We weren’t that impressed with the Hummer EV when it first came out — too big, too expensive, and crazy inefficient — but we did appreciate the novelty of the Crab Walk feature that let the massive truck rotate all four wheels to drive diagonally at low speeds. Our reviewer, Emme Hall, called it “the weirdest sensation” and “a good party trick.”
Now, for the updated 2026 model year, the Hummer EV is getting even more crablike. The feature is now called “King Crab,” and it allows for even more maneuverability than before. At low speeds, King Crab turns the rear wheels slightly faster than the front wheels, enabling the hulking Hummer to dart in between boulders or through a narrow copse of trees.
GMC says it will ship the 2026 Hummer, both pickup and SUV, with the new feature. Existing owners will get it through an over-the-air software update later this year. The feature is the result of GMC’s putting the call out to Hummer EV owners for “epic” software update ideas.
The automaker is also releasing a new limited carbon fiber edition of the truck and SUV with improved performance. With a new 24-module battery, the carbon fiber edition will accelerate from 0-60 mph in just 2.8 seconds. (The original model was able to sprint to that speed in three seconds.)
The 2026 Hummer is now getting bidirectional charging capabilities, meaning it can send power out from its battery to another EV or even a home. And it comes with enhanced Super Cruise, allowing drivers to automatically change lanes when the vehicle’s built-in map is being used.
Uber announced a new type of ride that travels along a set route, comes every 20 minutes, includes up to two other passengers, and costs up to 50 percent less than an UberX ride. In other words, a bus.
For years, Uber and its smaller rival Lyft have been gently mocked onlinefor occasionally releasing productsthat closely resemblepublic transportation. That’s likely to crop up again with the launch of Route Share, a fixed route car service that requires the customer to walk a few minutes to a predetermined pickup spot, and then again to their exact destination. The service will only be available in select cities and only during commuting hours in the morning and evening.
But I regret to inform you that Uber has already heard all your jokes and snide comments about Uber inventing the bus. And as long as the end product is well-liked and more affordable than its other ridehail services, it feels like the end goal is what counts.
“We are complementary to public transit,” says Uber’s product chief Sachin Kansal, in an interview. “We think of this as a journey towards lower and lower car ownership, as people transition from driving themselves over to using products like Uber Share and now Route Share.”
Route Share is being announced during Uber’s annual Go/Get product event, in which the ridehail company unveils new features for its for-hire vehicle and food delivery apps. This year’s event is structured around the theme of affordability. And Route Share, with its extra walking and limited availability, is among Uber’s cheapest ride to date.
The company says it will be up to 50 percent less expensive than taking an UberX. Uber offers the example of a ride from the Upper West Side to the Lower East Side of Manhattan: while a normal UberX trip would cost $38, the Route Share version would only set you back $19.
“People are feeling more and more uncertain,” Kansal said. “They’re seeing prices go up in different realms of their life. And that is definitely generating some anxiety.”
Uber has been down this route before (no pun intended), asking customers to wait a little longer or walk a little further in exchange for cheaper fares. Uber Pool was the first attempt to persuade riders to sacrifice a little convenience for more efficient ridesharing, but that service suffered from poor planning, unrealistic expectations, and a lack of proper driver outreach. Kansal says that Uber Share, its current iteration, is doing much better, clocking in nearly one million rides a month.
Route Share will be available during weekday commute hours (6-10AM and 4-8PM local time) in New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Boston, and Baltimore. Other cities will be added in the future. And starting today, riders in those cities can select the option to see nearby routes — with pickups every 20 minutes — and book a seat from seven days to 10 minutes before any scheduled pickup.
Uber is also announcing a new price lock feature, in which a customer can lock in a certain price for up to 10 routes for a fee of just $2.99 a month. If the upfront price is lower than the locked-in price, customers will get that lower price. Kansal says the feature is for customers who use Uber frequently to make the same trip and would like some predictability in what they pay. The new feature is available in Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, Phoenix, San Francisco, Washington DC, and soon the rest of the country and Brazil.
For even more discounts, customers who know they’re going to take a set number of trips a month — anything from five to 20 rides — can now prepay for those trips at a reduced rate. Riders can expect discounts of up to 15 percent when purchasing prepaid passes.
On the Eats side, Uber is finally revealing details from its partnership with Open Table. The restaurant reservation app will be integrated into the Uber app to make reserving a table and booking a car to a restaurant easier. Rides booked through the Open Table integration will also be discounted. And Uber One subscribers will get access to exclusive dining establishments that aren’t open to everyone. And for grocery orders, Uber Eats customers can now use a new slider feature to indicate how much money they want to save, which prompts the app to find generic products that may be cheaper than name brand items.
Taken together, Kansal says these product announcements will help take some of them bite out of using Uber — especially at a time when people are concerned about rising costs.
“The truth of the matter is that the people who are commuting on our platform on a daily basis are not just businesspeople who are on business travel going to the airport and stuff,” he said. “Everyday workers are commuting on our platform, shift workers are commuting on our platform, nurses [and] restaurant chefs are commuting on our platform.”
Toyota confirmed today that the all-electric C-HR, previously only available in Europe, will arrive in the US next year.
You might recall the C-HR as the gas-powered compact crossover sold in the US from 2018-2022. But now it has been resurrected as a battery electric vehicle with an estimated driving range of up to 290 miles. No pricing information has been released, but I expect we’ll get more clarity closer to the release date.
