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Kyle Shanahan Says Tesla Was on Autopilot When He Crashed, Still Takes Blame

Kyle Shanahan Says Tesla Was on Autopilot When He Crashed, Still Takes Blame Kyle Shanahan Tesla Was Driving on Autopilot During Crash Kyle Shanahan revealed a major new detail about the car crash that left him seriously injured ... claiming his Tesla was on autopilot when he took his eyes off the road. The 49ers head coach told reporters Saturday he'd been traveling about 20 MPH when his phone fell out of reach ... and he trusted the car's autopilot enough to look away and go searching for it. Shanahan says he still doesn't know exactly what happened next -- whether autopilot malfunctioned or he accidentally disengaged it -- but he's not pointing the finger at Tesla. In fact, Kyle says he's learned a major lesson from the wreck, explaining, "You can't take your eyes off the road. It's a partnership driving -- you don't just turn it over to a computer." As we previously reported ... Shanahan took full responsibility for the July 14 crash, saying he looked away for only a couple seconds before his car crossed the double yellow line and collided with an SUV. Palo Alto PD later told TMZ Sports a state database that initially blamed the other driver contained a clerical error -- and confirmed Shanahan was at fault. The wreck left Shanahan with a serious concussion, broken nose, ribs and hand ... plus a facial gash requiring 40 stitches. His close friend Chris Simms previously claimed Kyle came dangerously close to losing his right eye. Shanahan says he's still dealing with some headaches and fatigue ... but plans to be back on the sideline for San Francisco's preseason opener against the Titans next week.

Lyft (LYFT) On Q2 Results And <b>Autonomous</b> Deals Has A Modestly Undervalued Narrative

- United States - / - Transportation - / - NasdaqGS:LYFT Lyft (LYFT) On Q2 Results And Autonomous Deals Has A Modestly Undervalued Narrative Lyft (LYFT) is back in focus after reporting second quarter 2026 results on 6 August. The update gives investors fresh numbers on sales, profitability, rider trends, and its evolving ride sharing platform. See our latest analysis for Lyft. The earnings beat and news on autonomous partnerships have pushed Lyft’s short term share price return higher, with a 1 day move of 7.12% and a 90 day share price return of 25.88%. Yet year to date the share price return has declined 11.77%, while the 1 year total shareholder return of 30.20% and 3 year total shareholder return of 53.43% show a stronger picture for investors who stayed invested over longer periods. If the recent Lyft move has you thinking about where technology and transport intersect, it might be a good time to scan other opportunities through our screener of 55 AI infrastructure stocks Bulls see Lyft’s record riders and fresh autonomous progress as the start of a stronger earnings story. Bears point to past share price swings and incentives spending. Which side does the current valuation support next? Most Popular Narrative: 9.7% Undervalued Lyft's most followed narrative sets fair value at $19.33 per share versus the last close at $17.46, which frames the stock as modestly undervalued on those assumptions. The ongoing rollout and consumer adoption of autonomous vehicles backed by new partnerships with tech leaders like Baidu and operational capabilities in both the U.S. and Europe are expected to significantly expand Lyft's total addressable market (TAM), lower labor costs, and increase long-term gross margins and earnings. Curious how this autonomous bet and international push feed into that fair value. The narrative leans on specific paths

Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka pitches Telangana as investment destination

HYDERABAD: Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said Telangana offered a conducive environment for investments, with industrial land, skilled manpower, reliable power supply and world-class infrastructure among its key strengths. Addressing a Meet and Greet programme organised by the Consulate General of India in San Francisco, Bhatti interacted with the Telugu diaspora, industrialists, technology experts and professionals from the Bay Area and invited them to partner with Telangana in its growth journey. He said the state government was working to position Telangana as one of India’s most attractive investment destinations, with industrial corridors and parks offering land for sectors such as manufacturing, IT, life sciences and clean energy. The government was also strengthening the Young India Skills University and other educational and technical institutions to develop a workforce suited to emerging industries. Bhatti said the proposed Future City was being developed by integrating cutting-edge technology, world-class infrastructure and sustainable urban planning, with the aim of attracting global companies and investments. He said the government was focusing on IT, pharmaceuticals, green energy, advanced manufacturing and knowledge-based industries to take Telangana’s economy to the $3 trillion level. He urged the diaspora to contribute not only through investments but also technology, innovation and industrial expansion. As part of his US tour, Bhatti travelled in a Waymo autonomous vehicle in San Francisco and later met its representatives. Discussions covered autonomous vehicle technology, infrastructure and regulatory frameworks.

