Tesla owners aren’t strangers to modifying their vehicles. Sometimes, that action comes out of a desire for additional safety. Other times, it’s because Tesla itself didn’t deliver on a previous promise. And occasionally, those two aspects of design come into fierce opposition. That’s what happened here.

A father of four needed space for his entire family, and when it became clear that Tesla wouldn’t offer a six-seat Cybertruck, he took matters into his own hands. He commissioned a custom version and later shared the results in a Tesla group on Facebook.

More: Cybertruck’s $16K Range Booster Is Dead And Tesla Isn’t Saying Why

The custom setup removes the center console of the truck and replaces it with a narrow upright seat wedged between the original pair. It comes complete with a seatbelt, but that might be where safety ends. We’ll come back to that, though. Let’s focus first on the design itself.

It’s a far cry from the angular unit Tesla once teased, but at least the upholstery matches. Some folks might not even realize that it’s an aftermarket addition because of that.

What Killed Tesla’s Center Seat Plans?

At the same time, it’s tough to call this a big win for now. While Tesla originally showed renders of a similar setup, it never came to pass. Many believe that’s because of safety regulations regarding the center seat.

Some observers have noted that the truck includes a driver’s side inboard airbag, which could strike anyone seated in the center. There’s also no airbag directly in front of that position. And beyond the lack of protection, there’s always a chance the seat may not be anchored to mounting points strong enough to hold up in a crash.

To be clear, this isn’t a knock on the owner’s intentions. Wanting to carry your entire family with you is obviously normal and easy to understand. But it does highlight a recurring Tesla theme. The brand and CEO often make bold promises, offer flashy renderings, and then production vehicles quietly walk things back a bit.

Tesla once showed a front bench. That version never reached production, and now an owner has stepped in to fill the gap with a custom modification. In doing so, he’s taking on a level of risk that some might find concerning in a six-figure vehicle. Maybe the solution here is to just get the Model X since it actually has room for the whole family.

Negative YouTube reviews of cars have earned a certain reputation over the years. Some are so brutal they’re blamed, rightly or not, for helping to sink entire automakers, like the high-profile case of Fisker about a year ago. This time, though, a critical video sparked something different. A public takedown led not to fallout, but to potential fixes, and not just for one frustrated owner.

Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained leased a Lucid Air, ended up having issues with it, and has now been in direct contact with the brand. The result is going to benefit countless Lucid owners in the future.

A Critical Eye Meets a Willing Ear

When Jason Fenske published a blunt video detailing his disappointment with a newly leased Lucid Air Touring, it wasn’t a rage-bait takedown or a viral stunt. It was a long, technical breakdown of how a mechanically brilliant EV was being kneecapped by frustrating software, clumsy UX decisions, and some puzzling hardware quirks.

Read: Lucid Promised Luxury But All This Owner Got Was Regret And Nightmares

Rather than simply ignoring it and continuing on with its plans, the EV maker reached out. According to Fenske, what followed was a constructive discussion with engineers and even the SVP of engineering, Imad Dlala.

Evidently, the team at Lucid provided insider details and previews of upcoming changes. That’s where this story really takes its biggest turn. Lucid owners have a lot to look forward to if Fenske’s information proves reliable.

Lucid Plots a UX Overhaul

The biggest news is software. Lucid confirmed it’s actively improving phone-as-key reliability, door handle behavior, mirror positioning in reverse, percentage-versus-miles range inconsistencies, and Tesla Supercharger Plug & Charge support.

More significantly, a full UX 3.0 overhaul is planned for early fall 2026, bringing multitasking, faster profile switching, improved CarPlay stability, better voice commands, and a more intuitive interface. Owners with newer hardware, or those willing to pay to upgrade, will get access.

Lucid also confirmed vehicle-to-home power capability is coming in the first half of 2026, promising up to 17 kW peak output without requiring a separate home inverter, an area where Lucid’s hardware advantages could genuinely shine.

Fenske estimates that his Lucid could power his home for four days if they lost power, and that’s without changing any of the behavior his family is accustomed to.

Not All Feedback Gets a Reply

At the same time, he remains cautious, and rightly so. Promises aren’t fixes, and the Lucid Air still struggles with daily usability today. But admitting problems, engaging with informed criticism, and outlining concrete changes is more than many automakers manage.

In addition, this isn’t how most customers get treated. Fenske runs Engineering Explained, has a massive audience, and speaks the same technical language as Lucid’s engineering team. That context matters. Still, what Lucid outlined is meaningful. Especially for current and future owners.

Screenshot Jason Fenske

On Christmas night, the driver of a Tesla Cybertruck allegedly piloted their vehicle into oncoming traffic and hit a Toyota Corolla. Inside that car was 14-year-old Malachi James, who died as a result. Now, his family is raising questions about whether or not the U.S. should follow Europe’s lead and keep the Cybertruck off public roads.

“We are going to do our best to look at some ways to see if we can get them removed from the streets,” said Royael Saez, Malachi’s aunt, to WTNH.

“We don’t believe in something like this; this is a tank.” The family argues the Cybertruck is simply too big and too fast to safely share the road with normal traffic. “From our understanding, it’s already banned all over Paris, so obviously they know something like this shouldn’t be on the road,” Saez added.

More: Tesla Cybertruck Too Unsafe To Be Sold In Europe, German Authorities Say

While the vehicle meets U.S. safety standards and boasts a five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, experts note its size and weight remain significant factors in crash severity. We’ll circle back to those factors, though.