In the US, the C-HR will only have one battery option with 77 kWh of capacity. Interestingly, that pack only offers 290 miles, while the European version with the same battery purports to get up to 373 miles of range. This is due to Toyota relying on the more generous EU-based WLTP standard. The European spec, which goes by the moniker C-HR Plus, offers an additional choice of a 57.7 kWh battery with around 283 miles of range.
The C-HR isn’t a hot hatch by any stretch of the imagination, but it has enough mustard under its hood to put a smile on your face. The compact EV will put out 338 horsepower and an estimated 0-60 mph time of five seconds.
Much like the recently refreshed bZ SUV, the Toyota C-HR will come with a factory-installed North American Charging Standard port, so it can access thousands of Tesla Supercharger stations without needing an adapter. When plugged in at a DC fast-charging station, the EV’s battery will gain 10-80 percent in “around 30 minutes under ideal conditions,” Toyota says. It also has Plug and Charge capability, meaning drivers can plug into a third-party charging station without needing to download an app or enter payment information.
There’s lots more to like, including ample cargo space (25.4 cubic feet), four levels of regenerative braking including paddle shifters, 18- and 20-inch wheel options, and a 14-inch center touchscreen that supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The only remaining question is the price. The original gas-engine version started at $22,000, while the hybrid model sells for around $41,000. So I would expect the BEV version to kick things off somewhere north of $45,000, given the current state of battery costs.
The 2026 BMW iX is now more accessible than ever. | Image: BMW
BMW has been on a roll lately, selling more EVs in North America than most of its competitors, including fellow luxury brands like Mercedes and Audi. But while most of the automaker's lineup is soaring, its flagship iX SUV has been struggling to find an audience. BMW only sold 15,383 iX vehicles in 2024, down 11 percent year over year. Sales numbers ticked up slightly in the first quarter, but after being on the market since 2022, the iX is in need of an upgrade.
With those struggles in mind, BMW announced the refreshed 2026 iX earlier this year, which takes a lot of the best parts of the electric SUV and dials them up a notch. The battery is slightly larger, the range is longer, the tech is flashier, the interior is more luxurious, and the kidney grille is even more in your face than ever before. This bucktoothed SUV is so happy to be getting a makeover that it's positively grinning from ear to ear.
I got a chance to drive the updated iX - once on a media drive through upstate New York and then again over a weekend in suburban New Jersey - and it's clear that it remains a near-perfect luxury EV with some noteworthy downsides.
The battery is slightly larger, the range is long …
GM’s current high-nickel battery pack, seen here in 2022 with a Hummer EV. It has enough energy for around 300 miles of range.
General Motors is teaming up with LG to develop lithium manganese-rich (LMR) batteries for its electric trucks and SUVs. The automaker says that the new chemistry is safer, more energy dense, and less costly than the current technology.
GM aims to become the first automaker to deploy LMR batteries in EVs, with plans to start commercial production in the US by 2028. Last month, Ford announced that it would start adopting LMR batteries for its EVs, but not until 2030.
In EV batteries, the cathode, or negative electrode, are typically made with NCM — nickel, cobalt, and magnesium. Cobalt is a key component in this mix, but it’s also the most expensive material in the battery and mined under conditions that often violate human rights, leading it to be called the “blood diamond of batteries.” As a result, GM and other companies like Tesla are rushing to create a cobalt-free battery. As an alternative, LMR battery cells use a higher proportion of more affordable and plentiful manganese, while also delivering greater capacity and energy density.
GM has prototyped approximately 300 full-size LMR cells as it worked with LG Energy Solution to crack the code on the chemistry.
“We like to joke that it’s as cheap as dirt,” says Andrew Oury, a battery engineer at GM, referring to manganese.
GM’s current crop of electric Chevys and Cadillacs use high-nickel batteries, which supply enough energy for around 300–320 miles of range. The new LMR batteries are denser, with greater space efficiency due to their prismatic shape, enabling up to 400 miles of range, GM says. Prismatic cells are packed flat in rigid cases and are generally thought to be less complex to manufacture than cylindrical cells.
Less complexity and cheaper materials will hopefully lead to lower-cost EVs, which has been a significant challenge for the auto industry’s shift to electric vehicles.
“The EV growth rate is really dependent on how quickly we can bring the costs down over time,” says GM’s VP for batteries Kurt Kelty. “And this is the biggest lever we have. Batteries make up roughly 30 to 40 percent of the cost of vehicles. And if you can drop that down significantly like we’re doing here, then it ends up being a lower cost to the consumer.”
The cells will be produced by Ultium Cells, GM and LG’s joint venture, with preproduction expected to begin in late 2027. The final design will be validated at GM’s Battery Cell Development Center in Warren, Michigan, which opens earlier that year, as well as LG Energy Solution’s facility. Last year, GM sold its stake in the Lansing-based EV battery factory to LG.
“We like to joke that it’s as cheap as dirt.”
GM says the LMR batteries are the result of “decades-long research and investment in technology” that will give it the leg up over its competitors. GM began researching manganese-rich lithium-ion battery cells in 2015, including prototyping LMR cells at its Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center.
There could be some challenges to mass producing LMR batteries. LMR materials have been known to experience significant capacity loss, which could lead to lower driving ranges and thermal stability degradation.
