Tesla is finally going to release everything we always wanted to know about Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD), but it’s because NHTSA is forcing the automaker to do it.

Last month, NHTSA announced that it was opening a new investigation into Autopilot/FSD after not being satisfied with the recall that came out of its previous investigation closed last year.

The agency said that several more crashes had been reported since the recall and is now questioning the “remedy,” which was an increase in alerts drivers get when using Autopilot.

Now, NHTSA says that “post-remedy crash events and results from preliminary NHTSA tests of remedied vehicles” is pushing them to revisit the situation.

Today, the agency released a new letter it sent to Tesla in which it requests extensive information about Autopilot/FSD. NHTSA is basically asking for all data and document that Tesla has related to these systems.

Tesla has notoriously been going out of its way not to release much data about Autopilot and its Full Self-Driving program. The automaker used a loophole to get around the CA DMV’s self-driving testing program data reporting.

Now, it is finally going to have to release everything as NHTSA warns that Tesla can face up to $135 million in fines if it doesn’t comply.

Here’s the full request from NHTSA:

Electrek’s Take

For years, I have been saying that Tesla’s reluctance to release any data on Autopilot/FSD being the very limited “safety report”, which Tesla itself stopped reporting more than a year ago, is a real red flag.

Most other companies working on self-driving programs have consistently released disengagement and driver intervention data in order to track progress, but Tesla has always resisted that.

Now, we are finally going to get actual data and not just anecdotal experiences and it only took a regulator to get involved and a threat of a $135 million fine.

If we knew that it was all we needed.

Hopefully, once the government has it, we will be able to get our hands on it, or at least a redacted version of it, through requests of information.

Ryvid, the Southern California-based manufacturer of the popular Ryvid Anthem electric motorcycle, has just launched its second model based on the same platform. The new Ryvid Outset, priced at just $5,995, is set to become the most affordable highway-capable electric motorcycle in the US.

At the same time, the company announced a major price drop, lowering the Ryvid Anthem to just US $6,495 after moving into a new scaled-up production facility in San Bernadino, California.

The Anthem, which began making deliveries late last year, has largely seen use as a commuter-role motorcycle. But the new Outset is designed to offer riders more of a dual-purpose bike, expanding their commuter into a weekend off-roader as well.

As the company explained, “The scrambler-style Outset is a striking option for customers wanting an electric motorcycle for commuting and multi-road adventure. What’s more, because Outset shares a number of key components with Anthem, it opens a unique opportunity for riders to convert one into the other to suit their needs.”

Just like the Anthem, the Outset uses a folded metal frame instead of a tubular frame, which weighs in at an ultralight 12 lb (5 kg).

The Outset also includes a similar 72V system as the Anthem, and features the same 4.3 kWh removable battery. Range is variable depending on speed and terrain, but Eco mode is said to net 70 miles (120 km) per charge. It’s a small battery, but then again it’s a small bike. This isn’t your touring bike, it’s your commuter with a side of local adventure.

But being small also has its advantages. The battery pack has an onboard charger and integrated wheels, allowing owners to drop it out of the bike and wheel it inside or up to their apartment for charging remotely. For owners with street-level charging opportunities or private garages, the battery can also be charged on the bike.

The Outset’s motor is rated at 10 hp continuous and 20 hp peak (7 and 14 kW, respectively). The motor puts out 53 ft-lb of torque (72 Nm), and provides a top speed of over 75 mph (120 km/h). That electric motor also offers two key advantages of similar class combustion engine bikes: regenerative braking and reverse gear. “Why a reverse gear?” asked the reader who has never tried to park a motorcycle on even a slight incline and then wiggle it back out.

By design, the Outset shares a significant amount of DNA with the Anthem. Other electric motorcycle makers like Zero and LiveWire also use the same platform to build multiple models, helping to reduce the cost to riders.

But the Outset still differentiates itself with more than just aesthetic changes. As the company explained, the Outset “has a 33-inch seat height but its compliant suspension and narrow cushion means it will comfortably accommodate a range of riders. Further differentiating it from Anthem, Outset gets its own headlight design, mirrors, wider handlebar, seat unit and suspension. The more upright riding position also necessitated repositioning the footpegs forward and adding a longer kickstand. By removing the Anthem’s adjustable seat mechanism and employing less body panels among a raft of changes, Ryvid has been able to offer Outset at $500 less than its flagship Anthem.”

