Elon Musk said on X that Tesla will wind down Cybertruck production at its Austin, Texas Gigafactory around mid-2026, freeing up capacity for increased Cybercab production. That plant is the only Tesla facility equipped to build the Cybertruck, and Musk did not say whether production would move elsewhere. Cumulative Cybertruck deliveries are estimated at roughly 70,000 since its 2023 launch, far below Musk's earlier forecast of 250,000 annual sales.
theverge.com
· 2026-11-06
Companies are piloting AI-controlled trucks on limited routes in Texas and California, but these vehicles still require a human driver on board. Simulations suggest fully automated fleets could eventually improve safety, fuel efficiency, and delivery times, though that technology remains years away from widespread deployment.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-11-01
US health officials confirmed the New World Screwworm flesh-eating parasite has spread to Arizona, becoming the third state affected alongside Texas and New Mexico. Since the flies re-entered the US in June, 74 animal infestations have been recorded, including recent attacks on four dogs and a cat. The parasite's larvae burrow into living tissue through wounds and orifices, causing severe and sometimes fatal injuries.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-10-30
FEC and state filings show Elon Musk has given at least $158 million to super PACs backing Texas attorney general Ken Paxton's Senate bid and $5 million directly to Governor Greg Abbott's reelection campaign, making Musk Abbott's largest donor. A judge this week ruled Abbott illegally blocked a lawmaker's request to view 1,400 pages of his correspondence with Musk, ordering their release; Abbott has appealed, with a hearing set for November 2, the day before the election.
wired.com
· 2026-10-30
A new coalition called We the People Texas, spanning groups like the Texas NAACP and dozens of other organizations, has formed to slow or stop data center construction across the state. The group cites concerns over water use, tax subsidies, and new gas and wind plants built to meet rising electricity demand, and estimates it represents as many as 1 million voters. An August poll found 57 percent of Texans oppose data center construction, including 43 percent of Republicans and 75 percent of Democrats.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-28
Element3, a Texas startup, is processing the enormous volumes of wastewater produced during oil drilling in the Permian Basin to recover minerals used in EV batteries. The region's oil wells generate roughly 6 million barrels of crude a day alongside large quantities of mineral-laden water, which the company is treating as a resource rather than waste.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-10-26
Texas environmental regulator TCEQ has suspended 17 stormwater construction permits tied to data center projects and shut down its STEERS portal that had been auto-approving applications, despite Governor Greg Abbott's September call to pause new permits. Watchdog groups FracTracker Alliance and Public Citizen had reported over two dozen permits, including ones for OpenAI and Amazon projects, were still issued after the halt was ordered.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-10-24
Researchers at Texas A&M found that employees' exposure to political news and social media content, even outside work hours, is associated with changes in their workplace engagement. The study arrives as political anxiety tends to rise ahead of midterm elections.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-10-24
Elon Musk donated over $76 million to his America PAC in the first two weeks of October, according to a pre-election FEC filing. The PAC spent nearly $43 million in that period, with $15.2 million going to Texas Senate race ads, including $12.4 million attacking Democrat James Talarico and $2.8 million supporting Republican Ken Paxton. Musk has now given more than $445 million to Republican groups this cycle, with over $165 million to America PAC since July.
wired.com
· 2026-10-23
James Talarico's Senate campaign released a video Thursday accusing Elon Musk of bankrolling super PACs running attack ads against him in favor of Republican Ken Paxton. The ad came amid a public back-and-forth on X between Talarico and Musk, who has reportedly spent about $366 million across 40 races this midterm cycle, according to CNBC.
cnbc.com
· 2026-10-23
Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja said on the company's Q3 earnings call that its Cybercab service will launch in Dallas next month and expand to additional cities by year-end, with sales to fleet operators also starting by the end of 2025. Tesla currently runs robotaxi versions of its Model Y in Dallas, Houston, Miami, Orlando and Tampa, while CEO Elon Musk said the robotaxi business won't meaningfully affect financials until mid-2027.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-10-22
Carrier Global announced plans to build a $600 million manufacturing plant in Texas dedicated to producing cooling systems for data centers. The company described it as the largest single investment in its history, tied to rising demand from customers operating AI-focused data centers.
wsj.com
· 2026-10-22
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