Musk's Tesla robotaxi makes many driving errors in Texas tests
Issues included Tesla robotaxis entering the wrong lane, dropping passengers off in the middle of multiple-lane roads or at intersections, sudden braking, speeding and driving over a curb.
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Time of India
23 minutes ago
- Time of India
Hybrid cars, once derided and dismissed, have become popular
There are a lot of things Sarah Martens likes about the 2025 Toyota Highlander hybrid she bought a few months ago. Its pearlescent white paint shimmers in the sunlight. It has lots of safety features. And for a large sport utility vehicle, it sips gasoline, getting nearly 30 mpg at times. But the thing she likes most: It doesn't feel like a hybrid. "It's so smooth," said Martens, a Pilates instructor in Ann Arbor, Michigan. "When it starts off from a stoplight or switches from electric to gas, I can't tell I'm driving a hybrid. It just seems like I'm driving a normal car." Not so long ago, it seemed the heyday of hybrids had come and gone. As Tesla and the potential of electric vehicles grabbed the imaginations of drivers and automakers, hybrids appeared destined to be remembered as an interim step on the way toward a fully electric, emissions-free future. Just four years ago, for example, General Motors set a goal of ending production of all internal combustion models by 2035, and all but eliminated hybrids from its future product plans. Other manufacturers also bet heavily on electric vehicles and scaled their hybrid plans. But then a funny thing happened. Car shoppers balked at the high prices of fully electric models and the challenges of charging them. In the last few years, sales of electric vehicles have grown at a much slower rate than automakers once expected. And hybrids have stepped in to fill the gap, accounting for a large and growing share of new car sales. "People like the attributes that hybrids bring to the table," said Jessica Caldwell, executive director of insights at Edmunds, a market researcher. "They offer better mileage than pure gasoline models, and the prices are pretty close to pure gas vehicles, so they're much more affordable than EVs." In the first three months of this year, hybrids -- including cars that can and cannot be plugged in -- made up about 14% of all light vehicles sold in the United States, according to the Department of Energy. That was around twice the market share of fully electric vehicles in that period. Republican legislation working its way through Congress could further lift sales of hybrids. In May, the House passed a policy bill backed by President Donald Trump that would eliminate a $7,500 tax credit available to people who bought or leased electric vehicles. That legislation would also impose an annual tax of $250 on electric cars and $100 on hybrids to finance road projects. The Senate version of the bill introduced this week would do away with the tax credit, too, but does not include the annual tax. A few large automakers dominate the sale of hybrids. Nearly half the cars and trucks that Toyota and its luxury brand, Lexus, sold in the first five months of the year were hybrids -- and sales of those vehicles were up about 40% from a year earlier. Ford Motor's hybrid sales rose 31% in the same period. Honda is on track this year for its highest hybrid sales ever, and the hybrid versions of its Accord sedan and CR-V SUV now outsell the gasoline-only models. Hybrids are typically powered by a small gasoline engine that is paired with an electric motor driven by a battery that is much smaller and, thus, less expensive than the batteries in fully electric vehicles. These batteries are charged primarily by regenerative brakes and gasoline engines. Plug-in hybrids, which account for a small share of hybrids, have bigger batteries than regular hybrids and can also be charged from power outlets at home or at charging stations. Some plug-ins can go around 50 miles on battery power alone before the gas engine kicks in. Hybrid technology burst onto the automotive scene more than two decades ago when Toyota introduced the Prius, which was able to go more than 45 more miles on a gallon of gas -- a remarkable feat at the time. Early hybrids, including the Prius, sometimes felt a little clunky as they switched from gas engine to electric motor and back, and many were small vehicles that lacked the power and room some drivers were accustomed to. Hybrids gained proponents especially in periods when gas prices spiked. But once Tesla's sales took off in the middle of the last decade, the industry's focus shifted to electric vehicles. Consumers are now gravitating toward hybrids because the technology has improved significantly. Batteries are smaller in size but hold more power. The switching between the gas engine and the electric motor -- as Martens has noticed -- is now pretty seamless. "When the Prius came out in 1997, it was mostly tuned to be fuel-efficient," said David Christ, group vice president and general manager for the Toyota brand in North America. "But we've had 25 years to refine the technology in a way that makes our hybrids not only fuel-efficient but also fun to drive." The hybrid version of Toyota's RAV4, Christ noted, now has more power and torque than the pure gasoline version. At the same time, automakers have created hybrid versions of all types of vehicles, and have found ways of using the hybrid's battery to offer consumers additional features. Ford offers a hybrid version of its F-150 pickup truck that can run power tools and lighting on job sites. The truck can also provide electricity during power outages. "I think a lot of consumers are seeing that it's a better propulsion system," said Jim Baumbick, Ford's vice president of advanced product development, cycle planning and programs. "You get better fuel economy, and it unlocks a lot of new capabilities that they never had before."