Trucks Are Growing, and So Are the Risks

Dr. Eric Jackson from the Connecticut Transportation Institute explained, “They are very large vehicles, they are very heavy vehicles…a unibody structure, so it’s one solid frame throughout.”

He added that the Cybertruck is equipped with 11 cameras that record sensor data during collisions, helping investigators analyze accidents. The lightest Cybertruck model weighs 6,634 pounds, according to Tesla’s website.

While the James family’s concerns have focused on Tesla’s futuristic truck, it’s worth noting that the Cybertruck is far from unique in its size or weight. The Rivian R1T weighs roughly 6,800 pounds. Standard-sized pickups from Ford, GM, and Stellantis can all weigh as much, if not more.

Heavy-duty trucks like the Ford F-350, GMC Sierra 3500 HD, and RAM 3500 can weigh over 7,000 pounds and are considerably larger than any Cybertruck.

Regardless of powertrain or shape, heavier cars are worse at just about every important metric on public roads. Braking, handling, and visibility all suffer when compared to everyday commuter vehicles.

Critics are quick to call out the angular nature of the Cybertruck, but the reality is that all trucks probably deserve a lot more scrutiny than they receive.

As for the case that has broken the hearts of the James family, police now have their suspect in custody. He has 11 pending cases preceding this one, including one for reckless driving. Video from the scene appears to show him speeding and overtaking cars in the oncoming lane moments before the fatal crash. That type of behavior is dangerous in any car, not just a big angular pickup.

Some records are about blistering speed. Others, like this one, are more about patience, and perhaps a little self-deprecating humor. If you’ve ever wondered what car holds the title of the slowest vehicle to lap the Nurburgring Nordschleife, you can stop guessing. There’s a new champion of leisurely pace, and it hails from a small French company: Ligier.

The brand, once known for fielding its own Formula 1 team, has since shifted focus to tiny, affordable four-wheelers classified as quadricycles. These vehicles are designed to be so unintimidating that you don’t even need a driver’s license to operate one, and in France, you can legally do so from the age of 14.

Read: Ford’s Wild Van Just Proved It Can Outrun The Fastest Corvette At The ‘Ring

It was a pair of French journalists who took on the unlikely challenge of setting a record lap in a Ligier JS50, driving the diesel-powered microcar all the way from Paris to the legendary German circuit.

A Record for the Patient

The JS50, a stubby two-door with just 8 horsepower, is electronically limited to a top speed of 28 mph (45 km/h). Around the Nurburgring, it completed a lap in a determined 28 minutes and 25.81 seconds. That figure may not impress on paper, but it earns its place in the books.

For context, the previous slowest recorded lap was 16 minutes and 1 second, set by a Trabant P50 way back in 1960, making the Ligier’s time almost comically slow by comparison. At the other end of the spectrum, the fastest production car to lap the Nordschleife is the Mercedes-AMG One, which clocked a blistering 6 minutes and 29.1 seconds.

Not content with a single entry, the team also brought along two electric versions of the JS50. The first, like the diesel, falls under the L6e classification and shares the same 28 mph (45 km/h) limit.

It managed a lap in 27 minutes and 55.58 seconds. The more powerful electric L7e variant, with a top speed of 47 mph (75 km/h), fared a little better with a lap time of 19 minutes and 53.36 seconds.

A Special Edition for a Not-So-Special Lap

Ligier hasn’t released a video of its incredibly slow laps at the Nurburgring, but we’re not disappointed, as it’d probably be more entertaining watching paint dry. What Ligier did do is prepare a special version of the JS50 specifically for its attack on the Nurburgring, known as the Ultimate Racing Experience edition. This model will be sold in Europe throughout 2026.

The special edition wears a tri-color paint job in blue, white, and red, complemented by new black 16-inch wheels wrapped in Nankang RC semi-slick tires. Ligier has added custom touches inside and out. These include a new badge front and rear, unique French flag-themed upholstery, an aluminum gear knob, Alcantara on the handbrake boot, and blue seat belts.

The steering wheel also features matching blue accents, and the dashboard gets a set of celebratory stickers to complete the transformation.

While Tesla has taken most of the heat for its elusive manual door handles, criticized for being difficult to locate or operate in an emergency, it’s far from the only brand overlooking the importance of an intuitive, mechanical release, especially for rear-seat passengers. The issue isn’t just about convenience; it can be critical when every second counts.

Like Tesla, Rivian has adopted a similar approach, hiding manual releases beneath door trim and effectively leaving owners to improvise their own fixes.

Read: Tesla Owners Are Adding Escape Tools Before It’s Too Late

Not long after we brought you a story about the various accessories and modifications that Tesla owners are making to ensure occupants can easily get out after a crash or fire, we came across a Reddit post of a Rivian owner doing something similar. It’s not a particularly elegant solution, but if it helps save a life, who cares how it looks?

A Manual Release That Isn’t Easily Accessible

In the current Gen 2 Rivian R1S and R1T models, an easy-to-access mechanical door handle is found in the front, just like in current Tesla models. Things are more confusing in the rear. Occupants first have to pull off a piece of plastic trim on the door panel and then pull down on the release cable.

To make matters worse, the owner of this Rivian says it takes a lot of force to remove this plastic trim, requiring a pry tool. In an emergency situation, it seems unlikely a child would be able to open the door.

The Solution?

To work around this issue, this owner has tied a piece of red paracord around the release cable and then run it under the plastic trim piece that needs to be removed. The cord now hangs down from the door panel and is within easy reach should the electrically-operated doors fail to open in a crash.

