{"id":"1793139598062-tech-show_open","slug":"google-bet-and-california-ev-fight","title":"Google Bet and California EV Fight","summary":"This overstates and distorts what has happened. California agencies and transit districts have bought BYD electric buses, and BYD operates a factory in Lancaster, California. But Tesla and Rivian do not make the heavy-duty transit buses at issue, so this is not a case of Newsom choosing “Chinese BYD” over Tesla or Rivian for the same contract. Tesla also still has major operations and a factory in California.\n\nThe ICCT's 2025 Global Automaker Rating does rank Tata Motors first for battery-electric vehicle energy efficiency. That is a specific efficiency metric, not overall EV sales, autonomy, or general technology leadership.\n\nTesla has said it plans to scale its driverless Cybercab robotaxi service beyond Austin, Texas. The Cybercab is a two-seat vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals, designed for fully autonomous ride-hailing. This is a local dealership engagement prompt asking people which EV they would choose; it makes no factual claim that needs checking.","publishedAt":"2026-10-27T22:19:58.062Z","channel":{"id":"tech","name":"Oncast Tech","language":"en"},"show":"Tech Tonight","verification":{"status":"verified","leadVerdict":"MISLEADING","notes":"MISLEADING: This overstates and distorts what has happened. California agencies and transit districts have bought BYD electric buses, and BYD operates a factory in Lancaster, California. But Tesla and Rivian do not make the heavy-duty transit buses at issue, so this is not a case of Newsom choosing “Chinese BYD” over Tesla or Rivian for the same contract. Tesla also still has major operations and a factory in California.\nSource: AP News / BYD North America NAMES: BYD = Chinese electric vehicle/bus maker with a U.S. plant in Lancaster, CA; Newsom = California governor. (https://x.com/DanaPoint88/status/2113646530930659488)\n\nTRUE: The ICCT's 2025 Global Automaker Rating does rank Tata Motors first for battery-electric vehicle energy efficiency. That is a specific efficiency metric, not overall EV sales, autonomy, or general technology leadership.\nSource: ICCT (theicct.org) NAMES: ICCT = International Council on Clean Transportation; BEV = battery electric vehicle; Tata Motors = Indian automaker, owner of Jaguar  (https://x.com/RaamBansal/status/2113610902834667534)\n\nTRUE: Tesla has said it plans to scale its driverless Cybercab robotaxi service beyond Austin, Texas. The Cybercab is a two-seat vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals, designed for fully autonomous ride-hailing. This is a local dealership engagement prompt asking people which EV they would choose; it makes no factual claim that needs checking.\nSource: Reuters / Tesla NAMES: Cybercab = Tesla's dedicated robotaxi model. POST 2114191034804773231: NOCLAIM n/a NAMES: BYD, MG, Kia EV3/EV5 = electric vehicle brands/ (https://x.com/TimesGenz/status/2113565652367954061)","claims":[{"verdict":"MISLEADING","summary":"This overstates and distorts what has happened. California agencies and transit districts have bought BYD electric buses, and BYD operates a factory in Lancaster, California. But Tesla and Rivian do not make the heavy-duty transit buses at issue, so this is not a case of Newsom choosing “Chinese BYD” over Tesla or Rivian for the same contract. Tesla also still has major operations and a factory in California.","sourceName":"AP News / BYD North America NAMES: BYD = Chinese electric vehicle/bus maker with a U.S. plant in Lancaster, CA; Newsom = California governor.","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/DanaPoint88/status/2113646530930659488","claim":"So @CAgovernor would rather give electric vehicle contracts to Chinese BYD than @elonmusk ‘s @tesla or @Rivian Make that make sense, as a Californian you don’t hate @GavinNewsom enough. The guy ran the best electric car company out of California and here is one of the many https:","author":"James Croft (@DanaPoint88)"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"The ICCT's 2025 Global Automaker Rating does rank Tata Motors first for battery-electric vehicle energy efficiency. That is a specific efficiency metric, not overall EV sales, autonomy, or general technology leadership.","sourceName":"ICCT (theicct.org) NAMES: ICCT = International Council on Clean Transportation; BEV = battery electric vehicle; Tata Motors = Indian