Transportation

The company is launching a new global ad campaign called “Ready Set Ford” that aims to put the spotlight on some its more under appreciated initiatives, like its Ford Pro commercial fleet business and its motorsports division. Ford is also pivoting from advertising that highlights its specific nameplates to a campaign that’s all about lifestyle, similar to how brands like Rivian are geared toward outdoorsy, adventure types. Lisa Materazzo, Ford Chief Marketing Officer, says:

Reddit users noticed that the Blue Oval appears to have deleted all the posts from its official Instagram account, as well as those dedicated to Bronco, trucks, EVs, and Mustang. Is the automaker just handing over control of its social media accounts to an outside PR company? Or is it planning to announce something big and wants to start from a blank slate? I’ve reached out to a few of the company’s media reps, and will report back if I hear anything.

Politico reports that the company is seeking ridehailing permits from San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose airports. But this is a bit like putting the robo-cart before the horse. Tesla still hasn’t acquired permits from California’s DMV to operate a fully driverless robotaxi service in the state. Instead, it has safety monitors in the driver seat in all its ridehailing vehicles in the state.

Tesla once commanded a dominant position in the EV market. But rising competition and an aging vehicle lineup — not to mention Elon Musk’s unique ability to alienate his liberal customer base — has taken a significant toll. The company’s share of the EV market in the US dropped to 38 percent in August, falling below 40 percent for the first time since 2017, Reuters reports.

The sports car company is finally offering adapters so Taycan and Macan EV owners can charge at Tesla’s Supercharger stations. New Porsche EVs will come with a complimentary adapter, while the company will send adapters free-of-charge to current Porsche owners. Charging sessions are initiated through the Tesla app for now, but soon can be started through the My Porsche app. Still no word on when Volkswagen and Audi EV owners can get their adapters.

The customized XT5 Ultra model on display at IFA isn’t solid gold, but a PR rep told me that the company wanted to showcase designs like this because they “have appeal in the US market.”

Oh sorry, I misread, it’s just the app that’s available to all. You still need to join a waitlist — for a supervised “driverless” vehicle that may never actually come. Tesla’s robotaxis are currently only operating in Austin and San Francisco to select users.

The mid-sized electric crossover will be formally revealed on January 21, 2026. But we already know a few key details, including that it will be built on an 800-volt architecture, which will improve its charging speeds. The new platform will also enable “a longer electric range than any Volvo car before it,” the automaker promises. The EX60 will be built in Volvo’s Gothenburg factory, with production set to begin in the first half of 2026.

Takeout on demand first expanded to groceries, and then to other retail, but the branding hasn’t always kept up. With Uber Eats now delivering from Best Buy, that opens the door to some pretty strange dinner orders,

After months of testing, the company’s autonomous Zeekr minivans will be deployed in the Mile High City this fall. Waymo will use a mixed fleet of Jaguar I-Pace with the 5th-gen hardware and Zeekr RTs with 6th-gen hardware. I remain impressed that Waymo is able to clear all the tariffs and restrictions on Chinese-made electric vehicles.

A couple of Cybertruck-looking models make a brief appearance in the background of this video that Tesla produced for its Master Plan 4. Is it a van? A crossover? Whatever it is, it has the Cybertruck’s distinctive design, which suggests the automaker is preparing to double down on the polarizing (and commercially unsuccessful) vehicle.

Two things stood out in this New York Times piece exploring the price wars in China resulting from EV overcapacity and excessive competition:

Tesla has revealed the fourth part of its “Master Plan.” Part three dropped in 2023, promising to create “a sustainable energy civilization.” The new plan is instead about “sustainable abundance,” promoting clean energy and automation that will “give people back more time to do what they love.” Or, as Electrek puts it:

The BBC Archive channel on YouTube has a ton of content to draw from, including plenty of reports about what “the future” will be, like this Tomorrow’s World presentation on a concept car with satellite navigation.

7,301 2025 models in Australia will receive a software update to correct the issue affecting the driver’s side automatic window, according to the regulator:

We may start to see Waymo robotaxis in a lot more cities in the coming months, the company’s co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said on Hard Fork this week:

European registrations for new Tesla cars were down 40 percent in July compared to the same month last year, while EVs from BYD were up 225 percent. It’s the seventh consecutive month of declines for Musk, in a month that saw sales of EVs grow, according to ACEA data.