Andrew J. Hawkins | The Verge

GM can’t ‘bring back’ Apple CarPlay because it never left

2026-09-21T13:47:54-04:00

Last week, GM announced a new software experience for its upcoming Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks, including a new look for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the popular phone mirroring systems that the automaker made a big deal about removing from its electric vehicles in 2023.

Naturally, this led to some confusion about whether GM was “bringing back” CarPlay and Android Auto to its vehicles. Yahoo Finance reported it that way, calling it an “about-face” by the automaker, while Apple Insider’s headline boasted that GM “cave[d]” on its decision to remove the interface from its gas-powered vehicles. Even The Verge’s own commenters were a bit flummoxed about what was going on.

It’s certainly true that GM has not offered phone projection in any of its electric vehicles for the past three years. That means no CarPlay or Android Auto in the Chevy Equinox, Blazer, Bolt, and Silverado EVs; Cadillac Lyriq, Optiq, Vistiq, and Escalade IQ; or GMC Sierra and Hummer SUV and Truck EVs.

All of those vehicles have Google software products embedded in their systems, like Maps and Gemini. That’s because GM builds its operating system on top of Android Automotive, which is often called Google Automotive Services or GAS when bundled with the full suite of native apps. But if you’re hoping to plug in your phone, or connect wirelessly, and see the familiar app layout on the infotainment screen of a GM electric vehicle, you’ll be sorely disappointed.

The same can’t be said about GM’s many gas-powered trucks and SUVs. GM never disabled phone projection in its best-selling ICE models. Tens of thousands of owners of GM-branded vehicles regularly project their phones’ displays on their vehicles’ infotainment screens without any issue. And now CarPlay and Android Auto are both getting spiffy new picture-in-picture upgrades in the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra, a sign that perhaps GM is learning to co-exist with phone mirroring.

GM is partly responsible for the confusion. In an October 2025 appearance on Decoder, GM CEO Mary Barra defended the company’s decision to prohibit CarPlay in its electric vehicles and indicated that the policy would eventually extend to GM’s gasoline-powered lineup as well.

Everyone freaked out for a second time. Removing phone projection in EVs was one thing, but many truck and SUV owners were understandably incensed about the prospect of losing the capability in their beloved GM-branded vehicles. But a few days later, GM seemed to walk back that statement, clarifying to a number of outlets that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto would remain available in its gas-powered vehicles “for the foreseeable future.” Last week’s announcement of a new software experience in the Silverado and Sierra trucks would seem to be included in that “foreseeable future.”

Allow me to add some further reporting here. For the Silverado/Sierra announcement, I spoke to Colin McCormick, group product manager for Google built-in, projection, and profiles at GM. Here’s what he had to say about how GM’s position on phone projection has evolved over the years:

And so the way that I look at this is that we were one of the early adopters of CarPlay and Android Auto when it first came out. And we do have a small segment of EVs right now that don’t offer that, but there is a large majority of our vehicles that do offer that. And our big position on this is that it shouldn’t be two competing systems. So as we work together with Apple and Google to provide solutions that we think are best for the customer, this is what we’re representing in this new UI design. So I think we’re landing in a spot where … we don’t have a customer that has to decide, ‘Oh, I’m going to use projection,’ or, ‘Oh, I want to use the native system.’ That’s our sweet spot for us. And that’s where we want to live.

GM most likely realizes that its position on CarPlay and Android Auto isn’t popular. People really like mirroring their phones! It’s clean, it’s familiar, and it’s (mostly) dependable. The same can’t be said for most modern cars’ native software. Even the ones that are really well designed, like Rivian and Tesla, still struggle with some core functions like profile logins and messages. And you can find plenty of owners of both brands that would give their firstborn child for the ability to mirror their phone.

CarPlay and Android Auto aren’t perfect. They have dependability problems and connectivity problems aplenty. But they are worlds better than the majority of the native operating systems in cars today — most of which are just trash. Yes, they’re getting better. And GM is not wrong in thinking it can offer a better experience. But people get testy when you take away their choices.