Tesla Robotaxi Economics: Free Rides and Owner Payouts

What happens to the cost of a ride when there's no driver to pay? According to a widely-followed Tesla analyst, the answer is: it approaches zero — and the economics flip entirely, with Tesla owners potentially getting paid rather than paying. The tweet from @wholemars sketches out a future where fully driverless Tesla vehicles generate revenue for their owners by joining a robotaxi fleet — effectively turning a depreciating asset into an income source. On the demand side, the marginal cost of autonomous transport collapses low enough that rides could be offered free under a sponsored model (think: a Disneyland ticket that includes a complimentary ride to the park) or ad-supported, where a brief advertisement offsets the fare entirely. It's a speculative take, not an official Tesla announcement. But it maps closely onto the direction Tesla has been signaling for years through its FSD development roadmap and the ongoing Cybercab program. Tesla has previously described a future network where owners opt their vehicles into autonomous ride-hailing when not in personal use — a model that only becomes economically compelling if the per-mile cost of that service is low enough to attract riders at scale. The sponsored-ride concept is the more novel angle here. Advertising-subsidized transport already exists in limited forms elsewhere, but pairing it with a zero-marginal-cost autonomous vehicle creates a fundamentally different unit economics picture. If a brand can guarantee a captive audience for a 20-minute ride, the math for covering that ride's cost becomes straightforward. How quickly any of this materializes depends on regulatory approvals, FSD capability thresholds, and Tesla's ability to scale Cybercab production — none of which have firm public timelines. But the directional logic is hard to argue with: remove the driver, and the cost structure of personal transport changes permanently. 🚕 Following the Robotaxi

Weekly roundup: Ford reports 10.2% sales decline, GM extends JV with China's SAIC Motor ...

ICYMI: Ford’s U.S. sales fell 10.2% in July as the automaker adjusts its retail strategy heading into the second half of the year. GM extended its joint venture with SAIC Motor by 20 years, expanding China-built vehicle exports as global competition intensifies. U.S. auto sales slipped 1.4% in July, with hybrids gaining ground while EV demand continued to cool. Global EV sales hit record highs even as U.S. demand stalled at just 5.8% of the market. Nissan posted its first quarterly profit in two years, despite lowering its sales outlook for the year ahead. Here’s a closer look at these top stories and more headlines to stay on top of this week’s automotive industry news. Ford reports 10.2% July sales decline as retail strategy shifts Ford sold 169,951 vehicles in the U.S. in July, which is down 10.2% from a year prior. The Detroit automaker stated that this decrease is a result of intentional business decisions rather than a drop in retail demand. Ford reduced sales of low-margin daily rental fleet vehicles and discontinued the Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair in preparation for upcoming product launches. Read More GM extends SAIC partnership 20 years, expands China-built exports amid global competition General Motors (GM) and SAIC Motor have extended their joint venture for another 20 years. This renewal agreement follows GM’s restructuring of its operations in China, which includes plant closures and reductions in its vehicle lineup. Read More July U.S. auto sales slip 1.4% as hybrids gain momentum and EV demand continues to cool U.S. light-vehicle sales reached a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 16.3 million units in July, down 1.4% from a year earlier, according to the latest NADA Market Beat report. Year-to-date SAAR through July stands at 16.0 million units, a 2.2% decline compared with the same