GM says it is aware of these challenges and confident that it could innovate the production process in a way to minimize those risks. The automaker’s engineers say the LMR batteries were expected to perform similarly to GM’s first-generation high-nickel batteries, even in extreme temperatures.
Automakers are racing to slash EV costs before President Donald Trump’s trade war raises the prices for key materials imported from China, which is the world’s leading producer of EV batteries, with over 70 percent of global lithium-ion battery production taking place there.
“We expect our localization of materials for the battery supply chain to increase between now and 2028,” Kelty says. “And LMR is part of that story, because we get more of the materials locally.”
Toyota’s flagship electric vehicle with the clunky name, the bZ4x, is getting a makeover for the 2026 model year — including a much shorter moniker.
Now styled as just bZ, the compact SUV is also getting more range, thanks to expanded battery capacity, and an improved design. The front-wheel drive bZ with 74.7 kWh battery will be able to travel an estimated 314 miles on a single charge, while a 57.7 kWh battery option for the front-wheel drive version will get just 236 miles. Toyota said it would announce prices closer to the date when the new bZ arrives at dealerships, which is expected later this year.
Charging was always a major challenge for the bZ4X, so its nice to see Toyota taking those criticisms to heart. The automaker is also adding Plug and Charge capability, meaning the bZ will be able to pull up to any third-party charging station, plug in, and the driver’s account will be automatically billed without any apps to sign up for or QR codes to scan.
The bZ4X has always been kind of a sleeper hit for Toyota. After a slow start, sales of the EV shot up late last year and early this year, thanks in part to discounts and lease deals. Toyota said it sold 5,610 bZ4Xs in the first quarter of 2025, compared to only 1,897 in Q1 2024.
The bZ4X has always been kind of a sleeper hit for Toyota
The new 2026 bZ will be more of a mover in other ways for Toyota. The automaker is boosting the horsepower by up to 50 percent to 338 combined system net hp in the all-wheel drive model. This was achieved by including silicon carbide semiconductors in the motors for improved power delivery. The bZ can now accelerate from 0–60mph in 4.9 seconds.
The exterior design is now a lot cleaner and approachable. Gone are the black wheel arches, replaced with panels that match the vehicle’s paint color for a more cohesive look. The interior has also been updated with a new center console and a new instrument panel, with a larger 14-inch center touchscreen. And Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can be used wirelessly.
The new bZ is built on the same E-TNGA platform that undergirds the bZ4X, the Lexus RZ 450e, and the Subaru Solterra. Toyota is currently pumping $1.3 billion into its Kentucky factory for EV production, including a planned three-row SUV.
Last Thursday, I boarded one of the first United Airlines planes to be equipped with Starlink's satellite Wi-Fi. As expected, the Wi-Fi was very fast and left me wondering whether this will herald the end of spotty in-flight Wi-Fi, expensive connectivity fees, or even the quaint notion that we can avoid work altogether while cruising at 30,000 feet in the air.
The test plane was an Embraer E-175, a narrow-body aircraft for regional flights that can fit up to 88 passengers. The flight was short, only about 90 minutes, taking off and landing from the same gate at Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Still, the mood was festive, with several of United's top executives donning aprons to serve the passengers first-class snack boxes and plastic cups of Champagne.
It used to be that airlines would tell passengers to switch their phones to airplane mode before taking off for "safety reasons." Now, United is encouraging its customers to browse, stream, and game to their heart's content thanks to a new partnership with SpaceX's Starlink.
Ford’s software chief Doug Field is tasked with remaking the automaker’s software experience — and not just for EVs.
When Ford poached Doug Field from Apple in 2021, the company had high hopes for the mild-mannered engineer. Field would lead the charge on developing "the next-gen Blue Oval Intelligence tech stack to deliver smart, connected vehicles, and services that improve over time through constant updates," it said in the release.
Now, as Ford grapples with stagnant EV sales and project delays, Field is wrestling with the challenge of how to enact that bold vision of the future, given the harsh realities of the present.
At the time of his hire, the only car company with a snappy, seamless, and satisfying software experience was Tesla. Legacy automakers like Ford could only look on with envy as Elon Musk's company pushed out monthly over-the-air updates that amazed and delighted his many customers.
Ford wanted that too, and so it hired Field to lead the effort. In addition to heading Apple's secretive car project, Field also served as chief engineer at Tesla overseeing the Model 3's design. Who better to turn this lumbering 121-year-old company into a cutting-edge software shop?
Who better to turn this lumbering 121-year-old company into a cutting-edge software shop?
A Waymo robotaxi being assembled at the company’s factory in Mesa, Arizona. | Image: Waymo
Waymo said it recently received its last delivery of Jaguar I-Pace SUVs, which will be retrofitted with sensors and autonomous driving technology at its factory in Arizona, before joining its robotaxi fleet.
In a blog post published today, the Alphabet company said it currently has 1,500 Jaguars operating across its four main markets: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin. And it plans on adding 2,000 more vehicles into 2026, for a total fleet size of 3,500. The company recently hit an average of 250,000 paid passenger trips per week.
Waymo typically doesn’t like to comment on the size of its fleet, so today’s announcement provides a rare glimpse into the number of robotaxis the company currently has in operation. Waymo’s plans to scale up comes as the company eyes Atlanta, Miami, and Washington, DC for launch in 2026.
