In Las Vegas, the city that never sleeps, where many locals and tourists love to have a big night out on the town, there’s now a new robotaxi service available thanks to Waymo. No more worrying that your taxi driver has spent the evening gambling away their life savings before picking you up.

Starting earlier this month, Waymo’s advanced robotaxis can now be ordered through the company’s app. As in other cities, the fleet will include Jaguar I-Pace models, but as is the case in Denver and San Diego, the majority of Waymo vehicles operating in Las Vegas will be the Ojai model, built by Zeekr in China and based on the electric Mix minivan.

Read: You Can Now Chat To Waymo’s Newest Robotaxi As It Drives You Around

Waymo says that before launching its service in Las Vegas, it had received expressions of interest from more than 100,000 people interested in the robotaxis coming to Sin City. As part of the initial roll-out, the self-driving taxis will operate from Boulder Junction up the Strip to Sahara Avenue. They will also connect from Spring Valley to Winchester.

“Las Vegas and its neighborhoods are evolving rapidly, and expanding smart, clean transit options is essential for our city’s future,” Las Vegas mayor Shelley Berkley said. “The public rollout of Waymo’s all-electric autonomous ride-hailing brings technology directly to our municipal streets, helping residents and patrons travel seamlessly between the cultural districts and neighborhood centers. By investing in cleaner, safer urban mobility, we ensure the City of Las Vegas remains an accessible, vibrant, and forward-looking community.”

Waymo has spent months analyzing roads across Las Vegas to ensure its vehicles, powered by the sixth-generation Waymo Driver, are up to the task. In a city like Las Vegas, where the flashing lights, crowds, and wild drivers can distract even the most experienced motorists, cruising around in a Waymo will probably become the choice of transportation for many.

VW has confirmed recent reports that the ID.4 and ID.5 will be replaced by an all-new model, badged the ID. Tiguan. This new EV will be sold alongside the combustion-powered Tiguan and, following a lengthy period of development and teasing, will be unveiled in early October.

As we’ve seen from plenty of other car brands, VW has obviously decided it doesn’t need to position its electric models as completely different propositions from their combustion counterparts. By using a recognizable name for its latest EV, VW’s marketing team will no doubt be hopeful the ID. Tiguan will feel familiar to existing customers.

Watch: VW’s New ID. Tiguan Finally Stops Pretending It’s An ID.4

VW most recently adopted a similar approach with the ID. Polo, naming it after the brand’s most iconic pint-sized hatchback. In the case of the ID. Tiguan, it will land in European markets at the beginning of 2027. It will also be available in North America, although VW says it will arrive “at a later date,” without providing more details.

A More Traditional Design

Newly released photos of a lightly disguised ID. Tiguan prototype also gives us our best look at the SUV’s design. Compared to the ID.4 and ID.5 which looked completely unlike any other VW SUV, the ID. Tiguan will share similarities to the combustion-powered Tiguan.

More: VW’s Most Powerful GTI Ever Is A RWD Electric Hot Hatch

The front of the new model features sleek LED headlights and daytime running lights, in addition to a black lower grille and a pair of small air curtains on the outer edges of the bumper. Other eye-catching elements include the low-set wing mirrors, the roof rails, and the chunky door handles, vastly different than the flap-style handles of the ID.4.

Plenty of changes have also been made at the rear, including a new bumper, tailgate, and window. The taillights of this prototype don’t appear to be production-spec units.

More: Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz Comeback Slips To 2028

Interestingly, VW has released images of two different versions of the ID. Tiguan, without specifying the differences. Whereas one has small air intakes positioned at the front, the other has vertical LED daytime running lights. It also has a unique lower grille.

What About The Hardware?

The ID. Tiguan is tipped to be built on VW’s MEB+ platform. Whereas the outgoing ID.4 is available with relatively small 58 kWh and 79 kWh batteries, we’d expect this new model to get larger and more efficient packs.

“Tiguan represents a versatile, premium vehicle and embodies the essence of True Volkswagen,” VW chief executive Thomas Schäfer said in a statement. “With the ID. Tiguan, we are carrying this product promise into the electric future. The all-electric model builds on the strengths of the bestseller and offers premium design, generous space, intuitive operation and innovative technologies. Together, both models form a strong offering for our customers’ different powertrain preferences.”

It’s been two and a half years since Rivian shocked the world when it unveiled not only its mid-size R2, but also the smaller R3 and R3X. While production and customer deliveries of the R2 have started, the R3 is still a little ways off, but when it does finally launch, it has the potential to be the brand’s highest-volume seller.

With prices starting at $45,000 and going up to $57,990, Rivian now has a legitimate rival to the best-selling Tesla Model Y in its line-up. Given how difficult it is for new car manufacturers to crack into the affordable, mass-market, no one could blame the brand for calling it a day with the R1 and R2 models, satisfied with selling a few hundred thousand vehicles a year.