Prufrock Now Builds Tunnel Rings Fully Autonomously

The Boring Company posted a significant capability milestone on Friday: its Prufrock tunnel-boring machine can now build tunnel rings entirely without human hands on-site. Six concrete segments — each weighing roughly 3,750 pounds, or about the mass of a Tesla Model 3 — are lifted, translated, and locked into final position with millimeter-level accuracy in under 60 seconds, monitored remotely from the company's Global Operations Control Center in Texas. What the Demonstration Actually Shows The tunnel ring erection process is one of the most labor-intensive and precision-critical steps in conventional boring. Each precast concrete segment must be positioned to tolerances measured in millimeters — a misalignment compounds over the length of a tunnel and can compromise structural integrity. Doing that autonomously, at speed, with no operator in the machine, is a meaningful engineering step. The remote oversight model is also worth noting. Monitoring from a centralized Global OCC in Texas means a single operations team can theoretically supervise multiple Prufrock machines running simultaneously across different project sites. That changes the staffing math considerably for large-scale urban tunnel programs. According to the Background Research, the Prufrock series has progressed through multiple generations — from Prufrock-1 onward — with each iteration targeting faster bore rates, lower cost per mile, and increasing levels of automation. Full autonomous ring-building represents the kind of milestone that moves the needle on the cost side of the equation, since labor inside a pressurized tunnel environment is expensive and operationally complex. The Autonomous Vehicle Connection The timing of this announcement sits against a broader infrastructure question that's becoming harder to ignore: as robotaxi fleets and autonomous vehicles scale, urban road networks face a new category of congestion — empty vehicles repositioning, circling, or deadheading between trips. Surface streets weren't designed for that load. Commentator Whole Mars Catalog put

Dallas pedestrian killed after SUV crash then struck by Waymo

A pedestrian was killed after being struck by an SUV and then hit by an unoccupied Waymo vehicle late Friday night, according to Dallas police. Police said the crash happened around 11:30 p.m. on Maple Avenue. Watch NBC 5 free wherever you are NBC 5 obtained surveillance video of the incident. The video shows two people walking out of a store and approaching the street. Both wait at the curb before one of them, a man, steps onto Maple Avenue. Create a free account with NBC 5 DFW to save articles and videos. According to Dallas police, the man was struck from behind by an SUV traveling in the southbound lanes. Investigators said the impact threw him into the northbound lanes, where he was then struck by a Waymo self-driving vehicle. Police said no one was inside the Waymo vehicle at the time of the crash. Surveillance video shows the vehicle stopping as people ran to help. Waymo said in a statement: Local The latest news from around North Texas. "The safety of our riders and other road users is our top priority. We are deeply saddened by what happened and our thoughts are with the individual's family and friends. We are in touch with first responders and grateful for their quick response last evening." According to Waymo, the man was thrown over 30 feet by the inital collision with the SUV before he made contact with the left side of their vehicle. Police said the driver of the SUV remained at the scene. The man was taken to the hospital, where he later died. The investigation remains ongoing. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication.

Dallas pedestrian killed after SUV crash then struck by Waymo

A pedestrian was killed after being struck by an SUV and then hit by an unoccupied Waymo vehicle late Friday night, according to Dallas police. Police said the crash happened around 11:30 p.m. on Maple Avenue. Watch NBC 5 free wherever you are NBC 5 obtained surveillance video of the incident. The video shows two people walking out of a store and approaching the street. Both wait at the curb before one of them, a man, steps onto Maple Avenue. Create a free account with NBC 5 DFW to save articles and videos. According to Dallas police, the man was struck from behind by an SUV traveling in the southbound lanes. Investigators said the impact threw him into the northbound lanes, where he was then struck by a Waymo self-driving vehicle. Police said no one was inside the Waymo vehicle at the time of the crash. Surveillance video shows the vehicle stopping as people ran to help. Waymo said in a statement: Local The latest news from around North Texas. "The safety of our riders and other road users is our top priority. We are deeply saddened by what happened and our thoughts are with the individual's family and friends. We are in touch with first responders and grateful for their quick response last evening." According to Waymo, the man was thrown over 30 feet by the inital collision with the SUV before he made contact with the left side of their vehicle. Police said the driver of the SUV remained at the scene. The man was taken to the hospital, where he later died. The investigation remains ongoing. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication.

