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Apple Car project continues evolving with larger test fleet & fresh, new hire
Apple’s long-rumored “Project Titan,” also known as the Apple Car initiative, has gone through several changes over the years. While the Cupertino-based tech giant initially appeared to be focused on manufacturing its own vehicle, the company has since opted to focus on developing self-driving technologies instead. Apple CEO Tim Cook, for one, stated back in June 2017 that Apple was “very focused on autonomous systems.” Since then, the iPhone-maker has gone all-in on the self-driving race. Today, the company commands the largest fleet of autonomous vehicles on California’s roads, even surpassing the numbers of veterans in the field such as Waymo.
The growth of Apple’s self-driving fleet in California has been no less than astounding. According to a MacRumors report, information obtained from the California Department of Motor Vehicles has revealed that Apple started with a fleet of 27 autonomous vehicles in January. By March, there were 45 self-driving vehicles operated by the tech giant. By mid-May, the company had 55 vehicles and 83 drivers in its fleet. Just two weeks after that, Apple’s fleet of self-driving cars has grown to 62 vehicles and 87 drivers. In comparison, Waymo has 51 autonomous vehicles testing on CA roads.
Apple’s self-driving cars are characterized by their rather hefty roofs, which include an array of cameras and advanced LiDAR equipment. The vehicles are running Apple’s in-development autonomous driving software. Just like some of Google’s fleet, Apple has selected Lexus to be its car manufacturer of choice, with the company using Lexus RX450h SUVs as its test vehicles. Each of Apple’s self-driving cars is deployed with a safety driver, as the company’s permit currently does not allow fully driverless operations yet.
Apart from growing its fleet, Apple is also growing its talent pool for its self-driving initiatives. Just recently, the company hired senior self-driving car engineer Jaime Waydo, who has previous experience as an engineer from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. What is particularly notable from Waydo’s work experience, however, was that she worked for Waymo before joining Apple’s self-driving car project. The former NASA engineer oversaw systems engineering at Waymo, while also aiding the self-driving car Google subsidiary in making pivotal decisions about the driverless operations of its test fleet in Arizona.
Apple’s self-driving car project is among the company’s largest, most ambitious initiatives to date, with CEO Tim Cook dubbing it as the “mother of all AI projects.” In a way, Tim Cook’s statement rings true, considering that Apple has made its name and established its reputation in consumer technology, not in automotive engineering. While the company does have experience with artificial intelligence and machine learning thanks to products like the iPhone and voice-activated assistants like Siri, a self-driving car system is an entirely different challenge. It is, after all, one that Google is still trying to master despite being in the industry since 2009, and one that Tesla is still seeking to learn despite having more than 150,000 vehicles on its fleet gathering data every day.
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Tesla Diner to transition to full-service restaurant as Chef heads for new venture
“I am leaving the Tesla Diner project to focus on the opening of Mish, my long-desired Jewish deli. Projects like Mish and the Tesla Diner require a sharpness of focus and attention, and my focus and attention is now squarely on Mish.”
Tesla Diner, the all-in-one Supercharging and dining experience located in Los Angeles, will transition to a full-service restaurant in January, staff said, as Chef Eric Greenspan said he would take on a new project.
A report from the Los Angeles Times says Greenspan confirmed through a text that he would leave the Diner and focus on the opening of his new Jewish deli, Mish.
Greenspan confirmed to the paper:
“I am leaving the Tesla Diner project to focus on the opening of Mish, my long-desired Jewish deli. Projects like Mish and the Tesla Diner require a sharpness of focus and attention, and my focus and attention is now squarely on Mish.”
Greenspan took on the job at the Tesla Diner and curated the menu back in March, focusing on locally-sourced ingredients and items that would play on various company products, like Cybertruck-shaped boxes that hold burgers.
Tesla Cybertruck leftovers are the main course at the Supercharger Diner
The Tesla Diner has operated as somewhat of a self-serve establishment, where Tesla owners can order directly from their vehicles through the center touchscreen. It was not exclusive to Tesla owners. Guests could also enter and order at a counter, and pick up their food, before sitting at a booth or table.