Read: Rivian’s Secret Plans Might Include A Lot More Than Just The R2 And R3

That’s not how Rivian chief executive RJ Scaringe thinks. During a recent interview with The New York Times, the brand’s founder spoke about the R3 and how the US can remain competitive against new electric vehicles emerging out of China.

According to Scaringe, the R3 will be priced “materially lower” than the R2, although the company is not yet ready to announce pricing for it. It’s unlikely the compact SUV will be able to rival something like the $29,990 Nissan Leaf on price, but Rivian could have a winner on its hands if it prices it between $35,000 and $40,000.

More: Rivian Has Already Issued The First Recall For The R2

Things won’t even stop with the R3, as Scaringe added there are also plans for an R4, “which again moves” the price point down lower.

When the R3 was first previewed, Rivian said it will be offered with two different battery packs and be sold in single-, dual-, and tri-motor configurations. The most range-focused model should be able to travel more than 300 miles (483 km) on a single charge, while the quickest should hit 60 mph (96 km/h) in less than 3 seconds.

Scaringe Says He Supports Tariffs On Chinese Cars

Moving forward, Scaringe added that America needs make proactive efforts to ensure local car manufacturers can remain competitive despite the threat from Chinese firms. He told the NYT that “we should assume that in the fullness of time, China will likely be able to sell here.” If that happens, more needs to be done to balance the different in input costs between the two countries.

More: US Lawmakers Push For A Permanent Ban On Chinese Cars

In China, labor costs are much lower, as are capital costs. Important input costs like electricity and utilities also cost significantly less, enabling Chinese automakers to sell EVs at price points that Western brands have failed to match. To help level the playing field, Scaringe says tariffs are an important tool. Without them, “we have to be honest that a lot of manufacturing capacity is going to move to China.”

For more than a decade, Mercedes-Benz has worked with Taiwanese energy company ProLogium to help bring advanced solid-state battery technology to the auto industry. The two firms have now strengthened their partnership, meaning Mercedes will get priority access to test the firm’s fourth-generation cells, which could help to reshape the automotive industry.

Solid-state batteries have long been viewed as the holy grail of battery tech. By replacing the liquid electrolytes of traditional lithium-ion batteries with non-flammable solid materials, these batteries offer higher energy density, support faster charging, are safer, and last longer.

Read: Geely’s New Solid-State Battery Lasts 621,000 Miles And Starts Pilot Testing Next Year

Mercedes-Benz, much like BYD, Toyota, Nissan, Honda, VW, Stellantis, Chery, and others, is actively developing and testing these batteries for its next generation of EVs. Some may be ready to hit the market within the next 12 months.

Through its deal with ProLogium, Mercedes-Benz will perform electrical, thermal, and safety testing on the company’s Gen4 lithium ceramic battery cells at its facilities and at third-party testing institutes. These batteries use ceramic separator technology and have a non-flammable inorganic electrolyte, which is said to enable not only fast charging but also high power output.

“At Mercedes-Benz, we are committed to shaping the future of electric mobility through technological leadership and innovation,” Mercedes-Benz Group AG member of the Board of Management, Jörg Burzer, said. “Our long-standing partnership with ProLogium is a strong example of how we bring the best expertise together to advance next-generation battery technologies. By combining ProLogium’s pioneering solid-state battery approach with Mercedes-Benz’s deep battery development, testing and integration capabilities, we are taking the next step in exploring advanced battery technologies for future electric vehicles.”

Solid-State Battery Production Is Coming To Europe

ProLogium already operates a large battery factory in Taiwan and is planning a site in Dunkirk, France, with a capacity of up to 44 GWh. It says this factory will allow it to provide cells to customers across the continent, including Mercedes.

The German brand has another important solid-state battery partner. In addition to working alongside ProLogium, Mercedes-Benz is also testing lithium-metal battery cells from American company Factorial Energy.

Last year, a Mercedes-Benz EQS equipped with one of Factorial’s solid-state battery packs was driven 748.8 miles (1,205 km) on a single charge. It could have been driven even further, as Mercedes says the EQS finished the test with an estimated range of 85 miles (137 km) left.

BYD’s luxury-focused Yangwang brand is about to welcome a new model, and it’s poised to push the brand even further upmarket. Evidently, BYD is no longer satisfied with taking over the mass market, snatching sales from legacy rivals like Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Ford, and others, but it now also wants to convince Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and Mercedes-Maybach shoppers to buy Chinese.

The new uber-luxury sedan has been previewed through images of a heavily disguised prototype at a mystery testing facility. Much like a Rolls-Royce Phantom, the new YangWang model is big and imposing, giving it an air of exclusivity most Chinese car manufacturers have so far failed to achieve.

Read: BYD Flash-Charged Its Luxury EV Over 350 Times In A Week Covering Nearly 19,000 Miles, Then Checked The Battery

Despite the camouflage, we can see the front end will feature a large upright grille and headlights similar in shape to YangWang’s current U8 SUV. Set within these headlights are cubed-shaped crystals, hinting at just how serious the brand is about making this sedan feel special, even by European standards.