Man fatally struck by two <b>vehicles</b> in Dallas

Man fatally struck by two vehicles in Dallas On Friday, August 7, 2026, at approximately 11:33 p.m., Dallas Police and Fire Rescue responded to a major accident near the intersection of Maple Avenue and Lucas Drive. The preliminary investigation determined that a man entered the street and was struck by an SUV driving southbound on Maple Avenue, causing him to fall into the northbound lane where he was hit by an autonomous vehicle. The man was transported to the hospital, where he died. The driver of the first vehicle remained at the scene; the autonomous vehicle was unoccupied. The crash remains under investigation.

Silk Might Be The Reason 6G Internet Is Coming Sooner Than You Think

Silk Might Be The Reason 6G Internet Is Coming Sooner Than You Think Optical fiber already plays a big role in delivering gigabit internet to your devices. It's even more important for service providers where they deal with speeds in the hundreds of gigabits to route all sorts of traffic to the right destination. Wireless carriers are riding off the back of that fiber, feeding their over-the-air 5G networks through wireline fronthaul and backhaul feeds. But the future is 6G. The industry is gearing up for terabit speeds, and that means fiber-optic connections are gonna have to step up, potentially with new types of fiber. The same companies that promised remotely-driven robotic surgeries, virtual reality mainstreaming, and autonomous vehicle traffic management with 5G are now planning out 6G networks into the 2030s with a "Greatest Hits" compilation of the same promises. Okay. But to achieve everything they're envisioning, they'll have to ramp capacity and throughput by an order of magnitude at least across every last bit of infrastructure not to mention all of the devices we use at the very end of that pipeline. Glass and plastic have long been transmitting pulses of light through fiber-optic bundles. Each material has embedded advantages and flaws in their properties that make one better for home connections and the other better in data centers. The push to 6G has meant laboratory tests to get existing materials ready for terabit speeds. But research is now putting silk — yes, the stuff that comes from worms and spiders that's used to make fancy nightgowns — into the spotlight as a cost-effective building block of 6G that could bring the best of both glass and plastic. How silk might become part of 6G networks Silk might be known for its luxurious look and feel in clothing,

Oshkosh (OSK) Gains An AI Angle As Nextera Deal Puts Fair Value In Focus

- United States - / - Machinery - / - NYSE:OSK Oshkosh (OSK) Gains An AI Angle As Nextera Deal Puts Fair Value In Focus Oshkosh stock reaction to Nextera Robotics deal Oshkosh (OSK) has drawn fresh attention after announcing an equity investment in Nextera Robotics, an AI and robotics firm focused on autonomous construction project management and job site intelligence. The move links Oshkosh’s equipment ecosystem, including its JLG access platforms, with Nextera’s autonomous robots and data tools. Investors now have a clearer view of how the company is integrating AI, connectivity, and on site analytics into future offerings. See our latest analysis for Oshkosh. At a share price of $155.26, Oshkosh has logged a 1-month share price return of 10.95% and a year to date share price return of 17.43%, while the 3-year total shareholder return of 57.51% points to momentum that has been building ahead of the Nextera Robotics announcement and recent earnings, guidance, dividend, and buyback updates. If you are looking beyond Oshkosh for other AI linked opportunities in the automation space, now could be a good time to check out 36 robotics and automation stocks. Oshkosh now sits at $155.26 after the Nextera Robotics deal and recent earnings, dividend, and buyback news. Does that price already reflect the AI push, or are you being compensated to wait for a better entry? Most Popular Narrative: 7.2% Undervalued The most followed valuation narrative currently places Oshkosh’s fair value at $167.25 compared with the recent share price of $155.26, which implies a modest discount and puts extra focus on the growth and margin story behind that number. Oshkosh's accelerating innovation in electric, hybrid, and autonomous vehicle technologies positions the company to win incremental business and command higher margins as customers shift toward sustainability and digital solutions. Read the

