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
CAFE 3: Car Prices to Rise up to ₹1.25 Lakh; ₹1.48 Lakh Cr Industry Impact
India’s draft CAFE III fuel‑efficiency standards, slated for rollout in April 2027, will add ₹20,000‑₹1.25 lakh ($240‑$1,500) to new car prices and impose a ₹61,500‑₹1.48 lakh cr ($740‑$18 billion) compliance burden on manufacturers through FY 2032. The regulations push modest upgrades now—idle‑stop, TPMS, low‑rolling‑resistance tyres—while later phases demand 6‑speed gearboxes, aerodynamic tweaks and 48 V mild‑hybrid systems, stretching the consumer pay‑back period from three to six years despite annual fuel savings of about ₹15,800 ($190). Automakers must also accelerate electrification, raising EV penetration from roughly 9‑10% in FY 2028 to 17‑19% by FY 2032, or risk tighter margins and higher penalties. The shift reshapes pricing, product strategy and capital allocation across the Indian OEM landscape, favoring lighter‑weight, hybrid‑ready players and challenging SUV‑heavy line‑ups.
Energy Shock Drives Surge in Global EV Sales
"Mother of All Energy Shocks" Boosts Global EV Sales Even Higher Battery electric vehicle sales are growing due to high gas prices and consumers' fear of continued market volatility (otherwise known as "energy insecurity"). https://markhamhislop.substack.com/p/mother-of-all-energy-shocks-boosts
Mangrove Lithium Opens North America’s First Electrochemical Refinery in British Columbia
Mangrove Lithium inaugurated a 1,000‑tonne‑per‑year electrochemical lithium‑hydroxide refinery in Delta, British Columbia, the first of its kind in North America. The plant, capable of supplying enough material for roughly 25,000 electric vehicles, is positioned to reduce Canada’s reliance on overseas...
Tesla Skeptics Scramble for Excuses on Robotaxi Rollout
i’m cracking up watching the tesla bears try to come up with excuses for why expanding driverless robotaxis into more cities doesn’t matter
How MG’s MIAS 2026 Lineup Previews A Global Tech Overhaul
At the 2026 Manila International Auto Show, MG Philippines unveiled a tech‑focused lineup that marks a clear shift from its value‑oriented image. The brand debuted vehicles equipped with the new SolidCore semi‑solid‑state battery and a three‑speed hybrid transmission that leverages...
History Rhymes, and China Is Listening
Waymo launched public robotaxi service in Orlando and Miami, adding highway rides in Miami. Uber deepened its commitment to autonomous fleets with a $200 million infusion into Lucid and a plan to acquire at least 35,000 Lucid‑built robotaxis, part of a...
Chinese EV Makers Overtake Tesla, Sparking U.S. Auto Stock Revaluation
Chinese electric‑vehicle giants BYD and Geely have eclipsed Tesla in global sales, while Canada slashed tariffs from 100% to 6.1% and Europe shifts to price‑minimum rules. The surge forces U.S. investors to weigh the impact on domestic automakers and related...
UK Seeks EU Deals on Steel and EVs in Push for Closer Economic Ties
The United Kingdom is pressing the European Union for bilateral agreements on steel imports and electric‑vehicle rules of origin ahead of new EU tariffs set for 1 July and stricter EV standards due in 2027. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s team hopes the...
Test Hub: Toyota bZ Woodland Matches a Supra's 60-MPH Time
The 2027 Toyota bZ Woodland electric SUV sprinted to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, matching the time of a manual‑equipped 2023 GR Supra. Despite a lower 375 hp output and a curb weight of 4,570 lb—about 1,200 lb more than the Supra—the Woodland’s instant torque...
What's the Deal with Robotaxi Remote Assistants?
The piece examines the emerging role of remote assistants in robotaxi fleets, clarifying that they are not full‑time tele‑drivers but intervene on specific safety‑critical decisions such as school‑bus passes or traffic‑light verification. It outlines a detailed taxonomy that categorises six...
