Transportation

As reported by Electrek, the latest recall is for a “faulty differential unit that may fracture, resulting in a loss of drive power,” affecting more than 42,000 vehicles between 2021-2023 RWD models. The car has been previously recalled at a similar scale for battery safety issues. A poster on the Mach-E forum notes Ford says “a remedy is not yet available” but is expected later this year.

The Drive has new pics of Ford’s $30,000 prototype electric truck, giving us our best look at the pint-sized truck’s real door handles and giant interior touchscreen. But maybe the most interesting aspect, as noticed by mobility investor Reilly Brennan, is the new camouflage that features soccer balls, sail boats, hearts, and other emoji-like symbols. No poops, fortunately.

The EV company is telling investors to expect better sales than originally predicted, thanks to a strong start for the “make or break” R2 vehicle. Rivian previously projected sales of 62,000-67,000 vehicles for the year, but now expects to deliver 65,000-70,000. This comes after Rivian said it delivered 12,194 vehicles in the second quarter, a 14.4 percent gain year over year. The new forecast could signal strong demand for the R2, which just started customer deliveries last month. For a deeper look at what the R2 means for the company, check out my recent feature.

It follows last year’s EXP 15 “design concept,” and follows Bentley tradition by taking its name from the El Torcal de Antequera natural landmark in Andalusia, Spain. Bentley’s CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser says it “may just be the most considered car in our history.” We’ll find out more on September 23rd.

A group of students in Pisa, Italy, recently set a new Guinness World Record for the “largest paper aircraft.” The previous record stood for over a decade. Icarus is made from glue and paper but was designed and built using actual aeronautical engineering techniques which helped it glide nearly 194 feet.

For years, Rivian has looked like one of the most compelling electric vehicle companies in America — and maybe the car maker most equipped to take on Tesla. All that potential comes down to this: the R2, the long-awaited and more affordable car that Rivian hopes can make it truly mainstream. After a journey to the R2’s factory earlier this year, The Verge’s Andrew Hawkins explains what the R2 is, why it matters, and what happens to Rivian if it’s a hit — or a flop.

BMW’s Neue Klasse-ified SUV launched this week, including an all-electric iX5 with 800-volt charging that can add 170 miles of range in 10 minutes and go from 10-80 percent in 22 minutes, plus a 17.9-inch in-car display with Alexa, CarPlay and Android Auto.

The terms of the settlement weren’t disclosed, but the lawsuit concerned a 71-year-old woman who was killed by a Tesla Model Y driver using Full Self-Driving. It was the first known pedestrian fatality linked to FSD, Bloomberg reports. The news comes as Tesla faces another lawsuit from the family of a Texas woman who was killed in her home by a speeding Tesla driver.

The Alphabet-owned company was previously only giving rides to people on its interest list. Now it will be open to anyone who downloads the Waymo app. The robotaxi operator says its also testing out rides to Nashville International Airport, and hopes to begin offering service soon. And coming later this year, Waymo will be an option in the Lyft app in Nashville.

You might remember I took a break from Decoder last year — we had a baby, so I took some leave. In my place, we had an excellent slate of guest hosts, and we’ve been working hard to bring you those episodes in full video since we launched our official Decoder YouTube channel.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration kicked off a new rulemaking aimed at eliminating the requirement for brake pedals as long as the vehicle is fully automated. If it passes, it would be a gift to companies like Zoox that make purpose-built AVs without traditional controls. Safety advocates have expressed concerns about these moves, arguing that its premature to eliminate the requirement for manual controls and could pose a safety risk.

Outdoor retailer REI has been getting some heat for this (now removed) AI slop ad on Instagram, but the company says Meta is to blame. “Meta auto-enrolled us in an AI personalization tool that produced an inaccurate and inappropriate alteration of a vendor-provided image,” an REI spokesperson told Business Insider.

The fire occurred in Martin County late last week after “a brake pad from the trailer hauling the six Teslas ignited and quickly spread to the vehicles,” according to local news outlet WPTV. Both lanes of Florida’s Turnpike and part of I-95 were shut down as toxic fumes and smoke clouded the area.

The Dual Standard variants had smaller batteries and less range than some of the other trims. But they also had some of the less expensive starting prices: $76,990 (before fees) for the Dual Standard R1S and $72,990 for the Dual Standard R1T. The move to simplify the R1 lineup comes as Rivian is ramping up production of the crucial R2, which initially starts at $57,990.

Tata Electronics, an India-based manufacturing partner for both companies, says it’s investigating a “cybersecurity incident” after the World Leaks ransomware group posted more than 200,000 component and specification documents on the dark web. The files reportedly include inspection ⁠standards for iPhone ​circuit board components, and drawings for the Model 3 revamp that Tesla launched in 2023.

As TechCrunch reports, Lucid’s second round of layoffs this year will eliminate a new production shift it had added as part of plans to double its production.

That’s what investigators in Harris County, Texas, aim to find out after Michael Butler’s Model 3 smashed into the home of a 76-year-old woman, killing her in her own living room. Tesla’s driver assist system has been linked to thousands of crashes and dozens of fatalities, and yet the company claims its tech makes driving safer.

The number of pedestrians killed each year has increased by about 75 percent since 2009, and large pickups and SUVs — which have taller hoods and bigger blind zones — are contributing to rising fatalities. This interactive deepdive from The New York Times examines the growing risks of having bigger vehicles on US roads.

When the Google Meet UI for Apple CarPlay launched in April, Google said Android Auto would follow soon, and now it’s here, with the rollout set to finish by June 26th. If you want to take a work call while in the car, you can see your schedule, dial colleagues, or join calls (audio only, both ways) without picking up your phone.

The recall comes just weeks after Waymo vehicles drove past ramp closure signs in Arizona and entered closed lanes in San Francisco, according to a filing with the NHTSA. The company paused freeway service last month due to the issue, which it’s fixing with a software update.

The company has yet to launch in its first market (San Francisco, later this year) but is already gearing up for its second. In Houston, Uber will be competing for passengers with Waymo and Tesla. But the ridehail company is in it to win it, having already secured a 50,000 square-foot facility for maintenance, and a charging pitstop for its Lucid-made, Nuro-powered robotaxis.

Rivian has had layoffs in 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and now, within a week of launching the long-awaited R2 SUV, layoffs in 2026. The Wall Street Journal reports the cuts made Tuesday affected less than two percent of its employees, which the company confirmed, saying it “restructured a handful of teams,” as it attempts to turn a profit for the first time.

While on his “The World’s First World Tour” with plans to play on all seven continents, the vocalist, producer, filmmaker, and professional scooter rider was one of six people killed after two helicopters collided over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. O Globo reports that after the crash on Sunday, one of the helicopters fell into an electric car dealership’s parking lot, sparking a fire that burned dozens of cars.