Partners Lyft and Ford are laying the groundwork for their driverless ride-hailing plans. Today, the companies announced that Ford's Argo AI-powered cars will be available on Lyft's network later this year in Miami, followed by Austin in 2022. The move will allow passengers to choose a Ford self-driving vehicle with a safety driver in those regions when they book their ride from the app. By 2026, Ford plans to add 1,000 of its driverless vehicles to Lyft's fleet in multiple markets, a pact that the companies are in the process of finalizing.

The deployment should provide a shot in the arm for Lyft's autonomous ride-hailing ambitions. The company plans to get fully driverless fleets serving customers in multiple US cities in 2023. But, it suffered a setback last year when its self-driving partner Magna chose to shift to assisted driving products instead. The decision reflected wider concerns within the industry over the revenue-bleeding nature of autonomous driving. In December, Uber decided to sell its self-driving unit to startup Aurora as a belt-tightening maneuver.

Fortunately for Lyft, it's had close ties with Ford — which is aggressively pursuing its own self-driving goals —since 2017. The partnership between the two companies was forged on the back of Ford's $1 billion investment in autonomous vehicle startup Argo AI. Since then, the automaker has been testing its driverless vehicle service in Miami, Austin and Washington, D.C.

“Argo and Ford are currently piloting, mapping and preparing for commercial operations of autonomous vehicles in more cities than any other [autonomous vehicle] collaboration, and this new agreement is a crucial step toward full commercial operations – the addition of Lyft’s world-class transportation network,” said Scott Griffith, CEO, Ford Autonomous Vehicles & Mobility Businesses.

The lifetime emissions of an electric car versus a gasoline vehicle has become an intensely debated topic for governments. A new study that compares the climate impact of passenger cars could play a pivotal role in the argument. The report claims that electric cars produce far fewer greenhouse gas emissions "from the cradle to the grave" than their gas-guzzling counterparts. According to the study, the core result is the same globally, even when applied to countries like China and India, where the majority of the electricity to recharge an EV comes from coal.

The findings are a rebuke for voices in the automotive and oil lobbying industries that still claim that electric cars are no cleaner than gas-powered vehicles. It arrives as governments are trying to cement their environmental policies in line with the Paris Agreement. Finalized in 2015, the climate change accord saw 143 countries, including the US, agree to limit global temperature increases to less than 2 degrees Celsius. To help meet that target, Washington state and California have proposed banning the sale of new gasoline cars from 2030 and 2035, respectively.

The study conducted by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) examined the entire life-cycles of EVs and gasoline cars, from extracting raw materials to production to their eventual disposal. Researchers examined the greenhouse gas emissions from the vehicle and fuel types in four territories that together account for 70 percent of new car sales worldwide: the US, the EU, China and India.

For cars registered in 2021, the report found that lifetime emissions for a medium-sized EV in Europe are between 66 and 69 percent lower compared to that of a gasoline vehicle in the same category. In the US, an EV produces between 60 to 68 percent fewer emissions. In China, an EV results in between 37 to 45 percent fewer emissions. In India, it’s between 19 to 34 percent lower.

By 2030, the gap between EVs and gas-guzzlers is tipped to increase to 74 percent to 77 percent in Europe, 62 percent to 76 percent in the US, 48 percent to 64 percent in China, and 30 percent to 56 percent in India. 

Notably, the researchers assume that a vehicle will be on the road for around 18 years. They also state that the gap between the figures reflects the uncertainty around how the energy mix in each region develops, which itself is tied to future policies.

“One important result of the analysis is to show that life-cycle emissions trends are similar in all four regions, despite the differences among them in vehicle mix, grid mix, and so on. Already for cars registered today, [battery electric vehicles] have better relative [greenhouse gas] emissions performance everywhere than conventional vehicles,” said ICCT deputy director Rachel Muncrief.

There are still caveats, however. Though EVs cut back on carbon emissions over time, they inevitably take a toll on the environment. By one recent estimate, you'll need to drive a new EV thirteen and a half thousand miles before you're doing less harm than a gas-guzzling saloon.

Rivian was supposed to start deliveries of its R1T Launch Edition electric pickup truck this month, but that won’t be the case. The automaker has delayed the initial shipments to September.