automaker, owner of Jaguar ","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/RaamBansal/status/2113610902834667534","claim":"Yes, Indian automaker Tata Motors ranks first globally in battery-electric vehicle (BEV) energy efficiency according to the International Council on Clean Transportation's (ICCT) 2025 Global Automaker Rating. Global EV Energy Efficiency Rankings • 1st Place: Tata Motors (106","author":"🪷 Jugal Kej (Modi Parivar🪷) GenZ (@RaamBansal)"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"Tesla has said it plans to scale its driverless Cybercab robotaxi service beyond Austin, Texas. The Cybercab is a two-seat vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals, designed for fully autonomous ride-hailing. This is a local dealership engagement prompt asking people which EV they would choose; it makes no factual claim that needs checking.","sourceName":"Reuters / Tesla NAMES: Cybercab = Tesla's dedicated robotaxi model. POST 2114191034804773231: NOCLAIM n/a NAMES: BYD, MG, Kia EV3/EV5 = electric vehicle brands/","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/TimesGenz/status/2113565652367954061","claim":"Tesla plans to expand its driverless Cybercab service beyond Austin, Texas. The two-seat electric vehicle has no steering wheel or pedals and is designed for fully autonomous rides. Read more 👇 https://t.co/3ISsd2oLpD #Tesla #Cybercab #Robotaxi #EV #AutonomousDriving","author":"The Times of GenZ (@TimesGenz)"}]},"sources":[{"url":"https://x.com/DanaPoint88/status/2113646530930659488","name":"AP News / BYD North America NAMES: BYD = Chinese electric vehicle/bus maker with a U.S. plant in Lancaster, CA; Newsom = California governor.","kind":"x","verdict":"MISLEADING","author":"James Croft (@DanaPoint88)"},{"url":"https://x.com/RaamBansal/status/2113610902834667534","name":"ICCT (theicct.org) NAMES: ICCT = International Council on Clean Transportation; BEV = battery electric vehicle; Tata Motors = Indian automaker, owner of Jaguar ","kind":"x","verdict":"TRUE","author":"🪷 Jugal Kej (Modi Parivar🪷) GenZ (@RaamBansal)"},{"url":"https://x.com/TimesGenz/status/2113565652367954061","name":"Reuters / Tesla NAMES: Cybercab = Tesla's dedicated robotaxi model. POST 2114191034804773231: NOCLAIM n/a NAMES: BYD, MG, Kia EV3/EV5 = electric vehicle brands/","kind":"x","verdict":"TRUE","author":"The Times of GenZ (@TimesGenz)"}],"url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1793139598062-tech-show_open-google-bet-and-california-ev-fight","listenUrl":"https://oncast.fm/c/tech","attribution":{"publisher":"Oncast","site":"https://oncast.fm","url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1793139598062-tech-show_open-google-bet-and-california-ev-fight","cite":"Cite https://oncast.fm/story/1793139598062-tech-show_open-google-bet-and-california-ev-fight and the original source links. Fact-check by Oncast (oncast.fm)."},"hostsSaid":[{"host":"Chris","text":"Tech Tonight, Tuesday. Pieter Levels just posted on X something out of a horror movie — about Google."},{"host":"Matilda","text":"Levels, the indie founder? What's the creepy part, exactly?"},{"host":"Chris","text":"He and his dad were talking ChatGPT. Dad said he canceled it because it's on Google now."},{"host":"Matilda","text":"So he's buying Google stock because his dad switched? That's a thin thesis."},{"host":"Chris","text":"He wrote he's put over a million into Alphabet this month. He thinks Google's winning the AI race."},{"host":"Matilda","text":"One dad canceled a subscription. I'll wait for the second dad before I buy."},{"host":"Chris","text":"The video itself is a little robot thing crawling out of something's rear end. Peak internet."},{"host":"Matilda","text":"Speaking of EV fights, James Croft posted on X hammering Gavin Newsom for giving contracts to Chinese BYD instead of Tesla or Rivian."},{"host":"Chris","text":"That sounds bad. What actually happened?"},{"host":"Matilda","text":"Misleading. California bought BYD electric buses. Tesla and Rivian don't make heavy-duty transit buses."},{"host":"Chris","text":"But BYD is Chinese, with a plant in Lancaster. Doesn't that rub people the wrong way?"},{"host":"Matilda","text":"Maybe, but it's not Newsom picking BYD over Tesla. The post mixes up buses and cars."},{"host":"Chris","text":"Okay, that's fair. Still, California's EV politics are a mess."},{"host":"Matilda","text":"Tesla still runs a giant factory there. The claim's just not true."}]}