Waymo assembles its robotaxis with the help of auto engineering company Magna International at a 239,000 square-foot factory in Mesa, Arizona. The company’s final batch of Jaguar I-Paces will be assembled there, which should carry Waymo through to next year. And starting in 2026, Waymo will begin work on its sixth generation “Waymo Driver,” which will launch in the Zeekr RT. Zeekr is a subsidiary of Geely, which is one of China’s largest automakers.
The new robotaxi is being designed in Sweden (where Geely owns Swedish carmaker Volvo), adapted from Geely’s all-electric five-door Zeekr. Waymo is then importing the vehicles to Arizona, where they will be outfitted with the hardware and software necessary for autonomous driving. The first test vehicles began arriving in the US last year.
In order to adapt to multiple vehicle platforms, Waymo says its Mesa factory will add automated assembly lines and “other efficiencies” over time. And when it’s operating at full capacity, the company expects it will be able to churn out “tens of thousands” of robotaxis each year. Waymo added new processes at the end of the assembly line for passenger validation and commission to ensure each vehicle is ready to accept riders as soon as it leaves the factory. Each vehicle drives itself into service after leaving the factory, where it is ready for passenger pickups within 30 minutes, according to Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli.
Waymo’s interest in publicizing its plans to grow its fleet size comes as Tesla plans to launch its own robotaxi service in Texas and California later this year. And it aligns with the Alphabet company’s recent announcement of a partnership with Toyota to explore the possibilities of selling autonomous vehicles to customers for personal ownership.
After years of testing and validation, Aurora says its first fully autonomous tractor-trailers are operating on public highways in Texas. The company’s Class 8 trucks are now making customer deliveries between Dallas and Houston, having already completed 1,200 miles “without a driver,” Aurora said. The clients for these initial trips are Uber Freight, the ridehailing company’s trucking brokerage, and Hirschbach Motor Lines, a carrier that delivers time- and temperature-sensitive freight.
Aurora CEO Chris Urmson said he rode in the backseat during the first truck’s inaugural ride, which he called “the honor of a lifetime.”
“We founded Aurora to deliver the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly,” Urmson said in a statement. “Now, we are the first company to successfully and safely operate a commercial driverless trucking service on public roads.”
Aurora said it plans to expand its driverless service to El Paso and Phoenix by the end of 2025.
Driverless trucks were once expected to precede robotaxis and personally owned autonomous vehicles in mass adoption, considering that highways are vastly less complex than city and residential streets. But self-driving truck operators have run into hurdles involving the technology and regulation that have delayed their public debut. Some companies, like Embark Trucks, TuSimple, and Locomation, have gone out of business, while others have cut plans to deploy driverless trucks as timelines have stretched into the future and funding has dried up.
Moreover, public opinion toward autonomous vehicles has trended downward, thanks in part to missteps of companies like Tesla and Cruise. But like Waymo, Aurora has placed its hopes on a measured, conservative approach to commercialization, as well as an emphasis on safety.
Founded in 2017 by alumni of Uber, Tesla, and Waymo, Aurora had planned to deploy its fully autonomous trucks in 2024. But those plans got delayed until this year, with the company continuing to tweak its autonomous system for surface-street driving and construction sites.
Aurora says its technology presents a possible solution to the challenges currently facing the trucking industry, such as a trucker shortage, high turnover rates, and increasingly expensive operating costs. The company says its system can address these specific problems, while also reducing labor costs and heightening safety on the highway.
Aurora has spent four years conducting supervised pilot hauls, mostly in Texas, where it delivered over 10,000 customer loads across 3 million autonomous miles. The company says it has also demonstrated capabilities, such as predicting red light runners, avoiding collisions, and detecting pedestrians in the dark hundreds of meters away. And it has forged partnerships with a bunch of leading players in the trucking industry, including Continental, Volvo, Uber, and others.
The need to start charging customers for deliveries is evident if you look at Aurora’s earnings. In its most recent report, the company reported a net loss of $748 million for 2024, down from $796 million the previous year. While the loss decreased, Aurora’s revenue estimates have declined. Aurora expects to report its first quarter earnings on May 8th.
Lyft said it plans to a new senior citizen-focused product called “Lyft Silver” that includes more accessible vehicles and customer service support staffed with actual human employees.
Noting that older riders comprise just 5.4 percent of its total customer base, Lyft says it hopes to make its app-based ridehailing more accessible to seniors — and hopefully grow the percentage of older riders who use their service.
“Our goal wasn’t just to build a service, but to remove everything that makes getting around a challenge,”Audrey Liu, Lyft’s head of Rider and Community Safety, said in a blog post. “Lyft Silver is about empowering people like my own family to stay connected with their communities, to get out and about with ease and confidence.”
Lyft Silver launches in select cities and states on May 5th, including Miami, Tampa Bay, New Jersey, Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Washington, DC, and Boston. Customers interested in trying it are instructed to open the Lyft app, tap “You” in the bottom right corner to access the main menu, and select “Lyft Silver” to turn it on.
Lyft Silver users in need of assistance will have access to US-based customer support 8AM-9PM ET, the company says. A redesigned version of the app, with larger font and more simplified navigation, will also be a feature of the new service. Older riders will receive priority matching with vehicles that are easier to get in and out of. They will be able to share their location with family, friends, and caregivers if they so choose. And there’s an easier way for users to accept Lyft Cash gifts to finance their trips.
A May Mobility autonomous vehicle shuttle in Ann Arbor, Michigan, US, on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023.
