Transpo

Chinese automaker XPeng is revealing the first images of its P7 Plus electric car with camera-based self-driving technology that operates similarly to Tesla’s Full-Self Driving (FSD) tech. As reported by Electrek, XPeng previously used Lidar in its cars, an approach that some automakers and robotaxi ventures count on in the pursuit of achieving autonomous driving.

The world’s biggest car company is joining seven other automakers, including BMW, Honda, General Motors, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis. Ionna plans to install a few chargers by the end of this year, and more than 30,000 across North America by 2030. By that time, Toyota and Lexus together plan to offer 30 EV models globally, the company says.

That’s the maximum EV charge allowed under Electrify America’s new pilot aimed at reducing long wait times at some charging stations. Once an EV reaches 85 percent, the charging session will automatically end and the EV owner will have to unplug. The pilot will kick off at 10 Electrify America stations in California where congestion — defined as the number of EVs waiting to charge — has been the most pronounced.

Current and former Tesla employees told Business Insider that the images and videos from Musk’s Teslas have “received meticulous scrutiny,” allowing the automaker to tweak its software to address hiccups on certain routes. The company similarly prioritizes driving data from Tesla influencers, Business Insider reports:

The result is that Tesla’s Autopilot and FSD software may better navigate routes taken by Musk and other high-profile drivers, making their rides smoother and more straightforward.

Misleading claims about Tesla’s alleged autonomous vehicle development are a dime-a-dozen, but this quote in the Wall Street Journal about China’s AV program was enough to exasperate ex-Waymo CEO John Krafcik.

Just to be clear: Waymo operates fully driverless vehicles, while Tesla’s Full Self-Driving requires a human driver behind the wheel.

It’s been five years since Google Maps rolled out the feature on Android, and now it’s finally available to iPhone users, as spotted by TechCrunch. The feature lets you see how fast you’re going compared to the road’s speed limit.

The US Department of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (AVTM) program, which famously helped put Tesla on the map and also is funding Ford’s massive EV investment, will hand out $1.2 billion for a new factory in Terre Haute, Indiana to manufacture lithium-ion battery separators to be used in EVs. Its another sign that the Biden administration is racing to strengthen the domestic EV supply chain before the November election.

The automaker clearly has no qualms about slapping beloved nameplates on new vehicles (see: Mach-E, Mustang), so it shouldn’t come as a complete shock that it would bring the Capri name out of retirement for its second EU-only EV. (The first was the electric Explorer.) Also, what is this guerrilla campaign? Clearly Ford’s European marketing team has a longer leash to experiment than their stateside brethren.

By all reports, Apple and Warner Bros.’ F1 wasn’t cheap to produce, but you can definitely see director Joseph Kosinski putting that budget to work in the film’s new teaser trailer. The movie’s out internationally on June 25th, 2025, June 27th in the US, and will hit Apple TV Plus some time afterwards.

I’ve never been to a stock car race, but I have seen my share of monster trucks, dirt track races, and sprint cars.

Maybe that’s why my brain won’t accept how quiet NASCAR’s new EV prototype is in this video from the Chicago Street Course. Imagine going to a race and not feeling totally rattled and overwhelmed by the noise!

The Verge’s Adi Robertson already wrote about her experience with Distance Technologies’ prototypical heads-up display at Augmented World Expo. It’s nowhere near road-ready — it’s too dim, and the eye-tracking-driven stereoscopic 3D effect can be buggy, laggy, and tiresome.

Yet, for purely aesthetic reasons, I love the sci-fi future feel of this video from her time with it.

According to Not a Tesla App, the 2024.26 update in testing has features like parental controls that limit speed and acceleration or notify about late-night drives, an AQI symbol for poor local air quality, and scheduled charging.

It also adds built-in apps for Amazon Music and YouTube Music streaming in the US if you have Premium Connectivity or an active Wi-Fi connection.

Emissions from nearly 6 million of its vehicles were about 10 percent higher on average than GM said they were on its greenhouse gas emission compliance reports, an EPA investigation found. GM will retire 50 million metric tons of carbon credits to make up for the excess tailpipe pollution. It’ll also pay $145.8 million in penalties.

That’s what the drone company’s official Instagram account seems to be teasing under a new Amflow Bikes brand, built around a DJI Avinox mid-drive motor. A formal announcement is scheduled for Wednesday, July 3rd at 3AM ET — that’s 9AM CET in Germany just as the Eurobike show kicks off tomorrow.

Days before Boeing’s deferred prosecution agreement over 737 Max crashes would’ve expired, a door plug blew out during an Alaska Airlines flight, and the case was reopened. Now, attorneys for family members of the crash victims have been told federal prosecutors will seek a guilty plea from Boeing to resolve a criminal fraud charge, which one lawyer called “another sweetheart deal.”

Seattle Times:

The plea deal would include a $244 million fine, a three-year probation and an independent monitor appointed to oversee the company’s progress on safety and quality improvements.

The announcement, made in a social media post by Nick Twork, Lucid Motors’ new head of communications, comes over a year after the company added CarPlay support to its vehicles.

The Japanese automaker’s joint venture in China is aiming to launch an EV with a driver assist that’s equivalent to Tesla’s controversial FSD, according to Reuters. That’s especially interesting considering Toyota’s luxury brand Lexus was the only company to pass the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety’s rigorous ADAS test. Not saying there’s a direct connection, but Toyota certainly has the chops.

This report from Reuters looks at how executives from Volkswagen and Rivian courted each other in the run-up to the surprise announcement of the $5 billion joint venture this week. One of things they did to determine whether it would be a good fit was to strip the electronics out of two Audis and replace them with modules and harnesses supplied by Rivian. Later, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe teases the possibility of a Rivian-powered Porsche — which I think I speak for many when I say, sick.