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Oh Great, Your Future <b>Autonomous Car</b> Could Rack Up Parking Fees For You

It's been well documented that the driver-less taxi firm Waymo racked up 600 parking tickets in San Francisco in 2024, totaling more than $65,000 in fines. Now that Waymo is getting ready to operate in Pittsburgh, PA, it has no excuse to repeat that performance. For that matter, anyone who envisions a future where their autonomous car can moonlight as a revenue-generating taxi while you're hard at work can't claim plausible deniability for parking tickets. Honestly officer, I wasn't driving the car! But we aren't sure the solution is much better. Two Pittsburgh-based startups, Meter Feeder and Mapless AI, have merged to make the first machine-to-machine parking transaction system in the US. If you're thinking this should be a simple problem to fix in 2026, you're right. According to Technical.ly, Meter Feeder originally built the tool in 2016. The Perfect Automated Business Model “Cities have spent decades building analog parking infrastructure for humans,” Jim Gibbs, CEO of Meter Feeder, told Technical.ly. “We are ensuring municipalities don’t lose millions in revenue just because driverless vehicles can’t feed meters.” That sounds like a stirring piece of civic duty, but it's really the perfect business model – automated cars making automated payments, and Meter Feeder taking a percentage of each one. Of course, you being the vehicle owner would really be footing the bill. Here's hoping your car doesn't have a penchant for parking spots with nice views of the city. Waymo Is Getting The World's First Mass-Produced Purpose-Built Robotaxi This Year China's Zeekr revealed the new self-driving vehicle at CES in Las Vegas. Considering how much Pittsburgh relies on parking fees as a source of revenue, and the timing of the two startups making an automated payment system work, it sounds like Waymo is being cornered. “Our fleets need to safely stage

State of Texas: <b>Driverless Car</b> Concerns

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Tesla revises new Intervention Reporting system with Full Self-<b>Driving</b>

News Tesla revises new Intervention Reporting system with Full Self-Driving It is the second revision to the program as Tesla is trying to make it easier to decipher driver and owner complaints, but also to make it easier to report issues within the suite for them. Tesla has revised its new Intervention Reporting system within the Full Self-Driving suite that now categorizes reasons that drivers take over when the semi-autonomous driving functionality is active. It is the second revision to the program as Tesla is trying to make it easier to decipher driver and owner complaints, but also to make it easier to report issues within the suite for them. With the initial rollout of Full Self-Driving v14.3.2, Tesla included a new reporting menu that gave four options for an intervention: Preference, Comfort, Critical, and Other. A slightly revised version of Full Self-Driving with the same ID number then came out a few days later, changing the “Other” option to “Navigation” after numerous complaints from owners. It appears Tesla has listened to those owners once again and has not only made it smaller and more compact, but also easier to report the issues than previously. The new menu is now embedded within the request for a Voice Memo from Tesla, and does not block the entire screen, as the second rollout of the menu was: Thank you Tesla! The new intervention screen is much better! @Tesla_AI pic.twitter.com/1lea9G27N1 — Dirty Tesla (@DirtyTesLa) May 1, 2026 There will likely be one additional revision to the Interventions Menu, as we have coined it here at Teslarati. Unfortunately, at times, there are no reasons for an intervention at all, but the menu does not give an option to simply disregard the reporting and forces the driver to choose one of the options. We, as

The Worst-Selling <b>Cars</b> Of 2026 So Far (Yep, Mostly EVs)

The Worst-Selling Cars Of 2026 So Far (Yep, Mostly EVs) From electric SUVs to luxury sedans, these are the worst-selling cars in America in 2026 (so far). Not every new car is an instant success. American consumers just don’t like certain models, leading to incredibly low sales. So far in 2026, there’s a clear trend: buyers don’t want electric vehicles. Through April, EVs account for the majority of the worst-selling cars on this list. The only two combustion-powered vehicles are bowing out before the end of the year. Audi pulled the plug on its A8 sedan, while Lexus did the same with its LS. Sedans, like EVs, clearly aren’t that popular either. With the federal EV tax credit dead, consumers have essentially stopped buying electric vehicles, forcing automakers to pause production, cancel models, and shift production. Who knows—maybe with gas prices higher than they have been in years, EV sales might rebound later in 2026. For now, these are the worst-selling cars so far this year (as of April 1, 2026). Audi Q4 Sportback E-Tron: 6 Units The Q4 Spotback E-Tron is Audi’s sleeker entry-level electric crossover, and no one is buying it. Sales for the model have cratered compared to 2025, with sales down a whopping 99 percent—Audi sold 513 Q4 E-Tron Sportbacks last year. The entry-level Q4 E-Tron Sportback starts at $60,295. It has Quattro all-wheel drive and up to 251 miles from its 82.0-kilowatt-hour battery. With 335 horsepower, the crossover accelerates from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 5.0 seconds. Audi Q6 Sportback E-Tron: 9 Units Audi is technically skipping the 2026 model year for the Q6 E-Tron, which could be one reason for the abysmally low sales of the Sportback. The electric Q6 costs nearly $70,000 and packs 456 horsepower while offering up to 325