May Mobility is the latest autonomous vehicle operator to team up with Uber to get more passengers into its robotaxis. The Ann Arbor, Michigan-based company, which has mainly focused on long-term transportation contracts, says it will deploy “thousands” of autonomous vehicles on Uber’s ridehailing platform across multiple US markets.
May Mobility says its partnership with Uber will kickoff in Arlington, Texas, at the end of 2025. The first vehicles will operate with safety drivers, before transitioning to fully driverless. The companies will expand into new cities starting next year. May Mobility, which is backed by Toyota and BMW, has raised over $383 million over nine funding rounds.
May Mobility currently owns a fleet of autonomous Toyota Sienna minivans, retrofitted with the company’s autonomous hardware and software. The company operates rideshare services in geofenced, easily mapped business districts, college campuses, and closed residential communities, such as Sun City, a retirement community outside of Phoenix.
May Mobility says its partnership with Uber will kickoff in Arlington, Texas, at the end of 2025
The deal with Uber is not exclusive to either company. May Mobility also has a partnership with Lyft to deploy autonomous vehicles on its ridehail platform, which launches in Atlanta later this year. Likewise, Uber has been on a streak of striking deals with AV operators as it seeks to become a one-stop shop for robotaxis and autonomous delivery vehicles of all brands. In addition to May Mobility, Uber has partnerships with Waymo, Motional, Avride, WeRide, and Volkswagen for self-driving cars, and Serve, Cartken, and Nuro for delivery robots.
May Mobility has set itself apart by focusing on transportation contracts with businesses and local governments. And while some robotaxis have clashed with cities, May Mobility says its incentivized to address municipal concerns or risk having its contract terminated. The company also recently added to its fleet electric minibuses that can carry up to 30 passengers, which is hopes to launch next year.
Waymo released a new study today that it says shows its fully driverless vehicles continuing to outperform human drivers after 56.7 million miles.
The peer-reviewed study, which is slated for publication in Traffic Injury Prevention Journal, analyzes Waymo’s performance in 11 different crash scenarios compared to human drivers. In addition, it cites early evidence that the company’s vehicles are adept at preventing the most serious types of injuries during a vehicle crash. The study is the latest from Waymo that aims to bolster its safety case as it slowly introduces its robotaxis to new cities.
Waymo says its fully driverless vehicles have traveled 56.7 million miles across its four major markets — Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin — as of January 2025. The company compared the data from those miles to human driving benchmarks to determine how much safer its vehicles are in certain scenarios, like rear-end crashes, secondary crashes, and lateral crashes.
After analyzing the data, the company says its vehicles demonstrated a 92 percent drop in pedestrian injuries, an 82 percent decline in cyclist injuries, and an 82 percent decrease in motorcyclist injuries. Waymo also logged 96 percent fewer vehicle-to-vehicle crashes at intersections compared to human drivers, which the company notes is the leading cause of road injury for drivers in the US.
According to the study, a total of 48 injuries, 18 airbag deployments, and 2 “suspected serious injuries” were recorded in crashes involving Waymo vehicles across all four cities through January 2025. Serious injury cases are still rare, leading the company to conclude that “more miles are needed to draw statistical conclusions” about whether its driverless vehicles are better at avoiding them than human drivers.
Still, Waymo says the data proves that its self-driving cars are better at avoiding crashes and injuries than human drivers. “It’s exciting to see the real positive impact that Waymo is making on the streets of America as we continue to expand,” said Mauricio Peña, Waymo’s chief safety officer, in a statement. “This research reinforces the growing evidence that the Waymo Driver is playing a crucial role in reducing serious crashes and protecting all road users.”
Waymo continues to be one of the few autonomous vehicle operators willing to publish its own data to help build the case that driverless cars can be as safe or safer than humans. The company has releasedseveral reports in which it analyzes insurance data to show how its vehicles crash less often and damage less property than human-driven vehicles. It published a paper that described how its AVs performed when compared to a virtual hyper-attentive human driver. And it created its own online safety hub to collect all these reports, with the overarching message that its autonomous vehicles are not to be feared.
General Motors CEO Mary Barra kicked off her Q1 letter to shareholders by thanking “President Trump for his support of the U.S. automotive industry.” Several paragraphs later, things take a turn, with Barra projecting an impact of $4 billion to $5 billion as a result of Trump’s ever-changing tariffs.
Barra’s letter was evidence of the delicate line the automaker needs to tread in order to placate the president while also assuring investors that it can weather the financial storm ahead. And in that respect, GM says it has a lot of evidence in its favor.
It’s revenue is up 2 percent year over year, and its making more progress in improving the profitability of its electric vehicle lineup. In that respect, Barra declared that GM had “solidified” its position as the number two seller of EVs in the US, behind Tesla. (With Tesla’s sales and revenue cratering, its not outside the realm of possibility that GM continues to make progress in this department.) Chevy, with its popular Equinox and Blazer EVs, is now the “fastest growing EV brand,” she said. And GM is the largest producer of lithium-ion batteries in the US.
GM is now the number two EV seller in the US, behind Tesla.
The nation’s largest automaker was expecting a pretty robust year of profits until Trump blew everything up with his tariffs. Earlier this week, GM pulled its guidance, explaining that any prediction of profits at this point would be “a guess,” according to The New York Times. The company also postponed its conference call with financial analysts to discuss its first-quarter results by a couple days, while it assessed the impact of the latest curveball from the White House.