Coach Doors, Just Like A Rolls-Royce

Viewed from the side, the car’s wheelbase appears absolutely massive, although it’s hard to say if it’ll be as long as the extended-wheelbase Rolls-Royce Phantom. Nevertheless, we can see it rocks one obvious Rolls-Royce-inspired feature, namely coach doors at the rear. It also features large windows behind the C-pillars, suggesting it will focus heavily on maximizing comfort and luxury in the second row.

The new YangWang also rocks a LiDAR sensor above the windshield and is expected to use the company’s advanced DiPilot 600 semi-autonomous driving system.

Unlike a Rolls-Royce Phantom, YangWang’s next luxury sedan is tipped to be sold exclusively as an EV. According to CarNewsChina, it could be one of the most advanced EVs on the market, potentially launching as BYD’s first model with solid-state batteries.

In September, BYD executive vice president Stella Li confirmed the brand would launch its first solid-state-battery-powered EV in 2027. Given that the technology has yet to be commercialized at scale and will therefore be quite expensive, debuting it in a flagship luxury model like this one makes perfect sense.

Customer deliveries of the Rivian R2 started only three months ago, and already, the electric SUV has been caught up in its first recall. It’s not the only Rivian model impacted either, as tens of thousands of R1S and R1T models are also being recalled over the same issue.

The recall notice says that a software issue in the R1S, R1T, and R2 models falls foul of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. On the face of it, that sounds quite troubling, but it isn’t overly significant and certainly isn’t something Rivian owners should be losing sleep over.

Read: Rivian Service Followed The Wrong Instructions For Years, And One Owner Already Got Hurt

The company says that if the stability control system is disabled in one of the different drive modes, a safety alert will appear on the infotainment screen, asking whether the driver would like to return to a mode where the ESC is enabled. If a driver then puts the vehicle into reverse without making a selection, this notification will remain on screen, overlapping the rear-view camera image, which is a no-no according to safety standards.

A total of 98,828 Rivian models are impacted. These start with 2,481 examples of the 2027 R2, manufactured between April 23, 2026, and August 10, 2026. In addition, 62,259 Rivian R1S models built from March 30, 2022, to August 6, 2026, through the 2022-2027 model years are involved, as are 34,088 Rivian R1Ts built from August 23, 2021, to July 6, 2026.

Rivian says it discovered the issue during internal testing from July through September and adds that before the recall notice was even issued, an over-the-air software update had already rectified the fault in most models. In fact, it says the update has already been rolled out to 96 percent of the R2s involved, as well as 95 percent of R1S and R1T models. Chances are, if you own an impacted model, it was already updated and fixed before the recall.

Chinese automotive giant BYD put the electric vehicle market on notice earlier this year by unveiling its Flash Charging technology, featuring peak charging speeds of up to 1,500 kW. Not willing to be outdone by its fiercest competitor, Geely Auto Group has unveiled its answer, the Geely Smart Charging.

The new technology, which combines an advanced AI model co-developed by Geely and StepFun with the fifth-generation Geely Smart Charging Station, delivers peak charging speeds of up to 2,250 kW. According to Geely, tests of the Lynk & Co 01 and Zeekr 001 show the cars can charge from 10-70% in just four minutes and 30 seconds, as well as from 10-97% in eight minutes and 40 seconds.

Read: BYD’s New UK Flash Chargers Do In 9 Minutes What Most EV Rivals Do In An Hour

These numbers conveniently eclipse those promised by BYD’s Flash Charging 1,500-kW system, which claims a charge from 10-70% in five minutes and a 10-97% charge in nine minutes.

AI Keeps Temperatures Down

As you can imagine, pumping energy into a battery pack at such an extraordinary pace has its challenges, which is where artificial intelligence comes into play. Geely claims its system uses advanced algorithms to anticipate battery temperatures ahead of time. As such, the charging rate can be instantly adjusted as needed. Geely says the AI aims to keep the battery temperature during charging steady at below 55°C (131°F).

In addition to their advanced ultra-quick charging solution, Geely has presented the latest-generation Ultra Short Blade Battery, which it says can cut charging temperatures by 10 percent.

Although Geely Smart Charging may have beaten BYD when it comes to outright power, it has a lot of catching up to do elsewhere. In the six months since BYD unveiled its Flash Charging tech, they have already installed more than 10,000 stations across China. By the end of this year, BYD aims to have 20,000 stations in operation across its home country and is committed to expanding internationally to establish 6,000 by April next year. Target locations include Europe, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, Africa, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

After 445 days, 92 countries, and six continents, a VW ID. Buzz has received a Guinness World Record for the most countries visited in a continuous journey by a BEV. What’s perhaps even more impressive than the journey itself is that the car apparently didn’t experience a single breakdown.