Uber built an empire on not owning <b>cars</b>! It's about to buy 120,000 of them

Uber's founding proposition was that a transport company need not own vehicles. Drivers supplied the cars, Uber supplied the software, and the absence of a fleet on the balance sheet was the whole point. That proposition is now being abandoned at a cost of more than $10 billion. The Commitment Uber will invest over $10 billion in autonomous vehicles, according to reporting by the Financial Times. Roughly $7.5 billion is allocated to procuring the vehicles themselves, with more than $2.5 billion going into equity investments in Lucid, Rivian and other manufacturers. The target is 120,000 autonomous vehicles deployed over the coming years, with robotaxis operating in 15 cities. Chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi has said Uber intends to carry the largest share of autonomous vehicle trips globally by 2029. Why The Model Had To Change The asset-light structure worked because the marginal cost of adding capacity was borne by drivers. Uber matched supply to demand through pricing and took a cut. It never had to finance a car. Trending Stories Autonomous vehicles break that arrangement at its foundation. There is no driver to buy the vehicle, insure it, maintain it or absorb its depreciation. Somebody has to own the fleet, and if Uber does not, then whoever does owns the customer relationship — and Uber becomes a booking layer on top of someone else's asset, in a market where the asset is the scarce thing. Waymo's expanding presence across US cities and Amazon's Zoox scaling its purpose-built vehicles have made that risk concrete. Both operate their own fleets and their own apps. A rider who opens Waymo directly has no reason to open Uber at all. The Diversification Strategy Khosrowshahi has been explicit about not wanting dependence on any single autonomous vehicle developer: ‘We want to make sure that we’re not

Amazon's Zoox to launch paid robotaxi rides in Las Vegas

Amazon's Zoox to launch paid robotaxi rides in Las Vegas Big News Network.com Amazon's Zoox to launch paid robotaxi rides in Las Vegas SAN FRANCISCO, California: Amazon's Zoox will begin charging passengers for driverless robotaxi rides in Las Vegas next week, marking its first commercial service days after receiving U.S. regulatory approval to deploy its vehicles without human controls. Zoox said it will start paid rides from August 10. The company has been carrying passengers for free in Las Vegas, San Francisco, Austin and Miami as part of its testing program. The commercial launch intensifies competition in the U.S. robotaxi market, where Alphabet's Waymo already operates paid driverless services in multiple cities, and Tesla has begun rolling out its own service. Zoox said fares will be comparable to the "comfort" tier offered by other ride-hailing companies. Pricing will be based on a base fare plus time and distance using the best available route, with any destination-specific fees, such as airport trips, disclosed upfront. Riders will not pay more if the robotaxi takes a longer route than originally planned. The company did not say when paid rides would begin in its other operating cities. Last week, Zoox became the first autonomous ride-hailing company to receive an exemption from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) from federal rules requiring human driving controls. The decision marked a milestone for companies building robotaxis from the ground up rather than adapting conventional vehicles. The approval is limited to deploying up to 2,500 vehicles in each of the next two years. NHTSA said it determined Zoox's vehicle was as safe as an equivalent vehicle that complies with federal motor vehicle safety standards. However, the agency imposed additional reporting requirements covering issues such as crashes and vehicles stopping inappropriately on roads. Robotaxi operators continue to face

Over Half of First-Timers Reject <b>Autonomous</b> Buses, Survey Shows Trust Gap Widens With ...