Rivian confirmed in early October that it will redesign the door handles of the upcoming R2, ensuring the manual release is closer to the electric one. While this is good news for those planning to buy an R2, it does nothing for the tens of thousands of people who already own and drive an R1T or R1S.

Photos Reddit/u dublew_dubs

It’s been two years since Tesla began delivering the Cybertruck to customers, yet the company is still wrestling with one of the vehicle’s most persistent design headaches. We’re talking about its massive single windshield wiper.

Despite earlier attempts to fix it through mechanical and software updates, Tesla is now believed to be working on a third version of the wiper system to finally address lingering faults.

Read: Texans Roast Police Department’s New “Garbage Can” Cybertruck

A recent case in the US highlights the problem. When a Cybertruck owner brought their vehicle in for service, Tesla’s response revealed that “wiper performance is under active Engineering investigation,” according to a message from the company’s service department.

What’s Wrong With the Blade?

Complaints from owners began as soon as deliveries started. The wiper’s 4-foot blade is the largest fitted to any production vehicle, but users have flagged multiple problems. These include poor blade contact at the middle and top of the stroke, improper stowing at highway speeds, and washer fluid issues.

Performance drops further in cold weather, where salt, slush, and snow can overwhelm the system. Some owners have also noted that the wiper occasionally fails to clear the area in front of the forward-facing FSD cameras.

One post on X captured the frustration:

Love the Cybertruck. Hate the wiper system. Tesla needs to issue a voluntary service providing a free upgraded/redesigned wiper arm and sprayer. This is not a one-time event. Happens every time we hit salt/slush and snow. It’shighly unsafe. There were a few times today on I-70… pic.twitter.com/ajy2BYFQDA

— Spotted Model: Cars & Tech (@spotted_model) December 18, 2025

Updates Haven’t Solved It

Tesla recalled the wiper motors in June 2024 and has also updated the software, aiming to improve the blade’s movement and how it sits when not in use. A revised V2 blade has also been installed on many trucks, but that version appears to have its own reliability concerns.

The full scope of Tesla’s engineering investigation, initially reported by Not a Tesla App, hasn’t been made public. It’s unclear how long the company has been working on a fix or when an update might be introduced.

There’s speculation that a more substantial redesign could be underway. NotebookCheck notes that the original self-driving Cybercab concept featured a single wiper blade, similar to the Cybertruck. But a newer prototype, believed to be close to production, was recently spotted with a more conventional twin-wiper setup. That’s fueled suggestions that the Cybertruck might adopt the same configuration.

Sources: Not a Tesla App, NotebookCheck

Getting paid to shut a car door might sound like the setup for a joke, but in parts of Los Angeles, it’s become a legitimate line of work. As autonomous vehicles increasingly take to the streets, a small but growing number of local towing companies have found themselves serving as on-call assistants to robotaxis with limited physical capabilities.

Read: What Happened When Robotaxis Met A Citywide Blackout Is A Little Scary

For as much as $24 a pop, these companies are paid to close car doors left ajar by distracted passengers exiting Waymo’s self-driving vehicles. If the situation is more complicated, such as a car stranded mid-route, they can earn between $60 and $80 for helping get the vehicle moving again.

What Happens When Tech Forgets the Basics

A recent report highlights how tow truck drivers are now using an app called Honk, which contracts with Waymo’s autonomous EV fleet in the Los Angeles area.

If a rider exits without properly closing the door, the car won’t budge. It simply waits, parked awkwardly in the street, until someone shows up to finish the job. That someone often arrives thanks to a notification from Honk.

According to Cesar Marenco, owner of Milagro Towing in Inglewood, California, who spoke with The Washington Post, he handles around three jobs per week for Waymo through the Honk app, usually to shut a door or tow a vehicle that’s run out of charge.

It’s not exactly a money-maker. JKK Towing owner Evangelica Cuevas says that the Honk app doesn’t always provide them with the precise location of a vehicle, meaning they may have to walk around for up to an hour just to locate it.

When factoring in the fuel costs, receiving between $22 and $24 to close a door, or up to $80 to tow a vehicle, doesn’t always make it profitable.

The Cost of Chasing Robotaxis

Earlier this month, several of Waymo’s robotaxis stopped after a power outage at traffic lights throughout San Francisco. Several tow companies were alerted to the disruption. Not everyone believes the rates offered by Waymo are fair.

Jesus Ajuiñiga, manager of Alpha Towing and Recovery in San Francisco, told The Washington Post that he’s turned down Waymo calls. The rates, he says, don’t come close to the $250 he normally charges to tow an all-wheel-drive vehicle. And for some, that’s just too steep a compromise.

Things could start to change. Whereas the Jaguar I-Pace models primarily used by Waymo need their doors to be manually shut, the new robotaxis built by China’s Zeekr that Waymo is currently testing, have sliding doors like a minivan, meaning they can be opened and closed automatically.

A new report has put the spotlight on a troubling pattern of fatal crashes in the US involving Teslas, where passengers were unable to open the doors, trapping them inside. As the brand’s EVs grow more common on American roads, so too does scrutiny over their safety features, or in this case, the lack of physical fail-safes in the event of a crash.

Read: Tesla Sued Again After Doors Wouldn’t Open As Car Burned

The investigation zeroes in on Tesla’s electronic door handles, a signature design feature that has since been adopted by several other automakers, raising concerns about an industry-wide trend toward software-dependent safety mechanisms.

