Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe emphasizes the importance of lidar for autonomous vehicles, contrasting Tesla's camera-only approach. Scaringe notes that lidar has become much more affordable and can perform tasks that cameras cannot. Tesla CEO Elon Musk argues that relying on multiple sensors causes sensor contention, while Scaringe and Ford CEO Jim Farley say lidar is essential for safety and effectiveness, particularly in challenging conditions.

Texas startup Base Power has raised $1 billion in Series C funding to expand its home battery backup rental service, which lets customers pay a low installation fee and modest monthly charge. Rather than selling batteries, Base Power retains ownership and operates them as distributed assets that supply backup power to homes and sell electricity back to the grid during peak demand. The model lowers upfront costs for consumers, often cutting total energy bills, while allowing energy storage and supply to scale faster than traditional utility models.

The Ferrari Elettrica marks the company's first foray into electric vehicles, debuting as a grand tourer with four doors and a shooting brake or wagon-inspired design. With a WLTP range of over 300 miles and more than 1,000 horsepower, the Elettrica is engineered for performance and practicality. At the core of the Elettrica's performance is its quad-motor system, which gives each wheel its own electric motor, enabling independent control of torque distribution.

Akko has launched the MetaKey, a budget keyboard case for iPhone that brings back a BlackBerry-style design for easier text entry without relying on the iOS on-screen keyboard. It features USB-C connectivity, MagSafe compatibility, shortcut keys, voice-to-text access, and a backlit keyboard, offering a practical option for users who want a physical typing experience on their iPhones.