Customers will also have to wait longer to get their hands on the R1S electric SUV, as the first deliveries won't take place until the fall. Rivian said in June that deliveries of both vehicles would commence in July, a month later than previously planned. TechCrunch first reported on the most recent delays.

In a letter to customers that Rivian shared with Engadget, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe pointed to the long-tail impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as a major cause of the setbacks. "Everything from facility construction, to equipment installation, to vehicle component supply (especially semiconductors) has been impacted by the pandemic," Scaringe wrote. "Beyond these unforeseen challenges, launching three new vehicles while setting up a multi-vehicle manufacturing plant is a complex orchestra of coordinated and interlinked activities where small issues can translate into ramp delays."

Scaringe said that Rivian, which now employs more than 7,000 people, has built "hundreds of vehicles as part of our validation process, with many of those spotted out in the wild covered in unique vinyl wraps." He noted that the company hasn't yet delivered those since Rivian believes "it is critical to both our long-term success and your ultimate satisfaction that the quality and robustness of our launch products truly sets the tone for what to expect from us as a brand."

As long as Rivian can stick to its latest timeline, it may still be the first automaker to bring an electric pickup truck to market. GMC's Hummer EV pickup likely won't go into production until later this year, while Ford (a Rivian investor) is eyeing next spring for shipments of the electric F-150 Lightning.

Along with the R1T and R1S, Rivian is building commercial vans on a separate production line at its factory in Normal, Illinois. Amazon has ordered 100,000 of those electric vans and has started to test them.

Volkswagen hasn't been shy about wanting to switch to electric cars, but it's now setting more tangible goals for that transition. CNBCreports that VW has unveiled a "New Auto" strategy where EVs should represent half of all the company's vehicle sales by 2030. "Nearly" all sales in major markets will be EVs by 2040, the automaker said.

The approach would not only include an expanded EV range, but a "leading" car software platform. Early models like the ID.4 have struggled with rough software that struggles to compete with rivals like the Tesla interface or Android Automotive. VW's development firm Cariad aims to fix that with updates that will include a unified infotainment system in 2023 and a "brand new" platform in 2025.

New Auto will also introduce a more Tesla-like "controlled" battery supply chain, complete with a harmonized battery format and six European gigafactories by 2030. The first, in Skellefteå, Sweden, will be run by a partner (Northvolt) when it starts production in 2023. Another factory is due in Salzgitter, Germany by 2035.

The goal is a significant one for car brand on the scale of VW, which owns brands like Audi, Porsche, Seat and Skoda. However, there are questions as to whether or not those goals are ambitious enough to meet both VW's other targets as well as those of key countries and states. The company wants to stop selling combustion engine cars in Europe by 2035, while the UK, Canada and US states like California all plan to ban sales of those passenger vehicles by the same year. Smaller rivals like Volvo plan to go all-electric by 2030. VW won't have much time to finish electrifying its lineup in some places, and it may seem slow in comparison to a few brands.

Volvo has made no secret of its plans to go green by 2030, first unveiling the XC40 Recharge SUV in 2019, then partnering with the Geely corporation to develop its performance EV Polestar line. And come early next year, the XC will be joined by a sleeker, curvier sibling dubbed the C40 Recharge. The C stands for coupe.

Understand, the XC40 and C40 are very much the same vehicle, at least under the hood. The two — along with the Polestar 2 — all share the same Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform that Volvo plans to build its future EV fleet on top of. As such, the C40 and XC40 offer literally identical performance profiles. They share a 78 kWh (75 kWh effective) battery pack which produces 408 HP and 486 lb-ft of torque across all four wheels, giving both cars a 0-60 time of 4.7 seconds, a 112 mph top speed and an estimated 210 miles of range.

Volvo

And, like its predecessor, the C40 Recharge will do so at rates up to 150kW on an L3 DC charger, enabling it to refill its power cells from basically dead to 80 percent capacity in 40 minutes. The C40 Recharge can also accept power from Level 2 (220V) sources, requiring around 8 hours to fully charge. You can, technically, charge the C40 on a standard 110V outlet — Volvo includes an adapter for doing so standard — but the company is positioning that charging level as more of a trickle-charge, topping-off option than one for actually, fully refilling a completely depleted battery.

As a Volvo rep explained to Engadget on Wednesday, the company envisions drivers using Level 3 DC fast charging stations located along their commutes more as quick recharge points — stopping for 5-10 minutes at a time, grabbing a cup of coffee as they wait — while using an in-home L2 charger to fully replenish the charge overnight, like an drivable cell phone.

