Tesla Robotaxi, Rivian R2 configurator is live, China is taking over EU factories, and more
Electrek
9to5Mac
4.3 • 621 Ratings
🗓️ 15 May 2026
⏱️ 63 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss updates to Tesla Robotaxi, Rivian R2 configurator going live, China taking over EU factories, and more.
Today’s episode is sponsored by GM Energy. If you want to experience more resilience and control over your home energy, the GM Energy Home System adds stationary battery power for always-ready backup energy for your home, and the GM Energy PowerBank takes in energy from the grid and stores it for when you need it most. Learn more at gmenergy.gm.com
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
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Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
- Tesla postpones Model S/X Signature delivery event, leaving attendees holding the bag
- Tesla now forces drivers to give feedback when intervening on ‘Full Self-Driving’
- Tesla finally reveals what happened in 17 ‘Robotaxi’ crashes
- Rivian opens R2 configurator: here are all the options and pricing
- Volkswagen reveals the first electric GTI, a 222 hp EV hot hatch for $45,000 [Images]
- XPeng in talks to buy a Volkswagen plant in Europe as exports surge 62%
- BYD eyes Stellantis EU plant takeover as EV demand spikes, confirms ‘other companies too’
- Volkswagen brings the ID. Buzz back for 2027, but now the ID.4 is on a brief hiatus
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | And we are live for a new episode of the electric podcast. |
| 0:09.8 | I'm Fred Lambert, your host. |
| 0:11.6 | As usual, I'm joined by Seth Wincham. |
| 0:13.7 | How are you doing, Seth? |
| 0:14.6 | Good. |
| 0:15.8 | All right. |
| 0:17.0 | Quick thank you to today's sponsor, GM Energy. |
| 0:21.6 | If you want to experience more resilience and control over your home energy, the GM Energy home system adds stationary battery power for always ready backup energy for your home. |
| 0:31.6 | And GM Energy PowerBain takes in energy from the grid and stores it when you need it the most. |
| 0:41.1 | Learn more at gmenergy.gm.com. |
| 0:47.4 | We're going to have a little bit more to say about them and their latest offering later on on the show. |
| 0:49.3 | So stay tuned for that. |
| 0:53.7 | What we're going to discuss today, we're going to have a little bit of a test on use, a little postponing, weird little postponing of the Model S&X signature event. |
| 0:58.6 | You're going to talk about the latest FSD Roblo Taxi stuff. |
| 1:04.7 | Then the R2 configurator just went live today. |
| 1:07.9 | A big step, big step in the right direction. |
| 1:10.1 | That means deliveries are, |
| 1:11.9 | I mean, they literally say a week to six weeks. So, so it's going to happen pretty, pretty fast. |
| 1:17.4 | Then the Volkswagen GTI Electric was unveiled and it's, uh, I have my doubts, but we'll take a look. |
| 1:27.4 | Then not one, but we'll take a look. |
| 1:34.8 | Then not one, but two Chinese automakers are reportedly, and actually I think B.D confirmed it today, but the two Chinese automakers separately are looking to buy up existing car |
| 1:42.3 | plant in Europe right now. |
... |
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