So GM is finding ways to coexist with CarPlay and Android Auto. It doesn’t want to lose more customers over it, which is why we’re getting this most recent solution that includes picture-in-picture phone projection. GM thinks this solves the “two competing systems” problem, as mentioned by McCormick. But what it really does is get it out of the corner it backed itself into over phone mirroring.

Waymo says Singapore will be its next international robotaxi city

2026-09-18T05:40:43-04:00

Waymo Ojai fully autonomous ride-hailing vehicle travels along a city street, San Francisco, California, August 20, 2026. | Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

Waymo says it will launch a robotaxi service in Singapore in 2028, as the Alphabet-owned company continues to eye overseas markets for expansion.

Waymo’s vehicles will begin arriving in Singapore in “the coming months,” the company says, in preparation of mapping and autonomous testing with human safety drivers behind the wheel in 2027. Waymo says it is “working toward offering fully autonomous ride-hailing to the public” by 2028.

Waymo will need approval from Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) before it can begin accepting passengers. The city-state requires all autonomous vehicles to undergo a safety assessment conducted at the Centre of Excellence for Testing and Research (CETRAN) before they can be deployed on public roads. The tests have been developed by LTA and CETRAN, with input from the Traffic Police. But Waymo isn’t totally unknown in Singapore. The company established a corporate entity there earlier this year and participates in Singapore’s Steering Committee on Autonomous Vehicles.

Singapore has become a hotbed for autonomous vehicle testing. The local authorities have greenlit autonomous freight delivery and road-sweepers, as well as self-driving buses for airport workers. Motional, a US-based company majority owned by Hyundai, conducted a robotaxi pilot in Singapore in 2016.

In addition to Singapore, Waymo has said it plans on launching a robotaxi service in London by the end of 2026, and Tokyo in 2027. The company has also said it will bring its robotaxis to Munich, Germany, in late 2027, marking its first expansion in the European Union.

“Singapore has built one of the safest, most efficient, and most forward-thinking transportation ecosystems in the world,” Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said in a statement. “Their focus on reliability, sustainability, and human-centric progress directly mirrors how we have built Waymo’s technology and service.”

This year, Waymo has announced several new domestic markets, including Nashville, Denver, San Diego, and Las Vegas. The company has around 4,000 vehicles operating in about 15 US cities.

But regulatory hurdles and political opposition have kept it out of some of the US’ most important cities, including New York City, Chicago, and Washington, DC. As the robotaxi debate continues to rage on in America, Waymo has signaled that it intends to keep growing overseas — with no signs of slowing down.

Kia’s electric van lineup is getting more interesting with reveal of PV7

2026-09-15T14:54:02-04:00

You may not know it, but minivans are making a comeback in the US. Look around, and you’ll start to notice an uptick in these breadboxes on wheels. Sales were up 21 percent in 2025, suggesting that the humble minivan is shaking off its “uncool” stigma and finding new fans among an SUV-weary public. I’m here for it.

One of the companies currently carrying the torch for minivans is Kia, which has sold its popular Carnival minivan here since 2021. Kia is also one of the few automakers making all-electric vans. This week, the Korean automaker rolled out its new PV7 at IAA Transportation in Germany. This is the second electric van from Kia’s Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) lineup, following the PV5 “people mover,” which went on sale in 2025. The PV7 is longer than the PV5 by about 2 feet and comes in two variants, one for passengers and one for cargo.

All of which is to say that Kia should bring its increasingly interesting electric vans to the US. If they are attractively priced — and this is Kia, so it’s safe to assume that’s possible — I really think these vans would do numbers. The people yearn for a moderately priced electric van!