Over Half of First-Timers Reject Autonomous Buses, Survey Shows Trust Gap Widens With Experience An online survey conducted by private research firm MM Research Institute (Tokyo) has revealed that whether or not a person has actually ridden in an autonomous vehicle decisively influences their trust in the technology and their willingness to use it. Approximately 80% of respondents who had ridden an autonomous bus said they found it "more trustworthy than, or equally as trustworthy as, a human driver," while over half of those without such experience expressed reluctance, saying they "do not want to use" the service. The firm characterizes this gap as "evidence that a significant number of people are hesitant due to prejudice without experience," and is urging Japan's government and operators to proactively disseminate information to promote public understanding. The survey was conducted online from June 18 to 21, 2026, targeting 3,000 men and women aged 15 to 79 across Japan. Of these, roughly 300 respondents — about 10% of the total — reported having actually ridden in an autonomous vehicle. Viewed against the full sample, the data underscores that autonomous driving remains a "distant reality" for most people. The gap was stark on questions concerning trust. Among those with no riding experience, only 10.9% said they would trust an autonomous bus "more than a human driver." That figure jumped to 48.6% — nearly half — among experienced riders. When combined with those who answered "equally as trustworthy as a human driver," positive assessments reached 44.6% (10.9% + 33.7%) for inexperienced respondents, compared with 80.2% (48.6% + 31.6%) for experienced ones. The same survey posed identical questions about autonomous taxi-type vehicles (robotaxis), showing that the experience-driven gap in perception is not limited to buses. | Item | Taxi | Bus | |---|---|---| | Trust "equal to

Man dies after 2 <b>cars</b>, including a Waymo, hit him in Dallas, police say

Man dies after being hit by car, causing him to hit Waymo in opposite lane in Dallas, police say A man has died after the Dallas Police Department said he entered a street and was hit by a car late Friday night, causing an impact with what Waymo confirmed was one of their autonomously driven vehicles. Dallas Police said it happened around 11:30 p.m. along Maple Avenue near the intersection with Lucas Drive in the northern part of the city. Officers said their preliminary investigation currently suggests the man entered the roadway and was hit by an SUV that was driving south on Maple Avenue at first. That, in turn, reportedly caused him to fall into the northbound lane. While the department said he was hit by an autonomous vehicle, Waymo said he was thrown about 30 feet onto its car. A convenience store near the intersection shared surveillance footage with CBS News Texas showing the man leaving the store, walking into the street, and being struck seconds later by the SUV. The impact sent him to the opposite side of the road, where police say he was then hit by the Waymo. The video shows the Waymo coming to a complete stop immediately after the man was hit. Waymo confirmed the autonomous vehicle involved was one of its own. The company said in a statement, "The safety of our riders and other road users is our top priority. We are deeply saddened by what happened, and our thoughts are with the individual's family and friends. We are in touch with first responders and grateful for their quick response last evening." CBS News Texas will provide updates as more information becomes available.

Hypercraft Rolls Out the Razorback

West Jordan, Utah — August 7, 2026 Today at South Valley Regional Airport about 70 legislators, federal and state officials, investors, and media gathered at a Skyshare hangar for a look at the Razorback — Hypercraft's new autonomous ground vehicle platform — and the counter-drone payload Fortem Technologies is building for it. The event, hosted by Provo-based Hypercraft in partnership with Base Case, 47G, and Fortem Technologies, paired a technical presentation with a "state of autonomy in defense" panel and a live vehicle demonstration. It's the most public step yet for Hypercraft's shift from a broad hybrid-and-electric powertrain supplier, as covered by TechBuzz in June of 2025, into a dedicated defense platform company — a pivot formalized in December when the board named Brian Bowers, a former Maersk executive who joined Hypercraft as president in 2024, as chief executive officer. Founder Jake Hawksworth moved into the role of executive chairman and chief product officer. West Jordan sets the stage West Jordan Mayor Dirk Burton welcomed the audience, noting the city's growing footprint in advanced manufacturing and its roughly 600 football fields' worth of vacant industrial land in the city's southwest quadrant — an implicit pitch to the room's investors and site-selection watchers. Councilmember Kent Shelton also attended, alongside Jim Grover, West Jordan Economic Development Director, who helped organize the event. Rep. Candice Pierucci, R-Herriman, the Utah House majority whip who represents Riverton and Herriman, followed with remarks tying Hypercraft and Fortem to the state's broader aerospace and defense buildout. Citing figures she attributed to state economic data, Pierucci said Utah's aerospace and defense employment has grown 23.4% over the past five years, industry wages are up 31%, the sector now accounts for 19.2% of Utah's GDP, and Utah ranks first nationally in five-year aerospace and defense growth at 62%. A

