News
Uber will offer self-driving Volvos in Pittsburgh this month
Uber customers in Pittsburgh who request a ride from the ride sharing service may find themselves riding in a specially prepared Volvo XC90 that can drive itself. Passengers will ride in a self-driving vehicle chaperoned by a human driver behind the wheel ready to take control of the car if necessary and an engineer monitoring the operation of the autonomous system. This will mark the first time a self-driving car has been used in commercial service in the United States.
Uber’s self-driving car program has been under the stewardship of John Bares since January, 2015. Bares was head of Carnegie Mellon University’s National Robotics Engineering Center for 13 years before he left to start Carnegie Robotics, a Pittsburgh-based company that makes components for self-driving industrial robots used in mining, farming, and the military.
“I turned him [Kalanick] down three times. But the case was pretty compelling.” Bares says. Once he joined Uber, he quickly put together a team consisting of hundreds of engineers, robotics experts, and few old fashioned auto mechanics. The mission was nothing less that to replace Uber’s 1 million human drivers with robotic drivers as soon as possible. The message is, if you drive for Uber, you should keep your resumé up to date and your eyes open for other lines of work.
Pittsburgh is the center of the Uber self-driving experiment because that is where the talent is. Carnegie Mellon is a world leader in autonomous systems. Its graduates are working on the Google car and are in high demand at any company planning to offer self-driving cars, including Apple and Tesla. Earlier in the year, a Tesla Model S loaded with cameras and sensors, presumably a test mule for Autopilot 2.0, was spotted testing in Pittsburgh.
So far, Uber has just a few specially modified Volvo XC90s ready for commercial service, but it expects to have 100 of them by the end of the year. The hardware at the heart of its self-driving system includes cameras, radar, lidar, GPS receivers, and a liquid cooled computer mounted in the rear.
Uber self-driving Volvo XC90
Uber is moving fast. “We are going commercial,” says CEO Travis Kalanick. “This can’t just be about science.” Last month, it purchased Otto, a start-up company that is working to bring self-driving long haul trucks to market. In theory, its technology will allow truck drivers to crawl in back and nap while the trucks are on the highway. Uber will take over and re-brand that business and incorporate the Otto technology into its own self-driving systems.
Otto’s founders were all previously members of the Google car program, but grew impatient with the slow, plodding pace of development at Google. They wanted an opportunity to showcase their talents much sooner than they could if they remained at Google. “We were really excited about building something that could be launched early,” says Anthony Levandowski, co-founder of Otto.
Kalanick is clearly looking to be the first to begin offering a self-driving ride hailing service. He intends to beat Tesla, Apple, Google, Ford, and Genera Motors to the punch. “Nobody has set up software that can reliably drive a car safely without a human,” he says in an oblique reference to Tesla’s Autopilot system. “We are focusing on that.” Developing an autonomous vehicle, he adds, “is basically existential for us.”
At first, trips in the self-driving Volvos will be free. Uber’s standard local rate is $1.30 per mile but Kalanick says eventually prices will be so low that the cost per mile will be cheaper in a self-driving Uber than in a private car, even in rural areas. “That could be seen as a threat,” says Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson. “We see it as an opportunity.”
Source: Bloomberg Photo credit: Uber, AP
News
Tesla ramps up Sweden price war with cheaper Model Y offer
The incentive effectively acts as a manufacturer-funded EV bonus and makes the entry-level Model Y more affordable.
Tesla has introduced a new 40,000 SEK incentive in Sweden, lowering the price of its most affordable Model Y to a record low. The incentive effectively acts as a manufacturer-funded EV bonus and makes the entry-level Model Y more affordable.
As per a report from Swedish auto outlet Allt om Elbil, Tesla Sweden is offering a 40,000 SEK electric car bonus on the entry-level Tesla Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive variant. The incentive lowers the purchase price of the base all-electric crossover to 459,900–459,990 SEK, depending on listing.
The bonus applies to orders and deliveries completed by March 31, 2026. Tesla Sweden is also offering zero-interest financing as part of the campaign.
Last fall, Tesla launched a new base version of the Model Y starting at 499,990 SEK. The variant features a refreshed design and simplified equipment compared to the Premium and Performance variants. The new 40,000 SEK incentive now pushes the entry model well below the 460,000 SEK mark.
So far this year, the Model Y remains the most registered electric vehicle in Sweden and the third most registered new car overall. However, most registrations have been for higher Premium-spec versions. The new incentive could then be Tesla’s way to push sales of its most affordable Model Y variant in the country.
