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Jaguar execs reportedly pondering transition to fully-electric fleet in 10 years

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JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) executives are reportedly considering the idea of transitioning Jaguar into an all-electric brand within the next 10 years. The bold transition reportedly involves a phase-out scheme of some of the company’s current offerings over the next five to seven years, which will be followed by the introduction of more electric vehicles.

With this strategy in mind, Jaguar is reportedly preparing to replace its XJ saloon with an all-electric sedan within the next two years. Details of the vehicle remain under wraps, though speculations are high that the XJ replacement will be marketed as a direct competitor to the upcoming Porsche Taycan and the best-selling Tesla Model S.

A report from British car magazine Autocar UK notes that the all-electric XJ will likely invoke the same spirit as the vehicle’s original iteration back in 1967, which was noted for its refined ride quality and luxurious interior. An all-electric Jaguar XJ will likely feature all the plush amenities that the company can offer, making it a full-sized sedan worthy of its reputation as one of the official vehicles used by the UK’s Royal Family and the Prime Minister. Ultimately, Jaguar’s all-electric XJ sedan will likely be competing with ultra-luxury cars like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and even the Bentley Flying Spur.

The Jaguar XE and the XF are reportedly set to be retired by 2023, with the vehicles being replaced by a fully-electric crossover that’s a bit larger than Audi’s recently-revealed e-tron. By 2025, Jaguar is reportedly set to launch a new iteration of the I-PACE as well. Jaguar would be on track to have a nearly all-electric lineup by 2026, with only the company’s flagship SUV – the J-Pace luxury crossover – being continued until around 2027. Considering that the Jaguar F-Type is reportedly set to be discontinued in the mid-2020s, an all-electric sports car could be in the legacy carmaker’s pipeline as well.

The veteran carmaker’s upcoming transition into an all-electric lineup over the next 10 years was reportedly encouraged by the warm reception to the Jaguar I-PACE, as well as the company’s involvement with Formula E. While Jaguar would be facing fierce competition in the electric car market from first-movers like Tesla, which has been making premium EVs since for more than 10 years, as well as fellow legacy carmakers like Porsche, which are also fully embracing a transition to an electrified fleet, the British carmaker can count on its experience in building luxury vehicles as a possible edge in the EV industry.

Jaguar’s transition into an all-electric brand is not yet finalized, as the company’s execs still need to get the green light from executives at Tata, the luxury carmaker’s parent company. That said, if the Indian auto giant does approve Jaguar’s transition, the British luxury automaker, together with fellow veterans like Porsche, could be among the leaders in the upcoming premium EV market.

News of Jaguar’s possible transition into an all-electric brand comes as Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess announced his criticism over the European Union’s proposed new emissions regulations, which require carmakers to reduce their vehicles’ emissions output by 35% on or before 2030. In a statement, Diess noted that such a drastic transition could place the jobs of 100,000 Volkswagen workers at risk. Last month, Volkswagen AG CEO Matthias Müller also stated that he remains optimistic about the future of diesel-powered automobiles.

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“Diesel will see a renaissance in the not-too-distant future because people who drove diesels will realize that it was a very comfortable drive concept. Once the knowledge that diesels are eco-friendly firms up in people’s minds, then for me there’s no reason not to buy one,” Müller said.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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SpaceX achieves incredible milestone with Starlink program

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Credit: SpaceX

SpaceX has achieved an incredible milestone by launching its 11,000th Starlink satellite into orbit.

This accomplishment occurred during the Starlink Group 17-50 mission, which lifted off on August 19 at 04:01 UTC from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

A Falcon 9 rocket carried 24 Starlink V2 Mini satellites on this flight, successfully deploying them into low Earth orbit approximately one hour after liftoff. The first stage booster, identified as B1097 on its twelfth flight, landed successfully on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean.

According to tracking data compiled around that date, this deployment brought the total number of Starlink satellites in orbit to just over 11,000.

The Starlink program began with test satellites known as Tintin A and B, launched on February 22, 2018. The first operational batch of 60 Starlink satellites followed on May 24, 2019, when a Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral. Those initial satellites marked the start of a rapid expansion that has continued for more than seven years.

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SpaceX has conducted hundreds of dedicated Starlink missions since then, routinely launching batches of 20 to 30 satellites at a time using reusable Falcon 9 rockets. By mid-2026, the company had already surpassed 12,000 total satellites launched across all versions, with continuous replacements for units that deorbit as designed to manage space debris.

Looking ahead, SpaceX continues to expand the Starlink constellation to enhance global broadband coverage, capacity, and speed. The network already serves millions of users across more than 160 countries and supports applications ranging from residential internet to maritime, aviation, and emergency services.