Nexio Power Launches NexioTrucks.com, Projecting $2.6M Annual Fleet Savings
Nexio Power, Inc. rolled out NexioTrucks.com, a rebuilt website that gives fleet operators detailed vehicle data, a fleet‑economics calculator and a full service network. The platform estimates $2.6 million in yearly savings and up to 97% lower NOx emissions versus diesel,...
Ride AI Conference Signals Robotaxi Market Maturity as Industry Shifts to Commercialization
Ride AI hosted its second autonomous‑vehicle conference in San Francisco, drawing more than 300 attendees and a theme of “It’s time to market.” Executives from Mobileye, Toyota’s Woven Capital and Wayve underscored a pivot from pure technology hype to viable business...
Industry Buzz Grows Around Tesla Semi’s Upcoming Production
I see a lot of the industry taking pics with the Tesla Semi and celebrating the upcoming mass production. There's a TON of interest for this beast @tesla_semi https://t.co/LbIppcdP9l
Lucid Group Names Silvio Napoli CEO, Secures $750 Million Lifeline From Saudi PIF and Uber
Lucid Group announced Silvio Napoli, the former head of Schindler Group, as its permanent chief executive and simultaneously secured a $750 million financing package—$550 million from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and $200 million from Uber. The capital infusion is aimed at shoring...
Tesla's Shame Fades as Model Y Sales Surge 144%
The "I bought this before..." stickers are coming off. In Sweden and across Europe. It was all as short-lived as you'd expect. With sales up +144%, Model Y is again best-selling in 🇸🇪 & in 🇪🇺 Read how the "Tesla Shame" faded...
Electric Heavy Trucks Overtake Diesel, Saving $170k Each
China just quietly killed the diesel heavy truck with brutal economics. 2025 data now in: >231,100 electric heavy trucks sold (+182% YoY) >Dec 2025 Market Share: 53.9% (EVs outsold diesel) >Fleet owners saving $170k per truck over a 10-year cycle https://t.co/rDj9yndSJa https://t.co/e8lEwbVuTg
Report: Europe’s Electric Truck Market Needs Faster Policy Action to Scale
Milence’s new white paper finds Europe’s electric heavy‑duty truck market is technically ready but hampered by fragmented policy and uneven charging infrastructure. Early adopters in Switzerland, Denmark and the Netherlands show reliable performance and competitive operating costs, yet most of...
Domestic EV Production, Not Cheap Imports, Lifts Standards
Canadians as consumers may dream of cheaper EV imports, but Canadians as workers and producers won't, and contrary to what many believe, it isn't cheaper imports that raise living standards. It is more domestic production. https://t.co/p3gb1UwYqv
Chinese Carmakers Battle, Profits per Vehicle Stay Razor‑thin
Yicai: Fierce competition among the 12 major listed Chinese automakers kept carmakers’ per-vehicle profits extremely slim, with three still losing money on each one sold. The highest profit per vehicle last year was at Seres, at RMB 9,936 ($1,454). https://t.co/eioFBfk7Ox
SERES Executive Discusses AI Mobility at Internet Conference
SERES Group VP Clifford Kang highlighted at the World Internet Conference how artificial intelligence is reshaping electric mobility and the broader automotive sector. The company showcased its AI‑driven AITO brand, now serving over 880,000 active users who have logged more...
VinFast Partners with 14 Philippine E Scooter Dealers
VinFast announced MoUs with 14 Philippine e‑scooter distributors to support its June 2026 product launch. The partners will open showrooms across Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao and other urban provinces, delivering swappable‑battery models such as Evo, Feliz II and Viper. VinFast also...
Hands‑free Car Doors Still Meet Chinese Public Hesitation
In China, a car opens its doors without hands, but crowds still hesitate 😬 https://t.co/k2uOwaVoh6 #automobile #technology #Innovación #innovation @PawlowskiMario @chidambara09 @Ym78200 @CurieuxExplorer @efipm @bigfundu @sayedflah @Ronald_vanLoon @cyngn @belindabeibi @odisseiaalfa @DigitalColmer @MyCompanionsAI @KirkDBorne @patricegorissen @jeffkagan @EdwardKens50830 @enilev @insom_ai333 @ChrisCCrowley @sallyeaves @gurmeet_judge @VairagyaSadhana...