Rainer Zietlow drove the ID. Buzz throughout the journey, covering 62,036 miles (99,767 km), leaving Hannover, Germany, on July 1, 2025, and returning on September 14. At the end of the journey, VW’s all-electric van had retained 95.75 percent of its original battery capacity.

Read: VW’s First Electric California Is An ID. Buzz With A Bed

The ID. Buzz used for the epic road trip was the Pro model, equipped with an 86-kWh battery pack that gives it up to 309 miles (497 km) of WLTP range. While this is far from class-leading in the ultra-competitive EV space, it was enough for Zietlow to cross through countries, proving just how easy it can be to live with an EV.

This isn’t to say it was always easy to charge the ID. Buzz. In Tanzania and Zambia, there’s no public charging network, so the VW had to be charged at national substations to keep the journey going. The EV was moved across countries and continents using container ships.

Zietlow was probably especially grateful he’d embarked on the ambitious adventure with an EV rather than a combustion-powered car, as gasoline prices have soared this year. In total, they made more than 300 charging stops to keep the ID. Buzz running, with Zietlow noting that China is “in a league of its own” when it comes to charging networks and broad EV adoption.

Throughout the journey, the VW was driven across the base of Australia from Sydney to Perth, shipped over to South Africa, and driven across Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, and Kenya. The trip also included Asia, crossing through Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and through most of Central and Western Europe, South America, and North America.

Porsche has cut back some of its planned electric vehicle investments in recent months, but that doesn’t mean the German brand isn’t still interested in pushing the industry forward. For the first time, it has produced battery cells using recycled cathode active material, a major development in its efforts to establish a closed-loop circular economy for high-voltage batteries.

Working with German recycling firm cylib, Porsche has created battery cells using nothing but recycled battery raw materials from its own high-voltage cells. Through the pilot program, Porsche has been recovering the raw materials of end-of-life high-voltage batteries and processing them into new cells for test vehicles, and is now ensuring these cells can withstand the rigors of being in a car.

Read: Mercedes’ New Battery Plant Can Recycle 96% Of Raw Materials

Porsche’s ongoing collaboration with cylib has seen it recycling its batteries using a water-based process since May. The raw material recovered during this process will be available to Porsche and partner companies to produce new battery cells in 2028.

Coming To A Porsche EV Soon?

The automaker isn’t yet putting a date on when recycled battery cells could be used in its production vehicles, but acknowledges that “in the future, battery raw materials recycled in Europe could be used in high-voltage batteries for Porsche vehicles.”

Key materials recovered in the recycling process and used to manufacture new battery cells include lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese. This means newly produced cells are made entirely from recycled active materials.

“With battery cells made entirely from recycled raw materials such as lithium and cobalt, we have achieved an important technological milestone,” member of the executive board for procurement at Porsche, Joachim Scharnagl said. “This innovation is a key step in advancing both circular economy principles and raw material resilience, always with the ambition of optimizing progress, quality and resource efficiency.”

More than six months after tens of thousands of Hyundai Palisade models were recalled due to dangerous power-folding seats, the electric Ioniq 9 is being recalled for a similar issue. Hyundai says it’s aware of five consumer complaints about the defect and has been notified of two alleged injuries.

As was the case with the Palisade, Hyundai says the second-row power-seat assemblies of the 2026 Ioniq 9 may not respond if they come into contact with an occupant or object while folding away. This issue attracted global attention in March when it was revealed that a two-year-old girl was crushed by the folding seats of a 2026 Palisade.

Read: Child Death Leads To 2026 Hyundai Palisade Recall, But Still No Fix

This latest recall affected 5,360 Hyundai Ioniq 9 models manufactured between March 17, 2025, and May 4, 2026, with the Korean car manufacturer reporting that 100 percent of recalled vehicles have the fault.

While the issue is similar to the one which impacted the Palisade, it’s not identical. Hyundai notes the Ioniq 9 uses different seat architectures, software, motors, and supplier components to the Palisade and that it evaluated the Ioniq 9’s seats separately.

What’s The Fix?

Hyundai says it began investigating the second-row folding seats of the Ioniq 9 in March and it determined the seats can fold at forces over the company’s established limits.

Owners of affected models will be alerted from November 9. Prior to this date, Hyundai is urging owners to use caution while operating the power-folding seat functions. To resolve the potentially deadly fault, dealership technicians will inspect the seat controller software version and update the logic for the power seat functions. Owners who have opted in to receive over-the-air software updates will receive a fix this way.

It’s not just the Hyundai Palisade and Ioniq 9 that have been hit with a power folding seat issue. Earlier this year, Kia recalled hundreds of 2027 Telluride models, noting they also lacked sufficient anti-pinch protection for second-row occupants. In July, GM revealed the electric Vistiq could also have a similar fault, this time impacting its third-row seatbacks.