Volvo

On the outside, the C and XC are easily discernible. While the XC40 adheres to the classic tenets of SUV styling, the C actually stands around 3 inches shorter overall and features a broadly curved roofline that falls away into an upturned spoiler — resulting in the coupe designation. I for one am smitten with the styling, especially the Fjord Blue paint scheme, which mimics the color of Sweden's local waters, as well as the all-glass roof.

The interior is even more impressive. For one thing, you won’t find a speck of leather in there. The floor mats are produced from recycled water bottles, as are the startlingly realistic faux-suede seats. “It's a very practical, sustainable solution, trying to get us away from traditional luxuries,” Volvo’s design rep told Engadget. “I think our future of luxury is more about the simplicity of something. Not, how many layers of wood and how many buttons you can have, it's more about the experience.” One unique aspect of that experience are the highlight panels that run throughout the C40 Recharge’s cabin, which depict topographical features of a Swedish national park.

Volvo

The cabin itself is quite minimalist though you’ll find a host of storage spaces subtly placed around the front seats with slick holders for everything from travel mugs to credit cards. The dashboard consists of the front-and-center Android Auto infotainment system, a series of physical buttons and knobs controlling the audio playback, front and rear defrost, and hazards sit just below. While I personally am a fan of tactile controls, C40 drivers won’t have a whole much use for them on account of the ever-present Android Assistant. You’ll be able to control the stereo, make calls, send texts, adjust the climate controls and even turn on the heated steering wheel. The Assistant’s knack for locating and evaluating charging stations along your route should prove especially helpful to range-wary EV adopters, Volvo reps explained on Wednesday, by not only alerting drivers to where these stations are but also what kind of connections they offer and the status of the vehicle’s battery once it arrives.

Volvo has yet to officially announce its MSRP for the C40 Recharge so it’ll be interesting to see how it might compare to its expected competition, assuming the C40 ends up being priced roughly around $54,000 like its XC predecessor. For example the Model Y Long Range starts from $52,490 and gets a 100 miles-plus more distance using an equivalently sized battery pack. The Audi Q4 e-tron on the other hand manages to achieve the same range on a surprisingly tiny 52 kWh pack. To be fair though, its 0-60 is 9 seconds flat and they’re only for sale in Europe for the moment. Then you’ve got the ID.4 which starts at $40,000 and boasts 50 miles more range but, in my opinion at least, doesn't offer quite the same level of refinement that I saw in the C40 Recharge.

Volvo

The C40 is expected to hit US streets in the first quarter of 2022 but it will not be available for sale through Volvo dealerships. You’ll be able to see them at the dealership, sure, as well as test drive them, pick yours up from there and get it serviced there if you buy one. However the purchase process itself happens exclusively online. You can reserve one today for $500 at the Volvo website.

This is but the second step in Volvo’s efforts to transition to EVs. The company plans to release a new electric model every year until 2025 as part of its larger goal of becoming completely carbon neutral by 2040. Rumored to be coming next: a fully-electric XC90 Recharge.

Volvo has made no secret of its plans to go green by 2030, first unveiling the XC40 Recharge SUV in 2019, then partnering with the Geely corporation to develop its performance EV Polestar line. And come early next year, the XC will be joined by a sleeker, curvier sibling dubbed the C40 Recharge. The C stands for coupe.

Understand, the XC40 and C40 are very much the same vehicle, at least under the hood. The two — along with the Polestar 2 — all share the same Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform that Volvo plans to build its future EV fleet on top of. As such, the C40 and XC40 offer literally identical performance profiles. They share a 78 kWh (75 kWh effective) battery pack which produces 408 HP and 486 lb-ft of torque across all four wheels, giving both cars a 0-60 time of 4.7 seconds, a 112 mph top speed and an estimated 210 miles of range.

Volvo

And, like its predecessor, the C40 Recharge will do so at rates up to 150kW on an L3 DC charger, enabling it to refill its power cells from basically dead to 80 percent capacity in 40 minutes. The C40 Recharge can also accept power from Level 2 (220V) sources, requiring around 8 hours to fully charge. You can, technically, charge the C40 on a standard 110V outlet — Volvo includes an adapter for doing so standard — but the company is positioning that charging level as more of a trickle-charge, topping-off option than one for actually, fully refilling a completely depleted battery.

