VinFast Goes Wild, Tesla Goes Full Robot

In this episode of Kilowatt, Bodie starts with Europe’s first fully driverless robotaxi rides as Verne and Pony.ai put modified Arcfox Alpha T5s on the streets of Zagreb. ProLogium is moving its solid-state battery technology closer to automotive use, with Gen 3.5 cells in mass production and Mercedes-Benz securing priority access to its upcoming Gen 4 cells. Cyclic Materials has opened a new rare-earth recycling facility in Mesa, Arizona, while VinFast has turned its VF Wild pickup concept into an extended-range EV with around 155 miles of battery-only range.

On the Tesla side, FSD v14.2 Lite is beginning to reach Hardware 3 Model S and Model X vehicles. Tesla has also built its first Cybercab using cathode active material produced at Giga Texas as the company continues bringing more of its battery manufacturing in-house. Tesla is working with Irish authorities on FSD approval while an EU-wide decision has been pushed back, and Optimus production has reportedly climbed to several hundred robots per week while manufacturing and general-purpose capability remain works in progress.