Mobility

Tesla Roadster, 9 years late, faces growing doubts ahead of reveal

Tesla is preparing to unveil a production version of its next-generation Roadster after about nine years. The delay comes as growth in the electric-vehicle market slows and Tesla’s business focus shifts toward autonomous driving and robots. The company has touted extreme acceleration, top speed and an optional SpaceX package, but those claims need verification in a mass-produced car. Weak demand for costly electric hypercars and shifting strategies by rivals add to doubts.

Industry

Rivian spinout robotics startup Mind Robotics hires Doug Field

Mind Robotics, an industrial robotics startup spun out by Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe, has appointed Doug Field as president. Field, who led Tesla’s Model 3 program and later worked on Apple’s car project and Ford’s EV, digital and design organization, will oversee product, engineering and operations with Scaringe. The company has raised more than $1 billion in under a year and is developing foundation models and dedicated robot hardware for manufacturing work.