The PBV vans are technically impressive on several levels. They’re built on Kia’s dedicated PBV architecture (E-GMP.S) that features a flat-floor layout for easy loading and unloading. The PV7 will come with a 71.5kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery pack or a 96.2kWh one. Kia claims the Cargo Long-Range version will get 460km (285.8 miles) on the generous WLTP cycle (which tends to be around 10–20 percent more generous than the EPA’s estimates). It’s built on an 800-volt architecture, which enables 10—80 percent charging in under 25 minutes using a 350kW DC fast charger. And it supports vehicle-to-load outlets to power external tools and equipment. The infotainment runs on Kia’s Android Automotive-based Pleos Connect OS, which includes its Gleo AI natural-language voice controls.

This all sounds great! And the design is just forward-looking enough to erase any concerns about the typical clunkiness of van ownership. The front end features a distinctive two-tone design with a dark upper section that wraps around the windshield, giving it a visor-like appearance. The upright look and tall, flat roof suggests a large interior space perfect for vanlife compartmentalization. The low front bumper and plastic body cladding around the base add a rugged, practical border. Both the passenger and cargo versions feature distinctive wheels with a squarish multi-spoke design. It’s not boring, but it’s not so in your face as to challenge your worldview.

While Kia’s not saying whether the PV7 will be making its way to the US anytime soon, a version has been spotted testing in the US, according to Electrek. Officially, the van will be launched in Europe and Korea in the second half of 2027, with “additional markets, derivatives and conversion models to follow.”

PBV was introduced during CES 2024 as a family of EVs built on a flexible vehicle architecture with different swappable body types. The vehicle can be transformed from a minivan to a full-size van to a small truck, depending on the specific need. The driver cab remains fixed, while the rest of the vehicle is interchangeable, like a real-life Duplo set. Of course, that was a concept from a different era. We’ve now veered into a darker timeline, at least for EVs.

I get why Kia would hesitate to name the US as a future market, what with our well-documented history of cutting off our nose to spite our face. The minivan market may not be as red-hot as, say, the one for lifted trucks that roll coal and grind up spandex-wearing cyclists for breakfast. But the times, they are a-changing. Gas prices are going up and up. And an electric van could just be thing that finally heals our broken nation.

GM updates its trucks’ native software to coexist with CarPlay

2026-09-15T09:30:00-04:00

General Motors is polishing up the software experience in its bestselling trucks in an effort to reduce the amount of dangerous tapping and swiping that’s required to access the most-used controls. It’s also giving Apple CarPlay and Android Auto spiffy new picture-in-picture displays — which is notable given GM’s previously stated hostility to phone mirroring in its electric vehicles.

When the next-generation interface makes its debut on the 2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2027 GMC Sierra 1500 later this year, vehicle owners will see a number of changes, including slick new graphics for its advanced driver-assist system, animated transitions between displays, and simplified layouts for heavy-duty truck stuff like trailering and off-roading. And they’ll be seeing it all on 60-plus inches of screen real estate — the combined size of instrument cluster, central display, and passenger screen in some of its trucks — that’s designed to enhance but not overwhelm the driving experience.

For GM, larger displays do not necessarily mean more distractions. Instead, the automaker views the additional space as an opportunity to be smarter about how information is presented and to make interactive elements larger, said Colin McCormick, group product manager for Google built-in, projection, and profiles at GM. Larger buttons and bigger tap zones can make the system easier to operate, particularly under difficult driving conditions, he said.

“The buttons can be larger and make it easier to do,” McCormick said. “Living in Michigan, the roads are terrible, so I’m trying to tap on a very small tap zone while hitting a bunch of potholes. These larger displays give you better functionality in that standpoint.”

There are still plenty of physical buttons for key functions like HVAC. But when you want to control the direction of the airflow, a new menu appears as a flyout. Customers have repeatedly professed their love for physical controls, so GM understands that moving key functions onto the screen just because there’s more real estate doesn’t necessarily earn them any goodwill. There are some formerly tangible tools that are now becoming digital only. The oil dipstick, for example, is now a virtual measurement that exists on the truck’s status screen. But the majority of the physical touchpoints remain physical.

