/daily ·29 JUL 2026 ·WEDNESDAY ·2 MIN READ ·6 STORIES

Wednesday, 29 July — Robots in London, a prince in Nevada

Chinese robotaxis arrive on UK public roads. A Saudi prince bets on Lucid. Tesla's own self-driving manager describes what is actually happening during robotaxi testing in a lawsuit — and it does not match the marketing.

01 / The Day

WEDNESDAY 29 JUL 2026, ranked

Tesla self-driving manager describes 'rolling hazards' in internal robotaxi testing, per lawsuit

Court filings in a lawsuit against Tesla include testimony from a Tesla self-driving manager describing dangerous vehicle behaviour during internal robotaxi testing — conditions the filing terms 'rolling hazards' — raising questions about the gap between what is tested internally and what is deployed publicly.

Why it mattersInternal safety testimony from a current or former employee about a live product is categorically different from external criticism; it sets the factual baseline for both regulatory oversight and plaintiff litigation.

01 electrek.co↗

Baidu Apollo Go begins London robotaxi testing with Uber and Lyft

Baidu's Apollo Go autonomous taxi service has begun public road testing in London in partnership with Uber and Lyft, becoming the first Chinese AV operator to run on UK public roads in a commercial testing arrangement.

Why it mattersA Chinese robotaxi operator entering one of Europe's most scrutinised regulatory environments — via the dominant ride-hail platforms — changes the competitive landscape for Waymo's international ambitions and UK-based AV programmes.

02 electrek.co↗

Saudi Prince Alwaleed takes 5% Lucid stake; stock jumps 25%

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal disclosed a 5% personal stake in Lucid Motors, sending the EV maker's shares up approximately 25% — a notable reversal for a company trading near multi-year lows.

Why it mattersThe prince's personal position alongside the Public Investment Fund's existing holding deepens Saudi strategic interest in Lucid specifically, and in a premium American EV brand positioned against Tesla.

03 electrek.co↗

Volkswagen launches ID. Polo EV after securing 25,000 orders before production

Volkswagen officially launched the ID. Polo, its most affordable European electric vehicle, after disclosing 25,000 orders had been received in the weeks between announcement and manufacturing start.

Why it mattersPre-launch demand at that volume, for a sub-premium EV from a brand that has struggled with EV adoption, suggests the combination of VW's network and a lower entry price is the formula its European EV strategy has been missing.

04 electrek.co↗

BMW iX3 production hits 50,000 units with orders near 100,000

BMW confirmed it has built 50,000 iX3 electric SUVs and that total orders are approaching 100,000 — roughly double current production — prompting an output ramp.

Why it mattersA 2:1 order-to-production ratio for a legacy brand EV is an unusual problem: the bottleneck is manufacturing capacity, not demand, which changes the investment calculation significantly.

05 electrek.co↗

Mercedes GLA EV specs leak ahead of official debut

Images and specifications of the Mercedes-Benz GLA electric crossover appeared ahead of the official reveal, showing a compact SUV positioned below €50,000 to compete in the highest-volume segment of the European EV market.

Why it mattersMercedes completing its compact EV lineup matters in Europe, where the brand has had minimal presence below the EQA price point while Chinese and Korean competitors have expanded into the segment.

06 electrek.co↗

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Past days

The Daily Archive

/SAT 01 AUGProbes, Fleets, and Flanking Moves /FRI 31 JULZoox wins driverless approval; Tesla eyes China exit /THU 30 JULThe Surge Edition /WED 29 JULWednesday, 29 July — Robots in London, a prince in Nevada /TUE 28 JULBMW goes topless; Porsche goes sideways /MON 27 JULUS BEVs Fell 25% in H1, BYD Revealed the Da Han with a Price, and Tesla's Robotaxi Timeline Is Under Scrutiny /SUN 26 JULSafety Numbers and an Own Goal from Honda /SAT 25 JULBYD goes long; NHTSA goes broad /FRI 24 JULToyota Blinks /WED 22 JULEurope surges, America stabilises, Honda exits /TUE 21 JULChina's ICE cliff, and other certainties /SUN 19 JULBYD's paperwork problem; America's charging comeback /SAT 18 JULGermany flips /FRI 17 JULFriday in EVs: Honda folds, Volvo flies /WED 15 JULSix in a row, and one near-miss /TUE 14 JULCalifornia draws lines, BYD draws power /MON 13 JULRecord quarter, shrinking margin /SAT 11 JULSoftware that delivers, hardware that charges /FRI 10 JULEV Friday: Sales surge abroad, deals at home /THU 09 JULWaymo lands in Vegas, CATL hits 7 minutes /WED 08 JULModel Y L, lamppost chargers, and the coming EV fee