Today's Automotive Pulse
Waymo suspends driverless rides in Atlanta and Texas amid severe storms
Waymo announced a temporary suspension of its driverless‑car services in Atlanta, Georgia, and multiple Texas cities after a vehicle became stranded in flood‑water. The company said the pause is an "abundance of caution" as flash‑flood warnings, severe thunderstorms, hail and gusty winds threaten safety.
Also developing:
By the numbers: LTM Ltd acquires Randstad’s Europe and Australia units for $186M
Pirelli to Begin Cyber Tyre Manufacturing in Georgia, US
Pirelli will begin manufacturing its Cyber Tyre technology at its Rome, Georgia plant, marking the first U.S. production of the sensor‑enabled tyre. The rollout coincides with Italy’s golden‑power intervention that curtails Chinese investor Sinochem’s board influence. The Georgia facility will adopt Pirelli’s latest Modular Integrated Robotised System, promising higher productivity and quality for its premium and motorsport segments. Investment details and output goals are still being finalized.
Lucid Posts Q1 Loss Despite Revenue and Production Rise
Lucid Group posted Q1 2026 revenue of $282.4 million, up 20% year‑on‑year, while vehicle production surged 149% to 5,500 units. Despite the top‑line growth, the electric‑vehicle maker recorded a net loss of $1.02 billion, widening from $366 million a year earlier, driven by higher...
Ford Patents Technology That Could Let Parked Cars Move On Their Own to Avoid Impacts
Ford has secured U.S. patent US‑12617393‑B2 for a system that detects moving objects near a stationary vehicle and, after issuing visual or audible warnings, can autonomously drive the car to avoid a collision. The filing, dated December 2023 and published in...
BMW Rolls Out Terahertz Paint‑thickness Inspection at Leipzig Plant
BMW has begun series‑production use of a terahertz‑based paint‑thickness inspection system at its Leipzig plant, replacing manual scalpel checks on plastic exterior components. The das‑Nano “Irys” system, mounted on two robots, delivers micrometre‑level accuracy in seconds and feeds digital data...
Volvo and Aurora Deploy 200‑Mile Autonomous Freight Route Between Dallas and Oklahoma City
Volvo Autonomous Solutions and Aurora Innovation have begun operating a 200‑mile autonomous freight corridor between Dallas and Oklahoma City. The Volvo VNL Autonomous, equipped with Aurora’s Driver, runs five days a week in supervised mode, marking the first multi‑state customer‑endpoint...
InfiMotion’s Magnesium-Aluminum Alloy Dual Motor Assembly Claims 25% Weight Reduction over Aluminum
InfiMotion unveiled at the 5th International Forum on Automotive Power Systems in Shanghai a dual‑motor assembly built with a magnesium‑aluminum alloy housing. The alloy reduces system weight by roughly 25 % compared with conventional aluminum while preserving production‑grade hardness. The unit...
Greenlane Expands Electric Truck Charging Network Into Texas Freight Corridor
Greenlane announced the rollout of two high‑power electric‑truck charging stations in Dallas and Houston along I‑45, extending its public network beyond California. Each site will feature six to eight pull‑through lanes and support both CCS and the emerging Megawatt Charging...
Tesla Roadster Gets an Update, but Not the One Fans Were Looking For
Tesla filed a new trademark on February 3, 2026 for its next‑generation Roadster, revealing a fresh badge design that hints at the supercar’s aerodynamic identity. The filing shows four vertical lines representing speed, propulsion, heat or wind, alongside an inverted triangular logo....
Mercedes-Benz’s reECONIC Electric Truck Concept Demonstrates the Use of Recycled Materials
Mercedes‑Benz Trucks unveiled the reECONIC electric waste‑collection concept, built with roughly 80 percent recycled, natural or bio‑based materials across its body, chassis and interior while retaining a conventional powertrain. The project involved 33 partners and showcases recycled steel, aluminum, plastics, wood...
Kempower Launches Mega Satellite Flex with CCS and MCS Charging Support at ACT Expo
Kempower unveiled the Mega Satellite Flex, a high‑power charging dispenser that supports both CCS and MCS standards for heavy‑duty electric vehicles. The unit can deliver up to 560 kW via CCS and 1.2 MW via MCS, with 5 m and 2.7 m cable reaches...
