Could the next James Bond be driving an EV powered by Lucid Motors?
The public may not yet know who the next actor will be to fill the polished, often knife-equipped, shoes of M16’s top 00 agent – James Bond, but we do have a better idea of what type of vehicle he may be driving to evade the baddies when he makes his on-screen debut. Following an existing supply agreement with Aston Martin, Lucid Motors’ CEO and CTO Peter Rawlinson hinted that James Bond’s next vehicle could be 100% electric.
Ian Fleming’s James Bond franchise has long outlived the UK writer and become one of the most successful franchises of all time. Since the first film adaption of Fleming’s 1958 novel, Dr. No, we’ve seen five different actors (and George Lazenby) portray 007.
The most recent chapters in the Bond saga were a lot grittier and action-packed, led by Daniel Craig, whose 15-year tenure as the British spy ended with a literal bang. While Eon Productions, responsible for a large majority of the Bond films, and distributor MGM have not yet publicly revealed who the next James Bond will be, the role will most certainly live on, as the franchise’s most recent entries garnered some of the highest-grossing box office numbers, even with inflation.
When 007 finally returns to the silver screen, you can expect Martinis, cheeky yet borderline cheesy one-liners, and plenty of chase scenes. As an M16 agent under Her Majesty’s Secret Service, you can also expect 007 to be driving a UK-made vehicle.
Fleming himself wrote that Bond’s character had “once dabbled on the fringe of the racing world,” so the spy has always had an eye for flashy cars (even BMWs in the 90s). While 007 drove an Aston Martin DB Mark III in Fleming’s first three novels, the series’ first film adaptation featured a DB5, which made a return to the screen in 2021’s No Time to Die.
As the vehicle of choice in more than half of the 25 existing Bond films, Aston Martin is undoubtedly the brand associated with the international super spy. It appears that trend will continue with the next James Bond, and according to Lucid CEO and CTO Peter Rawlinson, it could be an electric Aston Martin powered by Sapphire.
CEO hints James Bond’s next car may be Lucid powered
During a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the opening of Phase 2 at its AMP-1 production facility in Arizona, Lucid Motors CEO and CTO Peter Rawlinson was in great spirits in front of a crowd that included plant employees, media, and local politicians.
Following an up-close look at its upcoming Gravity SUV and a peek at its sheet-clad mid-size EV in the pipeline, Rawlinson shared another juicy tidbit regarding a long-term strategic partnership with Aston Martin announced last June.
Through the deal, Lucid Motors will supply its proprietary electric powertrain technology present in the Air Sapphire, including its high-performance twin motor unit, battery tech (not the cells), and Wunderbox charging system. The components will all be built at AMP-1 and shipped overseas to the UK automaker via supply contracts worth over $450 million.
Following the partnership, Aston Martin said it would use Lucid’s technology to help launch its first 100% electric model in 2025. With Lucid-powered Aston Martin EVs on the way, could we see James Bond behind the wheel of one on screen? Peter Rawlinson seems to think so. He shared the following in front of the crowd in AZ when discussing bringing powertrain manufacturing into AMP-1:
It is little wonder that Aston Martin chose our Sapphire technology, and certainly, Lucid will be powering the Aston Martins of the future, and a little bird tells me that maybe Mr. Bond will be powered by Lucid as a consequence. Wouldn’t that be cool?
007 driving an EV? We’ve heard this one before. Aston Martin promised to do it in 2019 with its RapidE concept, but it never came to fruition. Now, with the help of Lucid and its Sapphire powertrain technology, we could very well see James Bond in an all-electric Aston Martin taking on a real-life villain – climate change.
What do you think? Will the studio finally put Bond in an EV? Would that sort of acceleration even be fair to the cronies chasing him through the streets of Morocco or the Furka Pass is Switzerland? Having no engine noise is probably ideal for stealth missions though.
We still need to learn who the next James Bond will be, but when that new 007 dons his first tuxedo, he may be stepping out and into an electric Aston Martin powered by Lucid.
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Uber announced that it will offer self-driving rides powered by May Mobility on its app in Texas later this year.
The ride-hailing platform will have both Waymo and May Mobility on its platform in Texas, while Tesla plans to compete with them all in Austin soon.
Tesla is grabbing a lot of headlines with its plan to offer self-driving ride-hailing rides in Austin starting this June, but Waymo has already been providing the same in Austin on Uber’s platform for months and now a new competitor is coming to Texas.