Robotaxis can break traffic laws without fines under new California rules

State authorities closed a regulatory gap this week that allowed Waymo and other robotaxi companies to dodge consequences when their cars broke traffic laws, but critics say a lack of fines means police can’t recoup enforcement costs as they do with human scofflaws. Regulations issued April 28 by the California Department of Vehicles include a provision allowing police to issue notices of “noncompliance” to robotaxi companies when the vehicles commit moving violations. “This really shows the DMV trying to make progress on fixing problems based on what we’ve seen go wrong,” said Phil Koopman, a Carnegie Mellon University professor emeritus who studies autonomous-vehicle technology. “The question is, ‘How is it going to work out?'” Unlike with human drivers, robotaxi lawbreaking under the new rules, which the DMV issued administratively under its authority to regulate autonomous vehicles, does not carry fines or license-style penalties, such as points that can lead to suspension. Instead, starting July 1, police alleging violations can put the noncompliance notice in the car or hand it to a robotaxi company representative. The company must report the incident to the DMV within 72 hours, or 24 hours if the officer has designated the incident a priority because of “a clear or potential danger or risk of injury to others,” the regulations said. “It’s almost literally a note sent home from the teacher,” Koopman said. “They don’t even get fined. On the other hand, do you think $300 matters in the slightest to Waymo? The answer is, it doesn’t.” It does, however, matter to local authorities. South Bay state Sen. Dave Cortese, who chairs the Senate’s Transportation Committee, said the regulations burden local jurisdictions with enforcing traffic laws on robotaxis, but without the revenue from fines that help pay for enforcement on human drivers. “The state’s come in and

Only 173 People Bought Tesla's Cheap Cybertruck. Now Its Wheels Are Falling Off

Tesla seems to do this thing where it promises something very, very massive. The fanboys wait years, defending CEO Elon Musk: “He didn’t say it would happen immediately, so it isn’t a lie.” Then, the thing finally happens and it’s a really weak sauce version of what was promised. Then, it’s gone. That notoriously happened with Full Self-Driving mode. Since 2016, Musk has claimed that HW3 would enable fully autonomous driving. The Tesla fanboys: “He meant it would in the future.” A decade went by. Musk admitted on an earnings call that HW3 will never be capable of autonomous driving. Now we’re getting some V14 thing that will also not be autonomous. The second-generation Roadster was available to pre-order in 2018. It never came out. Musk kept delaying the reveal, most likely because he promised it would “fly” with SpaceX technology. I’d rather just have a cool electric sports car, but whatever. The reveal in April 2026 was delayed. Of course. Then, Musk promised some pretty cheap pricing for the Cybertruck. In 2019, he said a single-motor version would only be $39,900. The tri-motor was still just $77,000. When the Cybertruck was released a few years later, it was well over $100,000. The cheaper models were delayed. For years. When Musk finally revealed the cheaper Cybertruck, it was rear-wheel drive and a lot worse. For $70,000, you got a Cybertruck that had a significantly reduced 0-60 time of 6.2 seconds, lowered towing capacity, no air suspension, and a simplified interior. Nobody wanted it. It was discontinued five to six months after it launched. You’re laughing. The Cybertruck’s wheels are falling off and you’re laughing Tesla doesn’t release its full sales numbers, so it was unclear how many Cybertruck sold in general, let alone the RWD reject. Tesla would put it

