Trump and Musk on the outs over Big Beautiful Bill – DW – 06/06/2025
Aditya Sharma
06/06/2025
June 6, 2025
Tesla CEO Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump forged an unprecedented partnership in the White House. But that has changed, with the two men sparring in public over Trump's Big Beautiful Bill, which experts say could add $2.4 trillion to the US deficit.
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DW
a day ago
- DW
Autonomous driving: VW wants to overtake Tesla – DW
VW will launch the autonomous ID. Buzz AD in 2026. With that, it's hoping to overtake Tesla in the robotaxi race. Other competitors are also getting involved in this billion-dollar market. In Germany, there are many people who cannot manage without a car, particularly in the countryside, where public transport networks can be patchy, nonexistent even. Transitioning to electric, or e-, vehicles will not solve the transportation problem on its own. Privately owned electric cars may not run on oil, but they still consume resources, take up space, require roads and parking areas. But much could be resolved if people were able to switch to using robot taxis. For years now, countries like the USA and China have been running pilot projects with self-driving cars and driverless vans. These vehicles are also being tested in Germany, but so far no approvals have been issued for so-called level 4 systems — completely autonomous cars with no driver at the wheel. The German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) says that legally it is possible, in Germany and in the EU as a whole, but until now the general introduction of these vehicles still seems a long way off. Robotaxis from 2026, by VW But now VW has surged ahead with a driverless e-van: the ID. Buzz AD ("autonomous driving"), a level 4 vehicle that drives set routes. Europe's biggest car manufacturer presented the production version of the self-driving electric van in Hamburg on June 17. It is scheduled to go on the road in 2026. Initially, it will only be deployed in Hamburg and Los Angeles, but the intention is for it then to be rolled out more widely. "This certainly has not been set up as a small series production," says Christian Senger, a member of the board of management of VW Commercial Vehicles, who is responsible for its autonomous driving sector. The vans will be manufactured in very large numbers. The Hannover VW factory is set to produce more than 10,000 commercial vehicles. "We believe we can be the leading supplier in Europe," Senger says. VW already has a buyer, the Uber taxi service company. The two firms signed an agreement in April for cooperation in the US. According to Senger, Uber plans to purchase up to 10,000 VW e-vans over the next ten years. The ID Buzz AD has 13 cameras, five radars, and nine LiDARs (pictured), which use lasers to calculate distance Image: Lukas Barth/Reuters Overtaking Tesla VW has jumped ahead of Tesla with its ID. Buzz AD presentation. Earlier this month, Elon Musk "tentatively" announced June 22 — this Sunday — as the date for the launch of his own robotaxi, based on the Model Y SUV, but this is still unconfirmed. "We are being super paranoid about safety, so the date could shift," Musk said at the time on his social media platform, X. Tesla's initial plans are for just 10 to 20 Model Y SUVs to operate as public robotaxis in one area of Austin, Texas, the city where Tesla is headquartered. But, as usual, Musk is thinking big. In an interview with US broadcaster CBS, he announced that there would be some 1,000 Tesla robotaxis on the road within months, and hundreds of thousands by the end of 2026. Musk also announced in May that several US cities would be approved for autonomous driving for private Tesla owners before the end of the year. This promise is not new: Back in 2017, he promised that this function would be activated within two years. Waymo: Google robotaxis miles ahead Right now, Google affiliate Waymo is streets ahead when it comes to autonomous driving. Waymo's driverless robotaxis are already on the road in several US cities, making more than 250,000 paid journeys with passengers every week. The vehicles are mostly converted electric cars made by Jaguar. Waymo also announced in May that it planned to more than double the number of vehicles by the end of 2026. Tech giant Amazon is also in the running for the emerging market in autonomous driving. Amazon's robotaxi company Zoox plans to put cars on the road in Las Vegas and San Francisco without steering wheels or pedals, with space for up to four passengers. Competition from China China is also looking to solve its transport problems through autonomous driving. The Google rival Baidu runs a fleet of around 1,000 Apollo Go robotaxis, which completed more than 1.4 million journeys in the first quarter of this year. The Chinese company has a fleet of more than 300 robotaxis, and it wants to increase this to as many as 3,000 by the end of next year. WeRide, meanwhile, has around 400 vehicles. Autonomous vehicles are already on the road in China, like this Apollo Go self-driving taxi Image: Johannes Neudecker/dpa/picture alliance Goldman Sachs estimates that by 2030 there will be about half a million robotaxis in service in more than 10 Chinese cities. In China, the question is no longer whether autonomous driving is possible, but how companies will make commercial use of the sector's rapid development. Projections