Transportation

The Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies joint venture brought one of its new software-defined test vehicles to Sweden and Germany to see how it handles the cold. They stress-tested the all-wheel drive system and validated over-the-air software functionality, amid other tests. Most importantly, the completion of these tests bring Rivian a step closer to receiving the next tranche of investment from VW, which will be crucial as the automaker ramps up its R2 production.

A prototype Tesla Cybercab was spotted out and about in Los Angeles recently, complete with a steering wheel and a human driver. The panel gaps, of course, were in full display. But the cab’s apparent misalignment was the thing that really caught this TikTok user’s attention. Also his observation that it looks like “a Pixar Model 3” is going to live rent-free in my brain for the rest of time.

The company apparently gives parking priority to employees who own Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, or Ram vehicles, The Wall Street Journal reports. But if you get caught parking a rival brand in the wrong lot, you get a warning. And now many Stellantis employees are posting their frustrations on Reddit. One employee said he got a ticket for parking his Eagle Talon sports car in the lot — despite Eagle being a defunct nameplate from Chrysler.

The company has a roadside assistance team that it dispatches to move vehicles when they get trapped. But sometimes Waymo needs emergency responders to actually get behind the wheel. TechCrunch got the 911 dispatches and incident reports from California:

The update — which also adds Android Auto support — allows owners to lock or unlock Kwikset smart locks directly from their vehicle’s dashboard. It’s not the first door lock to be accessible in CarPlay, but there aren’t many around. You can find out more about supported devices and setup here.

Project Wing launched as a part of Google X more than a decade ago, and now, in 2026, the Alphabet subsidiary Wing is announcing drone delivery service will be available in the Bay Area soon. It hasn’t announced partners or other details yet, but says interested residents can sign up for updates here.

The automaker plans to start supervised public-road testing on limited-access highways across California and Michigan, with the goal of reaching 200 vehicles this year. According to GM:

Before the world was left scratching its head when the Segway was finally revealed in December 2001, the self-balancing personal transporter was codenamed “Ginger” and looked a lot less polished. Bidding for this early prototype from the collection of James Norrod, the former Segway President and CEO, ends this week.

Elon Musk says he’s planning to open a “Terafab” chip plant in Austin, Texas, jointly run by Tesla and SpaceX, as we approach dire risk levels of “tera” ceasing to have all meaning.

That’s according to BMW SVP Bernd Körber, speaking to Motor1.com. BMW announced the new i3 EV on Wednesday, but it appears that the i4 won’t be around much longer.

Raffi Krikorian, who now serves as Mozilla’s CTO, writes in The Atlantic that he’s rethinking the relationship between humans and machines after a near-death experience in his Tesla.

Automotive News ran the numbers based on public filings and found that Toyota was the hardest hit, at $9.1b, while Detroit’s Big Three paid a total $6.5b. It’s unclear how refunds might play out now that the Supreme Court overturned the tariffs as they were originally enacted, but either way that’s a lot of cash stuck in limbo that could have gone to hybrid and EV incentives while Trump’s Iran disaster continues to spike gas prices.

Uber’s founder and ousted CEO Travis Kalanick, last seen operating a ghost kitchen startup, is forming a new company called Atoms, TechCrunch reports, that will include food delivery, mining, and transportation. He’s also, according to The Information, considering acquiring Anthony Levandowski’s (yes, that guy) autonomous mining company and using it as a launchpad for a new self-driving car company — with backing from his former company. Dude also gave a live interview on TPBN where he described the mining business as — in extreme Kalanick style — “my jam.”

Uber out here collecting robotaxi companies like they’re Pokémon! The majority Hyundai-owned Motional is operating a fleet of autonomous Ioniq 5s in Las Vegas. The arrangement is similar to Uber’s other AV partners: riders who indicate they’re interested in robotaxis may get matched with one of Motional’s vehicles.

Cosmos and Earth. Paging Carl Sagan! The EV company announced the names at its Investor Day in New York City today. Both are expected to be mid-sized crossover SUVs, with an estimated starting price of $50,000. That makes the Lucid Earth and Cosmos incredibly important to the company’s long-term future — sort of similar to the Rivian R2. If Lucid wants to break into the mainstream, it needs to sell more affordable vehicles.

The ridehail service is launching a new premium offering for anyone who thinks Uber Black is too pedestrian. Uber Elite will be invite-only, and feature commercially licensed professional chauffeurs driving new-model luxury vehicles – less than three years old – such as the Cadillac Escalade, Lucid Air, and Lincoln Navigator.

The EV maker has been granted a license to supply electricity to British households and businesses, mirroring its similar business in Texas. The approval doesn’t include dual gas/electric fuel contracts, however, and local supplier Octopus Energy already allows Powerwall battery owners to sell energy back to the grid.

The companies aim to launch a pilot program in Tokyo by late 2026, allowing Uber riders to book robotaxis based on the Nissan Leaf EV, powered by Wayve’s autonomous driving tech. In its press release, Uber said: