TechCrunch Mobility: Rivian’s next act

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, the role AI is playing in it.

Cities want to put the boot on robotaxis
Cities want to put the boot on robotaxis

This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on autonomous vehicles, policy, and road rules, follow Andrew J. Hawkins. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. How it started The first state to pass a law […]

Mercedes-AMG’s first ground-up SUV is a 1,150hp electric beast
Mercedes-AMG’s first ground-up SUV is a 1,150hp electric beast

Earlier this year, Mercedes’ AMG performance brand grabbed our attention with the GT four-door coupe, a souped-up sports sedan with three axial flux motors delivering over 1,150 horsepower. Well, now meet its beefier cousin, the 2028 Mercedes-AMG GT SUV, an equally powerful, ultra-fast-charging electric people-hauler. The AMG GT SUV (say that five times fast) marks […]

XPENG Could Bring Chinese Self-Driving To Europe Sooner Than You Think

Could XPENG beat Tesla to European self-driving? I tried NGP in Paris and Beijing to see why its AI technology might be ready for European roads as soon as 2027.

Tesla driver says he was asleep and using FSD when he crashed into highway patrol cars
Tesla driver says he was asleep and using FSD when he crashed into highway patrol cars

After this horrific crash involving a Tesla driver who said he was asleep and using the driver assist mode, the California Highway Patrol warns that “Despite its name, full self-driving is not fully autonomous. Technology does not relieve drivers of their responsibility to safely operate their vehicles.” Video released by CHP shows the Tesla speeding […]

Porsche’s electric Macan Turbo is an automotive existential crisis

Maybe it was the grey color, the slightly bulbous roofline, or the vaguely SUV-like proportions of the electric Porsche Macan, but as I shuttled kids and groceries around city and suburban streets, I never once noticed a longing stare from other driver…

Waymo’s robotaxis are headed to Canada

The company will start off by testing its self-driving vehicles on Toronto’s streets.

The incredible flying Tesla Roadster is just for show
The incredible flying Tesla Roadster is just for show

Last night, Elon Musk gave the people what they want: a car driving vertically up a multistory ramp, launching off the edge, executing a midair “kickflip” over a lineup of Teslas, and landing via cold-gas thrusters. That’s what the people want, right? “We were promised flying cars,” sure, but isn’t the operative word in that […]

The Tesla Roadster flew, drove upside down, and hit 60mph in under a second
The Tesla Roadster flew, drove upside down, and hit 60mph in under a second

Elon Musk promised a flying car. And the Tesla Roadster did exactly that. Tesla demonstrated its next-generation Roadster at an event in Waco, Texas, where the electric supercar drove upside down, briefly flew, and accelerated to 60mph in under a second. It was an impressive demonstration of a car that likely will come with some […]

Tesla reveals SpaceX-powered Roadster that flies and falls with style

The new car used thrusters to leap over a Cybercab, Cybertruck, Tesla Semi, Model Y, and Model 3 at a demo in Texas.