Tesla Unsupervised Robotaxi Houston Field Report
Tesla’s unsupervised robotaxi pilot in Houston revealed distinct operational traits compared with Austin. Keeping the Tesla app open dramatically increases the chance of being matched, while the vehicle adopts a more aggressive, “Houstonian” driving style. A navigation bug caused the...
GreenCars Podcast Features Cox Automotive Analyst Erin Keating
The latest edition of the GreenCars podcast is now live with @craiga.cole and I talking with @coxautomotive executive analyst Erin Keating. The audio version is available wherever you get your podcasts and the video is on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lfl-mHYsNVc
NY Gets First Private Tesla Supercharger in Northeast
New York is about to get its first-ever privately owned Supercharger site. First such in Northeast US! It's built by EVIO Charging, which is dedicated to build out more Tesla-powered sites. EVwire is first to charge to the scene as always, read...
Electric Mercedes C-Class Starts at €67,711
Mercedes‑Benz opened orders for its all‑electric C‑Class C400 4MATIC, pricing the German‑spec base model at €67,711 (about $73,800) including VAT. The sedan sits on the same MB.EA‑M 800‑volt architecture as the GLC 400 4MATIC, offering a 94 kWh battery, up to 762 km (≈475 mi) WLTP...
Nickel Spot Price Jumps 17% After Indonesia Cuts Production Quotas
Nickel’s spot price surged 17% in the first quarter of 2026 after the Indonesian government announced a 30% cut in ore production and a reduction in 2026 export quotas. The World Bank attributes the jump to the policy shift, which...
General Motors’ Chief Growth Officer Norm De Greve Announces Exit
General Motors’ chief growth officer, Norm de Greve, announced he will depart in June after three years leading the company’s marketing transformation. His exit comes as GM grapples with a costly EV write‑down and a shift back to its core...
California Empowers Police to Ticket Driverless Cars Starting July 1
California's Department of Motor Vehicles approved new rules that let police issue tickets to autonomous vehicles beginning July 1, making the vehicle owner responsible for fines. The policy also opens the state to heavy driverless trucks and midibuses, and raises...
Tesla Semi Launch Boosts California’s Clean Transportation
Tesla Semis are about to hit the road. That’s good news for California. #energysky -- via Canary Media: https://t.co/ZmIO34B99s
Ballard to Supply Fuel Cell Modules for New Solaris H2 Bus
Ballard Power Systems will equip Solaris’s next‑generation hydrogen bus with its new FCmove‑SC fuel‑cell module. The partnership, which began in 2019, previously used the 70 kW FCmove‑HD and 100 kW FCmove‑HD+ modules for the 12‑metre and 18‑metre Urbino models. Ballard’s order for...
Rivian R1S Quad Steals Focus From Grand Highlander
In the market for a 3-row SUV, was eyeing Grand Highlander, but man these R1S Quad from Rivian are sweet and have me intrigued
More than Just an SUV? Rivian Is Working on More R2 Variants.
Rivian is preparing multiple variants of its upcoming midsize R2 electric SUV, including a potential R2X crossover. The company aims to introduce a $45,000 version with a smaller battery as early as next year, while additional configurations could roll out...
China Now Biggest Player as Electric Cars Surge and ICE-Only Sales Slump in Australia
In April 2026 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) captured nearly 17% of Australia’s new‑car sales, pushing internal‑combustion‑only (ICE) sales down to 52.5%. The rise of BEVs, plug‑in hybrids and conventional hybrids means electrified powertrains now account for almost half of all...
CPCA Head Calls for China to Establish Budget EV Standards to Boost Sales
China's Passenger Car Association (CPCA) chief Cui Dongshu urged the government to create unified standards for budget electric vehicles, citing weak auto sales and an aging, rural population. He pointed to the EU’s E‑Car rules and Japan’s K‑Car ecosystem as...