Borrowing from the world of smartphone design, GM’s designers added a swipe-down notification interface for quick access to functions such as switching connected devices, entering settings, and privacy controls. Truck owners can disable the vehicle’s microphone directly from this interface, for example. The new interface also distinguishes between settings, which vehicle owners will likely visit once and then rarely ever again, and controls, which they may want to tweak more frequently.

GM wanted to address the complaint that its existing interface can feel disjointed because various functions abruptly take over the entire display, McCormick said. So rather than constantly replacing the entire screen, displays such as the media player can remain visible while an additional queue panel slides in from the side. By using animated transitions, the automaker is hoping to create a more contextual experience when moving between functions.

Lots of truck owners love to haul trailers, so GM put a particular focus on that experience with its new software designs. Trailering information now appears both in the driver information display and in the smaller homescreen card. The trucks include built-in trailer-aware navigation, so once a trailer is connected, the vehicle identifies it, and Google Maps can provide a route that accommodates the trailer. Customers enter the trailer’s dimensions, and those measurements can be carried from one vehicle to another through the customer’s GM account.

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But it’s when using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto that Chevy and GMC truck owners may see the most noticeable differences. Again, engineers were hoping to use the added screen real estate “intelligently,” McCormick said. And they didn’t want phone projection to completely take over the truck’s native infotainment, nor did they want to force customers to choose between them.

The solution: picture-in-picture phone mirroring, in which CarPlay and Android Auto occupy a large contextual card rather than taking over the entire screen. When a phone is connected through CarPlay, the phone icon changes into a CarPlay icon; selecting it brings up CarPlay within that large card. Pressing the native home button returns the driver to the split-screen home view. This allows customers to use Apple’s apps while retaining access to native GM functions, like trailering info.

The new layout is even more interesting when you consider GM’s seismic decision in 2023 to drop Apple CarPlay and Android from its EVs. Despite pushback from customers, GM has stood by its decision, arguing that it can deliver a better software experience to its customers without phone mirroring. GM CEO Mary Barra even suggested (in an interview on Decoder) the ban would eventually extend to the automaker’s gas-powered trucks and SUVs — only to walk it back days later.

That’s left GM to tweak CarPlay and Android Auto’s appearance in its Chevy and GMC trucks to enable the native GM-branded software experience to peek through. Phone projection will no longer occupy the entire screen, which McCormick argues was forcing drivers to switch back and forth when they needed to access their truck’s native controls. In this way, truck owners can choose to project their phone while also accessing key information, like trailering or off-roading details, McCormick said.

“I think we’re landing in a spot where… we don’t have a customer that has to decide, ‘Oh, I’m going to use projection, or, oh, I want to use the native system,’” he said. “That’s our sweet spot.”

The new UI will roll out to new Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks later this year, but only to new customers. Existing owners will be stuck with the previous-generation experience. The goal was to put the new interface on GM’s “bread-and-butter” trucks rather than first introducing it on lower-volume vehicles, which is more typical for a new experience, McCormick said. GM is so confident in the system that it’s launching it on its bestselling trucks so it can get in front of as many customers as possible.

GM sells close to 900,000 of these trucks a year, meaning the company expects to receive a substantial amount of feedback once the new interface is live and being used by customers. Some aspects of the first version may work extremely well, while others may need to be changed.

“We’ll take that experience, and the OTAs will allow us to get there,” McCormick said.

Volvo’s plug-in hybrid XC60 and XC90 can really go the distance

2026-09-15T07:12:30-04:00

Most plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) today get an average of around 30–50 miles of battery-only range: decent, but not mind-blowing. With hybrid sales dominating the market today, Volvo is out to prove that its PHEVs can push the limits of what’s possible.

