SEAN O’KANE | Tech Crunch | 12/3/2025

Autolane is building what it calls “air traffic control for autonomous vehicles,” a new infrastructure layer to coordinate the arrivals, departures, and curbside handoffs of robotaxis and delivery vehicles. The Palo Alto-based startup recently secured $7.4 million in funding and inked a deal with Simon Property Group, which will deploy Autolane’s system at shopping centers in Austin, Texas and San Francisco, California. Rather than building cars, Autolane focuses on the end of autonomous journeys, where vehicles need to pick up passengers or drop off goods. Its platform aims to manage curb usage with a combination of signage, sensor-equipped poles, and cloud software that schedules and authenticates vehicle access, preventing double-parking and reducing pickup times.

Tesla is gearing to sell its electric semi truck, poaches key sales executives from rivals

FRED LAMBERT | Electrek | 12/2/2025

Tesla is expanding its sales team for the Tesla Semi by hiring two experienced professionals from the electric trucking industry, Mac Burns and Jason Gies. This move comes as Tesla prepares for increased production at Gigafactory Nevada, despite delays pushing production to 2026. The hires indicate a shift toward building a stronger sales team, moving from pilot programs to a more traditional sales approach.

US Postal Service using 2,600 EVs for mail deliveries

DAVID SHEPARDSON | Reuters | 12/2/2025

The U.S. Postal Service says it is now using more than 2,600 electric vehicles (EVs) for mail deliveries, marking a major step in its fleet modernization efforts. Under a 2023 congressional allocation that provided $1.2 billion for EVs, USPS has purchased 8,700 Ford E‑Transit vans, of which 2,010 are already in service at 65 locations, plus 612 specially built electric delivery trucks from Oshkosh Defense, currently deployed across 15 sites. The agency says it’s deploying EVs on routes where battery-powered vans can deliver cost savings compared with older internal-combustion vehicles, part of a broader effort to modernize a delivery fleet that had long relied on aging trucks.

Driving American battery innovation forward

CHARLOTTE WHITTLE | MIT News | 12/1/2025

Kurt Kelty from General Motors discussed advancements in battery technology at the MIT Energy Initiative’s Fall Colloquium. His team focuses on making electric vehicles more affordable by reducing battery costs, improving performance, and localizing the supply chain. They are developing lithium manganese-rich (LMR) batteries to lower costs while maintaining range. GM aims to introduce these batteries in EVs by 2028. Kelty expressed optimism about future innovations, including vehicle-to-grid technologies and grid-scale energy storage.

Tensor Wants to Sell You a Private, Waymo-Style Self-Driving Car

SCOTT EVANS | Motortrend | 11/28/2025

The promise of self-driving cars is advancing, particularly with autonomous taxis like Waymo and Tesla in the U. S. A company named Tensor, previously AutoX, has created the Robocar, a private autonomous vehicle. It features a 112-kWh battery, fast charging, and automated doors. Tensor claims it is SAE Level 4 autonomous, requiring no human driver. It includes over 100 sensors for navigation, along with features to keep them clean.

A new Electric Vehicle Intelligence Report shows Tesla has plummeted to become America’s least-trusted automotive brand, ranking below all major competitors in consumer confidence, particularly around safety and corporate integrity. The survey placed Tesla dead last in “trust integrity” metrics, signaling widespread skepticism about the company’s reliability and transparency.

This erosion of public faith stems largely from mounting safety concerns surrounding Tesla’s autonomous driving technology, including a series of high-profile accidents involving Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems. The timing couldn’t be worse for Tesla, which is simultaneously pushing forward with its robotaxi pilot program in Austin while facing intensified regulatory oversight and an increasingly wary consumer base that questions both its safety claims and business practices.

CA DMV claims Tesla misled drivers on Autopilot capabilities; seeks to suspend business for 30 days (Suzanne Phan – July 21, 2025)

The California Department of Motor Vehicles has launched a lawsuit demanding Tesla halt all vehicle sales and manufacturing in the state for 30 days, accusing the company of deceptively marketing “Full Self-Driving” technology that remains merely Level 2 driver assistance requiring constant human oversight. DMV officials contend the autonomous system “is not ready for being simply a driver-assist system,” arguing Tesla’s branding has created dangerous misconceptions about the technology’s actual capabilities.