California to begin ticketing driverless <b>cars</b> that violate traffic laws

California to begin ticketing driverless cars that violate traffic laws Driverless cars are becoming more common in some California cities, but when the autonomous vehicles violate traffic laws, police haven't been able to ticket them - until now. The state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has announced new regulations on autonomous vehicles (AVs), including a process for police to issue a "notice of AV noncompliance" directly to the car's manufacturer. The new rules, which will go into effect 1 July, are part of a larger 2024 law that imposed deeper regulation on the technology. There have been a number of reports of the cars breaking traffic laws, including during a San Francisco blackout last year. The California DMV is calling the new rules "the most comprehensive AV regulations in the nation". Under the new rules, police can cite AV companies when their vehicles commit moving violations. The rules will also require the companies to respond to calls from police and other emergency officials within 30 seconds, and will issue penalties if their vehicles enter active emergency zones. "California continues to lead the nation in the development and adoption of AV technology, and these updated regulations further demonstrate the state's commitment to public safety," DMV Director Steve Gordon said in a press release. Waymo is one of the main operators of fully self-driving robotaxis in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles County, but several companies, including Tesla, also have permits to test their AVs in some California cities. The BBC has contacted Waymo and Tesla for comment. When the vehicles violate traffic laws, some police have been stumped as to how to hold the driverless cars accountable. In an incident last September, police officers in San Bruno - a city south of San Francisco - noticed a Waymo AV

Robotaxis that violate California rules of the road will soon be ticketed. Here's how | Autos

LOS ANGELES — Driverless cars haven't always obeyed the rules of the road but, unlike vehicles with humans behind the wheel, they've gotten away with it. That's about to change. A slew of statewide autonomous vehicle regulations based on Assembly Bill 1777 will go into effect July 1 — including a process for law enforcement to issue a "notice of AV noncompliance," the California Department of Motor Vehicles announced Tuesday. Here's how this new law will work, and what other rules self-driving vehicle manufacturers will soon have to follow. Where the rubber and robots meet the road The new regulation was developed "to address the gap in how moving violations are handled for autonomous vehicles," said Jonathan Groveman, a DMV spokesperson. Although California is home to several autonomous vehicle operators, the most expansive at this point is Waymo — which has driverless robotaxis navigating passengers around the San Francisco Bay Area and dozens of cities in Los Angeles County. Seven months ago, a self-driving Waymo made an illegal U-turn at a traffic light right in front of police officers in San Bruno. The image of an officer peering into the empty driver's seat of the offending vehicle may have been good for a chuckle, but other incidents have been no laughing matter. Situations such as a Waymo failing to stop for a school bus in Atlanta or striking a child in Santa Monica highlighted how law enforcement officers couldn't carry out traditional traffic enforcement with driverless cars. According to previous state law, traffic violations were issued to a human driver "to address driving behavior," and were "applied to that individual's driver license," Groveman said in an email. "Because autonomous vehicles do not have a human driver — and existing citations must be issued to a licensed person — the law

If You Don't Want To Drive, These Are The Used <b>Cars</b> To Buy

Much has been made about the promise of autonomous driving, with some enthusiastic experts claiming it will be the status quo within a decade. And for some motorists that moment can't come too soon, as the technology will surely make it so much easier to get from A to B to C than it is today. But until then, people can still focus on some existing hands-free driver assistance systems that are a nod towards autonomy, and you can find some of those systems aboard used cars today. While none of them will turn a privately owned used car into the equivalent of a robotaxi, they could yet make driving easier for the used car buyer. Although it's definitely important to look carefully at the entire package before buying one of these suitably-equipped cars. The Journey Starts On The Highway Most people who have tried a hands-free system tend to be quite impressed at first exposure. When the system is working properly, the car will settle into its lane, keep pace with traffic, monitor the driver's eyes, and handle those small corrections that can sometimes make long highway drives so tiring. These systems certainly don't take the driver out of the picture at all, but they can make a 300-mile interstate run feel a lot less demanding than it might with just cruise control. As these systems are essentially meant for highway consumption only, it stands to reason that the best candidate cars will likely be those that their manufacturers have designed for highway comfort rather than back-road thrills. When such cars have the correct equipment on board, they can feel meaningfully more relaxed on the average main road. And while they won't solve every driving scenario, they can reduce fatigue in the most predictable part of driving, especially when

WeRide (WRD) Valuation Check After Lenovo Partnership Targets 200000 <b>Autonomous Vehicles</b>