On Tuesday, Trump signed a new executive order walking back some of the auto tariffs he claimed just weeks before would lead to a manufacturing renaissance in the US. Now car companies that pay a 25 percent tariff on auto imports won’t have to pay other levies, like on steel and aluminum, or on certain imports from Canada and Mexico. But as its written, the rules don’t appear to protect automakers from tariffs on steel and aluminum that their suppliers pay and then pass on to them.
Analysts have predicted that the tariffs will be armageddon for the auto industry, with sticker prices expected to increase by as much as $10,000. In response, many panicked shoppers have rushed to their local dealership to get while the getting is good. According to J.D. Power, new vehicle sales in April are forecasted to rise 10.5 percent year over year, driven by 139,000 accelerated purchases from buyers trying to lock in pricing. But that’s already starting to cool off, as automakers promised more price stability throughout the summer, according to a survey from Car Dealership Guy.
But Barra’s letter makes no mention of price hikes, panic shopping, or cratering demand. She projects optimism about Trump’s willingness to bend on tariffs, which he has demonstrated repeatedly over the past few weeks. And that’s all she can really do right now.
“We look forward to maintaining our strong dialogue with the Administration on trade and other policies as they continue to evolve,” she wrote. “As you know, there are ongoing discussions with key trade partners that may also have an impact. We will continue to be nimble and disciplined and update you as we know more.”
New Kia vehicles at the Port of Seattle in Seattle, Washington, US, on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
It started last week with Tesla, followed quickly by General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo. Automakers across the spectrum are pulling their profit guidance for the year because they can’t figure out how to accurately plan for the future thanks to President Donald Trump’s ever-shifting tariffs.
The auto industry is paralyzed by uncertainty. Stellantis, the parent company of Jeep, Dodge, and Ram, also recently scrapped its outlook for the year, with Chief Financial Officer Doug Ostermann telling analysts, “Most of us are in a period of waiting for a bit more clarity,” according to Reuters.
The lack of clarity was even more stark this week, as Trump signed a new executive order walking back some of the tariffs he had just imposed. Now car companies that pay a 25 percent tariff on auto imports won’t have to pay other levies, like on steel and aluminum, or on certain imports from Canada and Mexico. And yet the rules don’t appear to protect them from tariffs on steel and aluminum that their suppliers pay and pass on to them.
Car companies hate this stuff. These are global, multibillion-dollar companies that like to plan years — if not decades — ahead, weighing investments in factories and new models based on sales predictions and forecasts. The foundation of all this is market certainty.
The auto industry is paralyzed by uncertainty
But Trump’s tariffs have been anything but certain. And most analysts are predicting more chaos to come. The president’s recent modifications now require automakers who assemble their vehicles in the US to file for partial reimbursements on 25 percent tariffs levied on auto parts for two years. Basically Trump is dropping a whole mess in the laps of these car companies, who will now be forced to navigate the complexity of tariff compliance and reimbursement, while also trying to relocate as much of their supply chains to within the US.
For a better snapshot of how bizarre this is, just look at GM. The nation’s largest automaker was expecting a pretty robust year of profits until Trump blew everything up with his tariffs. This week, GM pulled its guidance, explaining that any prediction of profits at this point would be “a guess,” according to The New York Times. The company also postponed its conference call with financial analysts to discuss its first-quarter results by a couple days, while it assesses the impact of the latest curveball from the White House.
Ultimately, most analysts are sticking with their predictions of higher prices for new cars that will almost certainly be passed along to consumers. Wedbush’s Dan Ives said Trump’s most recent tweak to the auto tariffs “sounds good on paper,” but still won’t prevent disaster from descending on the industry. He said that car companies across the board are facing “a brutal situation.”
“A US car with all US parts made in the US is a fictional tale not possible today and many factories/production hubs could take 4–5 years to build in the US… and this speaks to the massive frustration from the industry as the rules of the US tariff game are untenable in our view,” Ives wrote in a note.
Automakers have been desperately lobbying the administration for relief from the tariffs, arguing that two years isn’t enough time to completely reorganize their complex manufacturing processes. And given the mercurial nature of Trump’s approach to tariffs, it’s not clear whether any of these massive investments are worth making. They could wake up tomorrow under an entirely different edict.
Even Tesla CEO (and “First Buddy”) Elon Musk said he was doing his best to nudge the president into lowering tariffs on imported car parts. “I believe lower tariffs are generally a good idea for prosperity,” Musk said during Tesla’s earnings call last week. “But this decision is fundamentally up to the elected representative of the people, being the President of the United States. So, you know, I’ll continue to advocate for lower tariffs rather than higher tariffs, but that’s all I can do.”
The situation is fast approaching a crisis, with all major auto stock prices trading lower each successive day. Customers are panicking, dealers are scrambling, and new models are being put on hold. It’s like being trapped in purgatory, and there’s no immediate sign that anyone is getting out.
Rad Power Bikes’ bestselling RadRunner is getting a serious facelift. | Image: Rad Power Bikes
Rad Power Bikes may be going through some turmoil in its upper ranks, but the e-bike company’s product team is still working hard to churn out new bikes. Today, Rad Power revealed its refreshed RadRunner lineup, with a slew of cool new features, including a new Class 3 model.
