Chip Motors is the latest startup with aspirations to disrupt the golf cart market. Its $15,000 EV can only go 25 mph, but it can park itself using remote operators.
After months of rumors, Honda finally confirmed that it’s killing off the electric Prologue SUV in the US after just two years of sales, CarBuzz reports.
The automaker already pulled the plug on its Honda Zero series of EVs before they even got out of the factory. And after ending sales of the Prologue, that’s exactly the number of EVs that Honda will be left with in the US: zero.
Last year, Ford introduced an app-based kill switch for its F-series trucks, enabling owners to remotely kill the engine from inside the Ford Pass app. Now the company is bringing that feature to more models, including Bronco Sport, Expedition, and Mustang Mach-E, according to The Drive.
Bloomberg has the details on some of the gnarlier aspects of a driverless car service, including finding blood, puke, and fecal matter in the vehicles. Emergency responders have received almost 100 calls about passengers falling asleep in their Waymos, and then failing to wake up at their destination. This story reminds me of one I helped report nearly six years ago about Waymo contractors discovering hypodermic needles in the cars. The more things change…
Last month, Slate Auto said its barebones electric truck would start at $24,950, but that amount excluded the destination charge, so it wasn’t the actual final price customers would end up paying. Today, Slate spokesperson Jeff Jablansky emailed to let us know that the freight charge will be $1,450, calling it “the lowest among all pickup trucks in the U.S., because we believe that trucks should be affordable.” That means the total price of the Slate Truck will be $26,400 before factoring in local sales tax. Still pretty cheap!
Volkswagen’s cost-cutting crusade could result in model cancellations at all of the auto giant’s brands, including the all-electric Porsche Taycan, Cayenne Coupe, and 718 successor. Other models to get the ax include the VW Jetta and Taos, and the Audi Q5 Sportback and Q6 E-Tron Sportback. VW’s profits have slumped as it faces billions in tariff costs and stiff competition from China.
In 2024, a dealership in Colorado offered a lease deal on the electric Fiat 500e that sounded too good to be true: $0 down, and $0 a month. Aside from taxes and insurance, the tiny Italian EV was essentially free. Two of the lads at the YouTube channel TFLEV were able to get in on the deal before it went away. So, 18 months in, how did it go? In a new video, they describe the ownership experience of an EV they call “essentially pretty fun” with a lot of flaws.
As telegraphed earlier this year, Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation today creating a $3,500 point-of-sale rebate for the purchase of a new electric vehicle priced up to $50,000. Used EVs sold for up to $25,000 get a $1,750 rebate. Automakers headquartered in California aren’t subject to price caps. Naturally, Tesla fans are mad.
Waymo is lobbying for a bill that would legalize robotaxis in the District of Columbia. Uber opposes the bill, arguing it would displace human drivers. The bill was up for debate during a marathon hearing today (I just checked; it’s still going), but don’t expect a vote any time soon. As TechCrunch notes, the bill is exposing fractures in the Waymo-Uber relationship that could deepen as more big cities confront similar debates.