During an ongoing investigation into safety concerns about these door handles, Bloomberg found evidence that at least 15 people have died in the past decade in incidents involving Teslas where locked or inoperable doors were cited as a potential factor in the victims’ inability to escape.

More than half of those deaths occurred within the past year, suggesting the issue may be becoming more common, or at least more visible, as awareness grows.

Behind the Numbers

The report acknowledges a critical limitation. There is no publicly maintained federal database that tracks fatalities specifically linked to electronic door handle malfunctions. As a result, the findings aren’t meant to represent a definitive or exhaustive total.

Instead, Bloomberg built its list by reviewing every known fatal electric vehicle crash involving fire in the US, then analyzing whether evidence suggested that the doors could not be opened either by occupants or emergency responders.

In each of the 15 cases they flagged, nonfunctional door handles were cited as having “impeded either the occupants’ efforts to escape or rescuers’ attempts to save those inside the vehicle.”

One such incident happened in Virginia, where a Tesla Model 3 skidded off a snowy highway, hit a tree, and caught fire. Footage from inside the patrol car shows that the officer was unable to open the Model 3’s door, forcing him to bash open one of the windows and pull out the driver.

Audio from the Wreckage

One fatal crash occurred in Wisconsin last year, killing five people inside a Tesla Model S. Audio from three 911 calls was later obtained, including one placed automatically by an occupant’s Apple Watch.

At least two of the occupants can be heard screaming and crying for help in the recordings, with one clearly saying, “I’m stuck” as the fire spread through the vehicle, ultimately claiming their lives. It remains unclear whether the other three victims survived the initial impact before the blaze took over.

Tesla Responds to Design Concerns

Tesla, for its part, appears to have quietly acknowledged the concerns in part. In September, reports surfaced that the company was exploring revisions to its door handle system. Future models may include a combination of electronic and manual release mechanisms, something already standard in brands like Audi and Lexus.

Perhaps eager to reassure shoppers about the safety of its vehicles, Tesla recently launched a new page on its website focused purely on safety. There, the company explains that its vehicles are designed to automatically activate hazard lights and unlock doors in the event of a serious collision. It also notes that the vehicle can contact emergency services autonomously.

However, Tesla also includes a key disclaimer: these features “may not be available in all regions or for all vehicles based on build date.”

While Tesla appears to be making some moves to address the issue in the future, questions still remain, not just about the company’s design choices, but also about the regulatory landscape and the lack of clear oversight. The analysis doesn’t claim that electronic door handles are inherently unsafe, but it does point to the need for more reliable fail-safes in situations where delays can be deadly.

Authorities in Kemah, a small city just southeast of Houston, will soon be cruising the streets in an American-made pickup truck, though it’s not the kind most Texans are used to seeing.

Rather than another lifted, gas-hungry behemoth, the Kemah Police Department has added a Tesla Cybertruck to its fleet. The move didn’t exactly spark hometown pride. Judging by the comments on the department’s Facebook post, locals are having a field day with the decision.

Read: Vegas Cops Just Got 10 Cybertrucks And Elon Had Nothing To Do With It

A growing number of police forces across the United States have started to add Cybertrucks to their fleets. Just a couple of months ago, police in Texas took delivery of ten highly-modified Cybertruck police cruisers built by Unplugged Performance.

A Different Kind of Cop Car

By comparison, the Cybertruck delivered to cops in Kemah looks completely standard, except for the police livery. They say that the truck was donated by Enterprise Leasing and that it will be used for testing to see if the Tesla works as a patrol vehicle.

Importantly, the police say they didn’t spend any taxpayer money on the acquisition. That hasn’t stopped residents from weighing in, many of them voicing strong opinions in the comments section of the department’s Facebook post.

What Do Texans Think?

“Lmaooo imagine the battery dying tryna chase someone,” wrote one commentor, while another posted “Y’all ain’t catching anyone in that.” There’s no word on what specify Cybertruck variant this is, but even if it’s the base model, we’re willing to bet it could easily be used to catch most motorists in Texas.

One Facebook user left this gem of a comment: “Hey guys, if anyone’s missing their refrigerator I found it, it’s having an identity crisis and is now trying to identify as a cop car.” Another wrote, “Flood waters, here we don’t come!”

One comment summed up the skepticism in classic internet style: “If that thing is chasing me, ain’t no way I’m stopping for a garbage can.”

Whether or not the Cybertruck proves practical for police work in Texas remains to be seen. The vehicle does offer notable performance and strong safety credentials, both potentially valuable in patrol scenarios. The biggest question may be around charging logistics, especially for a force built around the consistency and familiarity of combustion engines.

It’s always a shame when something rare goes up in smoke. That’s evidently what just happened in Uganda. According to circulating reports, a Tesla Cybertruck rolled while tearing around a local dirt race track, leaving it in a mangled state with little hope for recovery.

If the accounts are accurate, this electric pickup isn’t just rare in the African nation. It was the country’s only Cybertruck, privately imported and likely the pride of its owner until now.

More: Cybertruck Nails Crash Tests Until The Lights Go Out

Footage of the incident popped up on social media late last week, and while details are sparse, we can see the crash and the aftermath.

The video shows the truck approaching a left-hand turn, possibly cutting the corner a little too hard. Whether it was a berm on the inner side of the bend or just the weight of a huge vehicle trying to navigate a tight turn at high speed, the result is the same.

The Cybertruck rolls hard to the right, onto its side, then onto its roof, and finally it comes to rest on the driver’s side. So far, no confirmed details about the owner have been released.