Today, the Swedish automaker revealed the updated PHEV versions of its popular XC60 and XC90 SUVs are its first “long range plug-in hybrids,” delivering class-leading ranges of 78 miles and 73 miles, respectively. That’s more than double the electric range of previous PHEV variants. The numbers are still preliminary and based on EPA testing standards. But if confirmed, they would make Volvo’s PHEVs “the longest electric range of any plug-in hybrids available in the American market,” the automaker claims.

Volvo took a page from its all-electric vehicle design by integrating the battery directly in the floor of both vehicles for improved efficiency. The batteries are also higher capacity — 41.2 kWh (37.9 kWh usable) for both — and able to send more energy to the motors, which are also more powerful.

Of course, those batteries are just dead weight if owners forget to charge them — which tends to happen with a lot of plug-in hybrids. Hybrid owners often neglect to charge, thanks to the gas tank that continues to power their vehicle even with a dead battery. Still, the higher capacity batteries in the XC60 and XC90 are sure to appeal to a lot of car shoppers who may still like the sound of increased range even if they don’t exactly plan on taking full advantage of it.

The XC60 is getting new styling to bring it inline with Volvo’s new design language. That includes an upgraded grille, redesigned front bumper, hood, front wings, rear bumper, tailgate, new wheel designs, and a refined “Thor’s Hammer” LED headlight light signature. Like the redesigned XC40, the XC60 also has a more expansive driver assist that includes Automatic Emergency Steering and Braking, collision prevention, and a door-opening cyclist alert.

The addition of Google’s Gemini chatbot as the new voice assistant rounds everything out. Volvo was one of the first automakers to adopt Google’s software for its infotainment systems, so naturally that now includes Gemini.

Production on the XC60 and XC90 begins late Fall 2026, with customer deliveries scheduled to begin in early 2027. Volvo is hoping that a boost in hybrid sales can help fund its future pure EV models, like the EX50, EX60, and new affordable model that will replace the EX30.

Volkswagen’s slippery new EV breaks a bunch of efficiency records

2026-09-14T11:12:09-04:00

No, that’s not a Tesla Cybercab. That’s Volkswagen’s Mission Efficiency, the world’s slipperiest electric vehicle. The near-production 2+2 seat electric coupe prototype was built on VW’s MEB+ platform, incorporating front-wheel drive components from the upcoming ID. Polo and ID. Cross models.

True to its name, the mission of Mission Efficiency is to break records. With a drag coefficient of a scant 0.158, the prototype claims to be the world’s most aerodynamic road-approved vehicle. It also claims to have broken the record for energy efficiency, consuming 6.48kWh of energy per 100 kilometers during a constant-speed (68 km/h) test-drive on flat terrain with secondary features like AC deactivated. And lastly, the Mission Efficiency is “the most economical near-production electric car in its class” thanks to its platform sharing with the ID. Polo.

What does all this mean in practical terms? Well, think vast distances traveled with little thought paid to charging stops. Volkswagen recently completed a real-world 1,278.36 km (794.34 miles) trip from Wolfsburg to Vienna on a single charge of Mission Efficiency’s 54.9 kWh (net) battery. The EV used only 6.89 kWh/100 km (7.51 kWh/100 km including charging losses) at an average speed of 67.72 km/h — and still arrived at its destination with 164 km of range remaining.

Given the prototype’s teardrop shape and wheel coverings, it’s not difficult to imagine the Mission Efficiency breaking all of these record. This won’t win any design awards nor cause any stampedes at your local VW dealership. This was designed to slide through air molecules with barely a disturbance. The underbody is covered, the windows frameless, and the door handles flush.

In fact, it gains efficiency the faster it goes. A helpful comparison is VW’s ID. Polo, with which the Mission Efficiency shares its 99 kW front-wheel electric motor, high-voltage battery, aluminum structure, and high-strength carbon fiber materials. At speeds above 80 km/h, the prototype uses over 30 percent less energy than the ID. Polo. At 140 km/h, it consumes the same energy as an ID. Polo traveling at 100 km/h.