As a Volvo rep explained to Engadget on Wednesday, the company envisions drivers using Level 3 DC fast charging stations located along their commutes more as quick recharge points — stopping for 5-10 minutes at a time, grabbing a cup of coffee as they wait — while using an in-home L2 charger to fully replenish the charge overnight, like an drivable cell phone.

Volvo

On the outside, the C and XC are easily discernible. While the XC40 adheres to the classic tenets of SUV styling, the C actually stands around 3 inches shorter overall and features a broadly curved roofline that falls away into an upturned spoiler — resulting in the coupe designation. I for one am smitten with the styling, especially the Fjord Blue paint scheme, which mimics the color of Sweden's local waters, as well as the all-glass roof.

The interior is even more impressive. For one thing, you won’t find a speck of leather in there. The floor mats are produced from recycled water bottles, as are the startlingly realistic faux-suede seats. “It's a very practical, sustainable solution, trying to get us away from traditional luxuries,” Volvo’s design rep told Engadget. “I think our future of luxury is more about the simplicity of something. Not, how many layers of wood and how many buttons you can have, it's more about the experience.” One unique aspect of that experience are the highlight panels that run throughout the C40 Recharge’s cabin, which depict topographical features of a Swedish national park.

Volvo

The cabin itself is quite minimalist though you’ll find a host of storage spaces subtly placed around the front seats with slick holders for everything from travel mugs to credit cards. The dashboard consists of the front-and-center Android Auto infotainment system, a series of physical buttons and knobs controlling the audio playback, front and rear defrost, and hazards sit just below. While I personally am a fan of tactile controls, C40 drivers won’t have a whole much use for them on account of the ever-present Android Assistant. You’ll be able to control the stereo, make calls, send texts, adjust the climate controls and even turn on the heated steering wheel. The Assistant’s knack for locating and evaluating charging stations along your route should prove especially helpful to range-wary EV adopters, Volvo reps explained on Wednesday, by not only alerting drivers to where these stations are but also what kind of connections they offer and the status of the vehicle’s battery once it arrives.

Volvo has yet to officially announce its MSRP for the C40 Recharge so it’ll be interesting to see how it might compare to its expected competition, assuming the C40 ends up being priced roughly around $54,000 like its XC predecessor. For example the Model Y Long Range starts from $52,490 and gets a 100 miles-plus more distance using an equivalently sized battery pack. The Audi Q4 e-tron on the other hand manages to achieve the same range on a surprisingly tiny 52 kWh pack. To be fair though, its 0-60 is 9 seconds flat and they’re only for sale in Europe for the moment. Then you’ve got the ID.4 which starts at $40,000 and boasts 50 miles more range but, in my opinion at least, doesn't offer quite the same level of refinement that I saw in the C40 Recharge.

Volvo

The C40 is expected to hit US streets in the first quarter of 2022 but it will not be available for sale through Volvo dealerships. You’ll be able to see them at the dealership, sure, as well as test drive them, pick yours up from there and get it serviced there if you buy one. However the purchase process itself happens exclusively online. You can reserve one today for $500 at the Volvo website.

This is but the second step in Volvo’s efforts to transition to EVs. The company plans to release a new electric model every year until 2025 as part of its larger goal of becoming completely carbon neutral by 2040. Rumored to be coming next: a fully-electric XC90 Recharge.

PUBG Mobile probably isn't the first game you'd expect to have an electric vehicle tie-in, but it's here all the same. Krafton and Tencent Games have rolled out a 1.5 update for the phone-focused shooter that includes a raft of not-so-subtle plugs for Tesla and its cars. Most notably, you can find a Model Y on Erangel that can drive itself when you activate an autopilot mode on the highway —not that far off from the real Autopilot mode.

You'll also find a Gigafactory on Erangel where you can build the Model Y by activating switches, and self-driving Semi trucks roam around the map dropping supply crates when you damage the vehicles. No, despite the imagery, you can't drive a Cybertruck or Roadster (not yet, at least).

The additions are part of a larger "technological transformation" for Erangel that includes an overhaul of the buildings and new equipment, including an anti-gravity motorcycle.