Reddit

Previous reports suggest the truck was privately imported by a wealthy individual, but no local authorities, event organizers, or the owner themselves have stepped forward publicly.

Based on photos and videos of the aftermath, it’s clear that the truck will need significant repairs if it’s ever going to get back on the road. Just about every piece of glass is broken. The roof is crumpled to a degree and plenty of the plastic bits are damaged beyond repair.

Since Uganda doesn’t have any Tesla dealers, it’ll be interesting to see if there’s any route to salvaging the truck. It might end up being cheaper to just import another one.

The site of the crash, Garuga Race Track, located near Lake Victoria, is often used for casual motorsport events and recreational driving rather than professional racing. While most photos available of the track online show motorcycles, it’s clear that some vehicles, mostly rally-focused ones, have used the course.

Surface conditions, speed, and driver inputs remain unknown, and there has been no official statement explaining exactly what caused the rollover. Hopefully, everyone walked away without significant injury.

Credit: ClaudeVille1

Doctors and health influencers are always telling us that drinking tons of water is the secret to clearer skin, sharper minds, strain-free poops and longer lives. But if there’s one group that absolutely should not stay hydrated, it’s modern electric vehicles, because a few drops could leave them with a massive medical bill.

Just ask Reddit user u/raging_onyx who leased a Lucid Air and saw his Thanksgiving week turn into a $15,000 lesson in why electric cars and water should never meet.

What Happened?

The disaster started with a perfectly innocent trip to a grocery store to refill a water container. But a pothole encountered on the way back tipped that container over, causing a catalog of faults that eventually rendered the vehicle completely immobile.

Also: $4,900 For A Taillight? Lucid’s Ridiculous Lease Charges Are Scaring Off Buyers

Within seconds of the spill happening the dash lit up like Times Square, the EV jumped into limp mode, regen braking tapped out, and the driver got a warning to pull over. When he found a local residential area to stop and tried to reboot the system, the Air wouldn’t shift out of Park.

A Very Expensive Lesson

Lucid customer support, in an impressive display of holiday cheer, suggested two things: call insurance, and brace for the possibility the car was totaled. Happy Thanksgiving!

Also: Insurance Offered $1,700 For This R1T Mishap, Rivian Wanted A Fortune

There was more bad news when the first tow truck driver arrived and said he couldn’t move the sedan, since the Air wouldn’t shift into neutral. Fortunately, by the next day, neutral was found and a second truck was able to tow the stranded car.

Finally, the EV reached a service center, where the advisor initially estimated the repair at under $1,000. Bearable, right? This turned out to be off by roughly the price of a used Corolla.

The real number, the rep later confirmed, was about $15,000, and it wouldn’t be covered by warranty, because the spill was technically the driver’s fault.

More: A $2 Water Bottle Just Cost This Hyundai Driver Nearly $12,000

As of the Reddit post, the driver was still waiting to find out whether his insurance would step in to cover the costs. You’d think the answer would be yes, but that’s not always how these things always play out.

Just last month, we reported on a similar incident involving a Hyundai Ioniq 5. A small water spill in the rear footwell damaged the car’s wiring, and neither the manufacturer nor the insurance company was willing to cover the $11,882 repair bill.

Source: Reddit

Autonomous driving may have come a long way in the last decade but, apparently, there’s room for improvement. Waymo, one of the leaders in the space, still has some bugs to work out – and one of them is how to handle active crime scenes.

Video from just a few days ago shows one of the firms’ robotaxis casually rolling through an intersection as police with guns drawn attempt to make a felony arrest. 

Footage of the incident popped up via content creator Alex Choi. In the video, we see the car turning left at an intersection. Just off the road in the oncoming lane is a parked truck with the driver’s door open. Just to the left of the truck, a suspect is face down on the ground with officers holding him at gunpoint. 

More: Waymo Robotaxis Racked Up 589 Parking Tickets In A Year

Strangely, the robotaxi actually slows down and appears to pause as it passes the suspect. Keep in mind that the car itself was in the line of fire at this point. The video ends after the car has left the scene, while the police move in for the arrest.

Police told NBC that the incident happened around 3:40 a.m. and that officers’ tactics were unchanged by the robotaxi’s interference. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alex Choi (@alex.choi)

For its part, the company responded that the entire situation lasted just 15 seconds. “Safety is our highest priority at Waymo, both for people who choose to ride with us and with whom we share the streets,” a spokesperson said.

“When we encounter unusual events like this one, we learn from them as we continue improving road safety and operating in dynamic cities.”

The company has logged more than 100 million miles of autonomous driving as of mid-2025 and boasts a strong safety record, but it hasn’t been immune from oddities and public-relations headaches.

Earlier this year, pranksters redirected 50 Waymos to the same San Francisco intersection, gridlocking traffic. In a separate incident, five Waymo vehicles were set ablaze during protests in Los Angeles.

The plan? At dusk, 50 people went to San Francisco's longest dead-end street and all ordered a Waymo at the same time.

The world's first: WAYMO DDOS pic.twitter.com/DEDH0tdMKP

— Riley Walz (@rtwlz) October 12, 2025

Credit: Alex Choi

All too often, we read about EVs catching fire after relatively minor accidents, and in some cases, occupants were trapped inside. This story is a little different though, as a Nio EC6 was recently destroyed in a crash in China, but remarkably didn’t catch fire despite almost completely splitting in two.

This incident happened in Shanghai on Monday. It’s understood that the light pink-colored EC6 hit a concrete crash barrier side-on after cutting in front of another vehicle, causing it to clip the rear of the Nio.

