The consumer electronics industry has changed radically over the past two decades. AR/VR devices have come and gone and come again, smartphones have grown from filling our pockets to dominating our lives, and the tendrils of connected services now touch everything we touch.

Yet, for me, the most exciting to watch has been the development of technology that moves us. I mean that literally: cars and scooters and e-bikes and all the other wild and wonderful modes of transportation that have grown wings or wheels over the past few decades.

A love for all that stuff has always been at my core. Many moons ago, before my time as editor-in-chief of this site, I served as automotive editor. In the late 2000s, that mainly meant pondering what was happening in the world of Ford Sync or writing about flying car concepts that, today, are still very decidedly grounded.

An excellent perk was getting to drive many early EVs, though it didn’t always end well. In 2012, I made an aborted attempt to get from Portland to Seattle for an emissions-free Engadget Show episode. The poor Mitsubishi i-MiEV we’d borrowed wasn’t up to the task.

But then along came the Tesla Model S. At the time, I knew it would be significant. Everyone in the industry knew it would be significant, but it’s only in looking back more than a decade later that we can truly appreciate just how significant it was. In the rear view mirror, we can also see what a shame it is Tesla has barely moved the needle since.

A preview in Fremont

In the (long) lead-up to that car’s eventual late-2012 release, Tesla invited me out to a supposed grand reopening of its Fremont factory. The place was unbelievably massive and virtually empty. Tesla officials were proud to show off the numerous giant presses that would stamp out Model S components.

Other Tesla employees were dutifully feeding into those presses metal sheets, which came out the other end as flat as they went in. The presses were there and they were a-pressing, but the dies that formed the parts were absent. This event, like the many Tesla events to come, was somewhat lacking in substance.

Still, the time I spent chatting with Peter Rawlinson had a huge impact on me. Formerly of Lotus and Jaguar, Rawlinson was the chief engineer at Tesla at the time. He and I talked for ages about the advantages of low-slung battery packs and the torque behavior of electric motors. It’s all standard stuff these days, but back then, it was a fantastic opportunity for me to learn. (You can enjoy some of his insight in a series of videos here.)

Early Tesla EVs had two-speed transmissions. I asked Rawlinson whether there was a third gear for handling reverse.

“No,” he said. “We just spin the motor backward.”

That seems like such a simple concept now, but that moment caused a small-yield explosion between my ears. I spent the remainder of the day pondering the myriad other unforeseen implications of this switch to electrification. Nothing else happening in the industry was nearly as exciting as this.

My review

I got a quick go in a Model S at that Fremont event, a lap or two around Tesla’s test track, but I’d have to wait until early 2013 before I could take one for my first proper review of the Model S. It was a Performance edition, with an 85kWh battery pack and a $101,600 sticker price.

I picked it up in New York City and drove it home to Albany, NY. Along the way, I got a preview of what would become another unfortunate Tesla theme: an uncomfortable relationship with the media.

Before I’d made it far, I got a warning light on the dash. I called Tesla PR to ask what to do.

“Oh, don’t worry, we’re watching you,” they said. “It’s fine.”

I didn’t feel fine. I’ve been reviewing devices for decades, and I always assume some degree of logging is involved, but this seemed a little more ominous.

(Over the years, it only got more so. In a later review of a Model 3, I complained the auto high-beams were terrible on country roads. Tesla PR asked me when this occurred so their engineers could pull up the footage from my drive.)

Warning light extinguished, Big Brother now visible in the back seat, I got back to enjoying the car. After having reviewed the Tesla Roadster two years before, a beautiful mess of a slapped-together machine, the Model S was something entirely different. It was calm, it was composed and it wasn’t nearly so drafty. I made the 165-mile drive home with 23 percent to spare, this in January on a 24-degree day.

That is pretty poor by today’s standards, but remember, the most common EV of the day was the Nissan Leaf. In 2013, the Leaf’s range was EPA rated at 75 miles. The Model S was on another level.

But it wasn’t perfect. I was not a fan of many of the interior materials and design choices in 2013, and I would have been so disappointed to know things really haven’t improved since.

I also found the handling underwhelming, but my biggest complaint was the lack of advanced driver assistance systems. That Model S didn’t even have adaptive cruise. Autopilot was still years away, and the ongoing debacle of Full Self Driving much further afield.

And yet I still gave it a glowing review, and it deserved it. I was suitably impressed, as were plenty of others. I recently spoke with several buyers of these early sedans, and most were totally enamored with their cars, despite many teething issues. (So many broken door handles...)

