GM Cruise robotaxis start service in Tesla’s Austin – FSD still nowhere to be found
GM’s Cruise autonomous taxi service has started taking driverless taxi rides in downtown Austin, Texas. It’s a shot across the bow of Tesla, now headquartered just outside of Austin, which has been promising self-driving robotaxis for years now, but keeps pushing them back.
Cruise has been operating a free driverless taxi service in San Francisco since earlier this year, and even started taking paid fares in June. In doing so, it beat its rival, Google’s Waymo, to the punch.
It also beat Tesla to that same goal, which has been talking about autonomous robotaxis (which they used to call “Tesla Network”) for over six years. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said “Tesla will have 1 million robotaxis on the road by the end of the year,” but later changed that goal to 1 million people in FSD beta.
We got our first real-life glimpse of Cruise’s Austin service in a 7-minute video posted to Twitter last night, which you can watch embedded below:
Cruise’s Austin service is not completely open to the public yet. It’s currently restricted to “friends & family” of Cruise employees, though they are taking actual paid rides, instead of launching with free rides first as they did in San Francisco. You can sign up to get on Cruise’s waitlist here, for when they decide to open up availability further.
Along with service in Austin, Cruise also started service in Phoenix this week. Phoenix is notable because, like Austin, one of Cruise’s competitors has already set up shop there. Waymo has been offering rides to the public in Phoenix since earlier this year, and has previously done some testing in Austin. Waymo also recently started offering airport trips in Phoenix.
This completes Cruise’s goal of having autonomous taxis running in three cities by the end of this year. Prior to now, they had only operated in San Francisco.
Cruise’s service has not been without its problems, though. Early this year one of their cars got pulled over by the police and then “bolted” off, and just last week the NHTSA opened an investigation into Cruise’s vehicles causing accidents, stopping abruptly and blocking roadways.
And these autonomous rides are still quite limited. Cruise and Waymo’s strategy differs from Tesla in that both companies are limiting their vehicles to lower-speed, geofenced areas that have been mapped out ahead of time. Service is also limited to 10 p.m. – 5:30 a.m. Wed-Sun, when streets tend to have fewer drivers and pedestrians, and thus self-driving problems are simpler.
This allows programmers to focus on a more limited set of circumstances, and limit damage in case anything goes wrong, as there are fewer people and objects on the road to cause trouble for if the driverless car has a problem.
But Cruise says that focusing on these similar areas helped them to get their Austin project off the ground quickly. It only took 90 days for them to go from zero mapping to fully autonomous service in Austin, an impressively fast timeline.
Tesla’s focus is on generalized self-driving, rather than being limited to certain areas. This is a much harder problem to solve, because different areas have different road types, signs, rules, driver behaviors, and so on.
Tesla does have a significant lead in some ways – its data collection far outpaces other automakers, for example. But CEO Musk has also been promising various self-driving milestones “by the end of this year” for almost a decade now, and these promises have never panned out. His language around these promises has been changing, but FSD still isn’t living up to expectations.
It’s clearly a complex problem, but Cruise’s shot across Tesla’s – and Waymo’s – bow is a big flex, showing that they consider their autonomous abilities on par with, or better than, their two biggest competitors.
Now we wonder – where will Cruise go next? Maybe Los Angeles, like Waymo recently announced?
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Amazon is adding over 200 Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 electric semi trucks to its fleet later this year – its largest-ever order of electric heavy goods vehicles (eHGVs).
Amazon’s new electric semi trucks
These electric trucks will handle high-mileage routes across the UK and Germany, moving trailers between Amazon’s fulfillment centers, sorting centers, and delivery stations.
The new eHGVs are expected to transport more than 350 million packages annually once fully operational.
Amazon is installing 360kW charging stations at key sites capable of powering the 40-tonne trucks from 20-80% in just over an hour. The company is also working with stakeholders to establish external charging locations to support longer routes.
The eActros 600 is Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ flagship electric long-hauler, with a battery capacity of more than 600 kWh and a range of 310 miles (500 km). Production of the eActros 600s recently began at Mercedes-Benz’s factory in Wörth, Germany.
Sustainable delivery across Europe
In the UK, Amazon has begun using the electric rail network for package transport at scale. It’s also rolling out on-foot delivery options in London, with associates using carts that can be restocked from nearby vans. In Germany, Amazon doubled its fleet of Rivian electric delivery vans to over 600, and electric cargo bikes delivered more than 1.5 million packages in Berlin alone last year.