SoCal Port Surge
SoCal port demand is driving recent Tesla Semi orders WattEV made a big bet a couple years ago on Nikola that didn’t pan out but now they’re taking a ride with Tesla https://t.co/8RrbvAGlIE
Tesla Secures 60-Truck Order From California Port Drayage Fleets
Tesla has landed a combined order for 60 Semi trucks from two California port drayage operators through Forum Mobility. The deal, worth roughly $15‑$18 million, marks the largest single commitment to the Semi from the drayage sector and highlights the growing...
Jaguar to Announce Type 00 Production Name Next Week
Jaguar will announce the production name of its upcoming electric grand tourer, currently known as Type 00, next week. The vehicle, built on the new Jaguar Electric Architecture, is set to debut in September and will feature a tri‑motor layout delivering...
Renault 5 E-Tech Electric Tops UK EV Sales in April 2026
Renault’s 5 E‑Tech electric topped UK EV registrations in April 2026, capturing more than 49% of the brand’s passenger‑car sales. The model’s on‑road price starts at £21,495 (≈$27,300) and qualifies for the UK electric‑car grant, making it one of the most...
Zeekr 7X Becomes Best-Selling Premium SUV, and Claims Thousands More Orders
Zeekr reported 973 deliveries of its 7X electric SUV in April, placing the model third in Australian EV sales behind the Tesla Model Y and BYD SeaLion 7. Year‑to‑date sales now total 2,698 units, while the order backlog has swelled to over...
Tesla and BKW Unveil New French Charging Lounge in Dardilly
Tesla and @bkworldofficial have already launched 5 charging lounges in France, and a few elsewhere. Lot more incoming. Latest comes to the 28 Supercharging stalls in Dardilly, near Lyon. Peek inside with EVwire: https://t.co/G1JhhYRfT6
WattEV Expands Fleet with 370 New Tesla Semis
WattEV was one of the first customers for the Tesla Semi and has been running two in their operations already last year. Now, they've ordered 370 Tesla Semis. Read on EVwire: https://t.co/SUOS5BhB8j
Nuro Secures California Permit to Test Driverless Uber‑Backed Lucid Gravity Robotaxis
Nuro has been granted a California DMV permit to test its driverless Lucid Gravity robotaxis without a safety driver, allowing operations up to 45 mph in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. The approval clears a major regulatory hurdle for Uber’s...
Ford to Sell Part of Valencia Plant to Geely to Build New Crossover - Report
Ford is negotiating to sell the Body 3 assembly hall of its Valencia plant to China’s Geely, allowing the Chinese automaker to produce its first Europe‑built crossover. The Valencia facility, capable of 300,000 units annually, currently only builds the Kuga, leaving...
BYD Overtakes GM and Ford Into Global Top Five
It's interesting to pick BYD and their "bad Q1"... when this just happened in 2025... #alwaysbecharging BYD officially passed both GM & Ford climbing the ladder into the GLOBAL top 5! ⚡️⚡️⚡️ https://t.co/5esr61CcRG
The Chinese EV Standard Winning Globally Is Banned in the U.S.
On March 17 the United States prohibited any vehicle with Chinese‑developed software from being sold domestically, a rule that takes effect for new models arriving in July 2025. Chinese EV makers, led by BYD, dominate global markets by integrating batteries, chips...
Kempower Leverages Tesla Semi Renders for MCS Announcements
Kempower, one of the world's largest fast charging manufacturers, is using Tesla Semi renders in their MCS product announcements (of course): https://t.co/SKHGtSWPDi
Inside VinFast’s Hanoi Ecosystem, Where VinBus Operates 600 E-Buses (Out of 2,000 Running in Vietnam)
VinFast now runs about 2,000 electric buses across Vietnam, with its sister firm VinBus operating roughly 600 of them in Hanoi and three other cities. The Hanoi Ocean Park depot can accommodate 100 buses and features 40 fast chargers capable...
BYD Overtakes Tesla and BMW to Become the UK’s Best-Selling EV Brand
Chinese automaker BYD has become the UK’s top-selling electric‑vehicle brand in 2026, moving 12,754 fully electric cars and overtaking Tesla, BMW, Kia and Volkswagen. Including its plug‑in hybrids, BYD’s total New Energy Vehicle deliveries reach 26,396 units, delivering a 9.5%...