After snatching hundreds of millions of dollars from those who placed reservations for the second-generation Roadster in the years after its late-2017 unveiling, Tesla is once again inviting interested parties to place theirs for the new EV, which is expected to be revealed in its final production form on October 1.

As it did all those years ago, Tesla is accepting $50,000 reservations for the Roadster. Initially, willing customers must pay $5,000 via credit card before wiring the remaining $45,000 to Tesla within 10 days. Doing so locks in an order for a car that has yet to be shown to the public, and its details remain a mystery.

Read: Tesla Says ‘Go For Launch’ As Roadster Gets Yet Another Reveal Date

The long-awaited launch of the Roadster has been a saga for the ages. When it was first presented in November 2017, Tesla said deliveries of the new Roadster would start in 2020. Back then, it promised a 0-60 mph (96 km/h) in 1.9 seconds, a 250 mph (402 km/h) top speed, and 620 miles (998 km) of range. For years, the car’s launch kept getting delayed to the point it seemed it may never actually hit the market.

But earlier this month, Tesla confirmed the car would finally debut on October 1 at a special event being held at the SpaceX facility in McGregor, Texas.

What Is In Store For The New Roadster?

A new teaser released by Tesla indicates that the new Roadster has undergone significant design changes over the past decade. The photo appears to depict the rear end featuring dual LED light bars stretching across the width of the car, as well as a pronounced diffuser. It also appears to feature four cold air thrusters, as long-promised by Elon Musk, although it’s too early to know how they will be used.

Given how far the EV industry has come since the Roadster was first previewed, Tesla will have its work cut out for it. We’re now living in an era where electric sedans and SUVs from China offer more than 1,500 hp, so the new Roadster should pack world-beating power and performance figures or else it risks becoming a disappointment for Tesla’s fanbase.

A trial involving Tesla has just started in California, some four years after the electric car manufacturer was sued by the California Civil Rights Department for allegedly allowing racial discrimination against black workers at its Fremont factory.

Rather than a typical jury trial, state Superior Court Judge Peter Borkon ordered a bench trial. This means that he alone will determine if Tesla violated local civil rights laws, rather than a jury made up of members of the public.

Read: Tesla Settles Potentially Costly Lawsuit Over Autopilot Death

The lawsuit, filed in February 2022, asserted that Black workers at the company’s site in Fremont, California, have been segregated to the lowest level of the workforce and “discriminated against in job assignments, discipline, pay, and promotion.” It has also been alleged that Tesla has turned a blind eye to years of complaints from Black workers who’ve had to endure racial slurs and seen racist writing and graffiti in common areas, including swastikas and other hate symbols.

The director of the California Civil Rights Department says the agency wants to hold Tesla accountable. Tesla has vehemently denied the accusations and, in late 2022, countersued the agency, alleging it had violated laws by filing the suit without seeking public comment or giving the car manufacturer time to settle.

California does not have a cap on the damages that a court can award to workers affected by workplace discrimination, so if Judge Borkon rules for the plaintiffs, Tesla may be forced to cough up a serious amount of money.

This isn’t the only lawsuit that Tesla is dealing with, related to the Fremont factory. In 2023, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit against Tesla in federal court, also alleging that starting in 2015, Black employees had been subjected to racial slurs. This separate lawsuit also claims Tesla has failed to investigate complaints of racial conduct and even fired or retaliated against those workers who reported being harassed.

After several years of promises and testing, Saudi Arabia’s homegrown Ceer brand has unveiled a pair of radical EVs that look more like concept cars than real-life, production models. However, they are very real and will be manufactured at a dedicated plant in King Abdullah Economic City.

The new model is dubbed Exobot and will be sold in sedan and SUV configurations. We’ve seen plenty of bold EVs premiere from newly established companies in recent years, and often, they never see the light of day. While it’d be easy to assume the same could happen here, Saudi Arabia certainly has the funds to ensure Ceer’s models do hit local roads, although convincing locals to buy them may prove challenging.

Read: This Wedge-Shaped EV Is The Strangest SUV You’ll See This Year

Both the sedan and SUV stand out from other production cars thanks to steeply raked, almost perfectly flat, windshields which stretch seamlessly into the hood. According to Ceer, the Exobot has the largest windshield ever fitted to a production car, measuring 94.4 inches (2.4 meters) in length. Both versions feature narrow headlights and daytime running lights, while the SUV also rocks a rugged-looking bumper.

Big Dimensions, Big Power

Ceer’s two EVs are also very big. The sedan is 207 inches (5.26 meters) long, 82.6 inches (2.1 meters) wide, and sits just 56.2 inches (1.43 meters) high, while the SUV is slightly shorter at 197.6 inches (5.02 meters), 82.6 inches (2.1 meters) wide, and 66.5 inches (1.69 meters) tall. Both have gullwing-style doors, or as Ceer describes them, Shahin Wing Doors, inspired by the Shahin falcon.

