Cars are the technology of the future. The Verge brings you new car reviews, auto show insights, deeply reported investigations, and news from the frontlines of autonomous and electric vehicle development. We bring you updates from major companies like Ford, GM, Mercedes, and VW as well as digital upstarts like Uber, Google, and Tesla. Cars are among the biggest computers that we’ll ever own, and we know computers. We also bring you news and analyses from the growing effort to reduce the number of cars crowding our cities and the fight to reduce oil consumption, cut CO2 emissions, and shift to more sustainable sources of energy.
The struggling automaker, still going it alone after the failure of merger talks with Honda, has confirmed plans to cut 20,000 jobs in the next few years, including 9,000 announced in November. It will also shut seven of its 17 factories by 2027, with the aim of saving 500 billion yen (about $3.4 billion) and becoming profitable by 2026.
[global.nissannews.com]
The paintless, affordable EV pickup truck started taking reservations just over two weeks ago and crossed the 100,000 mark this past weekend, reports TechCrunch.
It’s a good showing, though as the outlet notes, Slate Auto is only asking $50, and reservations are fully refundable.
“EPA approved it, and everyone hates it, so we’re fixing it,” says Lee Zeldin.
It’s unclear what “fixing” means here. Engine start / stop systems can already give you better fuel economy, as explained by Engineering Explained.
In the two days leading up to being let go, former Tesla employee Matthew LaBrot published a website calling for Tesla to “move forward without Elon as CEO,” then attended a Tesla Takedown protest, reports Business Insider.
It’s not the first time a former Tesla employee has claimed to have been fired for criticizing Musk.
[businessinsider.com]
As part of the “maxed out” trade deal agreed today between the US and UK, up to 100,000 British cars can be imported into the US every year at the 10 percent baseline tariff rate, rather than the 25 percent rate for vehicles from elsewhere.
Steel and aluminum tariffs have been cut too, along with protections from Trump’s future tariffs on pharmaceuticals. In return, the UK will take more US beef and other agricultural goods.
The US Patent and Trademark Office rejected Tesla’s request to trademark the term for being “merely descriptive” and describing “similar goods and services by other companies,” reports TechCrunch:
Tesla needs to give the agency specific plans for how and why it deserves the “Robotaxi” trademark.
The examiner also wrote that Tesla will need to tell the USPTO if “competitors” use the terms “ROBO, ROBOT, or ROBOTIC to advertise similar goods and/or services.”
Tesla has three months to respond before the application is abandoned.
Beginning May 2nd, prices on vehicles such as the Mustang Mach-E EV could jump as much as $2,000, which Ford says will arrive in US dealer lots by late June. The news comes after Ford declared the Trump administration’s tariffs are adding about $2.5 billion of costs for the company in 2025.
The Celestiq carries the brand’s storied history forward — but only for those who can afford it.
The automaker’s software chief Doug Field explains why the company cancelled its ‘FNV4’ project, and why a domain-style system may work better for Ford’s gas and hybrid vehicles.
After Hyundai started making them in the USA, the popular EV became briefly eligible — but mysteriously lost eligibility weeks later, possibly over its batteries. Now, the Ioniq 5 is finally back on the list, until or unless Trump kills the credit entirely. It may not make a difference for many buyers: Hyundai was already offering its own $7,500 discount as a stopgap until the credit came back online.
Robyn Denholm, who was appointed chair of Tesla’s board of directors after the SEC forced Elon Musk to step down, just sold over $32 million worth of shares in the company. As Electrek notes, it appears that she is close to liquidating her entire position in Tesla, with only 85,000 shares left and 300,440 stock options expiring later this year. Several Tesla investors have urged the board to rein in Musk, who’s political alliance with the Trump administration has done irreparable damage to the company’s brand. But under Denholm’s leadership, the board has done essentially nothing to curb Musk’s worst tendencies.
The excellent Tim Stevens joins The Vergecast to talk all things Slate, which recently unveiled its first product, an extremely barebones, all-electric, two-seater pickup truck.
Tune in as Tim and David talk about Slate’s philosophy, its minimalistic approach, and whether this truck will actually make its way to customers.
More incoming tariff flip-flopping from the White House, The Wall Street Journal reports today. Trump is expected to rollback some duties on automakers so they don’t end up paying for multiple tariffs on materials like on steel and aluminum. You know, they stuff they usually make cars out of. And here’s the kicker: Trump may end up actually reimbursing some car companies for their tariffs based on the value of the vehicle! Folks, this is what real leadership looks like. According to the Journal:
The administration will also modify its tariffs on foreign auto parts—slated to be 25% and effective May 3—allowing automakers to be reimbursed for those tariffs up to an amount equal to 3.75% of the value of a U.S.-made car for one year. The reimbursement would fall to 2.5% of the car’s value in a second year, and then be phased out altogether.
That’s how Land Rover describes the recently-released upgrade for third‑generation Range Rovers produced between 2010‑2012 that lets them access Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. However, the upgrade is only available to people in the UK and Germany, according to 9to5Mac.
Is the market ready for a four-wheeled digital detox?
