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Tesla shows off Cybercab

Tesla CEO Elon Musk showed off the company’s latest Cybercab, which he said was AI-powered and did not have pedals or steering wheels. The Cybercabs are expected to become available before 2027 and cost under $30,000. On the self-driving tech front, the EV company aims to deploy Full Self-Driving technology in the Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in Texas and California in 2025, with some analysts calling out the slow rollout. Tesla also flaunted its Optimus humanoid robots and had them dance, with Musk saying they would be able to pitch in across homes and carry out activities such as taking care of children and mowing lawns. The expected price is between $28,000 and $30,000.

However, the event did come with drawbacks as the Cybercabs did not show riders the experience of driving in real-life traffic conditions. The deadline for Tesla’s self-driving fleet of cars has also been pushed back multiple times. Adding to this, Full Self Driving and Autopilot are being investigated by regulators over safety concerns.

U.S. concerns over Chinese EVs

Electric vehicles make it possible to leverage cutting-edge features such as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), autopilot, auto-park, geo-fencing, and charging. They are an attractive choice for more experimental and eco-friendly drivers, with the global market projected to reach $786.2 billion, according to Statista. However, as China clearly dominates the EV sector, the Biden administration fears that Chinese-made EVs or their makers could exploit the treasure trove of data that these vehicles collect and store, since they primarily run on software.

In the worst case scenario, hackers or malicious actors could access drivers’ financial data and their personal information, not to mention take control of the vehicle remotely in order to cause accidents or even bring down the electrical grids that support EV charging.

Google resists opening up Play store

Google asked that a judge’s court order regarding the opening of its app store Play to reduce competitive barriers be paused, as the search engine giant cited security and privacy risks in the Android system due to the potential move. The injunction order issued by  U.S. District Judge James Donato comes into effect from November, but Google is resisting the move as it looks to appeal.

The injunction came on October 7, as a result of the case between Epic Games and Google over the latter’s monopoly in the Android app store payments sector. Google has stressed that the current structure of its app store is crucial to ensure the safety of the ecosystem as well as its users, while developers and creators have decried the lack of options for alternative payments.