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Self-driving taxis seem to be the next big thing on the public transportation landscape. However, there are several hurdles for this technology to overcome before widespread implementation, the current regulatory framework being one of them. There is, of course, a certain criteria that all vehicles must meet before being certified, and manufacturers are tasked with filling out the paperwork before the NHTSA reviews it. Now, the institution doesn’t take kindly to its regulations not being met, and that leads us to Tesla’s Cybercab. A limited roll-out took place earlier this month, with the Cybercab’s first paid public rides taking place…

It’s one of the most fascinating years in a while when it comes to iPhone camera upgrades. The big story of the iPhone 18 Pro is the variable aperture main lens, which lets you open the aperture up wider for better low light shots and make the aperture smaller for better depth of field in group photos. But all I can get anyone to talk about is the software upgrades: it turns out, they’re a lot more useful day to day than the aperture on a camera this small.This week on The Vergecast, David Imel and Allison Johnson are here…

The Drive 🤝 your inbox. Every weekday The Daily Brief wraps up the biggest stories and our exclusive reporting on the auto industry and car culture. Internet scams are part and parcel of the online experience. If you use the World Wide Web, you’re sure to come across someone who wants your money, your identity, or heck, probably both. Some have been around long enough to spot—most of us know by now that a Nigerian prince doesn’t need money orders or Apple gift cards—but others are fresh enough to fake out even diligent shoppers. In the case of Wil Matthews,…

Automotive Hyundai Motor CEO Jose Munoz is sounding an increasingly familiar alarm across the global auto industry. Chinese automakers have become major competitors at remarkable speed, and Munoz believes the United States could eventually experience the same kind of market disruption already unfolding in Europe if trade protections and market-access requirements disappear. For American car buyers, that could mean an influx of aggressively priced vehicles loaded with technology. For established automakers, it could create an entirely different competitive landscape. The pressure is already easy to see overseas. Munoz says Chinese vehicles can sell for roughly 30% to 40%…

A BYD Fang Cheng Bao Tai 3 SUV on display at the Beijing Auto Show in April 2026. Credit: CnEVPost China’s commerce ministry rejected voluntary export restrictions on hybrids, saying any solution between China and the EU must comply with WTO rules. The EU reportedly wants China to voluntarily limit hybrid exports to the bloc or potentially face higher tariffs. China’s commerce ministry said so-called voluntary export restrictions seriously violate World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, rejecting their use to resolve automotive trade disputes between China and the European Union. The ministry issued a statement on its website on Friday, responding…

Like so many stories, the Transformers movie relies on three-act structure, though some arcs are more successful than others. That said, I will happily die on the hill that the first third of the film (aka the setup) is nearly flawless. The movie sets the scene just outside Autobot City while introducing Daniel and Hot Rod before immediately launching into battle. From there it’s 25 minutes of masterful cinema. You have a dastardly sneak attack by Megatron, Hot Rod spotting the deception, the Constructions merging to form Devastator, Optimus Prime and the Dinobots swooping in at the last moment and…

XPeng is trying to turn its self-driving and smart-cockpit systems into a licensing business, courting automakers, suppliers, and software firms well beyond its existing Volkswagen deal, according to a Reuters report. It’s the exact playbook Tesla has been pitching for years with “Full Self-Driving.” The difference is that XPeng is finding interest. The Chinese EV maker set up a “strategic commercialisation team” about six months ago to chase these deals, Reuters reported. On offer: its electrical and electronic vehicle architecture, its smart cockpit, its in-house Turing AI chips, ADAS and autonomous-driving software, and even its robotaxi and humanoid-robot work. No…

Are fastback pickups the next big thing? Not long after CarBuzz found three different patents for a fastback truck from Ram, the CarBuzz research team has now found one from Ford. It blows Ram’s out of the water with extras like a rear window. Plus, it has automatic actuation to help maximize aerodynamics. Automatic Cover Turns Your Truck Into A Fastback Ford Tonneau PatentFord Plenty of pickup truck owners want their truck’s bed to be enclosed, not open. A tonneau cover is the usual go-to, and there is no shortage of options, ranging from one-piece hard covers to roll-up fabric…

It’s not too wild a thought to assume that consumers are exhausted from serving as beta testers for unfinished software and finicky powertrains. So when they’re in the market for a genuinely dependable small SUV, it’s not about the Audi badge on the nose or a brand driven by the entire family. It’s about what the data backs up and how it translates into the real world. The BMW X1 and Land Rover Velar have bad reputations for their reliability issues, but are there any small luxury SUVs that buck this trend? We put a few to the test. The…

Copart, the online car auction platform, has agreed to acquire ACV for $10.50 per share in cash, valuing the digital wholesale marketplace at about $1.9 billion. The deal gives Copart an immediate position in the dealer‑to‑dealer auction channel and expands its footprint across the vehicle remarketing lifecycle, from trade‑ins and wholesale resale to salvage and international markets. The purchase price represents a 45 per cent premium to ACV’s closing stock price on Aug. 10, 2026, and a 41 per cent premium to its 30‑day volume‑weighted average price. Copart plans to fund the transaction with cash on hand. The boards of…