By the end of 2024, Amazon plans to expand its micromobility hubs – locations supporting deliveries by foot and cargo bike – to Germany’s five largest cities and beyond. Across Europe, the company is investing more than €1 billion to further electrify and decarbonize its transportation network.
Amazon’s European network already includes 38 eHGVs, with 50 electric semis recently deployed in California. The company’s fleet of electric delivery vans in Europe has grown to over 3,000 and is expected to surpass 10,000 by the end of 2025. Micromobility hubs have also expanded from 20 cities in 2022 to more than 45 by the end of 2024, including new additions in Belfast, Madrid, Rome, and Vienna.
Electrek’s Take
Amazon says its latest electric semi truck order aligns with The Climate Pledge it announced in 2019, in which the company committed to achieving net zero across its operations by 2040. While The Climate Pledge initiative has garnered praise, it has also faced criticism and skepticism regarding its effectiveness and transparency.
In 2020, Amazon faced allegations of retaliating against employees who spoke out about the company’s environmental policies. The National Labor Relations Board found that Amazon had illegally fired workers who advocated for climate action and better safety measures.
Amazon is also donating $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural fund. Trump is a climate change denier who actively opposes renewables, and not just in the US. Earlier this month Trump demanded that the British government open up the North Sea to fossil fuel drilling and get rid of “windmills.”
Read more: It begins: Mercedes eActros 600 electric semi truck enters production
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![Check out the new Genesis GV60 interior, it looks even more luxurious in blue [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/Genesis-new-GV60-interior.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
If you thought the current GV60 looked pretty inside, wait until you see the updated model. Genesis unveiled the new GV60 earlier this month, its first major redesign since launching in 2021. Here’s our first look at the interior of the new Genesis GV60.
Genesis GV60 interior gets an upgrade in the new model
Genesis launched the GV60 in October 2021 as its first dedicated EV. Less than four years later, the luxury electric SUV is already getting a new look.
The luxury brand unveiled the new GV60 last week for the first time. One of the biggest updates is to the front end.
Although the GV60 is already a sporty-looking EV, the redesigned front bumper with a new 3-D shape takes it up another level. Then, add the signature Genesis Two Line headlamps with Micro Lens Array (MLA) tech, and the refreshed GV60 is a head turner.
The revamped model now features 21″ wheels with a new five-spoke design, complementing its wide, low stance.
Inside, the upgraded GV60 features its new 27″ connected car Integrated Cockpit (ccIC) infotainment system. The design “eliminates the bezel” between the driver display and infotainment screens.
The new Genesis GV60 interior also gains a redesigned three-spoke steering wheel for an even more sporty feel while you’re in the cockpit. Other popular features from the outgoing model, like the Crystal Sphere shift-by-wire system, are still included.
After revealing the updated model for the first time last week, we are already getting a look at the redesigned interior.
A new video from Korea’s HealerTV gives us our first look at the Genesis GV60 interior in a new blue color. Although the reporter initially thought it was a performance model, he noted it was just a new color option. Other added design elements, like the large quilting pattern on the side panels, give it that Bentley or Rolls-Royce feel.
Last week, HealerTV posted a video revealing the first look at the updated Genesis GV60 exterior design. You can see the redesigned front and rear bumpers add to the GV60’s already impressive look.
In the US, the 2025 Genesis GV60 starts at $52,350. A new AWD trim was introduced this year, starting at $55,850.
The current mode gets up to 294 miles driving range, but a bigger battery is expected to push that number closer to 300 miles in the 2025MY. It’s expected to feature the same 84 kWh battery as the updated 2025 IONIQ 5, which provides up to 318 miles range. That’s up from 303 miles in the previous model with a 77.4 kWh battery.
| 2025 Genesis GV60 trim | Range (EPA-est) |
Starting Price* |
| Standard RWD | 294 miles | $52,350 |
| Standard AWD | 264 miles | $55,850 |
| Advanced AWD | 248 miles | $60,900 |
| Performance AWD | 235 miles | $69,900 |
Genesis will launch the updated GV60 in Korea in the first quarter of the year, with overseas markets following shortly after. Check back for more info, including prices and specs, closer to launch.
What do you think about the new GV60 design? Do you like the changes? What would you change? Let us know in the comments below.
Ready to check out the electric luxury SUV for yourself? With the 2025 models here, Genesis is offering clearance prices on the 2024 lineup while they are still in stock. You can use our link to find offers on 2024 and 2025 Genesis GV60 models at a dealer near you today.
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