Today's Automotive Pulse
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Rivian unveils R2 EV with specs, price and 2026 launch plans
Rivian announced its upcoming R2 electric vehicle, detailing specifications, pricing and availability for a 2026 release. The company is betting on the R2 to elevate the brand to household‑name status comparable to Tesla. Reviewers note the R2 is "too much fun to let drive itself," highlighting its advanced driver‑assist capabilities.
Tesla Gamifies The Advanced Driver-Assistance Software It Wrongly Calls 'Full Self-Driving'
Tesla introduced a dedicated Full Self‑Driving (FSD) app for vehicles equipped with the A14 chip, offering streamlined subscription management and usage statistics. The app adds a streak‑tracking feature that gamifies the activation of Tesla’s Level 2+ driver‑assistance system, encouraging more frequent use. Critics argue the software still lacks true autonomy and fails to stop for school buses or pedestrians, raising safety concerns. By turning FSD usage into a game, Tesla risks increasing driver distraction and regulatory attention.
Tesla FSD Seamlessly Merges Traffic, Navigation, Autonomy
Initially, I wasn't sure why we were exiting the 51 and getting onto McDowell but I've learn to trust some aspects of Tesla's FSD. Real-time traffic, navigation and autonomous driving, all wrapped up into one. It's hard to beat.
Chinese EV Makers Deploy Flagship AI Chips, Target $44K Models as Global Competition Heats Up
Chinese automakers are fast‑tracking the integration of in‑vehicle chips and AI, with NIO pledging flagship‑grade driving chips for models priced between 200,000 and 300,000 yuan ($29,130‑$43,695). Horizon Robotics will debut a cockpit‑driving AI chip in late April, and Volkswagen is...
California Initiative May Accelerate Adoption of Bidirectional EV Charging
The California Energy Commission unveiled a roadmap to accelerate bidirectional EV charging, targeting vehicle‑to‑grid (V2G) and vehicle‑to‑home (V2H) deployments across residential, commercial and industrial sites. It highlights the state’s 2.1 million‑vehicle fleet, which holds an estimated 18.5 GW of latent storage—exceeding existing...
Electric Vehicles Could See Rebound Amid Rising Gas and New Federal Consumer Rebates
Canadian consumer interest in electric vehicles rebounded as gas prices jumped and the federal government launched the Electric Vehicle Affordability Program, offering up to $5,000 CAD (≈$3,700 USD) off new EVs. AutoTrader.ca’s survey of 1,700 Canadians shows purchase intent rose to 49%...
Aptera CEO Shows His Solar Car Producing More Energy than His Home Solar
Aptera co‑CEO Steve Fambro posted that his solar‑electric vehicle was producing about 363 watts of power at 8 a.m., more than double the 136 watts generated by his home rooftop. The 700‑watt solar array wrapped around the car’s body is engineered...
'We Should Not Let Them Into Our Country': Ford CEO On Chinese EVs
Ford CEO Jim Farley warned that allowing Chinese electric vehicles into the United States would devastate domestic manufacturing and erode U.S. auto jobs. He highlighted that more than 100 Chinese EV makers can produce cheaper, feature‑rich cars at a scale...
Automotive IoT: Connected Vehicles, Telematics and Software-Defined Mobility
Automotive IoT has transitioned from a premium‑car feature to a core layer of modern mobility, connecting vehicles to cloud, edge, and network infrastructures. Real‑time sensor data now powers telematics platforms for fleet management, predictive maintenance, and usage‑based services, while software‑defined...
Tesla Full Self-Driving Shows Stunning Maneuver in Europe to Silence Skeptics
Tesla’s Full Self‑Driving (FSD) system earned its first European public‑road approval in the Netherlands and quickly demonstrated the technology on narrow rural routes. In one clip the software steered onto a bike path to bypass a tractor that blocked half...
DOE and Argonne Join GM, Stellantis and MathWorks to Launch EcoCAR Innovation Challenge
The U.S. Department of Energy and Argonne National Laboratory have launched the 15th EcoCAR Innovation Challenge, selecting 20 universities to design advanced electric and hybrid vehicles. General Motors and Stellantis are co‑sponsoring the competition, each providing a distinct vehicle platform...
