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Rivian rolls out ‘Hey Rivian’ AI assistant with full vehicle control

Rivian AI assistant

Rivian is rolling out its new AI-powered voice assistant to all Gen 1 and Gen 2 R1 owners as part of its latest over-the-air software update. The feature, activated by saying “Hey Rivian” or holding the left steering wheel button, requires an active Connect+ subscription.

The assistant is notable because it can actually control your vehicle’s core functions — something that Tesla’s competing Grok assistant still cannot do months after its own launch.

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Corrupt DoT head takes oil money to film reality TV show during oil price spike

Sean Duffy, whose transportation expertise comes from being a contestant on the reality TV show Road Rules, is going back to his roots and filming a reality TV show while on the job.

But, as is fitting for the corrupt cabal he’s a member of, he’s made sure to let companies he’s supposed to regulate pay for his family’s vacation. And he’s doing this right as he works his hardest to ensure that your roadtrips are less attainable, with higher energy prices across the country as the direct and intended result of his policies.

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Lectric Memorial Day offers $694 bundles + up to $500 off e-bikes, Mammotion LUBA 3 AWD robot mowers, more

We’ve got plenty of low prices filling our Tuesday Green Deals, with our headliner being Lectric’s newly launched Memorial Day e-bike sale that is offering up to $694 FREE bundles alongside up to $500 price cuts, with my all-around pick being the XP4 Folding Utility e-bikes getting up to $473 in FREE gear starting from $999. There’s also Mammotion’s Memorial Day savings event, with its newest LUBA 3 AWD robot lawn mowers getting FREE garage attachments for the dock station – and they’re all at their best prices starting from $2,099. We also spotted low prices hitting meross’ new two-zone Wi-Fi smart water timer, as well as the budget-friendly Gotrax Dolphin e-bike, Autel’s 80A level 2 EV charger, and much more waiting for you below. And don’t forget about the hangover deals at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s first-ever deals on the new Velotric GoMad Utility e-bike, the latest EcoFlow 48-hour power station flash sale that ends tonight, and more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

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Tesla moves Basic Autopilot features to paid FSD where available

Tesla Full Self-Driving Beta Hero

Tesla has quietly removed Basic Autopilot from its online configurator in the Netherlands. New orders now only offer Full Self-Driving (Supervised) — no free driver-assistance tier at all.

The change makes the Netherlands the first European market where Tesla has stripped Basic Autopilot from the buying experience, mirroring the controversial move it made in North America back in January.

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Waymo recalls 3,791 robotaxis over flooded road incident, deploying OTA software fix

Waymo cities

Waymo has filed a voluntary recall with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) covering 3,791 robotaxis after one of its vehicles drove into a flooded road in San Antonio last month. No one was injured.

The key detail: the recall is a software fix that will be deployed over the air to Waymo’s entire fleet — no vehicles need to visit a service center. Waymo has already implemented interim constraints while the full remedy is finalized.

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Tesla invests $250M more in Giga Berlin battery cells, boosting capacity to 18 GWh

Tesla announced today that it will invest almost $250 million more in battery cell production at its Grünheide factory outside Berlin, more than doubling planned capacity to 18 gigawatt hours per year and creating over 1,500 battery-related jobs.

The investment comes just two months after the automaker successfully scared workers away from IG Metall in a contentious works council election — a vote where CEO Elon Musk explicitly threatened to halt expansion if the union gained control.

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Tesla Robotaxi’s ‘convenience issues’ are hiding the real safety bottleneck

Tesla-Robotaxi-hero

A new Reuters investigation documents long wait times, surface-street-only routing, and near-zero vehicle availability across Tesla’s three-city “Robotaxi” service. These all look like convenience problems — but they’re really symptoms of a safety system that can’t scale.

Elon Musk himself told investors at the Q1 2026 earnings call that safety validation is the limiting factor. The “convenience issues” riders are experiencing are the direct result of those safety constraints manifesting as a degraded user experience.

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After cops failed to catch hooligan bike riders, state asks locals for help

Police departments around the country are increasingly finding themselves in a difficult position when it comes to illegal electric motorbike riders tearing through neighborhoods, parks, and bike trails. In one Colorado town, officials are now trying a new strategy after struggling to catch many of the riders themselves: asking residents to help identify them.

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Ford launches Ford Energy subsidiary to build 20 GWh of battery storage annually

Ford has officially unveiled Ford Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary that will manufacture and sell U.S.-assembled battery energy storage systems (BESS) for utilities, data centers, and large industrial customers. The new unit plans to produce 20 GWh of energy storage annually from its Kentucky gigafactory.

The move formalizes what has been months in the making — Ford’s pivot from struggling EV battery overcapacity to the booming grid-scale energy storage market, where demand is surging thanks to AI data centers and renewable energy buildout.

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Velotric GoMad smart utility e-bike bundle deals from $2,125, Anker SOLIX 3,840Wh F3800 power station $1,709 low, EcoFlow, more

Our Monday Green Deals are seeing some surprise discounts mixed in, starting with the Velotric GoMad Fat Tire Utility e-bike that is getting its first deals in the form of two varying passenger bundle options starting from $2,125. We are also shining a spotlight on Anker’s SOLIX F3800 series power station deals that were eclipsed by the new E10 Backup System lows from Friday, like the 3,840Wh F3800 Portable Power Station at its $1,709 low, thanks to our exclusive bonus savings code. We also have the latest EcoFlow 48-hour flash sale on an expanded 4,096Wh DELTA 2 Max bundle alongside the 3,600Wh DELTA Pro power station, as well as new low prices on three EGO Power+ Multi-Head Combo bundles with two attachments, and more waiting for you below. And don’t forget about the hangover deals from last week at the bottom of the page, rounded up together within our latest edition of Electrified Weekly.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

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