Sunday, 6 September 2026

Volkswagen Group chief executive Oliver Blume drew up a plan to shut four factories in Germany by 2030, according to Germany's Manager Magazin.

The magazine reported that the plan also called for eliminating 100,000 workers, both in Germany and around the world, by 2030.

Manager Magazin said the plan would be made public at a company board meeting on July 9.

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is reportedly investigating the rollout of the Tesla Cybercab, according to CleanTechnica.

The vehicle at the center of the reported probe departs from conventional car design. CleanTechnica describes the custom-designed robotaxi as a vehicle that does not include a steering wheel, pedals, or side mirrors.

Those three omissions matter for federal vehicle regulation, because steering controls, driver-operated pedals, and rearview mirrors sit among the standard equipment items covered by US motor vehicle safety rules that NHTSA administers. A robotaxi built without them has no fallback for a human occupant to take over driving.

CleanTechnica characterized the NHTSA inquiry as reported rather than confirmed.