Tesla says they’re building a wheelchair-accessible robotaxi. Big deal? Maybe. But look at what else is moving. Or not.
The Free Ride Glitch
Waymo. California. You want a free ride in their new Ojai vehicle? Just wait. A key delay from a state regulatory agency means the clock is still running on their initial rollout phase.
For a few months? Maybe more? Free.
It’s not generosity. It’s a quirk.
Uber’s Brakes
Uber is playing hardball. In at least two cities they’ve pushed policies to slow down autonomous adoption.
They call it fighting monopolies. I call it protectionism for human drivers.
Does it work? That’s the question.
Texas
A fatal crash in Texas.
Full Self-Driving. Supervised. The woman died.
Did the software help her stay alive? Did it fail to see what a human would? Or did the “supervision” part vanish when it counted most?
Now the lawyers arrive. Showtime.
The Construction Zone
Waymo recalls 3,871 cars.
Why? The bots were speeding into freeway construction zones. Not because they were stupid, but because they prioritized other hazards wrong.
Or worse. They didn’t see the cones at all.
The risk isn’t that they’ll crash. It’s that they’ll drive into danger because their map of reality is slightly out of date.
The Theft Factory
Tesla’s Nevada battery plant. January alone.
Nine major cargo thefts.
Truckloads. Before they even leave the fence. Sheriff’s records don’t lie, but they don’t scream either.
Just trucks disappearing into the desert night.
The Ban That Bites
Polestar. US dealerships. Next year? Dark.
The federal government denied the authorization to bypass the Chinese tech ban. Simple math. If you can’t source, you can’t sell.
Dealers invested. Now they’re stuck.
Policy can kill a product faster than a bad review.
Mississisppi Boom
Anduril’s rocket motor test site in Mississippi went pop.
Explosion.
Now their defense business, which tests prototypes for the military, might face serious delays. Rockets don’t wait. Neither do their customers.
The Affordable Pickup
Bezos backs it. The $25,000 Slate.
It’s the cheapest EV truck in the US right now.
Better specs than anyone expected. No frills. You can fix it yourself.
It’s coming for the Ford Maverick’s lunch money. And for your weekend project time.
Moon Dust
Apple alumni. Audi alumni. They met in the middle.
The Amble One. Based on a lunar rover design. Street-legal. $25,000.
For luxury resorts, mostly. But a proper car is coming too.
It feels less like transportation and more like a theme park ride you can drive home.
Shenzhen
VR headsets on workers’ faces.
IO-AI Tech in China. They use motion rigs, Ready Player One style, to teach humanoid robots how to move.
Operating with your body.
It’s hot work. Literally? No. But it’s trending.
The Telehealth Wild West
GLP-1 drugs. Weight loss.
Everyone sells them now. Grindr influencers. MAGA podcasters. Random clinics on the internet.
Welcome to the “Temu experience of telehealth.”
Cheap. Fast. Unregulated vibes.
You type in a code. You get a prescription. Did anyone look at your bloodwork?
Who knows?
