Polestar Exits and Sodium Batteries Reshape the EV Frontier
July 12, 2026
Federal bans on Chinese-linked software are orphaning Polestar dealerships and hardware, while the emergence of sodium-ion and solid-state startups attempts to break the geopolitical chokepoint of lithium supply chains. As Tesla's camera-only systems increasingly obstruct first responders and face regulatory scrutiny, the tension between proprietary autonomous software and public safety is driving a shift toward car-free urban design and diversified grid storage.
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Polestar owners left ‘holding the bag’ after EV brand pulls out of the US
Last month, Polestar shocked the auto industry when it announced that it was pulling out of the US. The EV company's decision came after the federal government denied its authorization to continue selling its cars despite a rule banning vehicles with Chinese-made connected vehicle software. Polestar…
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We took a self-driving car on the road for 100 days to see how it handled itself – these are the mistakes it kept making
Tesla In March, Jensen Huang, chief executive of computer chip giant NVIDIA, declared the “ChatGPT moment” for self-driving cars had arrived. In Australia, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system is already available on public roads. Waymo is exploring robotaxi operations in Australia. The question i…
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Meet the Battery Startup Taking on China’s Giants
Solid-state batteries are safer and more capable—but harder to mass-produce. They also represent an opportunity for non-Chinese companies to get back in the game.
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When the Law Kills Your Electric Car Dealership
Dealers who invested in Polestar won’t be able to sell in the US next year after the federal government denied an authorization that would have allowed the company to avoid a Chinese tech ban.
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The robotaxi law that could ban Tesla
For more than a decade, one question has loomed over the race to build autonomous vehicles: Are cameras alone enough to safely replace human drivers, or do truly driverless cars need additional, overlapping sensors like lidar and radar to navigate the world reliably? Tesla has bet billions of dollar…
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Salt batteries are about to shake up EVs and grid storage
Today, most rechargeable batteries are made from lithium ions, but sodium-ion alternatives could make battery tech much cheaper and offer other advantages
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Self-Driving Cars Are Interfering With First Responders. Feds Aren’t Happy
NHTSA administrator Jonathan Morris called reports that self-driving cars had driven into emergency scenes and blocked ambulances and firefighters “unacceptable.”
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How car-free streets make healthier communities
A new Carleton University study has found that temporarily closing roads to vehicles can reduce air and noise pollution by about 60 per cent for pedestrians and cyclists.