WeRide (WRD) shares are drawing attention after the company expanded its collaboration with Lenovo at Auto China 2026, with the partners targeting the joint deployment of 200,000 Level 4 autonomous vehicles globally over five years. Despite the expanded Lenovo partnership and recent product and boardroom updates, WeRide’s share price return has been weak this year. The year to date share price decline is 18.64% and total shareholder return over 12 months is only 3.95%, suggesting recent news is yet to translate into sustained momentum at the current US$7.64 share price. If this kind of autonomous driving story interests you, it can be worth scanning the wider sector to see what else is gaining traction through 33 robotics and automation stocks With WeRide trading at US$7.64, a value score of 2 and an analyst price target of US$14.08, is the current weakness an opening for investors, or is the market already pricing in future autonomous driving growth? Most Popular Narrative: 49.8% Undervalued At a last close of $7.64, the most followed narrative pegs WeRide’s fair value just above $15, highlighting a wide gap between price and expectations. The dual deployment of L4 robotaxis and L2+ WePilot 3.0 ADAS in mass production vehicles from Chery EXEED and GAC allows data and software to be reused across product lines. This can spread R&D spending over a larger revenue base and potentially support higher group level margins. To understand what drives that valuation gap, the narrative focuses on rapid revenue expansion, improving margins and a future earnings multiple usually associated with market leaders. However, this hinges on regulators continuing to approve new cities and on ride volumes reaching management’s ambition of 20 to 25 trips per vehicle per day. The narrative leans heavily on future earnings assumptions, but the current P/S of 25.5x tells

Driverless <b>Cars</b> Will Be Subject to Moving-Violation Tickets in California Soon

California's Department of Motor Vehicles is enacting new regulations that mean cars without drivers, such as Tesla Robotaxis and Waymo rideshare cars, will be subject to police ticketing -- even though there's no driver in the car to accept it. The change is part of a rollout of 2024 legislation on autonomous vehicles and part of a set of new requirements approved on April 28 by the state's DMV. The ticketing would be a "notice of AV (autonomous vehicle) noncompliance" issued to the manufacturer of an autonomous vehicle. Other requirements involve testing self-driving cars before they hit the road: 50,000 miles of testing in each phase of development for light-duty vehicles and 500,000 miles for heavy-duty vehicles like semi trucks. The rules include more control over self-driving cars during emergencies. "These updates support the growth of the AV industry by enhancing public safety and transparency while adding additional accountability for AV manufacturers," the DMV's director, Steve Gordon, said in a statement. Waymo cars got some unwanted attention when they stalled during a San Francisco power outage last year and when they blocked EMS after a mass shooting in Texas. They are also the subject of an investigation into incidents of illegally driving past stopped school buses. A representative for Waymo did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Clearing up ticketing confusion Sam Abuelsamid, an autonomous vehicle safety expert and analyst for auto research firm Telemetry, said that the California rules clear up a disconnect that prevented law enforcement from issuing citations. "In the absence of a human driver, the laws were somewhat ambiguous about who to issue the ticket to, and every manufacturer has different ways for police and emergency responders to interact with AVs, so tickets often didn't get issued," Abuelsamid said. He explained, "If a Waymo

Waymo Is Trying to Crack Down on Solo Kids in Driverless <b>Cars</b>

By law, autonomous vehicles aren’t allowed to carry unaccompanied minors in California. Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving-car company, doesn’t allow kids under 18 to ride alone anywhere outside of metro Phoenix, Arizona. But that hasn’t stopped some time-strapped parents from using their own accounts to transport their kids to school, extracurricular activities, and even social outings. Some have reported that the lack of drivers makes them feel safer. Waymo is working to crack down on the practice, the company confirmed Friday, after reports of new mid-ride age-verification checks began to float around on social media. The company has “policies in place” to help it identify violations of its terms of service, Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli wrote in a statement to WIRED. “We are continuing to refine our system and processes for accuracy over time.” Violating its terms of service can lead to temporary or permanent suspension of an account, Waymo says. The company uses cameras inside its cars to check that riders aren’t violating its rules. Its privacy policy notes that the company records video inside the vehicle during trips. Waymo says its support workers “may review video under certain circumstances” and, “in more urgent circumstances,” access live video during a trip. The company says it does not use facial recognition or "other biometric identification technologies" to identify individuals. The news comes a month after several California labor groups, including the California Gig Workers Union, filed a formal complaint with a state regulatory agency, accusing Waymo of violating the terms of its permit to operate in the state by knowingly transporting unaccompanied minors. The matter was assigned to a judge this week. The state is evaluating new rules that could allow solo riders under 18 in driverless cars, perhaps patterned after a program that permits ride-hail companies with human drivers to transport

Here's What GM CEO Mary Barra Drives: 'It's Just A Great Performance <b>Vehicle</b>'