Local reports suggest that the top edge of the barrow, approximately 120 mm (4.7 inches) wide, applied an extraordinary amount of pressure on the C-pillar and the area of the floor.

Read: Nio’s Mass-Market Onvo Drops Its First 3-Row SUV With More Power Than An EV9 GT

This force caused a split through the rear of the car. Remarkably, the driver and passenger of the Nio were not injured in the crash. Additionally, the battery pack wasn’t severely damaged and did not catch fire.

According to a statement released by Nio, immediately after the crash, the vehicle’s onboard safety systems reported the accident. Nio staff were alerted to the impact and quickly responded to the scene, helping the occupants receive medical treatment.

Perhaps in a thinly-veiled dig at Tesla, Nio says that the EV’s doors immediately unlocked after the collision, allowing the driver and passenger to free themselves.

Weibo

The car manufacturer also confirmed that the EC6’s driving assistance system was not enabled at the time.

The Nio EC6 was first unveiled in late 2019 before being thoroughly updated in February 2023. The example involved in this crash was one of the facelifted models.

It’s available with either a 75 kWh or 100 kWh battery pack and sold exclusively in dual-motor guise, producing a combined 483 hp and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) of torque.

Sources: Weibo, Nio, CarNewsChina

Stellantis has publicly condemned two influencers after a viral video showed them dismantling parts of the new fully-electric Jeep Recon during the 2025 Los Angeles Auto Show. The clip, which spread quickly across social media, reopened the debate over how pre-production prototypes ought to be treated at auto shows.

The automaker explained that the show car mocked for its poor build quality was a hand-assembled pre-production prototype, not the finished model, describing the creators’ actions as “destructive.”

Online Outrage or Honest Critique?

The viral video, posted by an LA-based channel called “The Middle Lane,” has drawn more than 1.1 million views and 2,300 comments on TikTok since November 22. It reportedly appeared on YouTube and Instagram as well, though it has since been removed from both platforms.

More: Jeep’s $65,000 Recon Is Surprisingly Fast, But Can It Outrun The EV Slowdown?

The creators blasted the build quality of the latest Jeep, saying they expected better fit and finish for a vehicle with an MSRP of $65,000. They are shown removing and then reattaching plastic pieces from the Recon’s interior, including trim around the center console and above the digital instrument cluster.

They also zoom in on uneven gaps between materials on the door panels and wiggle the infotainment screen and passenger grab handle, saying they were simulating “off-road use.”

@themiddlelanes Jeep Recon Moab build quality… #laautoshow #tiktokcartalkcontest #electriccar #buildquality ♬ original sound – The Middle Lane

Stellantis Responds

In response, Stellantis released a statement: “The vehicle in question is a preproduction show car, built exclusively for reveals and events to highlight the design inspiration for the final product. These prototype units are typically hand-built and not intended to demonstrate final production, durability, quality, or integrity of materials.”

More: Jeep’s Latest Special Edition Honors A Classic Military Truck

Kaileen Connelly, Senior Vice President of North America Communications at Stellantis, added in an email to the Detroit Free Press: “The actions taken to disassemble the all-new Jeep Recon on display at the LA Auto Show were both destructive and unprofessional.”

What the Creators Say

The Detroit Free Press later spoke with Luke Miani, founder of “The Middle Lane,” who said they were surprised by the video’s reach and the conversation it triggered. According to Miani, their intention had simply been to share “thoughts on many different cars.”

Addressing Stellantis’ statement, he explained, “I want to push back on the claims of ‘destructive’ conduct as the video clearly shows the clips holding certain interior parts together were loose and the parts easily pop out by hand without damage.”

He added that he looks forward to seeing the production version of the Recon, hoping that “the build quality is indeed improved.”

How the Public Reacted

Reaction online has been mixed. Some commenters expressed disappointment with what they perceived as poor craftsmanship, placing blame on Stellantis. Others defended the automaker, noting that the vehicle was a pre-production demo unit brought to LA for the show and never intended for close physical inspection.

The story also gained traction on Reddit, where many users criticized the influencers for “unprofessionalism,” while others argued that automakers should be more discerning about who gets access to display cars.

One self-identified “interior trim engineer” commented that building pre-production models is “way different” from production, describing a process where “employees are working on a table with a drill and some screws” long before an assembly line is operational.

The electric 2026 Jeep Recon is scheduled to enter production in early 2026 at Stellantis’ Toluca plant in Mexico. Initial deliveries in North America are expected shortly after, with global rollout planned for the final quarter of the year. The first version, a Moab trim exclusive to the US and Canada, will start at $65,000, with more affordable variants to follow

UK-based Helix has already built a reputation in the industry for giving the world’s wildest EVs their punch. You might not recognize its name, but you’ll have seen its work if you’ve watched a McMurtry Spéirling, Lotus Evija, or Aston Martin Valkyrie swallow up the horizon on a YouTube video.

Also: McMurtry Speirling Smashes Top Gear Lap Record, Beats F1 Car

Now Helix is working with Californian startup Astro Mechanica on an engine concept that claims it can make supersonic passenger air travel viable again.

What’s The Idea?

Astro Mechanica is chasing what the late, great Concorde never could. It wants long-range supersonic aircraft that are efficient enough for everyday use.

To make that possible, the company has built a propulsion system called Duality. It is an adaptive hybrid electric setup that uses both a gas turbine and electric drive to shift personalities depending on speed.