RadRunner is the company’s bestselling utility bike, with a sturdy frame and fat tires designed for heavy cargo loads and even a child’s seat. Now the lineup is getting some updated features, including enhanced weather protection, rear-facing radar detection, and a new digital key to added security.
But perhaps the most significant update is the introduction of the RadRunner Max, which is the reimagined RadRunner 3 and the lineup’s first Class 3 e-bike. That means it’s pedal-assist only, no throttle, with a maximum speed of 28 mph. It’s not Rad Power Bikes’ first Class 3 model, as the RadWagon 5, Radster Trail, and Radster Road were all engineered to easily toggle between Class 2 and 3.
Class 3 e-bikes are increasingly popular in the US, as the faster-than-normal speeds allow them to keep up with car traffic. But the line between bike and moped is getting blurrier, prompting some states to crack down on some of the heaviest and fastest bikes that are out there.
Rad Power says the RadRunner Max will utilize torque sensors to ensure power is doled out “instantly and intuitively.” And a new “Feather Pedal” feature mimics the smooth acceleration of a car. A new digital key will unlock the bike when the rider approaches it, much in the same way a digital key with ultrawide band technology would work with a car. The bike will include an eight-speed gear shifter and a new “RADar” sensor that notifies riders right in the display when a vehicle is approaching. And the RadRunner Max works with Apple’s Find My app, so riders can use their iPhone to locate a missing bike if needed. The battery supplies enough power for up to 65 miles of riding.
Those features will be missing from the entry-level RadRunner and RadRunner Plus, although there’s still plenty to like. All three bikes sport a 750W motor, hydraulic disc brakes, cadence sensors, and the company’s new fire-resistant SafeShield batteries. The base model RadRunner is single speed, while the Plus features a seven-speed gear shifter. And Rad Power says it’s bumping up the total payload capacity to 320 pounds, and extending the range to 55 miles on a single charge (depending on the power setting).
Rad Power is also launching the Range Extender for those who need a little more mileage out of their e-bike. The company has been promising a range extender since 2023, when the RadRunner lineup received its last refresh. And now the technology is finally ready for customers. It will be compatible with the RadRunner Plus, RadRunner Max, and RadRunner 3 Plus from the previous generation. With the extender, the RadRunner Plus can travel 125 miles on a single charge, while the RadRunner Max can get up to 150 miles.
The base model RadRunner will go on sale for $1,499, while the RadRunner Plus will sell for $1,799. Both bikes will be available starting today, April 30th. The RadRunner Max is available for preorder at $2,299, and will start shipping in early May. The Range Extender can be had for an extra $249, and is also available for preorder with shipments in early May. (The previous generation RadRunner are all on sale on Rad Power Bikes’ website for reduced prices.)
Last week, the US Department of Transportation announced a major change to the Biden-era rule that requires automakers and tech companies to report crashes that involve fully or partially autonomous vehicles. Under the revised rules, companies will no longer have to report certain crashes, such as those involving a vehicle equipped with a Level 2 advanced driver assist system (ADAS) that resulted in a tow-away, but no injuries, fatalities, or airbag deployments. The change was meant to, in Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's words, "slash red tape and move us closer to a single national standard that spurs innovation and prioritizes safety."
One company that stands to benefit from the rule change is Tesla. Under the previous regime, Elon Musk's company comprised the bulk of crashes reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) involving vehicles with Level 2 automated systems. But under the revised rule, Tesla's load will be significantly lighter.
Tesla's load will be significantly lighter
Under the previous rule, if a vehicle with a Level 2 driver assist system or above had a crash that resulted in the vehicle needing to be towed away, but didn't inv …
Last night, a new company called Slate Auto unveiled its first product, a spartan two-seat electric truck with a mere 150 miles of range and a world of possibility. There's no paint, no distracting infotainment screen, and no stereo or even radio. It doesn't tower over your average 12-year-old, and it may sell for under $20,000 (including incentives) when it arrives in 2026.
If it arrives, of course. We don't need to get into the litany of obstacles that lie in the path of Slate's future success - including a global trade war and a presidential administration openly hostile to EVs - because instead I'm interested in talking about the truck as a possible antidote to our growing obsession with overpowered, oversized trucks and SUVs.
You've probably noticed this problem if you have eyes and live in America in 2025. Our roads are packed with these roving land yachts. Sales of SUVs and pickup trucks reached new highs in 2024, accounting for 75 percent of total vehicle registrations. A decade ago, these two segments made up just half of the market. Today, they represent three out of every four new vehicles sold in America.
In a surprise move, President Trump’s transportation department has decided to keep the Biden-era rule requiring automakers and tech companies to report crashes that involve fully or partially autonomous vehicles. But they’re making a few changes that are likely to have a big impact on one company.
In 2021, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a standing general order (SGO) requiring automakers and tech companies to report crashes involving fully autonomous vehicles as well as Level 2 driver-assist systems found in millions of vehicles on the road today. Under the SGO, companies are required to document collisions when an automated driving system was in use within 30 seconds of impact and report those incidents to the government.
Last year, Reuters reported that Trump’s transition team was considering axing the crash-reporting rule, specifically as a favor to Tesla. The company’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features, which are considered Level 2 driver assist systems that require drivers to pay attention, are both covered under the rule. And since it was implemented, Tesla has reported over 1,500 crashes to the federal government, Reuters says. An analysis of the crash data shows Tesla accounted for 40 out of 45 fatal crashes reported under the SGO.