Here's What GM CEO Mary Barra Drives: 'It's Just A Great Performance Vehicle' Spoiler alert: It's not a Corvette. THE BREAKDOWN: - General Motors CEO Mary Barra said she is currently driving a GMC Hummer EV SUV. - She says it's 'a great performance vehicle.' - The top 3X trim costs $107,995 and can deliver up to 1,160 horsepower. Mary Barra has been the CEO of General Motors since 2014. In that time, the automaker has built some truly fantastic performance cars—the Camaro, the SS, the C8 Corvette, the list goes on. But according to Barra, she daily drives a different kind of performance vehicle. Barra sat down with our colleagues at this year's Autosport Business Exchange ahead of the 2026 Miami Grand Prix. While the CEO did say that she has a Corvette in her garage that she affectionately calls "The Beast," Barra says her daily is a GMC Hummer EV SUV. She notes: 'Right now I’m driving a Hummer SUV. And I love driving the Hummer SUV—electric vehicle, four-wheel steer—so it's just a great performance vehicle. And I get a lot of respect in it… I wish I had it when my kids were playing soccer; that would be great.' The GMC Hummer EV was GM’s first Ultium-based EV, going on sale in late 2021 in the truck body style. The SUV showed up just a few months later. Barra didn’t reveal which specific Hummer trim she drives, but the top 2026 3x trim starts at $107,995. The electric SUV can deliver up to 1,160 horsepower with the available Watts to Freedom mode, which propels the massive SUV to 60 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds. A performance vehicle indeed. Motor1’s Take: Barra’s daily driver has had a serious glow-up since the last time she revealed what she

AV Companies Might be in Trouble Now As Cops Start Ticketing Driverless <b>Cars</b>

Autonomous vehicles have an accountability problem. Because there’s no driver, there’s nobody to hold liable when the car misbehaves. This means that when a Waymo blocks an ambulance on its way to an emergency, or a Tesla robotaxi speeds past a stopped school bus, traffic authorities have no recourse to impose a penalty. For years, this created a bifurcated system where for-profit companies could break traffic laws that would land individuals in hot water, though that may not be the case much longer. In California, at least, the Department of Motor Vehicles has now ruled that AVs are no longer exempt from traffic citations, which could have huge implications for the companies pumping city streets full of self-driving cars. Per the San Francisco Standard, the first-of-its-kind regulation likewise mandates that AVs comply with emergency personnel within 30 seconds of being given an instruction, under penalty of having their permits suspended. Ideally, regulators hope the new directive will prevent AVs from draining public resources and clogging urban roadways, like Waymo did during a city-wide power outage in San Francisco last December. “California continues to lead the nation in the development and adoption of AV technology, and these updates regulations further demonstrate the state’s commitment to public safety,” California DMV director Steve Gordon said in a press release on Tuesday. Given the trouble AV companies have had with bike lanes, train crossings, and roadside emergencies, it’ll be fascinating to see whether their self-driving cars can rise to the challenge — or else be relegated back to the proving grounds. More on autonomous vehicles: Self-Driving Taxis Poised for Vicious Backlash

In what state can cops now write tickets for <b>autonomous vehicles</b>?

Ticketing cars that don’t have drivers is a difficult proposition for law enforcement, but California just made it easier. Beginning July 1, operators of autonomous vehicles in the Golden State will receive a ticket if their vehicles violate traffic laws. The move comes as part of a set of new autonomous vehicle (AV) regulations recently adopted in California. These regulations stipulate that law enforcement will be able to issue a “Notice of AV Noncompliance” to a manufacturer when officers witness one of its vehicles committing a traffic violation. Other safety measures in the new regulations include requirements like 30-second response times for companies when contacted by first responders and the ability to issue emergency geo-fencing directives, among others. “California continues to lead the nation in the development and adoption of AV technology, and these updated regulations further demonstrate the state’s commitment to public safety,” said DMV Director Steve Gordon. “These updates support the growth of the AV industry by enhancing public safety and transparency while adding additional accountability for AV manufacturers.”

Rivian raises Georgia plant capacity to 300000 <b>vehicles</b> in optimised phase-one plan

