Noted carmaker Aston Martin has found itself in a climate lobbying controversy, following the spread of an anti-EV study which peddled the idea that electric cars will have to travel as far as 50,000 miles before matching the carbon footprint of a comparable fossil fuel-powered vehicle. Needless to say, the controversy, which is now being dubbed in EV circles as #Astongate, is crumbling down, and it seems to be dragging Aston Martin’s name with it.
The report, titled “Decarbonising Road Transport: There Is No Silver Bullet,” made the rounds in several key media outlets last week, with agencies such as The Times and the The Daily Telegraph reporting on its alleged findings. The findings of the study promptly drew raised eyebrows from EV authorities online, most especially Auke Hoekstra, Senior Advisor on Electric Mobility at the Eindhoven Technical University, who is known for debunking anti-electric car narratives. It didn’t take long before the study was thoroughly debunked.
But the story only got stranger from there.
Electric vehicle experts and researchers opted to trace the source of the study, and what they found was quite interesting. As it turned out, the study was commissioned by companies including Aston Martin, Bosch, Honda, and McLaren. The study was presented as the work of a firm called Clarendon Communications, and it was commissioned shortly after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for a ban on the sale of new fossil fuel-powered vehicles from 2030.
Interestingly enough, the communications firm behind the report, Clarendon Communications, was registered under the name of Rebecca Stephen, a part-time NHS nurse and the spouse of Aston Martin’s government affairs director, James Stephen. The PR firm was set up only this February, and it is registered to the address of a property jointly owned by the couple.
In an email to The Guardian, Rebecca Stephen stated that the report from Clarendon was “compiled” by the same companies that commissioned the study itself. According to Stephen, Clarendon was contacted by Bosch “to provide public affairs and stakeholder support” so its logo and contact details appear on the back of the report “for this purpose.” Bosch, for its part, noted via a spokeswoman that it fully supports the report. The company also called for “greater transparency” on the carbon footprint of vehicles.
As the “Astongate” controversy emerges, Labour MP Matt Western, who wrote the foreword to the Clarendon Communications report, expressed his disdain that the study was used as part of an anti-EV narrative. According to Western, he agreed to be part of the project to “push this agenda forward, rather than the opposite.” “I am disappointed that the report has since been used to push an anti-electrification line in the media. I was not aware of any link between the PR firm involved and Aston Martin,” he said.
As for Francis Ingham, the director-general of the Public Relations and Communications Association, he noted that PR agencies such as Clarendon must fight misinformation, not spread it. “We have a duty to fight misinformation, not purvey it. PR agencies should be fully transparent about who they represent. Failure to disclose client relationships damages trust in our industry and lends credence to misleading perceptions of PR as a sinister practice,” Ingham said.
Amidst the shift of the auto industry towards electric vehicles, Aston Martin is among those that are being left behind. The company has canceled its RapidE electric vehicle and is currently not promising anything electric until 2026. The company has handed a fifth of its equity to Mercedes-Benz in exchange for access to the German luxury automaker’s hybrid and EV tech.
Tesla has updated its Robotaxi app so riders can pick which vehicle they want before they book. The latest in-app screens now show two options side by side: the two-seat Cybercab and the four-seat Model Y.
A screenshot circulating Thursday shows the change in practice. In Austin, a rider could choose a gold Cybercab for two people or a Model Y for four. Tesla’s updated description calls Cybercab “our first purpose-built autonomous vehicle,” designed for safety, accessibility, and comfort, and says the lineup is available only through the Robotaxi app.
Tesla has updated their Robotaxi page in the App Store. You’ll be able to select if you want a Cybercab or Model Y Robotaxi.
“Our Robotaxi vehicle lineup now includes Cybercab, our first purpose-built autonomous vehicle. Designed for safety, accessibility and comfort, Cybercab… pic.twitter.com/Jff4klilDr
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) September 3, 2026
The distinction is more than cosmetic, and it’s important to note that Robotaxi refers to the platform, while Cybercab refers to a vehicle.
Model Y Robotaxis have carried the service since it opened in Austin in mid-2025 and later expanded to Dallas, Houston, and parts of Florida. Those vehicles are converted production SUVs that still have steering wheels and pedals.
Cybercab is different. It has no driver controls, butterfly doors, a low seat height meant to work with wheelchairs, extra trunk space for assistive devices, and braille on the handles. Tesla has registered dozens of the two-seaters with Texas regulators in the days leading up to its September 3 Austin event.