How Data Annotation Works for <b>Autonomous Vehicles</b> | Sponsored | elkharttruth.com

To interpret the road, autonomous vehicles really need data annotation. Cameras, LiDAR, and radar collect raw input, but that data is basically useless until it is labeled. If you ask what is data annotation in this context, it is the process of tagging objects, lanes, and obstacles so perception models can learn from real scenarios. ML engineers use a data annotation platform to manage 2D and 3D labeling at scale, and many teams compare data annotation reviews before selecting tools or partners. Some rely on data annotation outsourcing to handle large volumes of sensor data. In self-driving systems, label quality directly affects how the vehicle reacts in traffic. k9a 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mw@H pFE@?@>@FD '69:4=6D “$66” E96 #@25k^DA2?mk^9am kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m$6=7\5C:G:?8 42CD 5@?VE D66 =:<6 9F>2?D] x?DE625[ E96J AC@46DD =@25D @7 D6?D@C 52E2 2?5 4@?G6CE E96> :?E@ AC65:4E:@?D] %@ F?56CDE2?5 H9J 2??@E2E:@? >2EE6CD[ J@F 7:CDE ?665 E@ F?56CDE2?5 H92E E96 G69:4=6 C646:G6D]k^DA2?mk^Am k9b 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m$6?D@CD %92E v6?6C2E6 #2H sC:G:?8 s2E2k^DA2?mk^9bm kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mpFE@?@>@FD G69:4=6D C6=J @? >F=E:A=6 D6?D@CD H@C<:?8 E@86E96Cik^DA2?mk^Am kF=mk=: 5:ClQ=ECQmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mr2>6C2Dk^DA2?mk^Amk^=:mk=: 5:ClQ=ECQmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m{:sp#k^DA2?mk^Amk^=:mk=: 5:ClQ=ECQmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m#252Ck^DA2?mk^Amk^=:mk=: 5:ClQ=ECQmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m&=EC2D@?:4 D6?D@CDk^DA2?mk^Amk^=:mk=: 5:ClQ=ECQmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mv!$ 2?5 x|& DJDE6>Dk^DA2?mk^Amk^=:mk^F=m kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mt249 D6?D@C 42AEFC6D 2 5:776C6?E EJA6 @7 D:8?2=] r2>6C2D AC@G:56 G:DF2= 7C2>6D] {:sp# AC@5F46D bs A@:?E 4=@F5D] #252C >62DFC6D @3;64E DA665 2?5 5:DE2?46] %96 A6C46AE:@? DJDE6> 4@>3:?6D E96D6 :?AFED E9C@F89 D6?D@C 7FD:@?]k^DA2?mk^Am k9b 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m(92E #2H $6?D@C s2E2 p4EF2==J {@@<D {:<6k^DA2?mk^9bm kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m#2H 52E2 :D ?@E =236=65] p 42>6C2 7C2>6 :D ;FDE A:I6=D] p {:sp# D42? :D ;FDE >:==:@?D @7 DA2E:2= A@:?ED] %96C6 :D ?@ 3F:=E\:? E28 E92E D2JD “A656DEC:2?” @C “DE@A D:8?]” (:E9@FE =236=:?8 px DJDE6>D 42?VE :56?E:7Jik^DA2?mk^Am kF=mk=: 5:ClQ=ECQmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mp A=2DE:4 328 7C@> 2 C@4<k^DA2?mk^Amk^=:mk=: 5:ClQ=ECQmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mp A2C<65 42C 7C@> 2 >@G:?8 @?6k^DA2?mk^Amk^=:mk=: 5:ClQ=ECQmkA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mp =2?6 >2C<:?8 7C@> 2 C@25 4C24<k^DA2?mk^Amk^=:mk^F=m kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m%9:D :D H96C6 DECF4EFC65k^DA2?m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^=236=J@FC52E2]4@>^2CE:4=6D^52E2\2??@E2E:@?QmkDA2?m52E2 2??@E2E:@?k^DA2?mk^2m kDA2?m364@>6D 6DD6?E:2=]k^DA2?mk^Am k9a 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m(92E xD s2E2 p??@E2E:@? :? pFE@?@>@FD sC:G:?8k^DA2?mk^9am