As is often the case, you shouldn't expect these updates in regular PUBG — the battle royale brawler for consoles and PCs has a more realistic atmosphere. The PUBG Mobile update is really a not-so-subtle way for Tesla to advertise its EVs in countries where it doesn't already have strong word-of-mouth working in its favor.

When Harley-Davidson debuted its first electric motorcycle back in 2019, it was held back by an expensive price tag and early production issues. After spinning out LiveWire as a separate brand earlier this year, the company is back with its second electric bike, and it looks to address those issues.

Harley-Davidson

The most eye-catching feature of Harley-Davidson’s new LiveWire One is its price tag. The electric motorcycle will cost $21,999. That’s almost $8,000 less than the $29,799 the original LiveWire sold for when it came out in 2019. With federal subsidies, Harley-Davidson told The Verge it expects most people will be able to buy the LiveWire One for less than $20,000.

But a more attractive entry point isn’t the only change. Harley-Davidson has also improved the motorcycle’s range. Driving on slower city streets, the company claims the LiveWire One can travel 146 miles on a single charge. By comparison, its predecessor was limited to a maximum of about 110 city miles. Using a DC fast charger, the company says you can get the LiveWire One’s battery from dead to a full charge in about an hour, or from zero to 80 percent in approximately 45 minutes. The motorcycle also comes with a six-axis inertial measurement unit to assist with breaking and turns.

Harley-Davidson

Harley-Davidson will officially debut the LiveWire One at the Northern California International Motorcycle Show on July 18th. In the meantime, you can already order the motorcycle from the LiveWire website. Initial availability is limited to customers who live in California, New York and Texas since only 12 dealerships in those states are authorized to sell the LiveWire One at the moment. However, the bike will be available at more dealers come this fall.

After announcing a shift to hybrid and fully electric cars by 2026, Bentley has begun showcasing the existing vehicles getting an eco-friendly makeover. Following the Bentayga Hybrid SUV, the spotlight is now on the more powerful Flying Spur sedan. 

Bentley's second plug-in hybrid features a 410 break horsepower (bhp) 2.9-liter V-6 with twin turbochargers, paired with a 134 bhp electric motor, for a combined 536 bhp. That's 95 bhp more than its SUV counterpart. While the luxury vehicle's 0-60mph acceleration time of 4.1 seconds and top speed of 177mph is just shy of the standard Flying Spur V8. 

Bentley

To improve emissions, the new engine uses fuel injectors and spark plugs centralized within each combustion chamber for "optimal spray patterns." While the twin-scroll turbos and catalytic converts are positioned within the V of the engine.

Bentley says the Flying Spur packs a 14.1kWh battery to offer an expected all-electric range of around 25 miles, pending certification. With many city centres requiring hybrids to switch to full EV mode, those figures will be critical. Some car makers like Fiat and BMW have even developed tech that can fully switch hybrids to all-electric drive in low emissions zones. 

Similar to that feature, Bentley says the hybrid manages battery usage by automatically shifting between three drive modes, including EV, allowing it to store up energy for when you reach the city. The sedan's combined petrol-electric range is more than 435 miles.

Visually, little separates the new plug-in hybrid from the rest of Flying Spur range, apart from a charging port on the left rear wing and an understated hybrid badge on the front. As you'd expect, this is a car for the uber-rich. Prices for the Flying Spur Hybrid are expected to start from an eye-watering £160,000 in its native UK, according to Auto Express, with sales beginning this summer and deliveries to kickstart before the end of the year.

Tesla won't sit by the wayside as electric trucks like the Hummer EV and Rivian R1T lure customers with special features. Elon Musk has revealed that Tesla is adding rear-wheel steering to the Cybertruck to help the EV maneuver with "high agility." It's a rough answer to the Hummer's "Crab Mode" and R1T's tank turns, in other words. You might not have much trouble with a tight U-turn or tricky off-road scenario.

Musk also reiterated that the Cybertruck's design will be "almost exactly" what you saw at the introduction in November 2019, although he teased that there were many "other great things" in the pipeline. The pickup is still due to enter production in late 2021.

Rear-wheel steering may be virtually necessary. The Cybertruck is large even by truck standards — it might be a tough sell if it's difficult to steer out of a parking lot. Moreover, rivals like GMC, Rivian and Ford are all launching electric trucks that might match or sometimes beat Tesla's feature set. The category has changed since the Cybertruck introduction, and Tesla risks losing some business if it doesn't update its technology.