Waymo built its own robotaxi chip and published its supplier list
Waymo built its own robotaxi chip and published its supplier list

Waymo has published what is in the boot of its robotaxis. A blog post on Thursday set out the architecture of its onboard computer, introduced a custom 5-nanometer chip of its own design, and named the seven suppliers it builds the system with. The com…

Tesla’s Austin robotaxis are now fully driverless, tracking shows
Tesla’s Austin robotaxis are now fully driverless, tracking shows

Tesla’s robotaxi service in Austin appears to have gone fully driverless. Over the past fortnight, every one of the 170 rides logged by an independent monitoring project ran with no human safety monitor on board, across 54 different cars. Two days earl…

Baidu’s Apollo Go is now on Uber in Dubai, with no safety driver
Baidu’s Apollo Go is now on Uber in Dubai, with no safety driver

Uber has put Baidu’s driverless robotaxis on its app in Dubai. Book an UberX or an Uber Comfort there now and the app may match you with an Apollo Go vehicle that has nobody in it. A dedicated “Autonomous” option raises the odds for anyone who wants on…

The Audi S6 Sportback E-tron proves that sedans still matter
The Audi S6 Sportback E-tron proves that sedans still matter

Last year, Audi announced that it gave its all-EV-by-2033 plan the boot, and instead will offer a mix of gasoline, hybrid, and electrified propulsion. There’s no doubt still some uncertainty among bigger automakers – especially those under the Volkswagen Group umbrella – when it comes to such a (now prior) commitment. Even so, what it’s […]

Uber’s first European AV rides go live in Zagreb, with a safety driver
Uber’s first European AV rides go live in Zagreb, with a safety driver

Uber has begun offering autonomous rides in Europe for the first time, in the Croatian capital, Zagreb. From Wednesday, riders there can book a self-driving car through the Uber app, the company said. The service is run with the Chinese firm Pony.ai an…

Tesla asked Las Vegas for 5,000 robotaxis and Nevada granted 10
Tesla asked Las Vegas for 5,000 robotaxis and Nevada granted 10

Tesla asked Nevada regulators for permission to run up to 5,000 robotaxis across Las Vegas. It was granted 10. The Nevada Transportation Authority set out the limit in an interim order dated 27 July. The cap sits far below what the company requested. T…

ADAC tested five EVs for charging losses. One wasted a quarter of the energy
ADAC tested five EVs for charging losses. One wasted a quarter of the energy

Germany’s ADAC measured charging losses on five EVs and found that a household socket wastes between 12.7% and 24.2% of the electricity drawn. An 11 kW wallbox cut every car’s losses to between 5.1% and 7%. Some of the electricity you buy to charge an …

California’s new tyre standard is stricter than Europe’s, which has had one since 2012
California’s new tyre standard is stricter than Europe’s, which has had one since 2012

California’s Energy Commission has unanimously approved the first US efficiency standard for replacement tyres, capping rolling resistance from 2029 and tightening it in 2033. Europe has enforced a looser ceiling since 2012 and labelled tyres for effic…

Audi’s China-only EVs are coming to Europe, and they cost less than local models
Audi’s China-only EVs are coming to Europe, and they cost less than local models

A German company is importing Audi’s China-only E5 Sportback and E7X, models Audi never intended to sell in Europe, and registering them for road use. Even after shipping and homologation they undercut Audi’s European-built equivalents by thousands of …

Xiaomi’s first EV just passed half a million deliveries
Xiaomi’s first EV just passed half a million deliveries

Xiaomi’s SU7 sedan passed 500,000 cumulative deliveries on 17 August, 28.5 months after the first handover. Deliveries of that model are down 43.6% this year, even as the company’s overall volume rose almost 15%. Xiaomi’s first car has passed half a mi…