However, it probably goes without saying that many of the folks I spoke with are less enamored of Tesla’s CEO than they were back then. Between that, the racially abusive work environments, and the constant anti-worker behavior, cheering for Tesla is a lot more complicated than it used to be. That is a true shame.

The evolving landscape

The seismic forces generated when the Model S dropped still echo through the industry. You can feel them in virtually every premium EV on the market today.

And yet it’s in those other EVs that the bulk of EV innovation is happening. If you look at what Peter Rawlinson did with the Lucid Air, a sedan that goes over 500 miles on a charge, it’s easy to imagine what could have been had he not parted ways with Tesla. The on-road performance of the Porsche Taycan, the off-road prowess of the Rivian R1T and the minimalist cool of the Volvo EX30 are raising the bar.

Tesla has been more successful than any other manufacturer at getting more EVs into more driveways and at getting more chargers into more places. Tesla made EVs viable and desirable. You have to respect it for that. Lately, though, the company’s greatest achievements have all focused on cutting costs and minimizing complexity, often at the expense of quality and, indeed, safety.

Look at today’s Model S and you still see the car that was released in 2012. It’s quicker and has more range, sure, but it is the same platform and basic design I reviewed over a decade ago. Pondering the time wasted on vanity projects, like the Model X, and vaporware, like the new Roadster, it’s hard to not feel the ache of missed potential.

To celebrate Engadget's 20th anniversary, we're taking a look back at the products and services that have changed the industry since March 2, 2004.

Ford EVs will gain access to Tesla's Superchargers across the US and Canada starting today, becoming the first non-Tesla vehicles to do so, Ford announced. The companies cemented the fast charging pact last year and numerous other automakers followed suit later on. The expanded network will be a big benefit for the Ford and its customers amid news that sales of its EVs have heavily sagged.

Current Ford EVs use CCS type chargers, so current customers must order the Fast Charging Adapter (NACS) compatible with Tesla's Superchargers (below). That will be available at no charge to new and existing clients in the BlueOval charge network until June 30, 2024. After that, it will cost $230 including estimated taxes and shipping. Starting in 2025, Ford EVs will come standard with the NACS charging system. 

Ford

Customers can use the FordPass App to locate the new Tesla Superchargers, just as they would when looking for BlueOval chargers. Tesla Superchargers will also be coming to Apple Maps EV routing, Google Maps EV routing, and the Ford Connected built-in navigation BlueOval charge network.

As for payment, you'll be able to handle that through the FordPass app and Charge Assist app in the vehicle's touchscreen. "This means customers simply have to plug in and charging will automatically start with [costs] managed through FordPass." BlueOval charge network membership is required, and if you're not yet enrolled, you'll be prompted to do so when order the NACS adapter (check's Ford's website for more details).

Tesla's 15,000+ strong Supercharger network will more than double Ford EV owners' access to fast DC chargers. With that, it will have 28,000 fast chargers and 126,000 chargers total. The company notes that a lack of charging stations is the second largest barrier after price for customers potentially selecting EVs instead of ICE or PHEV vehicles. 

The news is good for Ford and other automakers who will get a big boost in the number of fast charging spots. However, Tesla owners will see a lot more Supercharger competition. Last year, the US government opened $2.5 billion in funding for community EV chargers

With declining EV sales, Ford was recently forced to lower Mach E prices by $3,100 to $8,100, it recently said in a financial statement. The company also cut production of that model and the F-150 Lightning pickup truck due to the slowdown.

Stellantis is the latest manufacturer to commit to using Tesla’s NACS (North American Charging Standard). The company was the last remaining holdout among major automakers, meaning the NACS is becoming a true common standard.

According to a press release, electric vehicles from Stellantis brands (which include Dodge, Chrysler, Fiat, Ram, Jeep and Alfa Romeo) will start using the NACS connector in select models next year. The automaker will also offer an adaptor for existing vehicles, meaning drivers will be able to charge using either NACS or Combined Charging System (CCS) ports.

Stellantis says its embrace of the NACS builds on its commitment with six other automakers to build a network of more than 30,000 fast charging points on highways and in urban areas in North America by 3030. These stations will support NACS and CCS.

The automaker has joined the likes of Volkswagen, GM, Volvo, Polestar, Mercedes, Honda, BMW and Lucid in supporting the NACS. EV charging network operators ChargePoint and Electrify America also pledged to adopt the NACS after Tesla open sourced the connector in late 2022.

Tesla is having to conduct another mass-scale recall of its electric vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that the font size on several instrument panel warning lights is too small per federal guidelines. As such, the company is recalling nearly 2.2 million EVs — almost every car it has sold in the US — to resolve the issue.

