Byd Has An Answer For Autonomy's Biggest Question

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Happy Wednesday! It's July 9, 2025, and this is The Morning Shift — your regular roundup of nan apical automotive headlines from astir nan world, successful 1 place. This is wherever you'll find nan astir important stories that are shaping nan measurement Americans thrust and get around.

In this morning's edition, we're looking astatine BYD's solution to autonomy's biggest ineligible hang-up, arsenic good arsenic nan ever-climbing costs of utilized cars. We'll besides look astatine Waymo's introduction into New York City, and Rivian's billion-dollar micromobility spin-off brand. 

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BYD claims its God's Eye driver-assist package has reached SAE Level 4, allowing drivers to return their eyes disconnected nan roadworthy unless prompted. This is simply a large claim, but it comes pinch an moreover bigger one: BYD will return liability for immoderate crashes that hap while God's Eye is running. From Reuters:

Chinese electrical conveyance shaper BYD connected Wednesday promised to return work for losses to cars pinch its God's Eye assisted driving systems successful smart parking scenarios successful China.

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For losses to cars utilizing God's Eye smart driving, users do not request to spell done nan security process but alternatively scope retired to BYD after-sales unit for handling, it added.

This is nan large mobility successful conveyance autonomy: Who takes nan blasted erstwhile a "self-driving" car crashes? BYD has chosen nan correct reply here, which leaves america only waiting for an reply to nan second-biggest mobility successful conveyance autonomy: Why did BYD sanction its autonomy suite aft nan surveillance authorities package from "Furious 7?"

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Tariffs mean higher prices and little proviso for caller cars. Higher prices and little proviso for caller cars mean much buyers are pushed into nan utilized market. More used-car request intends higher prices, and that's precisely what we're seeing — utilized car prices are measurement up, and promising to proceed that rising trend. From Reuters:

A gauge of U.S. utilized conveyance prices sold astatine wholesale auctions that proved predictive up of nan ostentation surge pursuing nan COVID pandemic is climbing again, past period notching its largest yearly summation successful astir 3 years.

The emergence comes amid ongoing conveyance value and income volatility connected to car tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.

The Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index roseate 1.6% successful June from May connected a seasonally adjusted ground and surged 6.3% from a twelvemonth earlier, nan largest year-over-year summation since August 2022, according to information released connected Tuesday. At 208.5, nan scale has been trending upward for a twelvemonth and is now astatine its highest since October 2023.

The embedded chart successful nan Reuters portion is moreover much damning. The October 2023 comparison is erstwhile prices were connected their measurement down from pandemic peaks, but existent utilized car prices eclipse astir nan full pre-pandemic floor plan — each nan measurement backmost to 2011. 

We're connected nan move successful nan Big Apple! 🏙️ We've begun testing successful New York – beryllium judge to springiness america a activity and threat a pic if you spot america successful nan city. pic.twitter.com/0cu2XSWAoi

There's a unsocial creation to driving successful New York, 1 that's often intimidating to visitors but that's comparatively understandable erstwhile you've driven present a fewer times. Drivers are expected to person a definite level of aggression, neither excessively debased nor excessively high, and a tolerance for tight fits. Now, Waymo has nan assurance successful its driving accomplishment to effort and tackle our roads. From Bloomberg:

Waymo's first self-driving taxis arrived successful New York City this week to statesman collecting information pinch a quality down nan instrumentality arsenic nan institution seeks a licence for autonomous testing.

The Alphabet Inc.-owned institution plans to stitchery information arsenic its cars are driven manually successful nan city, an first measurement into 1 of nan largest ride-hailing markets successful nan US. Waymo applied for a testing licence from nan New York City Department of Transportation successful June. If approved, it plans to trial its vehicles autonomously pinch a quality information show successful nan vehicle.

I'm nan lone holdout connected nan Jalopnik unit who's staunchly anti-autonomous taxis, but not for nan reasons you mightiness expect. I like chatting pinch taxi and rideshare drivers, and Shazam-ing bully euphony disconnected their power stations and playlists. Remember successful "Die Hard," when Argyle tells John McClane "Sorry, man. I used to thrust a cab, and group would expect a small chitchat"? Talking pinch your drivers utilized to beryllium nan norm! Wearing headphones successful a rideshare feels antisocial and disrespectful to me, and I person nary liking successful a rideshare that will connection maine an acquisition of nan world that is wholly wrong my control. 

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Rivian spun retired Also Inc. arsenic a micromobility startup earlier this year, but nan EV shaper only owns a mini portion of nan terribly-named-for-SEO e-bike maker. Much of nan remainder now belongs to an finance firm, which invested capable to springiness nan startup a $1 cardinal valuation. From Bloomberg:

A Rivian Automotive Inc.-backed startup processing mini electrical vehicles was weighted astatine $1 cardinal successful a caller finance from Greenoaks Capital, according to group acquainted pinch nan matter.

The task patient put $200 cardinal into nan business, known arsenic Also Inc., astatine a $1 cardinal post-money valuation, said nan people, who asked not to beryllium identified discussing nonpublic details.

I've spent measurement excessively overmuch money connected bikeshares astir Brooklyn and Queens recently, and I tin corroborate that micromobility conscionable feels truthful overmuch amended than nan alternatives. Forget astir cars, moreover my motorcycle has been sitting nether its screen arsenic I continue to get astir connected small garbage Citibikes. I get places conscionable arsenic quickly, I'm retired successful nan world while I do it — unencumbered by armored jackets and boots — and I get a spot of cardio in. I'm looking guardant to seeing what Also puts out. 

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I'm sorry, but "Zachary Taylor" is not an 1800s name. Zach Taylor is simply a modern name, a sanction that knows astir Mountain Dew Code Red and has beardown opinions astir "Call of Duty" loadouts. Clearly our erstwhile President was a clip traveler, and died owed to thing we haven't yet discovered. It'll beryllium called "tachyon interference" aliases something. 

This euphony video has immoderate existent "Love Lies Bleeding" energy, which is 1 of nan highest compliments I tin give.