Mobility

Virtual joystick for manual control spotted in Tesla Cybercab

Tesla has been found to have built a hidden manual control function into its steering wheel- and pedal-free Cybercab robotaxi, allowing movement via a virtual on-screen joystick. Passengers recently spotted the interface on the vehicle display, which is believed to be intended for Tesla staff or maintenance personnel to reposition vehicles at low speed. How the function can be accessed and what safeguards apply remain unconfirmed, with no further explanation from Tesla.

Automotive

China auto market down 23.6%; only battery EVs grow

China’s passenger-car market continued to weaken, with August retail sales falling 23.6% from a year earlier to 1,541,000 vehicles, data cited by Electrek showed. Battery electric vehicle sales rose 0.8% to 698,000 and gained 7.9% from July. Plug-in hybrids and range-extended EVs fell, pulling overall NEV sales down 10.1%. NEV penetration hit a record 65.2% as internal combustion sales slid faster. NEV exports surged 154.7%.