More: A Legendary Design House’s Final Masterpiece Has Resurfaced

Ceer hasn’t developed the Exobot alone. The brand was established as a joint venture with Foxconn and is understood to be using electric drive systems from BMW.

The Exobot uses three electric motors, combining to produce 1,111 hp and 1,106 lbs (1,500 Nm) of torque in the highest specification, allowing the sedan to hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.1 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h). The SUV is a little slower, but can still reach 62 mph in 2.4 seconds and top out at 130 mph (210 km/h).

Initially, the Exobot will be sold in a limited-run First Edition guise. This model will produce 850 hp and 738 lb-ft (1,000 Nm), allowing the sedan to hit 62 mph in 2.6 seconds, while the SUV will require 2.9 seconds.

More: This Wedge-Shaped EV Is The Strangest SUV You’ll See This Year

Both versions will rock a 112 kWh battery, giving the sedan 416 miles (670 km) of range and the SUV a solid 348 miles (560 km) of range. Thanks to the 800-volt setup, charging from 10-80 percent will reportedly take less than 30 minutes.

Given all the glass used in the Exobot’s construction and the scorching temperatures in Saudi Arabia, one might expect the EVs to quickly turn into a sauna the moment the sun rises. Ceer says its solution is triple silver-coated glass and a powerful cooling system that can reduce cabin temperatures from 65°C (149°F) to 32°C (90°F) within 10 minutes.

What Else Is Coming?

Other key cabin features include a 48-inch screen across the top of the dashboard, a 10.4-inch central infotainment screen, and an 8-inch display for the rear passengers. There’s also a yoke-style steering wheel, an advanced AI-powered voice assistant, and support for over-the-air updates. Ceer is also promising hands-free self-driving with point-to-point navigation, although it hasn’t said where it’s sourcing its autonomous software and hardware features from.

Pricing details haven’t been confirmed. Ceer will follow up the Exobot with five other models between 2028 and 2030. Initially, the company was only going to build EVs, but it has since tweaked its plans to also include plug-in hybrids and pure combustion-powered models.

Ceer

Not satisfied with simply producing a slew of impressive new-energy vehicles in China, Xpeng wants to see foreign automakers use its advanced technologies, serving as an important new revenue stream for the company.

Xpeng already works closely with Volkswagen in China, collaborating on vehicle development and a joint architecture that is already starting to bear fruit. Moving forward, unnamed sources state Xpeng is eager to see other automakers, as well as automobile suppliers and foreign software developments use its electrical and electronic architecture, in addition to its cockpit systems, advanced-driver assistance software, and Turing AI chips.

Read: Xpeng CEO Eyes US Launch, Suggests Company Could Build Plants In America

While Xpeng is one of China’s most noteworthy electric vehicle startups established over the past couple of decades, the company is yet to reach profitability. Revenue from the sales of its vehicles remained relatively steady through the second quarter, while revenue from services and its other business ventures almost doubled, Reuters reports. It’s little wonder, then, why the company is eager to start offering its important new technologies to other firms.

Robots Are Also Getting Xpeng Tech

It’s not just selling technologies that could help Xpeng become profitable. The company recently commenced small-scale production of its IRON humanoid robot this month and will begin mass production before the end of the year. According to Xpeng chief executive He Xiaopeng, class-leading humanoid robots may generate higher margins than the company’s vehicles.

In addition to Xpeng potentially licensing its technologies to car manufacturers and suppliers, it could also license tech to robotaxi and robotics firms.

VW started production of its first vehicle co-developed alongside Xpeng in March of this year. The ID. Unyx 08 looks vastly different than any VW sold in the West and is underpinned by an 800-volt electrical architecture available with 85 kWh and 92 kWh battery packs. Rather than using VW’s own driver-assistance system, it instead uses Xpeng’s Level 2 system.

Having established itself as the largest car manufacturer in China, BYD is looking to conquer overseas markets. This includes Europe, where it believes it will need four factories as part of a significant local expansion that threatens to shake up the industry and will no doubt leave legacy rivals trembling with fear.

Current advisor for BYD’s European operations, and former Fiat Chrysler executive Alfredo Altavilla, revealed earlier this week that BYD wants to establish three vehicle assembly plants in Europe, in addition to a site dedicated to assembling batteries for EVs.

Read: BYD’s New Electric Semi For Europe Beats Tesla In Almost Every Metric

BYD has just finished building a factory in Szeged, Hungary, and has kicked off trial production. Altavilla says the brand has already started speaking with car manufacturers and governments in Spain, France, and Italy for other sites, as it’s looking to potentially acquire underutilized factories instead of building all-new ones.

“Over the longer term, we will need three ​assembly plants ​and one ⁠battery plant,” Altavilla revealed to Reuters. “Obviously, this is not something that will ​happen overnight. However, it is ​clear ⁠that, to achieve the volume targets we have in mind, while at the ⁠same ​time complying with European ​regulations, that is what we will need.”