The legal action cites fatal consequences, including the 2018 death of Apple engineer Walter Huang during Autopilot operation and a devastating eight-car pileup on the Bay Bridge in 2022 allegedly caused by Teslas in “full self-driving” mode. UC Berkeley expert Scott Moura reinforces that Tesla’s FSD falls far short of true Level 5 autonomy, supporting critics who contend the misleading terminology has fostered deadly overconfidence among drivers who believed they could rely on technology that isn’t nearly as advanced as advertised.

Understanding Level 4 Autonomous Driving Systems, from Currently Available to Upcoming (Mircea Panait – July 20, 2025)

Before aiming for Level 5 autonomous driving, mastering Level 4 is a crucial step. Honda was among the first automakers to lease cars with Level 3 capabilities, like the Legend Hybrid EX, but that model has been discontinued, and Honda appears to have paused progress on their SENSING Elite Traffic Jam Pilot system. Meanwhile, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are moving forward with Level 3 luxury sedans, with Mercedes upgrading its DRIVE PILOT system to Level 4 in China for deployment by the end of the decade.

Although no Level 4 vehicles are available for retail yet, they do exist, mostly in China, where regulations are more permissive. Companies like GM’s Cruise, Waymo, Tesla, and Baidu are leading the way in developing and testing Level 4 and near-Level 4 systems. Cruise had early ambitions for Level 4 robotaxis but faced setbacks, while Waymo continues expanding its autonomous fleet with advanced hardware. Tesla is operating Level 4-like robotaxis in Austin but hasn’t officially received permits yet. Other players like Navya, Baidu Apollo, WeRide, Nuro, and VW’s MOIA are also making strides in autonomous transport, with several promising systems and upcoming deployments around the world. The race toward full autonomy is accelerating, with China leading some regions due to favorable regulations, and major automakers focusing on the critical transition from Level 3 to Level 4.

A Huge New Lab in Sweden Is Testing the 6G-Powered Future of Connected Cars and Drones (Oscar Collins – July 18, 2025)

AstaZero has launched an advanced proving ground for connected vehicles. This facility will test automated transport systems to ensure safety and confidence as the industry moves towards a 6G-powered future. It features multiple 5G networks for real-time communication between vehicles and emergency services.

The facility allows testing of various real-world scenarios, using AI and drones for simulations. AstaZero aims to enhance vehicle communication and decision-making, achieving a high reliability rate crucial for critical situations. It caters to all brands, supporting fair testing as new vehicle standards emerge.

Uber inks six-year robotaxi deal with Lucid, invests $300 million in EV company (Samantha Subin – July 17, 2025)

Uber announced a partnership to deploy over 20,000 robotaxis in the next six years, responding to rising demand for driverless cars. The collaboration is with Lucid, the electric vehicle maker, and Nuro, an autonomous vehicle startup. Uber will invest $300 million in Lucid, while Nuro will create the self-driving technology. They plan to launch the robotaxis in a major U. S. urban area next year. Testing of the first prototype is underway in Las Vegas, and the program aims for commercial viability and global scalability.

Trump’s Auto Safety Pick Promises Rapid Self-Driving Deployment (Keith Laing – July 16, 2025)

President Donald Trump’s nominee for NHTSA administrator, Jonathan Morrison, has pledged to prioritize safety while making it easier for automakers to deploy self-driving cars. During a Senate hearing, Morrison said the agency should create proactive, science-based regulations that go beyond voluntary guidelines, which currently limit test vehicles to 2,500 and restrict safety features.

Morrison emphasized the need for federal leadership to build consumer trust in autonomous vehicles and avoid undue costs that could hinder innovation. If confirmed, he may lead investigations into Tesla’s driver assistance technologies and address nearly 73 open safety probes, including eight involving Tesla. Critics fear Morrison’s past at NHTSA might lead to fewer safety standards, but automakers and industry groups welcome his experience. The outcome depends on Trump’s influence, with no official comment from Tesla or the White House.