Remember all that talk of Chinese brands making waves in the North American auto market with $15K cars? Well, it's half a step closer. Ehh…maybe a quarter of a step.
Chinese EV brand ZEEKR, owned by Geely, has launched its first models in Mexico, marking its formal entry into North America. The ZEEKR 001 shooting brake and X SUV are now available, with prices starting at $54,850 and $44,350, respectively.
ZEEKR is closer to the U.S. market, but with prices still comparable to American-made EVs that some are still holding at arm's length, it may not matter much to us.
Luke Skywalker had his robot, R2-D. Harry Potter had his owl, Hedwig. And Perseus had his robot owl, Bubo (bet you weren't expecting a Clash of the Titans deep cut today, huh?).
Now you, too, can have a flying robot friend to help on your quests. GM is also flirting with in-car drones, and once GM is on something, the other legacy auto brands are sure to come along soon.
General Motors is developing a drone-based system to help drivers navigate off-road terrains. The drone scouts ahead, using radar and lidar to map the route and relay real-time recommendations to the driver. This system aims to provide a more accurate and dynamic navigation solution compared to traditional in-vehicle maps. Rivian is also working on a similar drone system for off-roading and short-range obstacle spotting.
Open auto industry news at any moment, and you'll find some Tesla headlines. Tesla is up, Tesla is down, Tesla is upside down, etc.
While the company is a dominant force in the EV world, it is also hitting the home energy sector and talking up its eventual offering for home robotics. Like butlers in space suits, these robots could make day-to-day life easier. But also like butlers in space suits, they could be the beginning of a sci-fi comedy of errors crossed over with a murder mystery. Excited yet?
Tesla plans to produce humanoid robots, called Optimus, for internal use next year, with broader production expected by 2026. These robots are designed for factory tasks and reflect Tesla's shift towards AI and automation technologies, complementing its EV production.
Don't get me wrong, my Roomba is really helpful, and its drawbacks are manageable in proportion to its ability. But, if it had hands, who knows what sort of mischief it could get into!