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‘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...