Where VW couldn’t optimize for aerodynamics, it slashed weight. The paneling is more lightweight, while the infotainment system is decidedly “bring-your-own device,” including a portable Bluetooth speaker and a smartphone/tablet dock in place of a central touchscreen. Integrated solar panels on the roof can supply up to 30 km of added range for all the auxiliary electronics.

The takeaway is that VW isn’t relying on some super exotic motor and battery to achieve these record-breaking numbers. It’s really a design challenge. This is basically just a re-bodied ID. Polo supermini out there blazing its way into the history books.

And it’s not just some design challenge that will get filed away and forgotten. Automakers across the industry are wracking their brains over how to boost efficiency as a way to attract more people to the EV life. Ford is using design challenges to shave drag off its new, next-gen EV truck. Everyone from Mercedes to Audi to Porsche is obsessing over aero. The question is: What makes it into production? And how will consumers respond to these slippery shaped vehicles?

Images by Volkswagen

Electric air taxis get the green light for test flights in Texas

2026-09-10T12:32:43-04:00

A new federal program to test the feasibility of electric, hybrid-electric, and autonomous aircraft kicks off today in Texas — before the rules governing this new technology have even been finalized.

Earlier this year, the Federal Aviation Administration’s Advanced Air Mobility and Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) selected eight state-led projects to serve as some of the first public tests of these new aircraft. The first one kicks off today in Texas, featuring three eVTOL companies: Joby, Beta, and Wisk.

For the next week, these companies will conduct test flights demonstrating future routes between cities and regional airports, including Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The aircraft won’t carry any passengers, but regulators will be keen to see how the state’s air traffic control system handles the uptick in flight traffic. The companies, meanwhile, are eager to prove to the federal government that their aircraft deserve to be awarded type certification, which is required before any of them can carry passengers commercially in the US.

But type certification can take years to attain, which led to the White House to create this pilot program allowing these companies to demonstrate their new technology — even before the regulatory process has concluded. Through the eIPP, the companies hope to accelerate their path to market by getting a head start on data collection that will be needed for certification. Data from the program will also be used to “develop new regulations that safely enable this futuristic technology at scale,” the White House said earlier.

The companies say they are thrilled to demonstrate the future of electric and autonomous flight, which they argue will help reduce car traffic in cities and open up new mobility opportunities for consumers.

“I’m incredibly excited by the potential for vertical lift in Texas, a state with the infrastructure, expertise, and partnerships to help lead the next era of American aviation,” JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby Aviation, said in a statement.

Several of these companies have conducted public test flights before — Joby’s egg-shaped aircraft demonstrated its future route between Lower Manhattan and JFK Airprot earlier this year — but these will be the first official flights under the White House’s new pilot program. Additional tests are being planned in New York, Utah, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Florida, North Carolina, and New Mexico.

Legal in-fighting, however, could muddy the picture for electric aviation. Joby and one of its rivals, Archer, are currently suing each other for stolen trade secrets and corporate espionage. Technology limitations, including battery weight and sensor decisions, could also hamper the rollout.

Volvo cancels EX40 in the US, updates XC40 with better sensors and Gemini AI

2026-09-10T09:08:16-04:00

Today, Volvo said it was canceling the entry-level electric EX40 in the US, while also giving its aging hybrid XC40 a new look. When it arrives at dealerships early next year, the new XC40 will have updated exterior styling, a gut-renovated interior featuring Google’s Gemini AI assistant, enlarged infotainment screen, and a new sensor-and-software safety suite.

Volvo is expected to replace the EX40 with the slightly larger EX50, riding on the automaker’s lower-cost SPA3 platform. The EV should reach US dealerships by mid-2027, and will likely start in the high-$40,000 range, according to Automotive News.

As a hybrid, the XC40 serves as a bridge for customers who want better gas mileage but aren’t ready for the pure EV lifestyle. Volvo itself needs that bridge, after backing down from its pledge to sell only EVs by 2030. That said, the automaker didn’t divulge any details about the powertrain, engine options, electric motor, range, or battery capacity for the XC40 — so we’ll have to wait and see whether this SUV can sufficiently compete in an increasingly cutthroat hybrid market.