That’s right, while the Ryvid Anthem was priced at US $8,995 until recently, the company has just dropped the price to just US $6,495. As the company’s Founder and CEO Dong Tran explained, that cost reduction is thanks to several factors. “From Ryvid’s inception, our primary goal has been to provide the most accessible light electric vehicle to a broad audience. In order to disrupt the light electric mobility sector, it was essential to not only innovate our products but also our value proposition,” said Tran. “Creating a new generation of two-wheel electric adopters meant competing effectively on the specification-versus-price ratio against both existing EVs and traditional ICE vehicles. Achieving competitive pricing would be challenging until we could execute several key post-launch initiatives.”

A new San Bernadino production facility was recently brought online to expand the company’s manufacturing capabilities. The company has since been able to increase its production rate and thus negotiate better costs from suppliers. Now, with multiple models built on the same platform, Ryvid has been able to simplify its supply chain further with as many shared components as possible.

“Our team has focused on reaching these objectives over the past two years,” Tran continued. “Their relentless efforts have reached a milestone with the Ryvid Anthem. Available now, it will sell for $6,495, setting a new benchmark as one of the world’s most affordable electric motorcycles, based on specification.”

For Anthem owners who recently purchased the bike for the higher price ahead of Ryvid’s steep price drop, the company is said to be offering financial incentives as well as the option of a steep discount on a battery-less Outset, as the owners would be able to run both bikes off of their single battery.

Nikola Corporation has posted its Q1 2024 financial report ahead of a call with investors this morning, and the numbers detail a commercial vehicle developer growing amid setbacks that arose last year. Today’s update mainly focuses on hydrogen as Nikola looks to execute deliveries while making good on issues with its BEV trucks.

It’s been an eventual twelve months for Nikola Corporation ($NKLA). During its Q1 2023 financial report, the American commercial vehicle manufacturer hinted at a weaning down of staff and company spending to optimize hydrogen and BEV truck production.

By Q2 2023, however, Nikola was presented with a significant issue as the Romeo Power battery packs in its BEV trucks started catching fire. The fire was not an isolated incident either; it warranted an investigation from the local fire department amid multiple fires, eventually leading to the automaker’s fourth CEO stepping down while Nikola’s stock tanked.

Nikola had to recall all 209 BEV trucks in operation while it simultaneously worked to expand its lineup of hydrogen trucks. That process is going much more smoothly as Nikola delivered its first HFCEV this past February.

As such, much of Nikola’s Q1 2024 financial report mostly focuses on the progress of its hydrogen fuel cell technology, although there is an update to the BEV recall.

Nikola stresses ‘execution’ amid lower Q1 2024 numbers

Based on the development hurdles mentioned above, it should come as little surprise that Nikola Corporation’s Q1 2024 report details a drop in production and revenue. The automaker wholesaler 40 FCEVs to end fleets in the first three months of the year and delivered each one.

Now, through two-quarters of hydrogen truck production, Nikola has sold 75 Tre FCEVs to date. Nikola trucks produced in Q1 2024 (43) are down compared to Q1 2023 (63), but the 40 deliveries are an Improvement, up from 31 trucks year-over-year. Revenue was down in Q1 at $7.5 million compared to $10.7 million in Q1 2023, and adjusted EBITDA was slightly up ($104 million in Q1 2024 compared to $103.7 million a year ago). See below:

Nikola’s focus on hydrogen FCEV deliveries is met by positive growth in the infrastructure to support it, as the company’s HYLA arm is not only on track in its “Hydrogen Highway Plan” but ahead of schedule. The automaker has previously committed to nine additional HYLA refueling stations in California by the end of 2024 but is now expecting to hit that milestone by mid-year and aiming to put 14 hydrogen refueling stations into operation by the end of the year. Nikola president and CEO Steve Girsky spoke:

We continue to move forward rapidly and execute our plans. And please keep that in mind – we are in the execution phase, not the planning or concepting phase. Last quarter, I talked about getting on the field with the first deliveries of our hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks. Today, we are executing plays, competing, and cultivating more green shoots as we expand upon current markets and enter new ones.

As for the Tre BEV trucks, Nikola appears to have put out the fires (literally and figuratively) and has begun reintroducing the trucks into the market. Nikola shared that it has completed the first delivery of its revamped “Tre 2.0” BEV in Q1 2024 and will continue to prioritize returning those trucks to customers and dealers throughout 2024. The automaker is admittedly not out of the woods yet, however. Per the release:

Our ability to sell Nikola’s on-hand inventory, however, will be dependent upon future battery supply; we now expect to opportunistically sell on-hand inventory for revenue in 2025. We’ve also taken this opportunity to ‘future proof’ the BEV 2.0, as it now shares significant software commonality with the battery and operating systems on the FCEV, allowing customers to receive next-generation upgrades seamlessly over-the-air as they are deployed.

Nikola will hold a call with investors this morning to discuss its Q1 2024 numbers, beginning at 7:30 AM PT. You can tune into the live webcast here.