Bentley’s Torcal EV tries to balance authenticity with fake V8 sounds
Bentley’s Torcal EV tries to balance authenticity with fake V8 sounds

Thanks to their ability to provide a smooth ride and quiet powertrain with ease, electric vehicles are a true shoo-in for the high-end luxury automotive segment. Rolls-Royce has the Spectre, Cadillac’s Celestiq is taking bespoke to a whole new level, and Mercedes has given the EQS the full Maybach treatment. From Volkswagen Auto Group, Bentley […]

Uber put $100m into the company that hired Anthony Levandowski
Uber put $100m into the company that hired Anthony Levandowski

Uber has put $100m into a company that just hired Anthony Levandowski. His theft of Google’s self-driving secrets cost Uber a fortune, and it helped end Travis Kalanick’s time as chief executive. The company is Atoms, Kalanick’s new venture. Rafe Rosne…

Britain built a legal route to driverless taxis in May. London’s first robotaxi service did not use it.
Britain built a legal route to driverless taxis in May. London’s first robotaxi service did not use it.

Uber and Wayve began carrying paying passengers in London on 3 September, in what Wayve described in a statement as the UK’s first autonomous ride-hailing service. Every car has a trained, TfL-licensed private hire driver on board. Olivia Solon rode on…

Volkswagen plans 50,000 more job cuts, taking the total to 100,000
Volkswagen plans 50,000 more job cuts, taking the total to 100,000

Volkswagen’s supervisory board unanimously approved cutting a further 50,000 jobs, bringing planned reductions to 100,000, and left four German plants without secured production from 2031 to 2034. Half that board represents the workforce and Lower Saxo…

Electric cars outsold every other powertrain in Britain last month
Electric cars outsold every other powertrain in Britain last month

Battery-electric cars took a record 29.8% share of UK registrations in August, outselling every other powertrain, though year-to-date uptake of 25.6% remains below the 33% zero emission mandate. The Commission has proposed cutting the EU’s 2035 target …

JD Power says 35% of passenger screens have never been used
JD Power says 35% of passenger screens have never been used

JD Power found that 35% of owners with a passenger screen have never used it and that such systems generate 21.3 problems per 100 vehicles. Euro NCAP has awarded rating points for physical controls on nine functions since 1 January, and driver distract…

Tesla’s driver assist faces new pressure after two fatal crashes where the cars stopped dead
Tesla’s driver assist faces new pressure after two fatal crashes where the cars stopped dead

Electrek has matched two fatal US freeway crashes to redacted Tesla reports showing a driver assistance system verified as engaged with the car stopped at 0mph in a live lane. The Netherlands approved FSD Supervised in April under UN Regulation 171, se…

Uber cuts 10% of its workforce and shuts down in Nigeria and Uganda
Uber cuts 10% of its workforce and shuts down in Nigeria and Uganda

Uber is cutting about 3,300 roles, roughly 10% of its workforce, and shutting down in Nigeria and Uganda as it redirects spending towards robotaxis. Its internal memo says everyone affected has been notified except where local process applies, which in…

China exported 8.32 million vehicles last year. Now it wants them sold at stable prices
China exported 8.32 million vehicles last year. Now it wants them sold at stable prices

China’s commerce and industry ministries and its market regulator have issued joint guidelines telling automakers to price overseas on costs and market demand, set clear price tiers and avoid frequent steep changes. The EU has spent two years trying to…

Range Rover’s new EV looks just like a regular Range Rover — that’s refreshing
Range Rover’s new EV looks just like a regular Range Rover — that’s refreshing

I think automakers are finally getting the memo. Rather than try to reinvent the wheel with its new electric vehicle, Range Rover just made one that looks nearly identical to its lineup of gas-powered SUVs. They didn’t try to pass off some sleek, spaceship-looking pod as a Range Rover. Sometimes familiar designs are the way […]