On the surface, we’ve got a new take on Volvo’s signature “Thor’s Hammer” LED headlights, as well as an updated front grille, bumper, hood and front wings. Same goes for the rear: new lighting, new bumper, and an upgraded tailgate. Additionally, the XC40 is getting a trio of diamond-cut wheel options, available in 18-, 19-, and 20-inch sizes.

But the interior is where the meat of Volvo’s improvements comes through. The screen has been bumped up to a higher resolution and a larger, 11.2-inch size. It will run Volvo’s latest user interface, which the automaker designed for faster navigation with fewer taps. Google’s Gemini serves as the voice assistant, using its big AI brain to plan routes, find specific locations and detours, and manage messages. The XC40 rounds it out with an improved wireless phone charger and smart storage solutions.

What about safety? This is a Volvo after all, the automaker most committed to Safety (at least according to its well-cultivated reputation). Don’t worry, the XC40 ups the ante in that department with a new software and sensor platform that’s designed to provide real-time collision avoidance, automated emergency steering, and automatic emergency braking.

The sensor upgrade includes new front and corner radars, a new front camera, new rear corner radars, 12 new ultrasonic sensors, and new parking cameras. Cloaked in this new sensor suite, the XC40 is getting a host of new safety capabilities, including new door opening alerts that warn occupants before dooring passing cyclists, lane change assist and smoother lane following support on long drives, and an optional 3D/360-degree camera to simplify low-speed maneuvering and parking.

The ultimate goal is to build a better XC40 — one that’s safer and more capable, which hopefully translates to better sales numbers and a long, continuous shelf life for Volvo’s tiny SUV.

“By enhancing the XC40’s design, technology and safety features, we’ve created the best version of the XC40 yet,” says Akhil Krishnan, Interim Lead for the 30 and 40 Series at Volvo Cars, in a statement. “This already popular model is now set to continue being one of our best-selling cars for years to come.”

Images by Volvo

Correction September 10th: A previous version of this story described the new XC40 as a plug-in hybrid. It is a mild hybrid.

Update September 10th: Updated to include information about the canceling of the EX40.

Rivian spinout Also apologizes for delays in shipping futuristic e-bikes

2026-09-08T20:40:22-04:00

Rivian’s futuristic e-bike is delayed, and customers are not happy.

Last year, Rivian’s micromobility spinoff Also unveiled a new, software-controlled electric bike called the TM-B that immediately set the e-bike world ablaze. With USB-C chargeable battery, removable seat post, and software-controlled pedal-by-wire system, the TM-B set itself apart with a totally unique approach to electric bicycle design. It’s not an exaggeration to say that nothing else looked like this bike.

But that list of high-tech features is creating unexpected bottlenecks for Also’s product team. The company had originally said customer deliveries would start in spring 2026, and then later summer. But now, with fall approaching, the TM-B has yet to reach any customers — and several reservation holders are making their frustrations with the delays known on Reddit.

This past weekend, Also went the unique route of responding to those criticisms on Reddit. Saul Leiken, Also’s product manager, posted a 661-word letter apologizing to customers for the delays, attributing the hold-up to strict quality standards rather than rushing an unfinished product.

Leiken attributes the delay to “significant supply chain challenges” as a result of the AI boom. Specifically, the company has struggled to find enough printed circuit board (PCB) and integrated circuit (IC) materials for its software-powered e-bike. In some cases, Also’s team has had to find new materials that deviate from the original design, which requires more engineering and testing work to make sure its the right fit.

TM-B’s battery has also presented some hurdles. The batteries, which are available in either 538Wh or 808Wh packs, are supposed to offer up 100 miles of range. But the 240W power delivery exceeds current regulatory guidelines, which is forcing Also to work with standards groups to establish “new safety and testing protocols,” Leiken says.