Why Li Auto Doesn't Make Sedans: CEO Explains
Li Auto CEO Li Xiang explained the company will not produce sedans because doing so would compromise interior space and the brand’s “home‑centric” design ethos, which emphasizes generous proportions and comfort. Instead, Li Auto is focusing on its SUV lineup,...
2 Million BEVs Registered in the UK
April marked a watershed for the UK auto market as the number of battery‑electric vehicles (BEVs) on the road topped two million. BEVs captured 26% of all new registrations in the month, a 55.6% year‑on‑year surge, while petrol and diesel...
New Battery Design for Longer-Range EVs
University of Surrey researchers unveiled a silicon‑coated carbon‑nanotube (VISiCNT) anode that can be produced via roll‑to‑roll manufacturing in just seven minutes. The design delivers up to 3.5 Ah kg⁻¹ (≈3500 mAh g⁻¹) reversible capacity, far surpassing the 370 mAh g⁻¹ of conventional graphite anodes, while maintaining...
IBTTA and 5GAA Sign Agreement on V2X Tolling
At the IBTTA Technology Summit in Orlando, the 5G Automotive Association and the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association signed a memorandum of understanding to explore vehicle‑to‑everything (V2X) enabled tolling. The agreement sets a framework for joint technical, testing and...
Smaller Modules but with Greater Power
Texas Instruments introduced IsoShield, a packaging technology that integrates a planar transformer and isolated power stage into a single System-in-Package. The UCC34141‑Q1 module delivers up to three times the power density of traditional discrete solutions while shrinking the footprint by...
Lithium Metal Battery Tops 1270 Wh/L
Researchers from POSTECH, KAIST and Gyeongsang National University have demonstrated an anode‑free lithium‑metal pouch cell that reaches a volumetric energy density of 1,270 Wh/L, roughly double the ~650 Wh/L of today’s lithium‑ion EV batteries. The breakthrough relies on a reversible host infused...
New Chassis and Powertrain Event to Launch at Vehicle Tech Week North America 2026
Vehicle Tech Week North America 2026 will debut the Advanced Chassis & Powertrain Showcase, a new exhibition dedicated to system‑level chassis and powertrain engineering. The three‑day event runs Oct. 27‑29, 2026 at the Vibe Credit Union Showplace in Novi, Michigan, alongside...
Indonesia Reverses Decision to Cut BEV Incentives
Indonesia’s government has scrapped Home Ministry Regulation No. 11/2026, which would have imposed motor vehicle and ownership transfer taxes on battery electric vehicles (BEVs). The reversal restores the tax‑exempt status that had been a cornerstone of the country’s EV push....
Hevo Explores Foxconn Tie-Up for Wireless EV Charging Production
Hevo, a wireless electric‑vehicle charging startup, has entered preliminary talks with Foxconn Interconnect Technology (FIT) to explore high‑volume manufacturing of its Rezonant charging‑pad hardware. The discussions are at the technical validation and design‑for‑manufacturability stage, with no production timeline confirmed. Hevo’s...
Honda Scraps Plan to Build BEV Plant in Canada
Honda Motor announced it will postpone indefinitely its CAD 15 billion (US$ 11 billion) battery‑electric‑vehicle plant in Ontario, Canada. The move follows the Trump administration’s rollback of up to US$ 7,500 BEV purchase incentives, which weakened demand in the United States. Honda also cancelled plans...
Rivian May Build Its Own Lidar Sensor For The R2 In The U.S.
Rivian is exploring the domestic production of solid‑state lidar sensors for its upcoming R2 midsize electric SUV, aiming to launch lidar‑equipped models in late 2026. CEO RJ Scaringe said the company is in active talks with Chinese lidar manufacturers and...
Tesla Semis Are About to Hit the Road. That’s Good News for California.
Tesla has begun high‑volume production of its Semi at the Sparks, Nevada plant, delivering a Class 8 electric truck with up to 500 miles range and a median price just under $300,000. California’s HVIP program received 965 voucher applications for the Semi,...
BMW Prioritizes Balanced Growth in China Amid Global Expansion
= While BMW still sees potential for growth in Europe and the US, it’s focused in China on balancing “sales volumes, transaction prices and dealer profitability,” it said in a statement. = Imagine the chart from 2020 -> 2030 Instead of...