Tesla Owner Uses Emergency Solar to Trickle Charge After Running Out of Battery in Desert
YouTuber Sandro van Kuijck, driving a Tesla Model X across the Americas, ran out of battery in Chile’s Atacama Desert and deployed a custom 287‑watt solar array to trickle‑charge the vehicle. The solar panel delivered only 1‑2 km of range per hour but...
U.S. Weighs Higher Auto Tariffs to Spur Reshoring of Vehicle Production
The Trump administration is exploring rule changes that could raise tariffs on imported vehicles and require a higher share of U.S. parts, aiming to accelerate reshoring of auto manufacturing. Officials say the proposals are still preliminary, but they signal renewed...
XPeng Launches One‑tap Auto‑parking to Challenge Tesla
XPeng Unveils One-Tap Auto Parking Feature to Rival Tesla’s Self-Driving #Tech by @XueJia24682 #EmergingTech #Engineering #Technology https://t.co/y26ZQ69LQd
Autonomous Vehicle Startups Secure $21.4 B in Record Funding Surge
A wave of financing announced in the past 24 hours gave autonomous‑vehicle startups a combined $21.4 billion, the biggest single‑day capital injection for the industry this year. The money came from a mix of venture capital, private‑equity and strategic corporate investors,...
G7 Finance Ministers Commit Funding to Cut China Dependence in Critical Minerals
Finance ministers from the Group of Seven met in Washington on April 17 and agreed to cooperate on funding mechanisms that will diversify supply chains for lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earths. The pact targets over‑reliance on China and seeks...
Redwood Materials, GM Sign MOU to Deploy EV Batteries for Grid‑Scale Storage
Redwood Materials and General Motors have signed a non‑binding memorandum of understanding to accelerate deployment of grid‑scale energy storage using both fresh U.S.‑made batteries and second‑life packs from GM EVs. The deal aims to meet soaring electricity demand, especially from...
Tesla Rolls Out Unsupervised Robotaxi Service in Dallas and Houston
Tesla announced that its fully driverless Robotaxi service is now live in Dallas and Houston, adding roughly 45‑50 square miles of geofenced zones. The expansion triples Tesla’s presence in Texas and puts the company on track for a broader U.S....
XPENG GX Exemplifies the Large, Premium SUVs Launching Ahead of Auto China 2026
XPeng unveiled the GX, a large premium electric SUV ahead of Auto China 2026, measuring 5.27 m in length and equipped with 22‑inch wheels. The model offers both EREV and BEV powertrains, delivering up to 1,585 km combined range for the hybrid...
Toshiba Ships SmartMCD Samples with Zero-Speed Sensorless FOC for Automotive BLDC Motors
Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage has begun shipping engineering samples of the TB9M030FG, the newest SmartMCD motor‑control device for automotive BLDC applications. The chip merges a 32‑bit Cortex‑M0 MCU and gate driver while delivering a proprietary sensor‑less field‑oriented control (FOC)...
That Used Hybrid Might Take 7 Years (or More) to Pay Off
Rising fuel prices and record‑high new‑car costs are pushing buyers toward used hybrids, but the savings aren’t immediate. A 2021 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid sells for about $27,750, roughly $3,250 more than its gasoline counterpart, and saves $461 per year on...
QSM Asset Management Takes $5.5M Stake in Mobileye, Doubling Down on Vision‑Based Autonomy
QSM Asset Management Ltd opened a new position of 611,003 Mobileye shares, valued at $5.54 million, representing 2.02% of its reportable assets. The purchase comes as Mobileye’s stock sits 41% lower year‑to‑date, suggesting the fund sees upside in the company’s ADAS...
Tesla Is Pushing Robotaxi Features to Owner Cars with Spring Update
Tesla’s Spring 2026 software update (v2026.14+) adds a fully interactive rear‑seat navigation map to its consumer models, a feature previously limited to the Robotaxi fleet. The map lets back‑seat passengers view and control the route in real time while the...