Lastly, Also may have bitten off more than it can chew with the DreamRide drivetrain system. It’s a pedal-by-wire system, which means there’s no mechanical connection between the pedaling and the movement of the bike. Instead, the rider pedals a generator motor on the crank, which replenishes the battery; a separate traction motor at the rear wheel is software-driven via a Gates Carbon belt drive. But the system requires “high-precision manufacturing,” Leiken admits, which has led to “a slower production ramp-up to ensure quality.”

Rivian’s Also set out to build one of the most high-tech, complex e-bikes ever made. So it shouldn’t necessarily come as a shock to anyone that it’s taking a while to get the manufacturing and production process just right. You could certainly argue that Rivian should have been more clear-eyed about the challenges it would likely face given the complexity of the bike. And to his credit, Leiken does admit they could have done a better job at communicating those delays to customers, and for that he apologizes.

“With any complex and technology-laden product, we have a choice,” he said. “As we ramp production we can relax standards against an original timeline or we can hold to a high standard and face potential delays. We believe our decision to hold that standard was, and is, the right one. And, at the same time, we agree that we should have been more communicative along the way.”

Tesla Cybercab doesn’t have any manual controls — but it does have a virtual joystick

2026-09-08T12:15:59-04:00

The Tesla Cybercab is notable for what it lacks, namely a steering wheel and pedal. By design, there is no way for this vehicle to be manually controlled — or so we thought. Less than a week after the Cybercab was officially launched in Austin, Texas, some riders have discovered the Cybercab’s secret manual controls that appears to be intended only for Tesla employees.

In at least two videos posted on X, Cybercab riders are encountering a virtual joystick that appears intended to control the vehicle’s movements. A square-shaped screen appears in the lower left corner of the central display, with a toggle in the middle for manual driving. It says “forward” at the top and “reverse” on the bottom. There are also buttons to “stop” the vehicle, sound the horn, and manually open the doors. To the right are views of the live camera displays, though in one rider’s video the image appears to be frozen on a Tesla Supercharger from a previous location.

Weird #cybercab situation! When I got in the vehicle, the display was in a different configuration with a virtual joystick for manual driving! I have a feeling I wasn’t supposed to see this… but I try to manually drive the vehicle anyway! 😂 @wholemars @DirtyTesLa @DavidMoss… pic.twitter.com/mQsoDFDbEJ
— Matthew Skrzypczak (@MatthewSkrzypc1) September 7, 2026

Clearly these controls are intended for Tesla employees and depot workers who may need to nudge the Cybercab into a tight space at low speeds. Since the Cybercab lacks traditional controls, Tesla needed a work-around for fleet workers who may need to rearrange the vehicles in a parking lot, for example. This display would allow them to do that without having to call in a request to Tesla’s Cybercab control center or use a remote operator.

Theoretically these could also be used by law enforcement or emergency responders who may need to move a Cybercab off the road. Tesla has briefed Austin’s police department on the Cybercab service, though its unclear whether these manual controls were part of the conversation.

I can confidently say I am the closest person from the public to being able to drive a Tesla Cybercab 😂

So close yet so far

The vehicle arrived in some sort of mode I think it goes into at a supercharger for manual assistance

I couldn’t use any apps & the left repeater… pic.twitter.com/6lmWE6V8cT
— David Moss (@DavidMoss) September 8, 2026

The customers who noticed the virtual joysticks tried unsuccessfully to use them to control the vehicle. Thankfully, they didn’t seem to work — or perhaps they weren’t using the controls accurately. Why these controls were on the display during customer rides is anyone’s guess. Chalk it up to an early bug that Tesla can hopefully fix before the Cybercabs gets any wider release.

Tesla built the Cybercab as a fully autonomous vehicle without manual controls. The purpose was to send the message that these controls are relics of the past, and the Cybercab is the vehicle of the future. But even the vehicle of the future may need some manual help every now and then.