Altavilla said BYD wants to decide on the location of a second manufacturing site by the end of the year. It will then need to decide whether it prioritizes a third manufacturing plant or a local battery plant.

Surging Overseas Demand

BYD’s site in Hungary will have the capacity to produce up to 200,000 vehicles annually, with current plans calling for large-scale production to commence in either November or December. In 2024, BYD announced plans for a plant capable of building 150,000 vehicles annually in Manisa, Turkey, originally hoping to start production in late 2026. However, work at this site has been put on indefinite hold.

The automaker is focusing on overseas markets as sales in China decline. This year, BYD sales in its home market have fallen 32.7 percent to 1.505 million. By comparison, overseas deliveries have soared, and the brand expects to end 2026 having sold between 1.9 million and 2.0 million vehicles internationally.

Just a few short months after Mercedes-AMG got the world talking with its insane all-electric GT 4-Door, it’s gearing up to release a high-powered SUV, and there’s no combustion engine in sight.

AMG has been working on the electric SUV for more than two years, and it’s now expected to debut on October 17 during a special 140^th anniversary celebration at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. Following the premiere, Mercedes will kick off production later this year, and the first customer deliveries will take place in early 2027.

Read: Mercedes’ CEO Says A Fake V8 Made Him Feel ‘Like A Born-Again Christian’

Recent teaser images from Mercedes-AMG have given us an idea of what to expect from the new model. There are very few, if any, current Mercedes-Benz models we’d consider to be ‘beautiful,’ and unfortunately, it seems the new AMG SUV will be one of the …most polarizing. It’ll certainly make an impression, however.

The front will be dominated by a gargantuan grille, similar to the one found in the GT 4-Door. Eye-catching LED daytime running lights, a shapely bumper, and an overall coupe-like SUV shape are in the mix. As for the rear, teaser images released last month showcased it with two small circular LEDs and star-shaped graphics.

Regardless of how the new Mercedes-AMG SUV ends up looking, it’ll be impossible to ignore the performance levels it offers.

Hypercar Power

Power is expected to come from a 106 kWh battery pack and three advanced, axial-flux motors. All up, the flagship version is expected to deliver the same 1,153 hp and 1,475 lb-ft (2,000 Nm) of torque as the sedan. This should mean a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) sprint time of around 2.5 seconds, making it quicker than something like the Lucid Gravity GT-S, which needs over 3 seconds to hit the same mark.

Of course, buyers without the need for hypercar-level performance won’t be forgotten about, as Mercedes-AMG is also expected to offer models producing roughly 536 hp in GT 53 guise and about 805 hp in a mid-range GT 55 version.

Lawsuits that turn into jury trials can be costly, and likely to avoid a potentially astronomical payout, Tesla has settled a lawsuit filed in relation to the death of a 31-year-old killed while driving a Model S with Autopilot enabled. As you may expect, details about the settlement remain confidential.

On February 18, 2023, Genesis Giovanni Mendoza Martinez was driving his 2014 Tesla Model S on Interstate 680 in Contra Costa County, California, when the EV slammed into a fire truck responding to an earlier accident. Martinez was killed in the 70-mph crash, while his brother in the passenger seat suffered serious injuries.

Read: NHTSA Suspects Tesla That Hit Firetruck In Fatal Crash Was Using Autopilot

The lawsuit took issue with how Tesla advertised its Autopilot system, and suggested that the 31-year-old would not have been killed had the system performed as advertised. The lawsuit alleged that both Tesla and company boss Elon Musk had misrepresented the capabilities of the Level 2 driver-assistance system, causing Martinez to place too much trust in it.

The case was being overseen by Judge Vince Chhabria, who determined last year that the ‘Autopilot’ name was “plausibly misleading.” He also ruled that Musk’s statements about Autopilot, including statements in which he said it was “probably better” than a human driver, were legally actionable.

Did Tesla Make False Promises?

Contra Costa Fire Department/X

Data recovered from the wrecked Model S revealed that Autopilot had been engaged roughly 12 minutes before the crash. Because of advertising around the technology, the lawsuit said the driver thought the EV “would drive itself and he no longer needed to drive it.”

Tesla fiercely contested the claims, saying it wasn’t at fault given that Martinez had ignored warnings in the owner’s manual and active warnings while inside the vehicle. Despite this, the judge cleared the path for a jury trial where Musk’s statements on Autopilot would have inevitably been put under the microscope. To avoid this, Tesla has agreed to settle.

The automaker has settled numerous similar lawsuits in the past. In 2025, it opted against settling a case in Florida, and a jury returned a verdict that it must pay $243 million in damages in relation to the 2019 death of a man who was inside a Model S with Autopilot engaged, which hit a parked Chevrolet Tahoe.