Future plans center on next-generation hardware, including larger V3 satellites capable of delivering substantially higher throughput, which require the increased payload capacity of the Starship vehicle currently under development and testing.

In July, SpaceX submitted an application to the Federal Communications Commission seeking authority for a Gen3 constellation of up to 100,000 satellites. These spacecraft would operate in very low Earth orbit shells at altitudes near 325 kilometers and 475 kilometers. The filing requests use of existing Ku, Ka, V, and E band spectrum along with new greenfield W and D band frequencies between 92 and 275 GHz.

SpaceX states that the expanded system aims to deliver multi-gigabit symmetrical broadband to consumers, enterprises, governments, and billions of AI-powered devices worldwide while handling a majority of global internet traffic. Approval and subsequent deployment would depend on regulatory review and the operational readiness of Starship for high-volume launches.

This ambitious scale reflects SpaceX’s ongoing commitment to providing ubiquitous high-speed connectivity from space.

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Tesla is opening Cybercab rides to a select few

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has opened a new sweepstakes to allow the public to be among the first to take an initial ride in a Cybercab. This all-electric, steering-wheel-less, pedal-less vehicle is the centerpiece of the company’s autonomous ride-hailing platform, Robotaxi.

There are two ways Tesla fans can get to Austin to take part in the first public rides of the Cybercab: by riding on the Robotaxi platform by August 23, or by mailing a very specific entry to their Headquarters at Gigafactory Texas.

Tesla announced the latter portion of the sweepstakes last night:

Tesla will give one entry into the sweepstakes if you mail a 3″ by 5″ piece of paper with your full name, mailing address, telephone number, email address, and date of birth to their address:

Tesla, Robotaxi Sweeps Event

1 Tesla Road,

Austin, TX 78725

There is a limit of one entry per stamped envelope. You can send as many as you’d like, but they must be in separate envelopes.

The company’s unique strategy to give people the opportunity to ride in a Cybercab before pretty much anyone else outside of the company is a hilarious but spot-on representation of how Tesla operates. In classic fashion, they had the perfect response to the event:

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Cybercab will launch later this month, it appears, especially as it plans to announce the winners of the sweepstakes on August 25. The car has already been operating internally, as employees have been able to utilize the Cybercab for rides in some capacity, something it announced earlier this month.

Tesla weirdly confirms Cybercab employee rides, a huge milestone

Moving forward, the big goal is to get Cybercab out on the roads and integrated into the public Robotaxi fleet, one that will pick up real-world ride-hailers and give them a ride from Point A to Point B.

No matter which way you cut it, it appears Tesla is close to putting a vehicle with no steering wheel and no pedals on the road to help people travel autonomously.

You can ride along with us in our first Cybercab ride from the We, Robot event in October 2024. The video is embedded below:

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Tesla reveals plans for Robotaxi charging hub in Austin

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Credit: Grok Imagine

Tesla has revealed plans through permit submissions for a massive Robotaxi charging hub in Austin, Texas.

Tesla plans to build the Supercharger hub in multiple phases, with the second phase potentially introducing wireless induction charging, something the company has been developing for the Robotaxi fleet.

Initially, 48 Tesla Robotaxi-geared Superchargers will be built on a lot just across from the St. Elmo, Texas, Service Center. There are about 80 additional spots that will not be impacted by phase 1 of the construction process.

Filings show that the second phase of the project will turn those 80 additional spots into wireless charging for Robotaxi, but it might be an error. The Key Notes state that item 3 is listed as “V4 Charging Cabinet to Support 80 Wireless Chargers in Phase 2. However, the drawings point to V3 Cabinets that are already tied to Superchargers:

There are roughly 128 total spots in the lot, but it is unclear if they will all be used for charging based on what appears to be some sort of typo in the blueprint.

This is among the first Robotaxi charging hubs Tesla has started to develop, as it currently has four others planned throughout various areas: one in Phoenix, one in San Antonio, another in Irving, which will serve the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and another in Las Vegas.

These projects are necessary as Tesla expands its Robotaxi program. Now that preparations have started for the public launch of Cybercab, Robotaxi will likely be expanding aggressively, especially over the next two to three years.

Last night, The Information reported that Tesla was planning to launch Cybercab as soon as the end of August. Hours later, Tesla then announced it was launching a competition for fans to potentially ride in Cybercab during its first public rides.

Tesla Cybercab launch preparations have begun

Tesla’s plan to expand its charging infrastructure in the regions where Robotaxi will initially operate is great preparation for the expanding service. There is still a lot to do, including launching the Cybercab on time.

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