At takeoff, it behaves like a turbofan. At lower supersonic speeds, it behaves like a turbojet. When things get seriously quick, it transforms into something closer to a ramjet.

That flexibility is meant to solve the problem that killed commercial supersonic air travel in the first place. The engines were great at going very fast but not great at everything else, and gobbled up a ton of fuel.

Power Behind The Concept

The current fourth-generation Duality prototype uses four Helix SPX242-94 electric motors. Each produces up to 536 hp (544 PS / 400 kW) of peak power. They drive the two-stage compressor of the propulsor unit and can run continuously at 402 hp (408 PS / 300 kilowatts).

But custom-designed radial flux motors for the fifth generation of Astro Mechanica’s propulsion system are also in development, these ones pumping out up to 1,274 hp (1,292 PS / 950 kW) of peak muscle for extreme-altitude flying.

The company is targeting a first flight in three years and commercial operations within a decade. If it takes until 2035 and Astro Mechanica is the first to offer supersonic air travel, we’ll have waited 32 years since Concorde was retired to see a passenger airplane break the sound barrier.

Helix/Astro Mechanica, McMurty, Lotus

VinFast is in the spotlight again, this time for reasons it would rather avoid. The Vietnamese automaker now faces another lawsuit, adding a fresh speed bump to its already bumpy road. Owners in the United States claim that the VF 8 Plus AWD charges so slowly it can take a full 24 hours to replenish its battery.

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the lawsuit represents customers who leased or purchased a VF 8 Plus AWD in the past four years.

Why So Slow?

The electric vehicles are supposed to charge at a rate of 6.6 kW or higher. Instead, these customers say that their VinFasts charge at under 2 kW. That’s closer to the speed of an original Nissan Leaf than it is to a modern EV.

More: Vinfast Owner Says Their EV Took Over Steering And Nearly Hit A Wall

The plaintiffs, Gil Swigi and Joseph Mizrahi, say that they were led to believe that they were getting standard Level 2 charging performance. VinFast allegedly advertised that its cars could charge at up to 32 amps.

When Mizrahi and Swigi tried that, they claimed the cars would shut down due to software defects. Their only recourse was to charge at 19 amps, which cut total charging speed by almost 40 percent.

To make matters worse, the shutdowns would allegedly happen in the middle of the night with regularity, meaning that owners would wake up to a nasty surprise.

Not only did their car have a problem, but that meant less range to do whatever they had planned for that day. According to Carcomplaints, VinFast attempted multiple repairs on both vehicles in question.

Only when the owners bought additional charging equipment did their cars start to charge at the claimed manufacturer speeds. That said, VinFast successfully argued that both owners agreed to arbitrate their differences. A judge granted that motion, and arbitration is set for February 20, 2026.

Source: Classaction, CarComplaints

Another day brings another legal challenge for Tesla, this time centered on a tragic crash that once again raises questions about the company’s design choices.

The latest lawsuit claims that the electrically operated door handles of a 2018 Model 3 failed to function after a collision and subsequent fire, trapping one of the occupants inside and leading to her death.

Read: Trapped Children Die In Tesla Fire After Door Handles Allegedly Wouldn’t Open

It marks yet another serious concern for Tesla, one that could prove costly and push the automaker to reexamine how its vehicles handle emergency situations, particularly when power is lost.

Door Handles Under Scrutiny

Filed last week in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, the complaint outlines a sequence of events. On January 7, 2023, Jeffrey Dennis was driving his Tesla Model 3 with his wife in Tacoma, Washington, when the car reportedly accelerated suddenly and struck a utility pole at the corner of South 56th and South Washington Streets.

Shortly after impact, the EV caught fire. It’s alleged that several witnesses tried to open the Tesla’s doors to rescue the couple, but were unable to do so because they failed to operate without battery power. The lawsuit says that some witnesses even tried to break the Model 3’s windows with a baseball bat, but it also failed.

First responders eventually managed to extract the pair, though Wendy Dennis succumbed to her injuries at the scene. Jeffrey Dennis suffered severe burns to his legs.

Could It Have Been Prevented?

The complaint says the Model 3 has a “unique and defective door handle design” that prevented rescuers from freeing the couple. It is also alleged that Tesla knew about the defect with the door handle but failed to address it, and continued to market and sell the popular EV.

The lawsuit doesn’t stop at the door handles. It also claims that Tesla’s Automatic Emergency Braking system failed to activate as the vehicle sped toward the utility pole. In addition, it accuses the company of using “a highly explosive battery chemistry” despite the existence of safer, more practical, and less costly alternatives.

Jeffrey Dennis is seeking financial relief for the wrongful death of his wife and his long-term injuries, as well as compensatory damages and punitive damages under California law.

It’s hard to argue that owning a vehicle with 1,070 horsepower (797 kW) wouldn’t be extremely fun. However, that excitement turns on its head when you realize that there’s nowhere to refuel, or rather in this case, recharge it.

That’s exactly what just happened to a Brooklyn-based Lucid Gravity Dream Edition buyer. After snatching this unique EV up brand new in September of 2025, he ended up selling it just 400 miles later for a huge loss.

More: Lucid’s Cheaper Gravity Lost Hundreds Of Horses But Found You Thousands In Savings

The seller on Cars & Bids shared a photo of the window sticker for this luxury SUV, listing an MSRP of $141,550. When the hammer fell on his auction sale of the car, it brought just $123,000. That’s a painful $18,500 lesson for 400 miles of usage in a little over a month, amounting to $46.25 for every mile he put on the odometer.