Second-Life EV Battery Packs to Provide Energy Storage to Rivian Car Factory in Illinois
Rivian has teamed with battery recycler Redwood Materials to install more than 100 second‑life battery packs at its Normal, Illinois factory, providing roughly 10 MWh of on‑site energy storage. The partnership repurposes EV batteries that retain capacity after vehicle retirement, turning...
Urbanists Hate Cars. Should They Hate Electric Robotaxis?
Forbes argues that while urbanists traditionally oppose personal cars, the rise of electric robotaxis could reshape that stance. Autonomous, electric fleets promise to cut private vehicle ownership, lower emissions, and improve road utilization. However, critics warn that robotaxis might increase...
Winter EV Driving: Range and Elevation Lessons From A 20"+ Snow Storm
In a recent VWIDTalk podcast, hosts Jan and Wes dissected real‑world EV performance during a ski‑trip that involved a 4,000‑foot climb and more than 20 inches of snow. Starting at 100% charge, the vehicle’s range prediction of 199 miles fell...
Traton Group Plans 2028 Rollout of New Vehicle Platform
Traton Group announced that its new software‑defined vehicle platform, Traton One OS, will be rolled out across all new trucks from 2028. Developed with Applied Intuition, the OS provides unified data access, predictive‑maintenance analytics, and adaptive middleware to enable future...
Stellantis to Cut 650 Engineer Jobs at Opel’s German HQ
Stellantis announced it will eliminate 650 engineering positions at Opel’s Rüsselsheim Tech Center, trimming the workforce from 1,650 to roughly 1,000 engineers. The cuts are part of a transformation plan that will be completed by the end of 2027 and...
Mercedes‑Benz Deploys Private 5G Network to Automate Factory Production Lines
Mercedes‑Benz has begun deploying dedicated mobile private 5G networks in its factories to achieve zero‑latency communication between robots, AGVs and logistics platforms. The move underscores the rapid growth of private‑network solutions for industrial IoT and puts pressure on traditional telcos...
Waymo Launches Sixth-Generation Robotaxi System
Waymo announced that its sixth‑generation robotaxi system is now operational, featuring a streamlined sensor suite that lowers per‑vehicle cost. The new platform relies on 17‑megapixel cameras and a reengineered short‑range lidar capable of centimeter‑scale detection of vulnerable road users. Waymo...
Waymo and Waze Team Up to Map Potholes, Targeting Philadelphia Next
Waymo and Waze announced a pilot that will feed pothole data collected by Waymo’s autonomous fleet into Waze’s crowdsourced platform. The program launches in five cities, with Philadelphia slated to join once Waymo secures full‑autonomy permits, promising faster road‑maintenance cycles...
WeRide Launches Fully Driverless Robotaxi Service in Dubai
WeRide and Uber have rolled out a fully driverless, fare‑charging robotaxi service in Dubai’s Umm Suqeim and Jumeirah districts, accessible through the Uber app. The launch follows a supervised trial that began in December 2025 and a driver‑less trial permit granted by...
Bajaj WEGO Electric Three-Wheelers Launched with 296 Km Range
Bajaj Auto unveiled the WEGO electric three‑wheelers, the broadest EV lineup in India, covering passenger and cargo models across P50, P70, P90 and C90 series. The flagship P90 offers a class‑leading range of up to 296 km (184 mi) on a single...
DOT Moves to Clear Regulatory Path for Vehicles Without Steering Wheels
The U.S. Department of Transportation is proposing to strip federal vehicle standards that mandate human controls, clearing a path for fully autonomous cars and trucks. NHTSA is fast‑tracking Amazon‑owned Zoox’s request to operate up to 2,500 purpose‑built robotaxis without steering...
Tesla Gains First European Approval for 'Full Self-Driving' Mode
Tesla has secured the first European approval for its Full Self‑Driving (Supervised) system, granted by the Dutch regulator RWD. The Dutch version requires owners to pass a safety quiz and replaces the U.S. “Sloth‑to‑Mad Max” speed profiles with a single...
BMW Is Reportedly Ending U.S. Sales of Its Electric iX SUV
BMW announced it will stop allocating the iX electric SUV to U.S. dealers for the 2027 model year, making the current inventory the final U.S. supply. The decision follows a 18.2% year‑over‑year sales decline in 2025, with only 12,587 units...
