Andrew J. Hawkins

Amazon’s robotaxi company is expanding its operating conditions in the two cities where it has been testing its autonomous vehicles, Foster City and Las Vegas. The robotaxis will start driving at night, as well as in light rain and damp road conditions. They will also starting driving at speeds of up to 45 mph on multi-lane roads. And in Las Vegas, it will start tackling roads along the south end of the Strip. Zoox’s purpose-built AVs (no steering wheel, no pedals) will start accepting real passengers later this year.

The robotaxi company is ready to start inviting regular people on its waitlist (50,000 and counting) to use its fully driverless vehicles. The vehicles will only operate in a 63 square-mile section that includes Santa Monica and DTLA. And while the initial rides will be free, future rides will not — thanks to a recent thumbs-up from regulators.

Tesla’s threat to sue anyone who tries to resell their Cybertruck within the first year has owners “spooked,” which is why the polarizing electric truck hasn’t shown up on his auction site Cars and Bids. He also hinted at some sort of retaliation from Tesla when he reviewed one of the first Model 3s back in 2017. “It wasn’t pretty,” the popular YouTuber chuckled. Say more!

The Chinese company, which overtook Tesla last year as the top global seller of EVs, is running into challenges as it seeks to cement its dominance in other markets like Europe. Challenges such as too many cars, not enough customers. Oh, and mold.