Electric Cars | The Verge

Android Auto is now one (screen) size fits all

2026-05-12T13:03:26-04:00

This week at I/O, Google rolled out a series of major updates for Android Auto that include better sizing for unconventionally shaped screens, video streaming through YouTube, widget support, and of course, more AI-powered Gemini features. The company also announced some updates for cars that run on Google's built-in native software, including the ability to ask Gemini questions that are specific to the car you're driving.

First off, it's screen size. It used to be that in-car screens all came in the same basic shape. But now the standard rectangle has evolved into a variety of curved, panoramic, swooping, and even circular displays. Google …

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Rivian’s AI-powered voice assistant is ready to roll

2026-05-12T11:51:38-04:00

Rivian's AI-powered voice assistant is rolling out today to the company's vehicle fleet. The assistant will be available through a software update to all compatible Rivian Gen 1 and Gen 2 vehicle owners who subscribe to the company's Connect Plus cellular service, which costs $15 a month or $150 a year, or are in an active trial.

First announced at last year's AI and Autonomy Day, the Rivian Assistant is powered by the company's Rivian Unified Intelligence, "a shared, multi-modal AI foundation" that is "interwoven" throughout the entire company. The assistant is deeply embedded in the vehicle's operations, but will also pair with third-par …

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Tesla is recalling its cheaper Cybertruck because the wheels might fall off

2026-05-08T09:52:29-04:00

Tesla is recalling its RWD Cybertruck Long Range over faulty brake rotors that could cause the wheels to fall off, as spotted earlier by MotorTrend. In a notice on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website, Tesla says "brake rotor stud holes may crack and allow the stud to separate from the wheel hub."

The recall affects all 173 of the $70,000 Cybertrucks sold by Tesla, which come with 18-inch steel wheels. The company notes that it has identified three warranty claims potentially linked to the issue, but it's "not aware of any collisions, fatalities, or injuries" related to the recall.

This is the 11th Cybertruck recall …

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BMW iX3 has a lower starting price than comparable gas-powered X3

2026-05-07T11:28:40-04:00

The 2027 BMW iX3 is now available in the US, and its starting price my surprise and delight fans of the Bavarian automaker.

The iX3, which is the first vehicle built on BMW's next-gen Neue Klasse platform, starts at $62,850 including shipping, which is about $5,000 less than the equivalent gas-powered BMW X3 M50 xDrive (starting price $67,850). US customers can start configuring their vehicle now on BMW's website, with deliveries expected to start in September.

The iX3 coming in at a starting price that's less than its equivalent gas car is a good sign for EV affordability in the US. EVs are still, on average, more expensive than ICE veh …

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Inside the lab where Ford is trying to crack the code on cheap EVs

2026-05-05T07:47:58-04:00

Sitting in a nondescript facility just north of the city’s airport, employees working in this skunkworks facility are harnessing the brand’s tremendously deep experience in vehicle manufacturing by putting almost all of its UEV platform development under one roof. | Image: Ford

Ford isn't sending the clearest signals regarding its EV future. We got a glimpse of its Universal EV (UEV) Project last February, but then it pulled the plug on the F-150 Lightning, which is regarded as one of the more successful electric pickup trucks to date. The climate surrounding electric vehicles hasn't helped, either, between loosening emissions rules, tariffs, and the elimination of the federal EV tax credit.

But recently, after touring Ford's less-than-two-year-old Electric Vehicle Development Center (EVDC) located in Long Beach, California, I have a better sense of the company's current position. Ford says it will continue to bui …

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Tesla hits Musk’s threshold for ‘safe unsupervised’ driving

2026-05-04T10:28:01-04:00

We've crossed yet another one of Elon Musk's self-driving thresholds. Tesla's fleet of vehicles using the company's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system has driven over 10 billion miles, according to the company's updated safety page. That means the company has crossed the line Musk set earlier this year for "safe unsupervised" driving.

But Tesla owners did not suddenly wake up today to find their FSD (Supervised) vehicles transformed into FSD (Unsupervised) ones. FSD is still just a Level 2 system that requires a fully attentive human driver behind the wheel to monitor the road and be prepared to take over at any moment.

In January, Mu …

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Dreame’s rocket-powered car can do 0–60 in 0.9 seconds because you can just say things now

2026-05-01T15:37:51-04:00

The NEXT 01 JET Edition Car at the Dreame NEXT event during the Silicon Valley Summit at the Palace of Fine Arts on April 29, 2026 in San Francisco, CA. | Photo by Kelsey McClellan / The Verge

When I first heard that a vacuum company had released a rocket-powered electric vehicle with physically impossible-sounding performance specs, I immediately thought James Dyson was up to his old tricks again.

Fortunately, I was wrong. This time the household appliance company trying its hand at super car design is Dreame (pronounced like "dreamy"), a little-known Chinese firm that has grand ambitions to become a global consumer electronics giant. The company held an expo of sorts in San Francisco this week that resulted in a flurry of product announcements. And because we live in an attention economy, and one of the best ways to grab people …

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Rivian’s revenue is up as R2 production kicks into gear

2026-04-30T17:38:05-04:00

Rivian reported its first quarter earnings of 2026, providing us a closer look at the company's financial health as it kicks off production for the crucial R2 electric vehicle.

We've already got Rivian's production and delivery statement from the first three months of the year. The company sold 10,365 vehicles in Q1, representing 20 percent increase year over year. And it produced 10,236 vehicles at its factory in Normal, Illinois, which represents a 30 percent increase compared to the same period last year. The company also reaffirmed its prediction that it will sell 62,000-67,000 vehicles this year.

In terms of earnings, Rivian said it …

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Rivian downsizes new EV factory after Trump’s DOE slashes loan agreement

2026-05-01T10:18:18-04:00

Rivian announced some changes today with regard to the factory its building in the state of Georgia.

The company was planning to build the facility in two phases, each resulting in 200,000 vehicles of annual production capacity, for a total of 400,000 units. Rivian held a ground breaking ceremony late last year.

Now the company says it is only planning for 300,000 units of annual capacity as a result of a revised loan agreement with the US Department of Energy - though its planning on hitting that annual capacity sooner than originally planned. DOE will now loan Rivian $4.5 billion, instead of the originally agreed amount of $6.6 billion …

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An influx of used EVs could drive down prices

2026-04-25T14:25:23-04:00

Part of what has held back electric cars has been the cost. But an influx of used vehicles over the next three years could bring prices down dramatically. In 2025, just 123,000 leases on EVs expired. That is expected to more than double to 300,000 in 2026, and double again to 600,000 in 2027 and 660,000 in 2028, according to Cox Automotive.

Most leased vehicles end up entering the used market. This means more than a million used EVs could become available over the next few years, making them far more accessible. The vast majority of cars sold in the US are used - some 76 percent as of 2024, according to Consumer Affairs. A large part of th …

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