The head of engineering for Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot division, left the company on Friday. Milan Kovac announced his departure on X, insisting that it “will not change a thing” about the company’s plans, which, as of March, meant building thousands of robots this year alone.

Kovac insisted that he was leaving Tesla only to “spend more time with family abroad,” adding that his “support for @elonmusk and the team is ironclad,” heading off speculation that his exit might have been prompted by Musk’s political activity or recent public squabble with Donald Trump. In his own tweet, Musk thanked Kovac for his “outstanding contribution to Tesla over the past decade.”

Musk has called the humanoid Optimus robots Tesla’s “most important product development,” and has repeatedly leaned on the division to generate hype as EV sales slow and the company’s stock price tumbles. “The only things that matter in the long term are autonomy and Optimus,” Musk told CNBC in May, referring to the company’s separate plans for self-driving cars, set to be deployed in a “robotaxi” service in Austin this month.

Bloomberg reports that Autopilot chief Ashok Elluswamy will take over responsibility for Optimus, which is at a critical stage. In March Musk claimed the company could make “at least one legion of robots this year and then probably 10 legions next year,” which would mean around 5,000 robots by the end of this year, and 50,000 in 2026. To do so, it will have to overcome China’s recent restrictions on exports of rare earth minerals and magnets, which are essential for the robots’ construction.

The 2026 Chevy Silverado EV is going off road — way off road — with the addition of the Trail Boss trim to the electric pickup’s lineup. The electric version of the automaker’s popular off-road trim, Trail Boss offers more capability and — insanely — even more range for the already class-leading Silverado EV.

The upgraded electric truck has 2-inches of extra lift for more clearance while grinding gravel and climbing boulders, including 35-inch all-terrain tires and 18-inch wheels. Despite the added height, the Trail Boss will get a staggering GM-estimated range of 478 miles if you opt for the max range battery.

And in terms of maneuverability, Sidewinder mode enables all four tires to turn in the same direction for diagonal driving. It sounds similar to the Silverado’s sister truck, GMC’s Hummer EV with its Crab Walk and King Crab diagonal driving features.

But Sidewinder is also available to the RST trim, so what else is cool about Trail Boss? How about a trim-exclusive Terrain mode, which offers additional control while traversing uneven trails at low speeds. Compared to other drive modes, Terrain unlocks sharper 4-wheel steer, giving drivers better ability to control torque and traction at low speeds.

Speaking of power, the Trail Boss version of the Silverado EV will put out 725 horsepower and 775 lb-ft of torque when combined with the max range battery. That battery also offers a max towing capacity of 12,500 lbs along with a 2,100 payload capacity. Of course, you should expect some range loss while towing heavy loads.

Chevy is also dialing up the tech, offering enhanced Super Cruise with hands-free highway driving on both the Trail Boss and LT trims of the truck. The driver assist feature is also available while towing.

The automaker is also lowering the base price for the Silverado EV to $54,895, including destination charges, which is down from the previous base price of $57,095. The interior features a 17.7 inch center touchscreen alongside an 11-inch instrument gauge, which now comes standard on the Work Truck for the first time.

But the Trail Boss will run a lot higher, with the extended range version starting at $72,095 and the max range blasting off at $88,695. What, you thought all that extra range would be cheap?

Slate, a Jeff Bezos-backed startup, has unveiled a cheap, no-frills lightweight electric truck priced at just $20,000.

Last night, a new company called Slate Auto unveiled its first product, a spartan two-seater electric truck with a mere 150 miles of range and a world of possibility. There's no paint, no distracting infotainment screen, and no stereo or even radio. It doesn't tower over your average 12-year-old, and it may sell for under $20,000 (including incentives) when it arrives in 2026.

If it arrives, of course. We don't need to get into the litany of obstacles that lie in the path of Slate's future success - including a global trade war and a presidential administration openly hostile to EVs - because instead I'm interested in talking about the truck as a possible antidote to our growing obsession with overpowered, oversize trucks and SUVs.

You've probably noticed this problem if you have eyes and live in America in 2025. Our roads are packed with these roving land yachts. Sales of SUVs and pickup trucks reached new highs in 2024, accounting for 75 percent of total vehicle registrations. A decade ago, these two segments made up just half of the market. Today, they represent three out of every four new vehicles sold in America.

A world of possibility

These vehicles are bigger and heavie …

Read the full story at The Verge.