Andrew J. Hawkins

The case involves a woman passenger who sued Uber after being sexually assaulted by a driver, accusing the company of failing to take basic precautions to protect customers.

A Waymo made the unfortunate decision to drive on light rail tracks in Phoenix with a passenger inside while a train was approaching. The passenger made the right call to abandon the robotaxis, even if it meant getting out in the middle of traffic. Valley Metro, which oversees light rail service, says there were no significant delays as a result of the incident. This comes a few weeks after a blackout caused a massive Waymo traffic jam in San Francisco.

The charge is related to the automaker’s plans to reduce some of its EV production in the face of cooling demand and a less hospitable regulatory environment. It comes a week after Ford said it would take a similar financial hit on its EV investments, and a few months after GM took a $1.6 billion writedown on EVs. When will the EV bloodletting end?

Stellantis is discontinuing its plug-in hybrid lineup for Jeep and Chrysler, as the automaker pivots away from electrification to gas guzzlers and extended-range electric vehicles. It’s kind of a surprising move, given the sales momentum around hybrids these days in the face of slowing demand for EVs. But when you recall that Jeep’s 4xe lineup has been plagued by recalls, including one recently for a high-voltage battery defect that poses a risk for fire, than it starts to make a little more sense.

Waymo has a new name for its Zeekr-produced autonomous minivans that are set to roll out this year. Ojai, named for the city northwest of Los Angeles, was chosen because most American consumers aren’t familiar with the Geely-owned Zeekr brand, according to InsideEVs. That may be true, but try saying “Waymo Ojai” five times really fast.