Thankfully, for both Tesla and its customers, the automaker won’t require drivers to bring their EV to a dealer or repair shop. It will issue a fix via an over-the-air update.

The NHTSA discovered the problem during a routine safety compliance audit last month. It found that the text on the brake, park and antilock brake warning lights is smaller than required under federal rules. The agency noted that can make it hard to read the information, which could increase the likelihood of a crash.

Affected EVs are the Model S (model years 2012-2023), Model X (2016-2023), Model 3 (2017-2023), Model Y (2019-2024) and the Cybertruck. Tesla has not received any reports of injuries or crashes related to the issued, though it has found three potentially linked warranty claims.

In December, Tesla issued a similarly large-scale recall due to an Autopilot issue. It was also able to resolve that with an OTA update. Since then, it has issued other recalls connected to door safety and backup camera issues, each of which affected more than 120,000 vehicles.

Meanwhile, as the Associated Press reports, the NHTSA has upgraded an investigation into steering issues. The agency is conducting an engineering analysis. That brings the probe, which covers more than 334,000 vehicles, closer to a recall.

The NHTSA opened the investigation last July after receiving 12 reports of steering control loss in 2023 Model Y and Model 3 EVs. Since then, the agency has received 115 complaints related to the issue, which it has obtained another 2,176 from Tesla after seeking information from the automaker. One of the complaints is linked to a crash.

Volvo's EX30 EV was a hit from the get-go thanks in part to the use of technology, along with the relatively low $35,000 price tag. However, its reliance on that tech is apparently catching up to it (much as it has for other recent vehicles), as the automaker has delayed deliveries in Europe due to software bugs, Automotive News has reported. 

"We confirm that Volvo is working tirelessly to resolve the problem," the company told Automotive News Europe. "Important progress has been made but the software version 1.2 does not yet meet all the requirements necessary to be released." The problem apparently couldn't fixed over the air, so updates needed to be done at dealerships.

Volvo didn't explain exactly what the error was, but customer correspondence stated that the 1.2 software "contains, among other things, some Google certifications and key updates." I encountered several glitches (Google Maps stopped working, for instance) when testing a pre-production model in Barcelona.

Steve Dent for Engadget

The vehicle has experienced multiple delays that have lasted around two weeks. Volvo has apparently resolved the issues and the EVs are ready to be driven off dealers' lots as soon as they're fixed, according to Automotive News. "We want the best possible experience for our EX30 customers," Volvo said in a statement.

The EX30 generated a lot of interest thanks to a charming design, low starting price, solid performance, decent range and use of eco-friendly materials. All models sold to start with will be built in China, so the vehicle isn't eligible for federal US tax credits. 

As the company subsequently announced, though, some models will be be built later on in Volvo's Ghent, Belgium plant. The EX30 is key to Volvo's plans to boost sales by 69 percent and sell 1.2 million cars as early as next year. 

As generative AI (and access to AI tools) continues to grow, expect to see more things like the tumult over “George Carlin: I’m Glad I’m Dead.” Released on (then pulled from) YouTube, it’s framed as an hour of new “material” by the comedian, who died in 2008. Of course, it's not that. It isn't based on old notes or lost routines, either, like recent releases from the Beatles, and George Carlin’s estate has filed a lawsuit against the makers.

Initial reports from NPR said the AI was trained on thousands of hours of Carlin routines to create the material. Dudesy, the channel that created and posted the video, was later approached by The New York Times, and their spokesperson said the video was “completely written by Chad Kultgen” — one of the channel’s hosts.

Both hosts, comedian Will Sasso and writer Kultgen, are named in the suit. They claim the AI-created Carlin is like an impressionist. (Although, it’s really not a great one…)

The complaint seeks unspecified damages and the immediate removal of “any video or audio copies” of the special.

— Mat Smith

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Fossil gives up on smartwatches

But will keep releasing updates for a few years.

Fossil

Fossil is officially out of the smartwatch business. Its Wear OS smartwatch lineup hasn’t seen a new model since 2021, and the company has now confirmed it’s getting out of wearables. If you own a Fossil-branded watch (which covers several fashion brands like Skagen, Michael Kors, Diesel and even Emporio Armani), you should get updates for the next few years.

But let’s be clear: It probably wasn’t the Pixel Watch that landed the finishing blow.

Continue reading.

Tesla recalls 200,000 vehicles because of a faulty backup camera

A software issue keeps it from activating when vehicles are in reverse.

