The Auto Xone

By Joey Klender Posted on December 18, 2024 Tesla’s focus on sustainable energy and its disruption in various sectors, as well as its current position as a leader in those sectors, has landed it a huge new price target bump from a Wall Street firm. Vijay Rakesh of Mizuho Securities has increased his Tesla price target by more than double, as it now lands at $515, up from $230. Rakesh also upgraded the shares to ‘Outperform’ from ‘Neutral.’ Tesla has been an industry leader and major disruptor in the automotive , energy, AI, autonomy, and robotics sectors by shaking up these sectors in various ways. The company’s focus on these sectors and its position as a leader has put it in prime position to dominate various industries moving forward, especially as other companies and competitors will be playing catchup or partially ditching their efforts altogether . Rakesh wrote in a note to investors (via  Yahoo! Finance ): “We expect TSLA’s leadership across...

The refreshed Model Y, codenamed Juniper, expected to have similar features as the refreshed “Highland” Model 3 , is will start mass production in China next month, according to local media. The news was reported by local news site LatePost, and brought to the English world by CnEVPost . The original report mostly discussed the departure of Song Gang, the former director of Tesla’s Shanghai factory, which we reported on earlier today . But in addition to that, it said that mass production will begin on the new Model Y in January. The refreshed Model Y has been expected for some time, and is expected to include many of the improvements of the 2023 Model 3 refresh. The headline features of that vehicle are a new front-end, more efficiency, and a quieter cabin. But there were a lot of other interior improvements as well (and one big de-provement, the  deletion of steering column stalks ). And we know that it’s coming soon, because there have been plenty of sightings and leaks ...

By Zachary Visconti Posted on December 16, 2024 Waymo, the self-driving arm of Google’s parent company Alphabet, has officially announced plans to bring its robotaxis to another country starting early next year. On Monday, Waymo announced in a  press release that it will start testing its self-driving Jaguar I-Pace units in Tokyo, Japan in early 2025, in partnership with the city’s largest taxi company, Nihon Kotsu. The launch will mark the first time Waymo’s robotaxis have operated outside of the U.S., following the company’s launch and expansion of paid driverless ride-hailing over the past few years. To start, the vehicles will be operated manually to map out certain areas of Tokyo, including Minato, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Chiyoda, Chūō, Shinagawa, and Kōtō. Waymo says Nihon Kotsu will be in charge of managing and servicing the vehicles, and the U.S. company is already working closely with the taxi firm to train the team on operating the autonomous ve...

Toyota’s electric SUV is getting even cheaper in 2025. Despite adding new features, 2025 Toyota bZ4 prices start at $6,000 less than the current model. For the first time, the bZ4X will also be available in a stealthy new Nightshade edition. Check out the new EV below. The bZ4X is the only all-electric Toyota model available in the US. Despite adding new features, Toyota is making the 2025 model year more affordable than ever. It’s also launching a sleek Nightshade trim. Starting at just $37,070, 2025 Toyota bZ4X prices are significantly lower than the 2024 model. That’s for the base FWD XLE model. The XLE AWD now starts at $39,150, which is also $6,000 less than the current model. If you’re looking to upgrade, the 2025 bZ4X Limited trim (FWD) starts at $41,800, a $5,380 price drop. The AWD Limited model starts at $43,880. Toyota also introduced a new Nightshade edition, its first EV available in the new trim. Built on the XLE model, the new trim is available with two-tone Wind ...

By Zachary Visconti Posted on December 15, 2024 Tesla is currently selling the launch edition of its Cybertruck units in inventories around the U.S., as can be seen on the company’s website. Within the past few days, Tesla’s “Foundation Series” Cybertrucks have appeared on the company’s inventory page in states across the U.S. At the time of writing on Sunday afternoon, Tesla’s website still shows inventory Foundation Series units in at least California, Colorado, Florida, Texas, Minnesota, and likely several other states. As noted on listings for these units, they still include many of the initial launch features that have always come with the Foundation Series units, including the subtle “Foundation Series” badges near the side mirrors, the inclusion of Supervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) , and lifetime premium connectivity, among other upgraded Tesla Cybertruck accessories still. You can find the inventory units for both the tri-motor Cyberbeast conf...

MAN Truck & Bus reached another milestone on its path towards decarbonization by delivering its first regular production Ultra Low Liner eTGX electric semi truck to international logistics service provider Duvenbeck – who plan to add over 100 more such trucks to its fleet in total. (!) Duvenbeck signed a letter of intent (LOI) to purchase 120 of the new Volkswagen Group MAN electric semi trucks back in 2023, and now the first examples of the 40-ton e-trucks have arrived at Duvenbeck’s HQ. The delivery marks the latest big step towards that company’s planned electrification. “The MAN eTruck is an important step towards emission-free logistics,” says Bernd Reining, Senior Director Procurement, Duvenbeck. “It helps us to meet our customers’ requirements and protect the environment at the same time. Sustainability is part of our everyday practice.” The requirements Duvenbeck is referring to include the MAN trucks’ 3 meter interior height – a first for a battery-elec...

By Simon Alvarez Posted on December 13, 2024 A Delaware judge has cleared the way for Elon Musk and Tesla to begin a legal appeal process for Musk’s 2018 pay package. The appeal process is a key step in the company’s attempt to try and reinstate the CEO’s $56 billion high-risk, high-reward compensation plan. Tesla has previously announced that it would be appealing Delaware Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick’s ruling, which overruled a vote from a majority of Tesla shareholders. Key updates:   Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of the Court of Chancery recently issued an order that opens a 30-day window for an appeal to be filed with the Delaware Supreme Court, as noted in a Reuters report. With this, Elon Musk and Tesla’s board that approved the CEO’s 2018 compensation plan could appeal McCormick’s ruling in January.  Tesla also has the opportunity to appeal McCormick’s order that required Tesla to pay $345 million to the attorneys who represented ...