Michael Dunne warns U.S. <b>auto</b> industry cannot afford to ignore China

While the automotive industry scrambles to decipher China’s rapid rise, Michael Dunne argues that what is happening is not just routine commercial expansion, but an industrial takeover. Joining us on today’s Inside Automotive episode is Michael Dunne, CEO of Dunne Insights, Author of the upcoming book Car Wars: How China Seized the Auto Industry –and How America Can Win It Back, and Author of the recent Wall Street Journal op-ed We can’t afford to Ignore China’s Auto Threat,” to discuss a candid wake-up call to American dealers, executives, and policymakers. For observers who assume Chinese automakers will follow the slow, steady playbook used by Japanese and Korean brands in past decades, Dunne cautions against nostalgia. He says that China’s strategy operates on a scale and ambition never seen before. "From the inside out, the Chinese way is not to attack militarily unless they absolutely have to. But they'd prefer to work industries and countries from the inside out..." Instead of waging direct military or confrontational battles, China prefers to hollow out key industries from the inside out. Dunne points to Europe as the prime example, saying Beijing pitched its EVs to European nations as the fastest track to meeting their ambitious climate goals. The strategy, he said, paid off when China went from virtually no market presence to exporting over one million cars to Europe in a single year, capturing roughly 10% of the market. Elsewhere, the numbers are even higher, with Chinese models now accounting for 20% of sales in the UK and Mexico, and a staggering 35% in Australia. He notes that the impact on legacy manufacturing is also already becoming evident. For instance, Volkswagen recently unveiled plans to shut down factories in Germany for the first time since World War II. Meanwhile, Honda experienced unprecedented losses across

Is Tesla poised to enter the San Diego robotaxi business?

Glimpses of gold-colored Tesla Cybercabs tooling around city streets in recent days have raised questions about whether the electric vehicle company is looking to expand its autonomous robotaxi service into San Diego. Tesla officials have not responded to multiple emails from the Union-Tribune about any plans to start testing, mapping and gathering data for potential business in the city, nor did the company make comments about multiple reported sightings of the distinctive-looking vehicles spotted in neighborhoods such as East Village, Pacific Beach, Sorrento Valley and around San Diego International Airport. Judging from photos and short videos, the vehicles appear to fit the description of a Tesla Cybercab prototype — a futuristic two-seat robotaxi concept model with a gold exterior, no side mirrors, no rear window and no steering wheel inside, just a screen. An official with the Metropolitan Transit System told the Union-Tribune that MTS is not aware of Tesla performing any autonomous vehicle testing program in San Diego. In a separate email, a spokesperson for the city of San Diego echoed those remarks. But local jurisdictions do not have a say in how and when autonomous ride-hailing services roll out in California. Testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles are regulated by state agencies and according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, Tesla Robotaxi LLC holds a permit to “test with a safety driver authorized to test on any public road” within the state. Through the California Public Utilities Commission, Tesla has received a Transportation Charter-Party (TCP) permit that allows for a human driver to operate a traditional vehicle — but not an autonomous vehicle — for charter services with the public. A spokesperson for the commission said in an email Thursday that Tesla “has not requested nor been granted any changes to their TCP permit since it was