for the future are very promising. The investment bank puts the total sales potential of the Chinese robotaxi sector at around $54 million (€47 million) this year but expects that figure to increase exponentially by 2035, to around $47 billion. VW focused on fleets, transport associations VW's new e-van is not aimed at private customers. Instead it hopes to supply business customers, fleet operators and transport associations, providing a package to include total software solutions, a booking app, fleet management and maintenance. In Hamburg, for example, the company has established cooperation with the local transport association, HVV. A declaration of intent has also been agreed with the Berlin transport authority, the BVG. VW hopes to gain approval to operate driverless cars in Europe and the US by the end of 2026. This would mean they would no longer need a safety driver, currently a mandatory requirement. VW says it would be the first such approval for level 4 autonomous driving in Europe. If level 4 self-driving vehicles are approved, a safety driver would no longer be required to sit behind the wheel Image: Lukas Barth/Reuters There is a catch though. VW's Senger does not expect the top dog of Germany's beleaguered auto industry to make any money, at least at first. In the long term, though, he explains that autonomous driving is the lucrative field of the future, one that promises to be much more profitable than the traditional automotive industry. "This is our big chance to establish a future opportunity for the VW Group," he says. The exact price has not yet been announced but the ID. Buzz AD is unlikely to come cheap. According to Senger, buyers will have to pay a low six-figure sum (in euros) per vehicle. Public funding is needed That means it's going to be expensive for transport companies. The Association of German Transport Companies or VDV, is calling for a nationally coordinated strategy of long-term financing, and a market launch supported by public funding, to establish the country's supremacy in this market. An autonomous shuttle bus in Germany, part of a pilot project that local public transport operators want to see more of Image: Swen Pförtner/dpa/picture alliance The current government's coalition agreement declares: "Germany is to become the leading market for autonomous driving, developing and co-financing model regions with the federal states." Ingo Wortmann from the VDV comments that start-up funding of around €3 billion is needed to take this idea from pilot project to standrad operating procedure. This article was originally published in German.
Int'l Business Times
2 days ago
- Int'l Business Times
What Is Starbase? Elon Musk Builds a SpaceX City With Shops, Worker Housing and Its Own Mayor — But Texas Locals Aren't Happy
Elon Musk's Starbase, SpaceX's self-contained city in South Texas, became official in May 2025, now planning major expansion. While it offers worker housing and amenities, local residents are unhappy, citing environmental worries impacting wildlife and public beach access. Discontent is brewing among the South Texas residents who fear that Elon Musk's ambitious project Starbase is being developed at the cost of environment, health and their living. As per MyRGV, SpaceX's expansion has angered residents in South Texas due to their worries about its overall adverse effects on their life. Since officially gaining city status in May 2025, Starbase is actively developing into a comprehensive company town with the ongoing plans involve building more accommodation, retail spaces, and eateries so as to cater to the increasing number of employees who commute 40 minutes from Brownsville. The locals have apprehensions about the approval which SpaceX got recently to increase rocket launches from five to 25 annually. What Is Starbase? Starbase is a recently established city, home to the SpaceX complex, which shares its name. As part of its Starship programme, the company handles spacecraft design, production, and launch within these facilities. SpaceX has gradually established a company town around its Starbase facilities for close to a decade. While the area once had about 30 residences, SpaceX has acquired nearly all of these previous homeowners' properties. "Starbase, Texas, is now a real city!" - @elonmuskOn May 3, 2025 — SpaceX made it official.212 voted yes. 6 voted city of Starbase, Texas is SpaceX VP Bobby roads, schools, even healthcare all by SpaceX. This is no town. It's a… — Tesla Owners Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) May 8, 2025 The Texas Tribune reports that the area's population has since expanded to almost 500 individuals, many of whom reside in Airstream trailers and modular homes. Jordan Buss, senior director of environmental health and safety at SpaceX, and Jenna Petrzelka, former manager of engineering operations at SpaceX, filled the two commissioner roles. Bobby Peden will manage the daily administrative duties unless the commission appoints a city manager. Where Is Starbase Located? Situated about 25 miles east of Brownsville, Texas, on the north side of the US-Mexico border, Starbase's boundaries follow State Highway 4. This encompasses Boca Chica Village, part of Boca Chica Beach, and land used or earmarked by SpaceX for its facilities. State Highway 4 is the only road in and out of Starbase and provides local access to Boca Chica Beach. 