Two‑person Robotaxi Doubles Efficiency by Shedding Front Seats
The Lunar is a two-person Robotaxi that achieves nearly double the efficiency of a typical four-seat electric SUV. If passengers don’t sit in the front of a taxi, then a driverless taxi can remove that row, explains Zach Walker, Lucid’s...
Tesla Trucks Cost a Fraction of Gas Fleet
so odd that SpaceX would want to replace all their gas vehicles with Cybertrucks... $TSLA
Waymo Opens Orlando Service, But Who Will Take Mickey Mouse to the Parks?
Waymo launched its autonomous ride‑hailing service to the public in Miami and Orlando, marking its first U.S. market expansion beyond the Bay Area. The company is still vying for a Disney World contract, with rival Glydways also in the running....
Denza Z9GT Charges in Five Minutes—Will It Compete?
It charges in five minutes. But can China's Denza Z9GT EV crack the competition? https://t.co/MYiGEv5Y1M via @ft
China’s EV Surge Fuels Bullish Lithium Outlook
China’s EV production capacity: >20 million vehicles/year Actual EV production (2024): ~12.9 million China exported >1.2 million EVs in 2024 Everyone should go long Lithium…
In the UK, EVs Are Cheaper than Petrol Cars, Thanks to Chinese Competition
UK’s largest auto‑buying platform Autotrader reports the average new electric vehicle now costs £785 ($1,060) less than a comparable petrol car, with the typical EV priced at £42,620 versus £43,405 for gasoline models. The price advantage stems from generous government...
No $2,500 Cap Exists for Cybercabs
Yes and please all try to understand this. There is NO 2,500 cap for Cybercabs.
Tesla's Robo‑Taxi Zones Tiny, Expanding Fast, No Observers
Here is the size of the initial Tesla robo-taxi launch areas compared to Austin. Expect rapid scaling of the areas in the coming weeks. Unlike Austin these new areas appear to have launched without safety observers. $TSLA https://t.co/9bgF8tUuvG
Analysts Say Tesla's Robotaxi Push Will Shape Its Next Three Years
Wall Street analysts project Tesla's robotaxi strategy could swing its earnings per share between $1.81 and $11.29 by 2028, making the next three years pivotal. Elon Musk’s vision of a low‑cost Cybercab used 50‑60 hours a week underpins the upside,...
Tesla Launches Robotaxi Service in Dallas and Houston
Tesla has just launched Robotaxi service in Dallas, Texas and Houston, Texas Can someone in those cities go try it out? https://t.co/ulbB0mosBq
Self‑Driving Cars Will Make Human Drivers Obsolete
Within a decade or two, seeing a person manually drive a car will be just as strange
Autoliv Shares Surge 10% as Q1 Beats Forecast on Asian Demand and Margin Resilience
Autoliv Inc. reported first‑quarter net sales of $2.753 billion, a 6.8% rise year‑over‑year, and adjusted earnings per share of $2.05, beating consensus estimates. The results were driven by a 30% jump in China sales and a 38% organic surge in India,...
Tesla's Sub‑cent Per‑mile Claim Ignores Real Costs
--it's a choice at this point to continue posting nonsense. --tesla owned charging infrastructure would cost less than 1c per mile when amortized. $TSLA --here is a link to the model and you can adjust the assumptions https://t.co/P0lhVlfDYw https://t.co/G0pGeXnA12
BYD Seeks EU Lobby Seat Amid EV Tariff Pressures
BYD is in talks to join Europe’s car lobby group, a move that would give the Chinese automaker a voice in the region where it faces tariffs on its electric-vehicle imports https://t.co/Pi7zP3bsiq
China Rolls Out Autonomous Police Cars for Constant Surveillance
24/7 Smart Surveillance: China Deploys #Autonomous Police Cars by @niccruzpatane #EmergingTech #Technology #Innovation #Tech #FutureTech https://t.co/n21ucgn5fH
Extended‑range EVs Have Roots a Century Old
The extended range EVs are not new; a more recent list beyond the BMW i3 would include: GM EV1 hybrid Renault Kangoo Chevrolet Volt Opel/Vauxhall Ampera Fisker Karma Cadillac ELR It's a surprisingly old yet effective technology that dates back a century; modern versions started in 1990s.