Tesla Still Wants To Sell Cybercabs This Year – Jalopnik

Happy Thursday! It’s October 22, 2026, and that is The Morning Shift — your every day roundup of the highest automotive headlines from all over the world, in a single place. This is the place you may discover crucial tales which are shaping the best way Americans drive and get round.

In this morning’s version we’re Tesla’s gross sales objectives for the Cybercab, in addition to traders’ response to the corporate’s AI pivot. We’ll additionally take a look at Toyota’s European objectives, and worsening worldwide relations between China and the UK. 

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The Tesla Cybercab is below investigation from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for its lack of any kind of significant controls. Tesla swears this meets all NHTSA requirements, however the administration itself is a little bit not sure that this matches necessities like “having a steering wheel.” Tesla, in fact, is undeterred, and intends to get Cybercabs into client palms this yr. For certain. Definitely. From Reuters: 

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 21 (Reuters) – Tesla ​is aiming to begin promoting its Cybercab robotaxis to the general public by the top of this yr, its ‌engineering chief stated on Wednesday, even because the US auto security company probes the automobiles that come with out handbook controls which federal rules sometimes require.

…

“As Tesla grows, we’ll ​mainly deliver fully designed autonomous vehicles to our customers and Cybercabs will be the first,” Lars Moravy, ⁠Tesla’s vp of auto engineering, advised analysts after reporting third-quarter outcomes.

“We’re trying to get Cybercabs to customers by the end ​of this year, 2026,” he stated. “As we start small this year, and we learn … about delivery and ownership and fleet management of ​autonomous vehicles in customer hands, we’ll continue to scale that.”

I’ve to marvel what the market is for these. People need their very own autonomous automobiles, analysis exhibits us that, however do they need them with none controls in any respect?

Tesla is an AI and robotics firm now, not a automobile firm — by no means thoughts that almost all of its enterprise remains to be constructing and promoting automobiles. As the corporate tries to decrease its spending, although, it is ended up in an attention-grabbing place: Investors are frightened that it will not be spending sufficient on analysis in these non-car classes. From Reuters: 

Oct 22 (Reuters) – Tesla’s shares slid 5% in premarket buying and selling on Thursday because the EV maker’s diminished capital spending forecast raised ​questions in regards to the tempo of funding behind Elon Musk’s ‌AI, robotics and autonomous-driving ambitions.

The firm on Wednesday lowered its 2026 capital spending forecast to about $20 billion from greater than $25 billion after spending far ​lower than anticipated on AI and robotics within the ​third quarter, which led to a shock optimistic free ⁠money stream.

Since this was revealed, although, we have seen AI corporations drop in at this time’s shares. What will Tesla traders, bullish on AI, suppose if the bubble pops? Can they suppose, in any respect? These are the questions we should ask if we would like our economic system to resemble actuality in any significant manner. 

Toyota needs to broaden its European operations, however the firm is dealing with powerful competitors: Cheaper Chinese automobiles have begun to enter the continent, and there is not any placing that genie again within the bottle. Toyota, although, is satisfied that it could broaden in Europe with out worth wars. from Automotive News: 

BRUSSELS — Toyota expects document European gross sales this yr whereas refusing to match the reductions Chinese rivals are utilizing to win over mass-market consumers, European gross sales chief Till Conrad stated.

Conrad stated that he was optimistic that Toyota would beat final yr’s document gross sales of about 1.23 million automobiles within the automaker’s European area, which incorporates 53 international locations akin to Turkey, Israel and elements of the Caucasus and Central Asia. It additionally consists of the Lexus model.

Toyota has had a robust yr, with document nine-month gross sales of 936,042, a rise of 0.6 % over 2025, in its Europe area, the automaker stated Oct. 21.

“We try to achieve stable and continuous growth,” Conrad advised Automotive News Europe on Oct. 16 at an occasion in Brussels, “But we try to avoid price wars because it doesn’t create value for our customers and our retailers.”

It is smart that Toyota would not wish to cheapen its product, nevertheless it may very well be powerful to persuade European consumers to shell out for that oval badge when the Chinese opponents are providing comparable high quality at a lower cost. Maybe the corporate is aware of one thing I do not about tariffs or import limits, however because it stands, I want Toyota luck right here. 

The UK might not be a part of the European Union, however the bloc nonetheless needs Britain to align with it on one essential level: Imports of Chinese automobiles. Specifically, The EU needs the UK to signal on to restrict imports of Chinese automobiles, which China would not love. From Automotive News: 

SHANGHAI — China threatened to retaliate in opposition to the United Kingdom if the nation implements restrictions on Chinese electrical automobiles, escalating a commerce dispute because the European Union courts Britain to hitch its import controls.

China’s commerce ministry issued the warning Oct. 19 following reviews that the United Kingdom might be part of the EU in limiting Chinese EV imports.

“China will resolutely take countermeasures to safeguard legitimate rights and interests of China’s industries if the U.K. insists on taking restrictive measures against Chinese electric vehicles,” a ministry spokesperson stated in a put up on its web site.

The Brexit bullish like the concept of auto manufacturing returning to the UK, so tariffs from China could be a serious blow to that trade. There’s at all times the likelihood that Britain does one thing sensible right here, however that would not a lot align with what we have seen from that Parliament as of late. 

I’ve been getting quite a lot of skydiving, BASE leaping, and wingsuit reels on Instagram just lately. Turns out, there is a drop zone not removed from the town! I now hold asking my mates in the event that they wish to come leap out of a airplane. 

Prices are again up, by almost a cent! Everyone panic!

I’ve been listening to quite a lot of Portishead just lately, which appears seasonally applicable.