Michidan’s May Mobility has been somewhat under the radar in the autonomous driving space, but it has been around for almost a decade and has received large funding from Toyota, BMW, and several insurance companies.
Yesterday, they announced a significant step: deploying thousands of vehicles on Uber’s platform within the next few years.
They plan to launch the first vehicles as soon as this year in Arlington, Texas:
Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: UBER) and May Mobility, Inc., a leading autonomous vehicle (AV) technology company, today announced a new multi-year strategic partnership. May Mobility aims to deploy thousands of AVs on the Uber platform over the next few years, with an initial launch planned for Arlington, Texas, by the end of 2025. The partnership highlights both companies’ shared ambition to quickly scale AV use in ride-hail, broadening access to AVs across diverse markets and driving greater consumer choice.
May Mobility uses hybrid Toyota Sienna vans outfitted with its own sensor suite, and it has been launching test programs in Arlington since 2021, so it’s very familiar with the locale.
Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, commented on the news:
“We are thrilled to be partnering with May Mobility to continue to scale the availability of autonomous vehicles across the United States. At Uber, we’re building the future of transportation, working with the world’s leading autonomous vehicle developers like May Mobility to help commercialize and deploy this technology quickly at scale around the world.”
Edwin Olson, CEO and co-founder of May Mobility, added:
“Launching on the Uber platform is a big signal to the market that May Mobility is ready to quickly expand to major markets as the pre-eminent autonomy-as-a-service provider. Uber and May Mobility will make it possible for more people across the U.S. to enjoy the transformative benefits of autonomous vehicles.”
If this project goes through, it means Uber is going to be offering driverless rides from both Waymo and May Mobility in Texas by the end of the year.
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Block shares were on track for their second-worst day Friday, plunging more than 20% as investors digested a brutal quarterly report and a wave of analyst downgrades centered on one issue: Cash App.
The first-quarter earnings miss rattled Wall Street, prompting multiple firms — including Wells Fargo, Seaport, BMO, and Benchmark — to downgrade the stock overnight. Many flagged fresh concerns around stagnant Cash App user growth, muted consumer demand, and a soft macro environment that may weigh on monetization.
“Stagnation in the number of active users of the app is even more concerning than users’ reduced spending,” Benchmark wrote in its note, downgrading Block to Hold.
The financial services company missed across the board — on revenue, gross profit, and payment volume — and slashed its full-year guidance, citing macro uncertainty, weaker consumer spending, and lower-than-expected inflows during what’s typically a strong tax refund season.
“I just don’t think we were focused enough and had enough attention on the network and the network density, and that is our foundation,” CEO Jack Dorsey said on the earnings call. “We of course want to deepen engagement with our customers through banking services and Borrow, and I have no doubt we will … but at the same time, we need to make sure that we continuously grow our network, and that starts with peer to peer.”
Cash App generated $1.38 billion in gross profit in the first quarter, up 10% from a year earlier, but shy of the $1.42 billion StreetAccount consensus. Monthly actives remained flat at 57 million — and inflows rose just 8%, despite new features like Afterpay on the Cash Card and broader efforts to position Cash App as a full-fledged banking alternative.
Block 5 day stock chart
Wells Fargo called out “numerous Cash App monetization red flags,” while Seaport pointed to several consecutive quarters of negative GPV growth. Even Morgan Stanley, which reiterated its Overweight rating, called the Cash App miss “surprising” — though it highlighted better-than-expected momentum in the Square seller business, particularly in international markets.
BMO downgraded the stock to Market Perform. Wells Fargo said it’s unwilling to “lay out for the second half Hail Mary,” moving to Equal Weight. Seaport downgraded to Neutral, writing: “Will the real Jack Dorsey please stand up?”
Still, some maintained optimism, with Bank of America reiterating its Buy rating, calling the stock undervalued, and Morgan Stanley saying it was an attractive near-term entry point.
Block’s turnaround plan hinges on lending. The company says Cash App Borrow — now approved by the FDIC to originate loans through its bank subsidiary — will double the number of eligible users and improve margins by bringing servicing in-house.
Marketing spend is also expected to jump 50% in Q2 as Block looks to reaccelerate growth in the back half of the year.