Tesla is recalling 200,000 vehicles in the US, following reports the backup cameras wouldn’t engage when cars were put in reverse — which is the whole point of the things. Tesla has processed 81 warranty claims potentially related to the issue, according to Autoblog. The recall includes certain Model Y, Model S and Model X vehicles from 2023. Tesla says it delivered 1.8 million vehicles last year, so this recall accounts for more than 10 percent of the company’s yearly output. If this sounds familiar, well, it comes six weeks after Tesla recalled over two million vehicles after serious safety issues with its Autopilot feature.

Continue reading.

X blocked Taylor Swift searches to ‘prioritize safety’

After pornographic deepfakes of the singer went viral last week.

Reuters / Reuters

X confirmed it’s preventing users from searching Taylor Swift’s name after pornographic deepfakes of the artist began circulating on the platform. Visitors to the site started noticing on Saturday that some searches containing Swift’s name would only return an error message.

The platform’s handling of the issue has been slow. After the images went viral last Wednesday, Swifties took matters into their own hands (of course!) mass-reporting the accounts that shared the images and flooding the hashtags relating to the singer with positive content. Do you not remember the snake emoji saga?

Continue reading.

Engadget Podcast: The Mac turns 40

And we review the Framework Laptop 16.

Thoughts, feelings and facts this week on the Mac hitting middle age, the modular laptop capable of gaming and the realization that the Apple car dream is still alive. This week, Devindra is joined by News Editor Nathan Ingraham. 

Listen here.

Ford says it's cutting production of the F-150 Lightning due to lower than expected demand. As of April 1, the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center (the Michigan plant where the electric pickup is built) will transition from two production shifts to one. That will have an impact on roughly 1,400 workers.

The automaker says it will transfer around half of those to its Michigan Assembly Plant, where it's putting together a third crew to build more of the Bronco and Bronco Raptor, as well as the new Ranger and Ranger Raptor to meet demand. The company is hiring another 900 workers to fill that shift.

The rest of the affected F-150 Lightning workers will be reassigned to different roles at the Rouge plant or Ford's other facilities in the region. That is, unless they take up a retirement incentive offer.

Ford didn't say by how much it's reducing production of the F-150 Lightning. However, by moving from two shifts to one, that indicates output will drop roughly by half, which aligns with recent reports. According to CNBC, Ford planned to cut production from around 3,200 units per week to 1,600.

The automaker retooled the Rouge facility in 2023 so that it would have an annual F-150 Lightning capacity of up to 150,000. However, demand hasn't kept up. While sales of the EV were up by 55 percent last year, it hasn't been selling as quickly as it did previously.

The company says that it expects EV sales to continue to grow globally this year, but at a lower rate than previously anticipated. With that in mind, as well as the fact Ford is readying next-gen EVs, the company has decided to pull back on F-150 Lightning production for the foreseeable future. 

That isn't the only EV Ford has scaled back on either. In November, it slashed production of the Mustang Mach-E.

“We are taking advantage of our manufacturing flexibility to offer customers choices while balancing our growth and profitability. Customers love the F-150 Lightning, America's best-selling EV pickup,” Ford President and CEO Jim Farley said. “We see a bright future for electric vehicles for specific consumers, especially with our upcoming digitally advanced EVs and access to Tesla's charging network beginning this quarter."

Google has teamed up with more automakers to offer vehicles that come pre-installed with Google apps, the company revealed today at CES 2024 in Las Vegas. Nissan, Ford and Lincoln are rolling out select models with built-in Google Maps, Assistant and Play Store — among other applications — this year, while Porsche is expected to follow suit in 2025. They're the upcoming addition to the growing list of auto brands embracing tighter Google integration, which includes Honda, Volvo, Polestar, Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac and Renault. 

The company has also announced new features for cars with built-in Google apps. One of those features rolling out today is the ability to send trips users have planned on their Android or iOS Google Maps app to their cars. That way, they'll no longer need to plug in multi-stop trips on their car's Google Maps again after they've already plotted it meticulously on their phones. In addition, Chrome is making its way to select Polestar and Volvo cars today as part of a beta release, allowing users to browse websites and even access their bookmarks while they're parked. The browser will be available for more cars later this year. 

Google is also adding PBS KIDS and Crunchyroll to its list of apps for vehicles to give users and their kids access to more entertainment content. And to give drivers a quick way to keep an eye on changing weather conditions, Google's built-in apps for cars now includes The Weather Channel's. It will provide users with hourly forecasts, as well as alerts and a "Trip View" radar on their dashboard, so they no longer have to check their phones. Finally, Google has announced that it's expanding its digital car keys' availability to select Volvo cars soon, allowing owners to unlock, lock and even start their cars with their Android phone. 