Time of India
23 minutes ago
- Time of India
Tesla's European sales slump for fifth month as EV rivals gain momentum
Tesla's new car sales in Europe fell 27.9% in May from a year earlier even as fully-electric vehicle sales in the region jumped 27.2%, with the U.S. EV maker's revised Model Y yet to show signs of reviving the brand's fortunes. Overall car sales in Europe rose 1.9%, with the strongest growth coming from plug-in hybrids and cars powered by alternative fuels, data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) showed. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Tesla's European sales have now fallen for five straight months as customers switch to cheaper Chinese EVs and, in some cases, protest against Tesla CEO Elon Musk's politics. Tesla's European market share dropped to just 1.2% in May from 1.8% a year ago. The revised Model Y is meant to revamp the company's ageing model range as traditional automakers and Chinese rivals launch EVs at a rapid pace amid trade tensions. BY THE NUMBERS May new car sales in the European Union, Britain and the European Free Trade Association rose to 1.11 million vehicles, following a 0.3% dip in April, ACEA data showed. Registrations at Chinese state-owned SAIC Motor and Germany's BMW rose 22.5% and 5.6% respectively, while they fell 23% at Japan's Mazda. In the EU alone, total car sales have fallen 0.6% so far this year. That comes despite growing demand for EVs, with registrations of battery-electric (BEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and hybrid-electric (HEV) cars rising 26.1%, 15% and 19.8% respectively. EU sales of BEVs, HEVs and PHEVs combined accounted for 58.9% of passenger car registrations in May, up from 48.9% in May 2024. Among the largest EU markets, new car sales in Spain and Germany rose 18.6% and 1.2% respectively, while in France and Italy they dropped by 12.3% and 0.1%. In Britain, registrations were up 1.6%.
The Age
30 minutes ago
- The Age
Bezos the latest of the billionaires behaving brazenly
But both could be captured by the broader label of billionaires behaving bizarrely. We have become obsessed with torturing ourselves by watching the excesses of the ultra-ultra-wealthy, which most will label obscene but compelling. There are plenty of cultural references, such as Succession, which is loosely based on the antics of the Murdoch family and sibling rivalry for control of the empire. Another that springs to mind is Mountainhead, the recently released satirical drama based on four billionaire tech bros' weekend getaway, set against the backdrop of an international crisis of their own making but on which they are hoping to capitalise. Fictional as those characters are, think Tesla's Elon Musk, Bezos, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI founder Sam Altman or the elder statesman of the group, PayPal's Thiel. Loading It's even been reported that some have 'prepper' plans to move to New Zealand in the event of an apocalypse. Sure, the tech bros are all innovators, but they have made their money on the back of selling products and services to the 99.9999 per centers. We buy their products, read their social media platforms and drive their electric vehicles. And they don't quietly influence the political process – they attend presidential inaugurations and make millions in public political contributions. Thus it is hardly surprising that the Bezos nuptials have been transformed into a worldwide event, costing more than $100 million and attended by a list of guests with more influence than the United Nations gathering, and which presents guests with more networking potential than the annual Davos get-together. The local Venetians are certainly not seeing this as a great tourism marketing opportunity – rather as a mass migration of rich-listers taking over their historic town. Such was the level of protest that the event's venue was changed. About a dozen Venetian organisations – including housing advocates, anti-cruise ship campaigners and university groups – have reportedly united to protest the multi-day event under the banner 'No Space for Bezos'.
