1. Tesla finally starts delivering the Semi
Nine years after Elon Musk first unveiled it, the Semi electric truck is finally reaching customers, rolling out of Tesla's Sparks, Nevada plant. First buyers include PepsiCo, DHL and U.S. Foods. The long-range version covers 500 miles (804 km) per charge — "500 real-world miles," says Tesla's Semi engineering director — while the standard version does 325 miles (523 km). Tesla reiterated plans to build 50,000 Semis a year at the Nevada facility. No pricing or production volumes were disclosed at the webcast event, and Musk himself didn't show — he sent a recorded video instead.
Source: The New York Ledger
2. Geely's 2.25MW charger: 10–70% in four and a half minutes
China's charging race just hit a new level. Geely unveiled Smart Charge, an AI-managed system pushing 2,250 kW (2.25 MW) per charging gun — the highest single-gun output announced so far. Paired with Geely's new Aegis Golden Brick battery, a Lynk & Co 10 test car hit a 1,093 kW peak and charged 10% to 70% in about 4.5 minutes (to 97% in 8 minutes 40 seconds). AI thermal management predicts battery temperature 30 seconds ahead to keep things safe. For context, some of the fastest-charging EVs on sale in the US still take roughly 20 minutes. Geely joins BYD and CATL, both of which rolled out five-minute charging this year.
Source: Associated Press (via KCAU 9 News)
3. Waymo vs Tesla: the Texas robotaxi scoreboard
Texas publishes robotaxi fleet registrations, and it's become a public scoreboard. Waymo now has 1,102 vehicles registered in Texas after adding roughly 360 in just 21 days — a direct answer to Tesla, which has grown its Texas fleet from 42 to 489 vehicles (420 Model Ys and 69 Cybercabs) since the summer. The Cybercab — Tesla's purpose-built, steering-wheel-free robotaxi — started paid rides in Austin in early September. Nationally, Waymo says it's doing over 500,000 paid rides a week across 14 US markets with a fleet beyond 4,000 cars. Tesla's unsupervised rides run only in Texas and Florida for now. The arms race is officially on.
Source: Electric Vehicles
4. GWM weighs a seven-seat Kluger rival for Australia
GWM Australia is still deciding which car-based seven-seat SUV to bring here to fight the Toyota Kluger and BYD Sealion 8. The shortlist: an extended Haval H7 Plus seven-seater and the larger Haval H10. The H7 Plus would likely land in 2027, with the five-seat H7 hybrid and plug-in hybrid due in local showrooms next month. GWM marketing boss Steve Maciver told Drive the H7 Plus is "under consideration" and the H10 is one they're "very, very interested in." Also being seriously considered: the premium Wey V8X and V9X large SUVs, pitched as hybrid or electric rivals for the Lexus RX and the Denza/Zeekr crowd.
Source: Drive