Days after the Trump administration slammed Ford for cozying up to Chinese companies, including battery manufacturer CATL, crosstown rival General Motors says it’s working to ensure its next generation of battery cells are backed by a strong domestic supply chain, rather than one that relies on overseas sources.

A key area of GM’s local battery focus is on cells that’ll be used for energy storage systems, including data centers, other businesses, and homes. According to vice president of battery and sustainability at GM, Kurt Kelty, “We’re developing a supply chain such that, two years from now, three years from now, it will be domestic.”

Read: GM’s Fourth US Battery Plant Just Stopped Being A GM Plant

A company spokesperson added to CNBC that GM will prioritize local production of battery cells for its forthcoming electric vehicles.

The federal government has criticized Ford for licensing battery technology from CATL, which it will use for energy storage systems. By comparison, GM is working with Denver firm Peak Energy on advanced sodium-ion battery cells for energy storage.

CNBC notes this deal will let GM reduce its reliance on China for materials including lithium and ferrous sulfate, instead sourcing materials more prevalent in the US, including sodium derived from soda ash. These new battery cells created with Peak Energy could be deployed as soon as 2029.

“It’s a really good story, because you’ve got the resources [in the U.S.] that you can keep it totally domestic,” Kelty said. “It’s going to take some time to build this industry up, but the potential for sodium-ion is just much greater than LFP.”

Kelty is so optimistic about the future of sodium-ion battery cells that he believes pursuing them can allow GM to leapfrog some of the most advanced battery technologies coming out of China.

Between 2013 and 2016, VW built 250 diesel plug-in hybrid XL1s. Capable of traveling 62 miles (100 km) on a single liter of diesel, it came to life after more than a decade of development. VW is now about to unveil a spiritual successor to the XL1, dubbed the Mission Efficiency.

The new model, created as a battery-electric vehicle, has been teased ahead of a debut this week. Like the XL1 that came before it, the Mission Efficiency aims to go as far as possible while consuming very little energy.

Read: VW’s ID. Polo Waiting List Is So Long You’ll Get A McLaren Sooner

VW will use the Mission Efficiency concept to travel from Wolfsburg to Vienna as part of what it calls a “record-setting journey.” Very little is known about what VW will do on this near-500-mile journey, but it’ll probably try to either make the trip on a single charge using a very small battery, or instead, set out to achieve a breathtaking efficiency rating.

A Modern XL1

The concept car’s design clearly draws heavily on the XL1 from just over a decade ago. Like that car, this one has a sleek, teardrop shape that’ll let it slip through the air with as little disturbance as possible.

At the front of the concept is a full-width LED light bar, along with subtle daytime running lights and an illuminated VW emblem. Sketches of the sides reveal flowing panels and wheel covers at the rear. In addition, the rear end appears to be noticeably slimmer than the front, much like the XL1. The rear features a single light bar and a glowing badge.

In a statement, VW says the vehicle’s mission is “to explore the boundaries of what is possible with a fully functional everyday vehicle that is largely based on production technology.”

The Trump administration isn’t pleased with Ford’s close ties to certain Chinese companies, prompting a fierce rebuke from Ford, which continues to tout itself as “the most American automaker.” The tit-for-tat comes just before a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month.

In a letter to Ford chief executive Jim Farley dated September 3 and recently made public, Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy expressed “profound concern” about the “strategic trajectory of Ford,” claiming the historic brand is “actively intertwining its future with Chinese state-backed enterprises.”

Read: Ford Is Partnering With The Chinese Automakers It’s Fighting To Keep Out Of America

Ford’s relationship with Chinese battery manufacturer CATL appears to have rubbed the Trump administration the wrong way. The licensing deal, first signed in 2023, would have allowed Ford to manufacture EV batteries using CATL’s chemistry. Still, a recent decline in demand for EVs in the US prompted Ford to start assembling lithium-iron phosphate cells using CATL tech for energy storage systems.

“The prioritization of imported Chinese technical expertise and operational know-how – even in a scaled-back capacity – challenges the spirit of American national and economic security and supply-chain independence policies,” Duffy wrote.

The transportation secretary also took issue with Ford’s recent deal with Geely in Spain, saying it “helps strategic adversaries secure a vital foothold in Western markets.” The letter also addressed ongoing talks between Ford and BYD to share hybrid vehicle components.

“When a company intentionally chooses to deepen operational dependencies on strategic competitors, it fails to act as the reliable partner the American public and this DOT require,” Duffy added.

Ford Responds

It didn’t take long for Ford to respond. The company described Duffy’s letter as “a wrongheaded attempt to capture headlines at the expense of a company that has done more for American manufacturing than virtually any other in the nation’s history.”

“BlueOval Battery Park Michigan in Marshall is a Ford-owned and Ford-operated facility representing billions of dollars in investment and approximately 1,700 new American jobs,” Ford’s statement reads, noting “it is producing batteries in Michigan, with American workers, for Ford vehicles also built in America.”