🚨🇺🇸 STARBASE ON TRACK TO BECOME AMERICA'S FIRST SPACE-AGE CITYStarbase, Texas is about to go official. With 90% voter support expected, the SpaceX hub near Brownsville is on the verge of becoming its own city. The area — home to SpaceX's Starship factory — would span 1.5… — Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) April 26, 2025 SpaceX began acquiring land near Boca Chica Beach in 2012, aiming to build a commercial spaceport, which it announced in 2014. By the time it became operational in 2019, SpaceX had refocused its local efforts on Starship, a reusable spacecraft intended for crew and cargo transport to space. SpaceX has since expanded its operations beyond the launch complex to include offices, production, and testing sites. In 2024, Musk declared the company's headquarters would relocate from California to Starbase, referencing a new gender identity law. Local Concerns Erupt SpaceX's expansion has reportedly angered other local residents due to worries about its adverse effects on the environment, wildlife, and public beach access. The city's swift growth and strong links to SpaceX, coupled with Musk's controversial public image, have generated unease over potential environmental harm and the degree of corporate sway in local governance. Environmental Impact and Legal Challenges Environmental groups voice concerns over the added noise, heat, and debris from operations affecting local wildlife, waterways, and nearby protected lands. Specifically, they worry about endangered species such as the Kemp's ridley sea turtle and the piping plover, a bird species protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty. The SpaceX explosion was so loud, I lowk thought we got bombed for a second 😭. The house rumbled and the sky lit up; it was so loud, despite being several miles from Starbase — (Flames) Senator Flamesceza ★ (@Flamesceza) June 19, 2025 According to CNBC, environmental agencies have cited SpaceX for Clean Water Act violations. Additionally, environmental advocacy groups have sued both SpaceX and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), arguing the company failed to adequately prevent or rectify harm to the surrounding environment, including wildlife refuges and other protected areas. The FAA has denied these claims. SpaceX maintains it has implemented 'an extensive list of mitigations developed with federal and state agencies.' The company also organises quarterly beach clean-ups and works with Sea Turtle Inc. to locate and relocate injured sea turtles. Originally published on IBTimes UK This article is copyrighted by the business news leader
Int'l Business Times
3 days ago
- Int'l Business Times
Musk's X Sues To Block New York Social Media Transparency Law
Elon Musk's X Corp. has filed a lawsuit challenging a New York state law that requires social media companies to report how they moderate hate speech and disinformation. The complaint, filed in a federal court in Manhattan, seeks to halt the law, which X argues violates the First Amendment by forcing platforms to disclose sensitive information about their content moderation practices. "Today, @X filed a First Amendment lawsuit against a New York law, NY S895B," X's Global Government Affairs team posted Tuesday, adding that it had successfully challenged a similar law in California. "X is the only platform fighting for its users by challenging the law, and we are confident we will prevail in this case as well," the company said. The New York law requires social media companies with over $100 million in annual revenue to submit semiannual reports detailing how they define and moderate hate speech, racism, extremism, disinformation and harassment. Companies face fines of $15,000 per day for violations, which can be sought by the attorney general's office. X says the law is "an impermissible attempt by the State to inject itself into the content-moderation editorial process" and seeks to pressure platforms into restricting constitutionally protected speech. Reporters Without Borders said in a statement that asking X "account for their actions against misinformation is by no means an infringement of freedom of expression, but the bare minimum to clean up the digital space." "Freedom of expression does not come without responsibilities," it added. The lawsuit comes after X successfully challenged a nearly identical California law last year, according to the filing. New York's law is "a carbon copy" of the California provisions that were struck down, the filing adds. X claims New York lawmakers refused to discuss changes to the bill after the California ruling, with sponsors saying they declined to meet because of content on X promoted by owner Musk that "threatens the foundations of our democracy." The company argues this indicated "viewpoint discriminatory motives" behind the law's passage. Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assembly member Grace Lee -- who introduced the law -- said in a statement that their act "does not infringe upon the First Amendment rights of social media companies, nor does it conflict with federal law." "Instead, the Stop Hiding Hate Act requires narrowly tailored disclosures by social media companies to allow consumers to better decide which social media platforms they utilize," they added. "The fact that Elon Musk would go to these lengths to avoid disclosing straightforward information to New Yorkers as required by our statute illustrates exactly why we need the Stop Hiding Hate Act."