“We are not sufficiently confident in the likelihood of such a rebound to recommend buying the stock on weakness,” Benchmark wrote.
Meanwhile, rival Venmo is showing signs of momentum.
Parent company PayPal reported a 20% revenue jump for the app in Q1, driven by increased adoption of Venmo’s debit card, instant transfers, and growing volume at checkout. While PayPal didn’t disclose an exact revenue figure for Venmo, it said monetization per user is improving — the result of a clear push to embed Venmo deeper into e-commerce flows.
Two very different strategies are now unfolding: Cash App is leaning deeper into lending and banking, while Venmo is chasing spend at checkout. But the goal, however, is the same: Owning the consumer’s wallet.
Right now, Venmo appears to be gaining ground, while Cash App is regrouping.
Environment
Hyundai’s new electric SUV is here: IONIQ 9 prices start at $60,555 with 335 miles range
Hyundai’s first three-row electric SUV will arrive at US dealerships any day now. The 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 is an impressive SUV with up to 335 miles of driving range, fast charging capabilities, room for seven, and prices start at just $60,555.
Hyundai reveals 2026 IONIQ 9 prices and specs
After the first IONIQ 9 models rolled off the assembly line at Hyundai’s new manufacturing plant in Georgia in early March, the electric SUV is finally about to reach dealerships.
Hyundai revealed prices and specs for the 2026 IONIQ 9 on Friday as it gears up for deliveries. The three-row electric SUV starts at just $58,955. Including a $1,600 freight charge, the entry-level 2026 IONIQ 9 RWD S model costs $60,555, and that’s with a range of up to 335 miles.
Upgrading to the AWD SE model with 303 horsepower and 320 miles range will cost $64,365, including destination.
The 2026 IONIQ 9 AWD Performance Limited, with 422 horsepower, 21″ wheels, and 311 miles range, starts at $72,850, including the destination charge.
For the range-topping Hyundai IONIQ 9 AWD Performance Calligraphy Design trim, which gets added Matte paint, 21″ wheels, and 311 miles driving range, prices start at $78,090.
Hyundai’s first three-row electric SUV is also one of the first non-Tesla vehicles sold with a native NACS port for charging at Tesla Superchargers. Using a 350 kW DC fast charger, the IONIQ 9 can charge from 10% to 80% in as little as 24 minutes.
The IONIQ 9 is 5,060 mm (199.2″) long, 1,980 mm (78″) wide, and 1,790 mm (70.5″) tall, or slightly bigger than the Kia EV9.
Inside, the “lounge-like” interior provides up to 1,322 liters of cargo space, topping Kia’s three-row EV9, which has up to 1,233 liters.
All IONIQ 9 models sold in the US are built in Georgia, alongside the updated IONIQ 5, and are eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit. Hyundai said 2026 IONIQ 9 models will begin arriving at dealerships by early May.
| 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 Model | EV Powertrain | Drivetrain | Driving Range (miles) |
Starting Price (including destination fee) |
| IONIQ 9 RWD S | 160-kW (215-HP) Electric Motor |
Rear- Wheel Drive |
335 | $60,555 |
| IONIQ 9 AWD SE | 226.1 kW (303-HP) Dual Electric Motors |
All-Wheel Drive |
320 | $64,365 |
| IONIQ 9 AWD SEL | 226.1-kW (303-HP) Dual Electric Motors |
All-Wheel Drive |
320 | $67,920 |
| IONIQ 9 AWD PERFORMANCE LIMITED |
314.6-kW (422-HP) Dual Electric Motors |
All-Wheel Drive |
311 | $72,850 |
| IONIQ 9 AWD PERFORMANCE CALLIGRAPHY |
314.6-kW (422-HP) Dual Electric Motors |
All-Wheel Drive |
311 | $76,590 |
| IONIQ 9 AWD PERFORMANCE CALLIGRAPHY DESIGN |
314.6-kW (422-HP) Dual Electric Motors |
All-Wheel Drive |
311 | $78,090 |
For those interested, Hyundai is offering a free ChargePoint Home Flex Level 2 charger with the purchase or lease of any new 2026 IONIQ 9. If you already have a home charger, you can opt for a $400 charging credit.
If you’re looking for something a little smaller (and cheaper), the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 is one of the best EV deals right now, with leases starting at just $209 per month. You can use our link to find 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 models at a dealer near you.
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