Rivian capacity boost Rivian raises Georgia plant capacity to 300,000 vehicles in optimised phase-one plan A restructured build programme and renegotiated DOE loan set the stage for R2 production at scale from late 2028 Rivian has announced a major revision to its manufacturing plans for its future facility in Stanton Springs North, Georgia, increasing initial annual production capacity by 50% — from 200,000 to 300,000 vehicles. The move compresses what had previously been a two-phase build-out into a single, larger first phase, with the company stating the restructured approach will lower cost per unit while offering meaningful flexibility for further expansion in subsequent phases. The announcement comes alongside a renegotiated loan with the US Department of Energy's Office (DOE) of Energy Dominance Financing. The updated agreement is valued at up to $4.5 billion — comprising $4,006m in principal and $494m in capitalised interest — reduced from the $6.6 billion conditional commitment finalised in January 2025. Rivian says the revised loan is aligned with the updated single-phase facility design, and critically, the company now expects to make its first draw on the loan by early 2027, a full year ahead of the prior schedule. R2 dramatically expands our market opportunity. The thousands of dedicated people who will soon work in our Georgia plant will be instrumental to Rivian’s growth as we scale American manufacturing Vertical construction at the Stanton Springs North site is set to begin this spring and the OEM says preparations are already underway for the development of the stamping press area. Rivian describes this as one of the most capital-intensive and technically demanding elements of the plant from a construction perspective. The pace of activity is expected to accelerate through the summer as the facility's primary buildings take shape. Vehicle production remains on track to commence in late

Senator Dave Cortese Responds to California DMV <b>Autonomous Vehicle</b> Regulations ...

Senator Dave Cortese Responds to California DMV Autonomous Vehicle Regulations, Reaffirms Push for SB 1246 SAN JOSE, CA – California State Senator Dave Cortese (District 15) issued the following statement in response to new regulations from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) regarding the operation and deployment of autonomous vehicles (AVs) in California: “The California DMV’s proposed AV regulations reinforce exactly why I introduced Senate Bill 1246 — because innovation without accountability cannot be tolerated when public safety is at stake. As Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, I convened a major informational hearing earlier this year bringing together industry leaders, first responders, safety advocates, labor representatives, crash survivors, and state regulators to confront the growing gaps in oversight surrounding autonomous vehicle deployment in California. That hearing made one thing unmistakably clear: the pace of autonomous vehicle deployment is rapidly outstripping the pace of public safeguards and regulatory accountability. Panelists and witnesses raised serious concerns regarding safety performance, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, emergency response coordination, fragmented regulatory authority, and the lack of transparency surrounding crashes and incidents involving autonomous systems already operating on California roads. We also heard heartbreaking testimony from individuals directly impacted by autonomous driving technology failures — a sobering reminder that these are not theoretical risks. These vehicles are operating today on the same streets used by families, pedestrians, cyclists, and emergency responders. Senate Bill 1246 was introduced to strengthen safety standards, improve reporting requirements, close dangerous regulatory loopholes, and ensure Californians are not treated as test subjects for unfinished technology. The DMV’s action signals growing recognition that stronger oversight is needed. But regulations alone are not enough unless they are paired with meaningful transparency, enforceable accountability, and a commitment to putting public safety ahead of corporate speed-to-market pressures. California has long led the world in innovation. We

Utah-based firm develops Razorback <b>autonomous</b> combat <b>vehicle</b>

- Hypercraft launched Razorback, an autonomous UGV with a 300 hp diesel hybrid-electric drivetrain, 2,400 lb payload, 280-mile range, and 38 kW exportable power. - The software-defined, MOSA-compliant platform supports counter-UAS, contested logistics, EW relay, casualty evacuation, and mobile power generation without a human crew. A Utah defense technology company has launched an autonomous ground vehicle that carries 2,400 pounds of payload, travels 280 miles on a single charge, and exports 38 kilowatts of power to charge drones, run directed energy weapons, and sustain forward command posts. It’s all without a human on board. Hypercraft, based in Provo, Utah, announced the official launch of Razorback, a next-generation autonomous unmanned ground vehicle designed as a software-defined mission platform for high-consequence environments. The company describes Razorback as a flexible, distributed autonomous operations node — a platform that replaces fixed logistics infrastructure and personnel-heavy forward operations with a vehicle that can autonomously deliver supplies, generate power, relay communications, conduct counter-UAS missions, and evacuate casualties across the same contested terrain that makes those missions dangerous for human crews in the first place. The powertrain architecture that enables those capabilities is a diesel hybrid-electric system featuring a 50 kilowatt range extender with 95 kilowatt peak output, driving a combined 300 horsepower four-motor torque-vectoring system. Four independent motors mean that if one or more are damaged in combat, the vehicle continues operating — a redundancy design that reflects the reality that autonomous platforms operating forward will take hits and need to keep moving anyway. The same redundancy logic applies to the range extender and energy storage system: damage to either does not end the mission. At 60 miles per hour top speed and a 280-mile operational range, Razorback covers ground at a pace that keeps it relevant to the tactical formations it supports rather than trailing