All posts tagged: Auto

I went to the Beijing Auto Show and it’s a glimpse at the future of the auto industry

I went to the Beijing Auto Show and it’s a glimpse at the future of the auto industry

Published by skeptic

I just spent two days at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show (Auto China 2026), and I need to tell you something: the future of the auto industry is electric and Chinese. I’m not being dramatic. Just realistic. In a single hall at the show, there were more EV models on display than there are available ones in the entire United States. There are 17 halls at this show. Seventeen. And they all have more EVs than the US market. The show features 1,451 vehicles, including 181 world premieres and 71 concept cars, sprawling across a record-breaking 380,000 square meters of exhibition space at two venues. It’s now the largest auto show in the world — and it’s not even close. In just the hall circled, there were more EVs than what’s available in the US, and there were 16 other halls just like it. Here are my impressions and photos from the show. Advertisement – scroll for more content The sheer scale is overwhelming Walking through the show, the first thing that hits you is …

Podcast: Tesla’s disaster earnings, Beijing Auto Show is mad, new EVs galore

Podcast: Tesla’s disaster earnings, Beijing Auto Show is mad, new EVs galore

Published by skeptic

In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Tesla’s disaster earnings, the Beijing Auto Show being absolutely insane, and a plethora of new EVs unveiled this week. The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel. As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in. After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps: Advertisement – scroll for more content We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming. Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast: Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after …

Google brings Auto Browse and Skills to Chrome Enterprise – and a new ‘Gemini Summary’

Google brings Auto Browse and Skills to Chrome Enterprise – and a new ‘Gemini Summary’

Published by skeptic

Google / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways Chrome Enterprise adds agent-like AI to automate work tasks. New “Skills” let workers save and reuse AI workflows instantly. IT has visibility and controls to help manage AI security risks. Google has announced new Chrome features specifically for companies. The update brings AI capabilities to workers while giving IT teams greater control over which AI tools are used across the workplace. Chrome Enterprise is now a place where work gets done, AI operates inline, and administrators can enforce security, all within the browser. Also: Google bets $32B on AI agent cyber force as security arms race escalates 1. Auto Browse One of the biggest changes coming to Google’s workplace browser, Chrome Enterprise, is a Gemini feature called Auto Browse. I already tested Auto Browse in the consumer version of Chrome, but now it’s available to Workspace users in the US. It adds autonomous, agent-like capabilities that can take action on your behalf based on what’s open …

Amtrak Cancels Florida Auto Train Service as a Wildfire Disrupts Routes

Amtrak Cancels Florida Auto Train Service as a Wildfire Disrupts Routes

Published by Sam Flores

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Amtrak train service in Florida was disrupted Monday because of a wildfire in the northeast part of the state, officials said. The auto train service between Sanford, Florida, near Orlando, and Lorton, Virginia, outside Washington, was canceled for Monday, Amtrak said in a statement. The train service allows passengers to take their cars on trips. The Silver Meteor route, which runs between Miami and New York, was starting and ending in Jacksonville instead of South Florida on Monday, and one of its two daily train trips was canceled for Tuesday. The Floridian route, running from Miami to Chicago via Washington, was starting and ending in Savannah, Georgia, and one of its two train trips was canceled for Tuesday, Amtrak said. Amtrak on Monday was providing some bus service between Jacksonville and Miami for passengers on the Silver Meteor and Floridian routes. The Florida Forest Service reported a 2,700 acre (1,093 hectares) fire along the eastern border of Putnam and Clay counties, south of Jacksonville. Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. …

Slate Auto raises 0M to fund its affordable EV truck plans

Slate Auto raises $650M to fund its affordable EV truck plans

Published by skeptic

Jeff Bezos-backed electric vehicle startup Slate Auto has raised another $650 million as the company prepares to put its first affordable pickup trucks into production by the end of 2026. The carmaker said Monday that the Series C funding round was led by TWG Global, a firm run by Guggenheim Partners chief executive (and Los Angeles Dodgers owner) Mark Walter and investor Thomas Tull. Slate Auto’s press release thanked “visionary investors” but the company did not name any others who were involved in the fundraise. The new round means Slate Auto has raised roughly $1.4 billion to date. Previous investors have included General Catalyst, Jeff Bezos’ family office, VC firm Slauson & Co., and former Amazon executive Diego Piacentini, as TechCrunch first reported last year. The company is also loaded with Amazon DNA. Beyond its investors, it was co-founded by Amazon’s former Consumer CEO Jeff Wilke. The heads of Slate’s mobility, user experience/user interface, e-commerce, fleet sales, and HR teams all used to work at Amazon. And, the company recently installed former Amazon Marketplace VP …