Giving riders a choice lets Tesla match the vehicle to the trip. Most rides involve one or two people, which is where Cybercab is meant to be cheaper and more efficient to operate. Groups of three or four, or anyone who needs more space, can still request a Model Y.
The same app handles booking, payment, cabin settings, and, on Cybercab, features such as phone-based door opening and in-cabin voice controls.
The update does not mean every city suddenly has both cars available. Cybercab support is listed for Austin first, and the purpose-built fleet is still small compared with the existing Model Y roster. Even so, the app change marks a shift from a single-vehicle pilot to a mixed fleet.
Riders can now choose between the compact, purpose-built robotaxi and the familiar SUV that launched the service.
Tesla Cybercab sightings are broadening far and wide, well outside of downtown Austin, Texas, with autonomy in focus as the company plans to launch the all-electric, two-seater this evening in the Lone Star State.
Tesla is set to launch Cybercab to a small group of people this evening in a dedicated event in Austin, Texas. Public details on the event are relatively slim.
However, Tesla’s focus on Cybercab falls well outside of the downtown Austin area and is expanding well across the United States as things continue to move quickly with the company’s autonomous efforts in 2026. Today, various images of Cybercab fleets in interesting locations have started to circulate.
The most notable is a fleet of at least 20 Cybercabs at Miami International Airport in Florida. Spotted last night, the fleet is expansive and is indicative of a looming release of Cybercabs once regulatory boxes are checked off.
Tesla has already been operating the Robotaxi platform in Miami for several months, but this Cybercab fleet at the airport could be joining the ride-hailing platform as approvals arrive:
20+ Cybercabs spotted near Miami international airport. pic.twitter.com/ORLsw8yFhf
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) September 3, 2026
Another fleet of Cybercabs was spotted at the Devon, PA showroom just outside of Philadelphia. We have seen several Cybercab units testing around the Philadelphia Metro Area, which is interesting considering Tesla does not have any active Robotaxi geofence in Pennsylvania.
Cybercab at the Devon location in PA has multiplied over the weekend. Seeing a few more test vehicles in the lot 👀 pic.twitter.com/DhJT4P1EkU
— Billy (@billykyle) August 22, 2026
Philadelphia would be an ideal location to test ride-hailing due to its dense tourist population, large, sprawling city layout, and to compete with other ride-hailing companies that operate in the city.
Expansive fleets of Cybercabs will be popping up in and around major cities throughout the rest of the year, if we were betting on it. Tesla has made it obvious that the Cybercab rollout will be aggressive and fast-paced, but within reason. Tesla is still prioritizing safety, so these testing phases will likely go on for some period of time before more members of the public are able to snag a Cybercab for a personal chariot.
The Tesla Model Y L is arguably the most hyped trim of the all-electric crossover, other than the Performance configuration that comes with white-knuckle speed and sports car-level handling.
However, it is not all perfect. Tesla owners in China who took delivery of the Model Y L, denoted with an L to highlight its longer wheelbase, are experiencing what they are referring to as “collapsing” of the rear wheels, as suspension issues appear to be an issue with some of the builds.
🚨 Model Y L owners in China report rear suspension sag
• Six-seat long-wheelbase Y. Shanghai. On sale since August 2025
• Owners say the rear tire-to-arch gap shrinks after mileage or a full load. Some cases after about 9,000 km loaded. Others near 30,000 km
• Tesla service… pic.twitter.com/Lr6i5Tbi07— Joe Hansen (@joehansen) September 1, 2026
The gap between the wheel arch and tire has narrowed to the point that “not even a single finger” could fit, according to a report from Car News China. The failures are not tied to a specific mileage, as one owner said that after just 9,000 kilometers (5,600 miles), they noticed the suspension issue when their car was fully loaded.
Another one had the issue at 30,000 kilometers (18,640 miles) and noticed that the wheel gap shrank to two fingers, so not as drastic as the person who reported a similar issue at 9,000 km.
Tesla Model Y L is gaining momentum in China’s premium segment
Along with the visual recognition of the issue, others are saying the sagging is causing abnormal wear on the inside of the tires. Extra weight and instant torque already provide additional stress on the tires in electric vehicles during normal operation, so it is no surprise that this is another complaint.
There has been no recall issued by Tesla, and the company has not yet publicly acknowledged the issue.
Some are suggesting that owners use a “finger test” to self-diagnose whether there is an issue with the suspension. There should be four fingers between the tire and the wheel well; anything less than that starts to get dicey.
Tesla Robotaxi riders will face the best dilemma when booking a ride
Tesla Cybercab sightings broaden well outside of Austin with autonomy in focus