Where Do You Plug In?

Why take such a big loss for a vehicle that the owner says is “an awesome car”? It all comes down to charging it up. For the owner, it was almost like buying a Hellcat and then realizing that the closest gas station is 220 miles away.

Cars&Bids

He says that his initial plan was to charge where he works but then one option after another fell apart until he had to take the loss we’re talking about here.

“I was planning to charge at work but the chargers at my work aren’t working and there is seemingly no plan to fix them. Since I don’t have a charger at home and can’t get one installed this became an unsolvable,” he said in response to a question about the situation.

He then went on to fault his living location, New York, more than anything else.

“I tried to find another solution but in NYC most chargers (all the ones convenient to me) were in parking garages where you had to pay exuberant [sic] prices to park in order to use the chargers. I live a busy life so just couldn’t find a workable solution,” he added.

It’s a little ironic that in a city as vast and densely packed as New York, famous for both its wealth and its gridlock, a high-end EV can still be this impractical. For now, he’s out, but he hasn’t sworn off electric power entirely. According to him, he’ll be back behind the wheel of another EV “as soon as [a solution] presents itself.”

Source: Cars&Bids

Rivian owners take on a risk that many may not fully appreciate when they buy one of these trucks. It’s not just about the company being young, or its future still being written. Those are expected gambles.

The real hidden concern and surprise comes when something goes wrong, and not mechanically, but physically. Damage that would be a quick fix on a Ford, a Toyota or most other legacy carmakers can turn into a financial nightmare with a Rivian, sometimes severe enough to write off the vehicle altogether.

Read: Guess How Much It Costs To Repair This Rivian R1T?

It’s becoming an increasingly common problem, and the ordeal one owner continues to face shows just how complicated it can get.

When Simple Damage Isn’t Simple

Back in May of this year, the employee of a Rivian R1T owner backed into his electric truck. The damage appeared quite straightforward in the rear quarter panel. However, this is a Rivian R1T, so “straightforward” doesn’t really apply in this case.

The rear quarter panel is part of one giant piece that actually includes the roof. In other words, fixing a dent in it, especially a large one, isn’t a simple job. We’ve seen instances of paintless dent repair (PDR) being a savior in some cases. This isn’t one of them.

The owner of the R1T says that his employee’s insurance company initially quoted just $1,700 for the repair. Considering that many of these situations end up in the five-figure range, he knew that was potentially problematic. To that end, he contacted Rivian, and things only got worse from there.

The True Cost of Rivian Repairs

The automaker explained that there was only one certified repair shop within 300 miles (about 480 km), and their estimate came in at a whopping $16,000. Given the huge gap, the owner started asking PDR shops for help, but none would touch the R1T.

Also: Rivian Owner’s DIY Repair Saves Thousands After Mishap And Teaches Us A Lesson

That said, the owner decided to go ahead and go with the certified repair shop, hoping that the final bill would come in lower than the estimate. Instead, the shop found additional damage once the truck was in the building.

The total came to $22,000 after a seven-week repair process. The ordeal wasn’t even over after all that because insurance refused to pay that amount.

Can You Ever Win Against Insurance?

Instead, it offered $13,000 and said that the certified repair shop’s rates were excessive. Faced with either paying the $9k himself or entering arbitration that would delay pickup indefinitely, the owner paid the difference, retrieved the truck, and launched an appeal.

His letters were ignored. A second, more forceful letter outlining what he considered an unfair settlement? Also ignored. Only after filing a complaint with his state’s Secretary of State did the insurer finally respond, this time offering an additional $5,100 to make the issue go away.

The state recommended accepting the offer, and the owner did. “I really enjoy this truck, but this is bonkers,” he says. “I hope Rivian improves design to allow for less expensive repair costs for common dings.”

No doubt, plenty of other Rivian owners hope the same thing.

Photo Reddit u/RepresentativeCat940

A 29-year-old in Delaware has been arrested over the convoluted theft of a state-owned Ford Mustang Mach-E, in a scene that we’d love to see recreated in a Hollywood film.

The man who has been identified by police as Isiah Worthy was arrested for allegedly stealing the EV after breaking into two state office buildings using a steel sewer door, seemingly unaware of how heavily surveilled government facilities often are.

Read: Ford’s Electric Pony Car Gets A Classic Gas Mustang Package

Local law enforcement reports that at approximately 3:50 p.m., they were alerted to a burglar alarm triggered at 600 South Bar Road in Dover. Police soon discovered that a masked man had forced entry into the facility with a steel sewer lid and proceeded to damage property and steal money.

While investigating the break-in, police discovered the same thief had reportedly broken into the Office of Management and Budget – Fleet Services facility on the same property. Once again, the individual broke in using the sewer lid. While inside, he allegedly stole key fobs and drove off in a Ford Mustang Mach-E.

However, the suspect didn’t make a clean getaway and ended up hitting two parked cars while trying to flee the scene. He also ditched a bank bag filled with stolen money in the parking lot.

How Police Found Him

Police had no issue tracking down the 29-year-old. Unbeknownst to him, the Mustang Mach-E had a GPS tracker and was found abandoned on Carpenter’s Bridge Road. Police scoped the area and found a man matching the suspect’s description walking along a nearby road. They arrested him and searched him, finding additional money he had stolen.

Isiah Worthy has been arrested on two counts of burglary in the third degree, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of burglary tools or instruments, wearing a disguise during the commission of a felony, theft under $1,500, and three counts of criminal mischief.