrapped a promise by the previous government for a £950m fund for installing electric car chargers near motorways, instead setting aside a smaller sum mainly for on-street charging points. The rapid charging fund (RCF) was first announced in 2020 by Rishi Sunak, then Conservative chancellor, with the aim of supporting upgrades to the grid so that more electric vehicles could be rapidly charged at the same time. Continue reading...

Tesla set to unveil self-driving car service in Austin

Elon Musk’s autonomous robotaxis slated to hit the streets of the Texas capital on Sunday after delayed launch Austin, Texas is set to be the first city worldwide to see Tesla’s self-driving robotaxi service on its roads. Elon Musk, CEO of the electric carmaker, has said he is “tentatively” planning to roll out a small number of these autonomous vehicles on the streets of the Texas state capital on Sunday. Details about the company’s robotaxi service have been scant since its unveiling in October of last year , and its launch has been delayed. Musk has told reporters that there may be fewer than a dozen cars in Austin on Sunday and that the vehicles will stick to specific neighborhoods. Some analysts believe that the robotaxis will only be available to employees and invitees initially. Continue reading...

Do electric vehicles make people more carsick?

An increasing number of people are experiencing motion sickness in EVs, and there is a scientific explanation as to why With electric cars skyrocketing in popularity around the world – in 2024, 22% of new car sales worldwide were electric vehicles, compared with 18% in 2023 – a growing body of studies and an increasing number of people have found that they feel more motion sick riding in EVs than in traditional petrol or diesel cars. Anecdotes of feeling sick in the passenger or back seat of electric cars litter social media , as do questions from wary prospective buyers. There is a scientific explanation behind why a person might feel more sick in an EV, though, according to multiple academic studies. Continue reading...

Trump blocks California rules for greener vehicles and gas-powered car ban

State says it would challenge president’s resolution, setting up a battle over California’s environmental measures Donald Trump has blocked California ’s first-in-the-nation rule banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035, signing a resolution on Thursday to stymie the state’s ambitious attempt to tackle the climate crisis by pivoting to greener vehicles. The state quickly announced it was challenging the move in court, with California’s attorney general holding a news conference to discuss the lawsuit before Trump’s signing ceremony ended at the White House. The resolution was approved by Congress last month and aims to quash the country’s most aggressive attempt to phase out gas-powered cars. Trump also signed measures to overturn state policies curbing tailpipe emissions in certain vehicles and smog-forming nitrogen oxide pollution from trucks. California has some of the worst smog and air quality issues in the nation, and has for decades been able to seek waivers fr...

BYD launches cheapest UK model in bid to overtake Tesla as biggest electric carmaker

Dolphin Surf will start at £18,650 – among the cheapest new vehicles on sale in Britain Business live – latest updates The Chinese manufacturer BYD has launched its cheapest model in the UK, in the latest stage of its efforts to overtake Tesla as the world’s biggest electric carmaker. The Dolphin Surf will start at £18,650, a price that puts it among the cheapest new vehicles on sale in Britain. Continue reading...

The car made pedestrians second-class citizens. Don’t let driverless vehicles push us off the road altogether | Adam Tranter

If we want autonomous tech to succeed it must be designed to share space with us, rather than forcing us to adapt to it Adam Tranter is the co-host of the Streets Ahead podcast. He was formerly West Midlands cycling and walking commissioner under mayor Andy Street This week, the UK government announced its plans to fast-track driverless vehicle trials in the UK. One of the key companies involved noted that London presents a significant challenge: “It has seven times more jaywalkers than San Francisco.” There’s more than one problem with that statement – and it encapsulates so much of what’s already going wrong in the adoption of driverless cars. For a start, “jaywalking” isn’t even a thing in the UK. We thankfully have no such concept or offence. Unlike in many US cities, pedestrians here are free to cross the road wherever they see fit. And thank goodness for that. Adam Tranter is the co-host of the Streets Ahead podcast. He was formerly West Midlands cycling and walking co...

Uber to trial self-driving taxis in London next spring

Partnership with Wayve will use cars without a human safety driver onboard for the first time in Europe Self-driving Ubers are expected to appear on roads in London next year after the government said trials of fully autonomous vehicles would be brought forward to spring 2026. Companies will be allowed to run pilots of small-scale taxi or “bus-like” services for public use – and, for the first time in Europe, without any human safety driver onboard or in the driving seat. Continue reading...

UK sales of new Tesla cars slumped by third in May amid Musk backlash

Elon Musk’s company sold 36% fewer cars in Britain compared with the same month last year Sales of new Tesla cars slumped by more than a third in the UK last month as the electric carmaker lost ground to China’s BYD and other rivals, amid a political backlash against Tesla’s billionaire boss, Elon Musk. Tesla sold 2,016 vehicles in the UK in May, down from 3,125 in May 2024 – a 36% drop, according to the monthly snapshot from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Continue reading...

More than 130 official suppliers willing to sell cloned number plates, experts find

Exclusive: Academics warn abuse of system poses major risk to policing, road safety and critical infrastructure More than 130 official suppliers of vehicle number plates are willing to sell cloned versions that could thwart police and avoid congestion charges, an investigation by expert government advisers has claimed. The alleged abuse of the system is described by the academics as a risk to law enforcement, road safety and the country’s critical national infrastructure. Continue reading...