Autonomous vehicles are acting up, EVs are getting stripped down (on purpose), and the curb is about to become a battleground. Buckle up.

Amazon’s robotaxi arm Zoox had a rough May. First, a crash in Vegas. Then, a scooter smackdown in San Francisco. Two crashes, two recalls, 270 vehicles sidelined each time. All because the software couldn’t handle real-world chaos.

Both crashes happened without a safety driver. Not a great look when you’re promising robochauffeurs are safer than humans.

If you’re a fleet operator, urban planner, or investor betting on AVs, this is your red flag. Regulators are watching. Public trust is fragile. And software-only fixes don’t solve meatspace messiness. Zoox may have Amazon’s cash, but crashes like these could slow down city deployments and spook insurance partners. Consider this your reminder: autonomy still needs a human Plan B.

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Slate Auto dropped its debut EV truck, and it’s aggressively boring. In the best way. No screens, no self-driving, just pure electric utility at $20K (post-tax credit). And the internet went feral: 100,000 refundable reservations in 2 weeks.

It’s backed by Bezos, built in Michigan, and looks like your uncle’s ‘84 Ranger mated with a Cybertruck. Minimalism for the masses.

Fleet buyers and carshare hosts, this could be your golden goose. A durable, no-frills EV under $25K is basically a unicorn in today’s market. If Slate delivers (literally), this is the kind of platform you can actually build a business on. Keep your eye on them—if they stay this spartan, they might eat Tesla’s lunch in the commercial segment.

Starting June 16, DOT and NHTSA will require AV crash reports and let U.S.-made AVs apply for special exemptions. Translation? More oversight, and maybe more AVs on the road—if they can keep it between the lines.

GoAutoLane is launching an OS for the curb. Think robotic traffic conductors orchestrating pickups, drop-offs, and deliveries without humans. Austin and Berkeley are first in line. For parking owners, this is your “don’t get left behind” moment.

Lyft’s doing what Lyft does best: avoiding car ownership. It’s letting Mobileye and Marubeni hold the bag (and the vehicles) while it scales AV services. Asset-light, risk-light, and maybe friction-heavy if partners don’t deliver.

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