Transpo

Two weeks ago it was United announcing fast free in-flight Wi-Fi for all. Who’s next? 

I’m not sure if this counts as Hollywood magic yet, but this is how Tesla’s promoting its robotaxi unveiling event. Elon Musk had announced an August date for the event, but then it was pushed back until October 10th.

The invitations say that remarks will begin at 7PM PT, if you’d like to clear some time in your schedule.

Hyundai and Kia are working on a next-generation infotainment system and have brought Samsung in as a strategic partner as the automakers venture further into smartphone connectivity and in-car apps. Using Samsung’s SmartThings app to find your missing (or stolen!) car is but one feature envisioned.

This wedge-shaped 1984 Honda HP-X concept used innovative materials for the time, like carbon fiber, Kevlar, and honeycomb paneling. It had all the right ideas and adorably looked like it ran on D-sized batteries.

Unfortunately, this mid-engine didn’t receive the EV restomod treatment. But don’t worry; Honda might still build upon the wedge design for future EVs.

South Korea’s Electronic Times reports that the two companies met three times at Waymo’s headquarters in California to discuss “contract manufacturing of robotaxis.” Waymo is said to be looking for a “replacement” for its Zeekr vehicles, which could become more costly to procure thanks to Biden’s tariffs. Waymo spokesperson Ethan Teicher declined to comment on the report.

Once you’ve received your UPS tracking number from Apple, use this page to figure out what flight is carrying your iPhone or Apple Watch. The “departure scan” in your UPS tracking should match the departure time for a flight listed below.

EVs have big lithium-ion batteries, and often those batteries can send energy back to the grid, just as they pull energy from it when charging. Last year, the three automakers created ChargeScape to turn the bidirectional charging capabilities of millions of EVs into a potential business. And now the whole thing is operational. According to Ford:

ChargeScape’s technology wirelessly connects to electric vehicles and, working with participating utilities, manages home charging efforts when the grid is constrained and even can send energy back into the power grid when needed.

New Siennas are being equipped with the radar sensor to scan for movement after you’ve left the car. If it detects motion, it will flash the hazards and sound the horn to get your attention.

As mmWave can detect motion as small as chest rise from breathing, this should work even if the child is asleep.

In another sign that automakers are confused about how their customers want to spend their time while confined in their vehicles, Ford released a new karaoke app for the F-150 Lightning and (eventually) the Mustang Mach-E. The process only works while the vehicle is parked, leading Ford to assume this will be a popular activity while EV charging. Me? I’ll take “wandering aimlessly through a Walmart” over this.

Predictably, the actual process to use the new app is hilariously complicated.

That’s how much water it took to extinguish the Tesla Semi that caught fire on a California highway last month, according to investigators. That’s the equivalent of one of those carbon-bolted steel tanks used in irrigation or wastewater. And its certainly a lot more than the 500 gallons that was needed to put out a Model S fire in 2018.

EV battery fires are such a concern that the Department of Transportation convened a whole-ass panel about it last month.