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

Much of the auto news out of CES 2024 has focused on EVs, and Google is no exception. The company has announced that Android Auto will share real-time battery updates with Google Maps. The update should initially roll out to the Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning in the coming months before expanding to other Android Auto-compatible EVs in the future.

With this new feature, Google Maps will give you suggestions of charging stations along the route without you having to pull over and search. It should also update you on the car's battery level once you arrive at a destination (something your EV should already do) and provide an estimate of how long it will take to charge. The latter is more novel and could help when you're in a rush.

Google also announced the expansion of Google built-in to additional car brands, such as Nissan and Ford, after first launching in Honda's 2023 Accord sedan's high-end Touring trim. The Chrome browser is now rolling out in beta to select models from Volvo and Polestar (of which Volvo is a part-owner) and should be more widely available later this year. Plus, Google built-in now has The Weather Channel app to track the forecast as you travel.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

If you’ve ever wanted to turn your car into a DJ, with the sound controlled by how you drive, then you need to buy a Benz, stat. Mercedes-AMG and will.i.am have turned up at CES 2024 in Las Vegas with what they’re calling MBUX SOUND DRIVE (all caps, as if to be bellowed). Sadly, it’s hard to talk about what it is and what it does without robbing it of its mystery, so apologies in advance: It’s essentially a system that pulls data from the car’s suite of sensors, which then helps control a specially-deconstructed music file. But, as joyless as that description sounds, once you’ve experienced it, you’ll wonder why it hasn’t been done before. Not to mention that, at the risk of gushing, it really does deepen the emotional connection between driving and the music you’re listening to.

The announcement came as part of Mercedes’ CES push, which this year is focused on the power of its audio setup. Alongside the announcement of MBUX SOUND DRIVE, it’s boasting of a new partnership with Amazon Music and Audible. That’ll see Dolby Atmos versions of its exclusive audio dramas, podcasts and books come to compatible vehicles. (The highlight of the event was when legendary British audio producer Dirk Maggs took to the stage, the figure responsible for the latter radio versions of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.)

MBUX SOUND DRIVE works by pairing musical elements in a song with ten inputs taken from the car. Start the car and all you get is the track’s bed, so to speak, looping in the background waiting for you to get moving. Push on the accelerator at low speeds and it’ll add some bass reverb to the song, while turning the steering wheel gets you extra effects or the chorus loop kicking in. It’s only when you open the car up on a clear highway and the main music and lyrics will start blasting, rewarding you for moving along. And then, when you’re coasting toward a stop light, the lead vocal and melody will peel away, returning you to the far less intrusive backing track.

If nothing else, it’s a spectacular piece of hardware and software development, given the fact even the fanciest in-car platform wasn’t designed to do this. It’s worth pointing out the extent of the achievement that’s enabled something like this to happen on an existing system. And there are plans to extend it further so, for instance, if the windshield wipers detect rain, the music will change to reflect the mood.

The demo I experienced had 16 tracks pre-loaded, including The Black Eyed Peas’ I Got A Feeling and Le French’s Night Drive. These songs have all been broken down and rebuilt to take advantage of MBUX SOUND DRIVE’s separated format. When you’re just cruising around a Las Vegas parking lot, it’s all pretty restrained, even if you do put some heavy reverb on while you’re parked. In fact, the whole experience at slow speeds could almost be described as teasing, offering you hints of the song you know and love, but never giving you the whole thing.

It’s only when you (or in this case, your qualified driver) puts their foot down and you suddenly start screaming down the road that the whole song kicks in. Even a song like I Got A Feeling, hardly the most bombastic, suddenly feels epic in this format. The closest thing I can compare it to is those moments in Grand Theft Auto when you’re opening it up on the highway and a great track kicks in. Of course, the best example of that would be cruising down the road while David Bowie’s Somebody Up There Likes Me plays. But, despite will.i.am’s promises that when the system arrives halfway through 2024 all genres will be well-represented, I’m not so sure. After all, it’s clear that tracks primarily based on discrete loops are going to be the easiest to translate and the most well-suited to the environment.

In terms of the future, will.i.am shared his hopes that tracks could be hard-coded to reflect a geography. He used the example of a car going through a tunnel, which would prompt a gas car driver to put their foot down to fill the space with engine noise. But in our electric future, where there is no engine noise, users will instead have to content themselves with the jolt from their favourite song. He added that he also dreams of building in easter eggs for songs, which would only start playing when the car reaches a specific location. On one hand, I’m curious how many musicians would take the time to remix their existing songs for the size of the addressable market. Which, in this case, is only Mercedes-Benz vehicles equipped with a second-generation MBUX system. Then again, money talks.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.