However, the report indicates Tesla is planning to push it toward a sit-down restaurant, full of waiters, waitresses, and servers, all of which will come to a table after you are seated, take your order, and serve your food.
It will be more of a full-featured restaurant experience moving forward, which is an interesting move from the company, but it also sounds as if it could be testing for an expansion.
We know that Tesla is already considering expanding locations, as it will be heading to new areas of the country. CEO Elon Musk has said that Tesla will be considering locations in Palo Alto near the company’s Engineering HQ, and in Austin, where its HQ and Gigafactory Texas are located.
Musk said that the Diner has been very successful in its first few months of operation.
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Tesla adds new surprising fee to Robotaxi program
“Additional cleaning was required for the vehicle after your trip. A fee has been added to your final cost to cover this service. Please contact us if you have any questions.”
Tesla has added a new and somewhat surprising fee to the Robotaxi program. It’s only surprising because it was never there before.
Tesla shocked everyone when it launched its Robotaxi platform and offered riders the opportunity to tip, only to tell them they do not accept tips. It was one of the company’s attempts at being humorous as it rolled out its driverless platform to people in Austin.
As it has expanded to new cities and been opened to more people, as it was yesterday to iOS users, Tesla has had to tweak some of the minor details of the Robotaxi and ride-hailing platforms it operates.
First Look at Tesla’s Robotaxi App: features, design, and more
With more riders, more vehicles, and more operational jurisdictions, the company has to adjust as things become busier.
Now, it is adjusting the platform by adding “Cleaning Fees” to the Robotaxi platform, but it seems it is only charged if the vehicle requires some additional attention after your ride.
The app will communicate with the rider with the following message (via Not a Tesla App):
“Additional cleaning was required for the vehicle after your trip. A fee has been added to your final cost to cover this service. Please contact us if you have any questions.”
The cost of the cleaning will likely depend on how severe the mess is. If you spill a soda, it will likely cost less than if you lose your lunch in the back of the car because you had a few too many drinks.
This is an expected change, and it seems to be one that is needed, especially considering Tesla is operating a small-scale ride-hailing service at the current time. As it expands to more states and cities and eventually is available everywhere, there will be more situations that will arise.
The messes in vehicles are not a new situation, especially in a rideshare setting. It will be interesting to see if Tesla will enable other fees, like ones for riders who request a ride and do not show up for it.
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Tesla Model Y sold out in China for 2025
Customers who wish to get their cars by the end of the year would likely need to get an inventory unit.
It appears that the Model Y has been sold out for 2025 in China. This seems to be true for the four variants of the vehicle that are currently offered in the country.
Tesla China’s order page update
A look at Tesla China’s order page for the Model Y shows a message informing customers that those who wish to guarantee delivery by the end of the year should purchase an inventory unit. This was despite the Model Y RWD and Model Y L showing an estimated delivery timeline of 4-8 weeks, and the Model Y Long Range RWD and Model Y Long Range AWD showing 4-13 weeks.
As per industry watchers, these updates on the Model Y’s order page suggest that Tesla China’s sales capacity for the remainder of 2025 has been sold out. The fact that estimated delivery timeframes for the Model Y Long Range RWD and AWD extend up to 13 weeks also bodes well for demand for the vehicle, especially given strong rivals like the Xiaomi YU7, which undercuts the Model Y in price.
Tesla China’s upcoming big updates
What is quite interesting is that Tesla China is still competing in the country with one hand partly tied behind its back. So far, Tesla has only been able to secure partial approval for its flagship self-driving software, FSD, in China. This has resulted in V14 not being rolled out to the country yet. Despite this, Tesla China’s “Autopilot automatic assisted driving on urban roads,” as the system is called locally, has earned positive reviews from users.
As per Elon Musk during the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, however, Tesla is expecting to secure full approval for FSD in China in early 2026. “We have partial approval in China, and we hopefully will have full approval in China around February or March or so. That’s what they’ve told us,” Musk said.
Tesla Diner to transition to full-service restaurant as Chef heads for new venture
Tesla adds new surprising fee to Robotaxi program
