Berlin Mercedes-Benz executive jumps ship for Tesla

The US government is investigating Tesla's partially automated driving system after crashes that left one person dead and 17 people injured.

Mercedes-Benz showcased its concept electric car 'VISION AVTR' designed in collaboration with Disney and inspired by James Cameron’s blockbuster Avatar at the International Motor Show in Munich on Monday. According to the brand, the key feature of the futuristic super car is the use of brain-computer interfaces (BCI) technology which allow the driver to use mind control ‘as a new dimension of human interaction with the vehicle.’ The vehicle was unveiled to the public at a car show last year, but it’s the first time it presented the BCI functions at work. In Munich, the company also showed some of its latest models including an electric Maybach.  

Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor have also returned home after over 1,000 days in Chinese custody as part of the US-brokered deal that saw the release of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou.

Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's chief financial executive, has now left Canada after being detained on fraud charges for nearly three years. China released two Canadians as part of the US deal.

Fresh accusations of racism have landed US carmaker Tesla in court. The electric car manufacturer has faced similar allegations in the past.

A US court has ruled in favor of a Black former employee who was subjected to racial abuse by his colleagues, ordering he be paid an unprecedented $130 million in damages.

In a charm offensive to strengthen support for its plant near Berlin, Tesla has staged a county fair for locals. The huge plant has yet to receive a final permit from authorities on the ground, Hardy Graupner reports.

The carmaker is striving to compete with Tesla by not using so much aluminium. BMW want half its new cars to be electric by 2023.

The world's richest man sold about 900,000 shares of his company Tesla after asking Twitter followers whether he should sell 10% of his stocks. But documents showed the sale was put in motion much before the poll.

The billionaire CEO of the electric car maker has taken advantage of a nearly six-month meteoric rally in the stock price that vaulted the firm's value to over $1 trillion.

The electric vehicle maker Tesla looks set to open its first European factory in the coming weeks. The company has just thrown a party to win more public support — a final permit for the plant near Berlin has not yet been granted.

A Washington-based Muslim group accused Tesla of "supporting genocide" against Uyghurs, with a Republican senator also piling on pressure over Tesla's Xinjiang showroom.