IONNA Rechargeries Are Coming to More than 350 Circle K Stations
IONNA, a joint venture of eight OEMs, announced a partnership with Circle K to convert more than 350 U.S. stations into its branded “Rechargery” sites. The rollout begins with 85 existing Circle K chargers, slated to be operational by year‑end, and will...
Why Integrated FPC-Based Cell Contact Solutions Are Essential to Battery Pack Manufacturing
Battery pack manufacturers are turning to flexible printed circuit (FPC)‑based cell‑contact solutions to boost energy density while maintaining safety and cost efficiency. Traditional discrete wiring is being replaced by integrated FPCs that deliver higher‑quality temperature and voltage data to the...
VEV Completes 5 MW Heavy Truck Charging Deployment Across Three UK Logistics Hubs for Maritime Transport
VEV has finished installing 5 MW of high‑power DC charging at three Maritime Transport logistics hubs in Wakefield, Tilbury and Doncaster. The rollout includes 18 chargers ranging from 100 kW to 400 kW, capable of powering up to 36 electric trucks at once...
Build It and They Will Come? Not Always in the Auto Biz
Dodge’s 2012 Dart configurator let shoppers customize dozens of options, but dealers couldn’t stock every possible build, leading to frustrated buyers. Recognizing the mismatch, automakers have been trimming the number of trims and options, a trend J.D. Power quantifies as...
Chery on Top: Meet the Chery Tiggo 4
Chinese automaker Chery International has introduced the Tiggo 4 CSH, a full‑hybrid B‑segment SUV, to the UK market as part of its four‑brand rollout that now includes Lepas, Omoda and Jaecoo. The Tiggo 4 CSH is priced at £19,995 (≈$25,000) for the...
Renesas Scalable Automotive SoC Design Using Arteris NoC
Renesas has integrated Arteris FlexNoC interconnect IP into its next‑generation Gen‑5 R‑Car automotive SoCs. The NoC fabric links Arm CPU clusters, GPUs and neural‑processing accelerators, delivering scalable bandwidth and deterministic QoS for advanced ADAS and autonomous‑driving workloads. Power consumption drops...
Tesla Adds ‘Streaks,’ Other Stats to Track How Often Drivers Use Full Self-Driving Software
Tesla unveiled a revamped self‑driving app that lets owners subscribe to Full Self‑Driving (FSD) with a single tap and view detailed usage statistics, including multi‑day streaks and bar‑chart mileage data. The new interface is limited to vehicles equipped with the...
Over 200 New EV Chargers Coming To Ohio
Ohio will receive $51 million in NEVI federal funding, matched by at least $26 million from private investors, to install over 260 new electric‑vehicle chargers across 64 sites. The chargers, each with four ports, will be placed at mainstream retail and travel‑stop...
‘Sports Cars Are the Core of What We Are as a Company,’ Nissan CEO Says
Nissan President and CEO Ivan Espinosa told The Drive that sports cars are the core of the company’s identity, hinting at a possible revival of the classic Silvia. He emphasized that the immediate priority is finalizing the Re:Nissan turnaround plan,...
Driverless Trucks Already Operating, Few Winners Ahead
Autonomous trucking is here — not coming. In Talking Transports, @KodiakRobotics CEO/founder @don_burnette breaks down: • Driverless trucks in operation today • AI vs HD mapping • Cost + utilization advantages • Regulatory reality • Why only a few winners emerge 🎧 Listen to episode 134...
Used EVs Drive Growth Amid New Car Sales Slump
Sales of new electric vehicles continued to slump in the first three months of 2026. But there’s one growth segment: a new batch of relatively cheap and used battery-powered vehicles are enticing buyers looking for bargains. Read more on how Americans...
Nissan Cuts 11 Models and Ramps up EV Lineup to Stay Ahead of Chinese Rivals
Nissan announced it will drop 11 low‑performing models, shrinking its portfolio from 56 to 45, while launching a fully electric Juke and an e‑POWER X‑Trail. The move is part of a $3 billion cost‑cutting drive aimed at countering aggressive Chinese automakers...
New SUVs, EVs, and Buying Tips Shape
Going Rogue Robbie and Nicole both ran into travel delays today so Chad Kirchner is jumping in. Sam makes the case for buying an Acura Integra A-Spec over the ADX. Nissan has revealed its next-generation Rogue and teased the upcoming XTerra....