The administration is keeping the rule, but not without a few key changes. USDOT announced a revised Automated Vehicle Framework on Thursday that keeps “maintains” the SGO, but with streamlined reporting that removes “unnecessary and duplicative requirements.” According to USDOT Secretary Sean Duffy, the new framework aims to “slash red tape and move us closer to a single national standard that spurs innovation and prioritizes safety.”
Under the previous SGO, if a vehicle with a Level 2 driver assist system or above had a crash that didn’t involve a fatality or a vulnerable road user (think pedestrian or cyclist), it had to be reported within 5 days if the vehicle had to be towed away or had an airbag deployment, said Sam Abuelsamid, VP for market research at Telemetry and an expert in autonomous vehicle technology.
The administration is keeping the rule, but not without a few key changes.
Now, under the revised rule, a crash only has to be reported if the vehicle has a Level 4 automated driving system, like Waymo. Vehicle crashes involving Level 2 systems that don’t involve a fatality or vulnerable road user are now exempted from reporting. And who benefits the most from this change?
“This has a huge impact on one particular company, Tesla, because Autopilot and [Full Self-Driving] are only L2 systems, not automated driving systems,” Abuelsamid explains. “Tesla has long complained about the fact that the vast majority of SGO reports are from their vehicles and this will eliminate all of the reports that don’t include a fatality or hitting a vulnerable road user.”
In its report from December, Reuters cited several sources close to Tesla saying the company “despises” the standing general order, with CEO Elon Musk concluding that it would take a change in administration in order to get rid of it. Musk was one of Trump’s most vocal defenders during the campaign, spending at least $277 million of his own money to back his candidacy. And he runs the Department of Government Efficiency with the goal of cutting government spending, eliminating humanitarian aid, and terrorizing federal workers.
The end result is likely to be a lot less bad press for Tesla (which certainly has its fair share these) surrounding crashes involving its vehicles, and also less transparency for the public into which companies’ vehicles are more dependable, and which are not.
The department also expanded the Automated Vehicle Exemption Program (AVEP), previously open only to imported vehicles, to now include domestically produced cars. Abuelsamid speculates that this program was mostly used to import low speed autonomous shuttle vehicles like those manufactured by French company Navya, which has been used in several pilot programs across the country.
Unsurprisingly, USDOT officials are framing the changes as enabling AV operators to operate more nimbly without as many government requirements slowing down the process.
“By streamlining the SGO for Crash Reporting and expanding an existing exemption program to domestic vehicles, we are enabling AV manufacturers to develop faster and spend less time on unnecessary process, while still advancing safety,” said NHTSA Chief Counsel Peter Simshauser in a statement. “These are the first steps toward making America a more welcoming environment for the next generation of automotive technology.”
All-electric, all-wheel-drive Dodge Charger Daytona models are driven by a 400V propulsion system that delivers supercharged V-8 power with zero tailpipe emissions and instant torque response. The ghosted illustration of the Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack highlights the wheels, half-shafts, front and rear electric drive modules, and the high-voltage battery pack. | Image: Stellantis
Stellantis says its solid-state batteries are getting closer to reality. The parent company of brands like Jeep, Dodge, Ram, and many others is working with startup Factorial on the new batteries, which have just been successfully validated for automotive use and will be installed in a demonstrator fleet in 2026.
Most EVs use “wet” lithium-ion batteries containing liquid electrolytes to move energy around. Solid-state batteries, which have been slow to come to market, promise faster charging speeds, more capacity, and longer range vehicles.
Stellantis and Factorial call the new packs Factorial Electrolyte System Technology, or FEST, arguing that unlike conventional lithium-ion batteries, the solid-state batteries have higher density and can support faster charging. Think 15–90 percent in just 18 minutes at room temperature. Factorial’s technology uses a lithium-metal anode (the “positive” charge side of the battery), quasi-solid electrolyte, and high-capacity cathode (the “negative” side).
Stellantis says its 77Ah FEST cells have demonstrated an energy density of 375Wh/kg with over 600 charging cycles, “a milestone for large-format lithium-metal solid-state battery.” In addition to faster charging speeds, the solid-state batteries can also deliver higher power output with discharge rates up to 4C, for greater EV performance.
Factorial’s cells can also work under a variety of weather conditions, including extreme cold and extreme heat. The company says the batteries perform well in temperatures ranging from -30°C to 45°C (-22°F to 113°F).
“Battery development is about compromise. While optimizing one feature is simple, balancing high energy density, cycle life, fast charging, and safety in an automotive-sized battery with OEM validation is a breakthrough,” said Siyu Huang, CEO of Factorial Energy, in a statement. “This achievement with Stellantis is bringing next-generation battery technology from research to reality.”
Stellantis’ announcement is a sign of progress, and it’s not the only company making some. Hyundai is a Factorial investor, and so is Mercedes, which said it would have Factorial’s semi-solid-state batteries “in EVs on the road in 2026,” according to Reuters. Honda plans to introduce solid-state EVs in the latter half of the decade, while Toyota’s roadmap includes mass-producing solid-state batteries that enable more than 621 miles of range by 2028. And Volkswagen is working with Quantum State, which just logged its own milestone.
But the US is in danger of being lapped by China, where companies like CATL and BYD have been teasing new tech that allows EVs to fast-charge in just five minutes.