Slate Auto: Everything you need to know about the Bezos-backed EV startup

Slate Auto: Everything you need to know about the Bezos-backed EV startup

Published by skeptic

In April 2025, a new company called Slate Auto came out of stealth and shocked the car industry. Not only was this startup focused on making an ultra-cheap, customizable electric pickup truck with funding from Jeff Bezos, but it had also been operating in secret for three years in Troy, Michigan — the backyard of major automakers like Ford and General Motors. TechCrunch was first to the story, reporting in early April about the company’s existence, its involvement with the Amazon founder, and its curious and unique business model. The weeks between our report and Slate’s official coming out party in late April provided a whirlwind of news, with prototypes of the startup’s truck popping up around California. Slate is an aberration in the U.S. EV sector, where bankruptcies, failed product launches, and pivots have become commonplace. And while its current backers, executive lineup, first product, and business model provide a compelling path forward, the road is still riddled with potential hurdles as it pushes toward production in late 2026.  Here’s a timeline that charts …

I tested Gemini on Android Auto and now I can’t stop talking to it: 5 tasks it nails

I tested Gemini on Android Auto and now I can’t stop talking to it: 5 tasks it nails

Published by skeptic

Kerry Wan/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways Gemini is now widely available in Android Auto. It can integrate with Google services and other apps. The AI answered both simple and complex, multi-step questions.  Despite Google’s insistence on packing artificial intelligence into nearly every conceivable product, I haven’t really found too much day-to-day use for it. That might change now.  Over the weekend, I noticed my Android Auto had updated to include Gemini. I decided to give it a quick test, and it deftly answered my questions. When I started to dive deeper, though, I was surprised by just how much it could do and how easily it handled what I thought were more complex asks. Also: Your Android Auto just got 5 useful upgrades for free – and Google isn’t done Here are some of the best ways I’m using the new Gemini integration. To get started for yourself, you can either use the mic button on your steering wheel or say “Hey Google.”  1. Finding hours …

Kia Covers All Powertrain Bases: New Seltos, EV3 Debut at New York Auto Show

Kia Covers All Powertrain Bases: New Seltos, EV3 Debut at New York Auto Show

Published by skeptic

Whether you’re looking for a traditional combustion car, a hybrid or a full-electric vehicle, Kia has brought a little something for everyone to the 2026 New York Auto Show. On Wednesday, we saw the debut of the all-new 2027 Kia Seltos and Seltos HEV variant, as well as the North American debut of the all-electric 2027 Kia EV3 compact electric SUV, all expected to arrive later this year. The arrival of these small and, hopefully, inexpensive SUVs is a welcome sight at a time when many automakers are canceling their most affordable models and small EVs. The EV3 originally debuted in 2023 before going on sale first in Europe and South Korea in 2024. This year, drivers in the US finally get their turn in the driver’s seat of the subcompact electric SUV. The EV3 slots into the automaker’s North American EV lineup below the Kia EV6 — one of my favorite EVs on the road today — and will be powered by a 400-volt version of Hyundai Motor Group’s dedicated E-GMP electric vehicle architecture. …

Xiaomi hires Tesla’s former head of sales in China to lead its auto retail push

Xiaomi hires Tesla’s former head of sales in China to lead its auto retail push

Published by skeptic

Xiaomi has recruited Kong Yanshuang, formerly Tesla’s General Manager for the China region, to take charge of its growing automotive sales operations. The hire signals a significant professionalization of Xiaomi’s EV retail strategy as the company targets 550,000 deliveries in 2026. Kong joined Xiaomi in early March and is currently in a work handover phase, replacing Li Xiaorui, the former director of Xiaomi’s automotive division, according to a report from Jiemian News. Kong’s Tesla career Kong Yanshuang was a core executive in Tesla’s China sales organization for several years. She initially served as General Manager of Tesla’s South China region, where she oversaw the expansion of Tesla’s retail and service presence across cities like Guangzhou and Shenzhen, as well as into lower-tier markets — a critical part of Tesla’s strategy to grow sales in China. She later rose to the role of China Regional General Manager, a position she held during 2022-2023, during which she frequently served as a spokesperson for Tesla China at media briefings covering Shanghai Gigafactory milestones and new model launches. In …