Tesla is also promoting private leasing options for the entry-level Model Y at 4,995 SEK per month. Swedish automotive observers have noted that leasing may remain the more cost-effective option compared to purchasing outright, even after the new discount.
The base Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive offers a WLTP range of 534 kilometers, a top speed of 201 km/h, and a 0–100 km/h time of 7.2 seconds. Tesla lists energy consumption at 13.1 kWh per 100 kilometers, making it the most efficient version of the vehicle in the lineup and potentially lowering overall ownership costs.
News
Tesla China hires Autopilot Test Engineer amid continued FSD rollout preparations
The role is based in Lingang, the district that houses Gigafactory Shanghai.
Tesla is hiring an Autopilot Test Engineer in Shanghai, a move that signals continued groundwork for the validation of Full Self-Driving (FSD) in China. The role is based in Lingang, the district that houses Gigafactory Shanghai and has become a key testing zone for advanced autonomous features.
As observed by Tesla watchers, local authorities in Shanghai’s Nanhui New City within Lingang have previously authorized a fleet of Teslas to run advanced driving tests on public roads. This marked one of the first instances where foreign automakers were permitted to test autonomous driving systems under real traffic conditions in China.
Tesla’s hiring efforts come amid ongoing groundwork for a full FSD rollout in China. Earlier reporting noted that Tesla China has been actively preparing the regulatory and infrastructure foundation needed for full FSD deployment, even though the company has not yet announced a firm launch date for the feature in the market.
As per recent comments from Tesla China Vice President Grace Tao, the electric vehicle maker has been busy setting up the necessary facilities to support FSD’s full rollout in the country. In a comment to local media, Tao stated that FSD should demonstrate a level of performance that could surpass human drivers once it is fully rolled out.
“We have set up a local training center in China specifically to handle this adaptation,” Tao said. “Once officially released, it will demonstrate a level of performance that is no less than, and may even surpass, that of local drivers.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been quite bullish about a potential FSD rollout in China. During the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, Musk emphasized that FSD had only received “partial approval” in China, though full authorization could potentially arrive around February or March 2026. This timeline was reiterated by the CEO during his appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Elon Musk
Tesla Model Y outsells all EV rivals in Europe in 2025 despite headwinds
The result highlights the Model Y’s continued strength in the region.
The Tesla Model Y was Europe’s most popular electric car in 2025, leading all EV models by a wide margin despite a year marked by production transition, intensifying competition, and anti-Elon Musk sentiments.
The result highlights the Model Y’s continued strength in the region even as Volkswagen overtook Tesla as the top-selling EV brand overall.
As per data compiled by JATO Dynamics and reported by Swedish outlet Allt om Elbil, the Tesla Model Y recorded 149,805 registrations across Europe in 2025. That figure placed it comfortably at No. 1 among all electric car models in the region.
The Model Y’s performance in Europe is particularly notable given that registrations declined 28% year-over-year. The dip coincided with Tesla’s Q1 2025 transition to the updated Model Y, a changeover that temporarily affected output and deliveries in several markets. Anti-Elon Musk sentiments also spread across several European countries amidst the CEO’s work with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Even with these disruptions, the Model Y outsold its nearest rival by more than 50,000 units. Second place went to the newly launched Skoda Elroq with 93,870 registrations, followed by the Tesla Model 3 at 85,393 units. The Model 3 also recorded a 24% year-over-year decline. Renault’s new electric Renault 5 placed fourth with 85,101 registrations.
Other top performers included the Volkswagen ID.4, ID.3, and ID.7, along with the BMW iX1 and Kia EV3, many of which posted triple-digit growth from partial-year launches in 2024.
While the Model Y dominated individual model rankings, Volkswagen overtook Tesla as Europe’s top EV brand in 2025. Volkswagen delivered 274,278 electric cars in the region, a 56% increase compared to 2024. Much of that growth was driven by the Volkswagen ID.7. Tesla, by contrast, sold 236,357 electric vehicles in Europe, representing a 27% year-over-year decline.
JATO Dynamics noted that “Tesla’s small and aging model range faces fierce competition in Europe, both from traditional European automakers and a growing number of Chinese competitors.”
Despite intensifying competition and brand-level shifts, however. the Model Y’s commanding lead demonstrates that Tesla’s bestselling crossover remains a dominant force in Europe’s fast-evolving EV landscape.
Tesla ramps up Sweden price war with cheaper Model Y offer
Tesla China hires Autopilot Test Engineer amid continued FSD rollout preparations