Both Federal and Future Baden-Württemberg Governments Back Efficient Engines
.@MKreutzfeldt: "It's not only the black-red federal government that is fighting for the "highly efficient combustion engines", which have already been a frequent topic, but also, according to the exploratory paper, the future green-led state government in Baden-Württemberg" https://t.co/OPUx6ShDLy
Now's The Time To Buy An EV: Dealers Struggle To Clear Lots
Dealers and automakers are slashing prices and offering deep incentives to clear aging EV inventory, making now a buyer’s market. Cox Automotive data shows the average transaction price for a new electric vehicle is about $54,500, only $5,500 higher than...
EV Tariffs Fall Short; Europe Uncovers Chinese FX Meddling
Indeed -- EV tariffs (CVDs) also were clearly an insufficient response (lower than China's old WTO bound 25% auto tariff on Tesla and BYD, easy workaround with plug in hybrids) And Europe only now discovering Chinese intervention in the fx market
Subaru Introduces Roomier, $39,995 Mid‑Size EV SUV
@subaru_usa's doing a nice job of diversifying its EV portfolio and the Trailseeker is a nice addition. This mid-size all-electric SUV is way roomier than the Solterra, but it also has an attractive $39,995 starting cost. #subaru #subarunation https://t.co/BBqtpjm8mA
Uber and Nuro Start Premium Robotaxi Trials in San Francisco with Lucid Gravity SUVs
Uber has begun a limited‑access robotaxi trial in San Francisco using Lucid Gravity SUVs fitted with Nuro's autonomous driving system. The pilot follows a $300 million Uber investment in Lucid and a multi‑hundred‑million‑dollar stake in Nuro, and it paves the way...
Ford Warns Chinese Car Entry Will Devastate U.S. Manufacturing
Ford’s top executive says allowing Chinese automakers to sell their cars in the US would be “devastating” to American manufacturing Bigger question: Why is that the case, now? https://t.co/0BoCuZ9nvf
Lucid Secures $1.05B, Swaps CEO, Expands Uber Robotaxi Deal
Lucid Group released a trifecta of major updates, announcing a $1.05 billion capital raise, a leadership change, and an expanded robotaxi partnership with Uber and an affiliate of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. https://t.co/F4hrNUg0UO
Nissan CEO: There's Still A Market For Cheap Sedans
Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa says demand for ultra‑affordable sedans persists, but U.S. buyers will see no new cars under $20,000 after the 2025 Versa ends production. A 25% tariff on Mexican‑built vehicles makes pricing the Versa for the U.S. unviable,...
Tesla's Spring Update Introduces Self-Driving App, Raises Questions
Tesla's big Spring software update has landed — and its new Self-Driving app leaves a lot of questions unanswered. https://t.co/bwZ2x5yTlc
Tesla Lets Free‑charging Owners Skip Non‑free Stations
Tesla owners with free supercharging will now be able to opt out of routing to third party superchargers where free charging doesn’t apply
Rolls-Royce's Next EV Is A 19-Foot-Long Two-Seat Convertible With A Mystery Price Tag
Rolls‑Royce unveiled Project Nightingale, a 19‑foot electric two‑seat convertible built on the Phantom’s Architecture of Luxury spaceframe. The model features 24‑inch wheels, a monolithic design inspired by 1920s EX prototypes and the 103EX concept, and will be limited to 100...
Toyota bZ: Most Efficient EV Yet, $5K Cheaper
How is the Toyota bZ the most efficient EV I've tested to date? If that's not enough, it's also like $5K cheaper than the previous bZ4X. 🤯 @ToyotaMotorCorp @Toyota #Toyota #toyotabz #evs #electricvehicle #electriccar https://t.co/i4p2yIn3GC https://t.co/psmaOxjVBW
CATL Expands Beyond EVs Into Broader Markets
Battery giant CATL is no longer just a play on electric vehicles via @FT https://t.co/cJ9uCcGe9R
Revealed: Rolls-Royce Rethinks Design with £7m Electric Special
Rolls‑Royce unveiled Project Nightingale, a limited‑run electric convertible priced from about £7 million (≈$8.8 million) per unit, marking the debut of its new Coachbuild Collection of 100 ultra‑exclusive cars. The two‑seater draws styling cues from the 1928 17EX Torpedo and features unique...