West Yorkshire’s £229 Million Bus Decisions Will Outlast Its Operating Contracts

cleantechnica.com Nov 9, 2026

West Yorkshire’s £229 Million Bus Decisions Will Outlast Its Operating Contracts

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Nov 9, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

West Yorkshire Combined Authority has committed £229 million to reshape its bus network. On 2 November, FirstGroup signed a £109 million deal covering five depots, related infrastructure and 330 buses, including 79 battery‑electric units. A separate £120 million programme will fund more than 250 new buses for the franchised Weaver Network. While operating contracts run five to seven years, the acquired depots and high‑voltage electricity connections are intended to serve successive operators for decades. The authority will retain ownership of these assets, manage long‑term maintenance and electrification, and lease them to private operators as new franchises roll out between May 2027 and October 2028. This approach aims to decouple critical infrastructure from any single operator, easing future competition and safeguarding long‑term network flexibility.

💡 Why It Matters

· By locking in depots and charging infrastructure now, West Yorkshire reduces the risk that future bidders must rebuild costly assets, making the market more open and resilient to shifting travel patterns.

Capsules Transport

Read full article on cleantechnica.com

Tesla Robotaxi enters its newest city, reaching San Antonio

Tesla began Robotaxi service in San Antonio, Texas, on Nov. 9, 2026, with first rides at 5 a.m. local time. The company announced the rollout on X, posting a map that defines a roughly 275‑square‑mile operational zone—the largest area for its fleet. The geofence centers on downtown, encloses most of Loop 410, extends north to Loop 1604 between I‑10 and US 281, reaches west past State Highway 151, east beyond I‑35, and south toward I‑37, covering about one million residents and thousands of jobs. San Antonio International Airport lies inside the zone, though airport trips are not yet offered. This launch marks Tesla’s eighth Robotaxi city, the fifth in Texas, and expands its footprint beyond Austin, Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth, while surpassing Waymo’s coverage.

💡 Tesla’s rapid expansion into a densely populated Texas market tests its unsupervised autonomy at scale, putting pressure on regulators and competitors to keep pace.

cleantechnica.com · Nov 9

Ford Drops Hint About New Fathom EV Battery Life

Ford unveiled that its upcoming Fathom electric pickup will feature an integrated bidirectional charging system, eliminating the need for an external inverter. The move follows the release of five‑year battery‑retention data from the 2021 Mustang Mach‑E, showing over 91% health after 100,000 miles and 88% after 200,000 miles. Ford’s Fathom will use LFP batteries, offering lower cost and optional extended range. The data suggests the new truck will maintain strong battery longevity, reassuring buyers about durability and home‑grid use.

💡 By embedding the inverter, Ford cuts a common ownership cost, positioning the Fathom as a practical, long‑lasting solution for both work and home energy needs.

cleantechnica.com · Nov 9

EVs Displace 5 Times More Oil Globally Than They Did 5 Years…

Five years after COP26, Transport & Environment reports that electric vehicles now displace five times more oil than they did in 2017, cutting global oil use by 1.2 million barrels per day. Battery electric cars, up from 6.6% to 25% of new sales, now account for 4.2% of the global fleet. Electric buses and trucks also contribute, with buses at 5% of the fleet and trucks at 1%. The shift is seen as essential for energy security and emission reductions, with projections of 5.8 million barrels displaced by 2034.

💡 The rapid rise in EV adoption directly throttles oil demand, reducing the likelihood of future supply shocks. This trend also accelerates the broader energy transition, offering grid flexibility and significant CO₂ savings.

techcrunch.com · Nov 9

Waymo robotaxis kept illegally passing school buses after software fix, feds say

Waymo’s self‑driving fleet has been under renewed federal scrutiny after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a recall query into the company’s software fix for illegal school‑bus passing. The agency’s November 6 filing notes that most reported incidents occurred after Waymo deployed an update on November 17, 2025 intended to stop robotaxis from crossing stopped buses with flashing red lights. The investigation follows video from October 2025 showing a Waymo vehicle maneuvering around a school bus in Atlanta and multiple reports from Austin schools documenting similar behavior. Waymo asserts that improvements have eliminated citations since March 2026 and pledges to cooperate with NHTSA’s defect investigation. The probe also examines whether the algorithm’s learning updates were tested before rollout.

💡 If Waymo’s fix proves insufficient, regulators may demand broader software recalls, setting a precedent for how autonomous‑vehicle updates are validated.

teslarati.com · Nov 9

Elon Musk keeps justifying Tesla Cybertruck’s cancelation, but it’s confusing

Elon Musk announced on X that Tesla will cease Cybertruck production by mid‑2027, shifting focus to the upcoming Cybercab and broader passenger‑transport ambitions. He said the truck’s order rate far exceeds its production capacity, prompting the company to fulfill as many pending orders as possible before the line shuts down in roughly eight months, after which many deposits will be returned. Critics note the paradox of continuing to accept new orders despite an acknowledged inability to meet them, raising concerns about customer dissatisfaction. With the Cybertruck’s removal, Tesla’s consumer lineup will lack a utility vehicle, leaving space for rivals such as Rivian and upcoming models from Ford and GM. Observers argue the decision makes business sense but may alienate the brand’s dedicated fan base.

💡 Tesla’s exit from the pickup segment cedes a fast‑growing EV niche to competitors, reshaping market dynamics for electric trucks.

techcrunch.com · Nov 9

Tesla expands robotaxi service to San Antonio

Tesla announced on X that its robotaxi service will launch in San Antonio at 5 a.m. local time on Monday, extending the company’s autonomous‑driving rollout beyond Austin, Miami, Orlando, Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston. The deployment follows a limited‑fleet, confined‑area approach used in previous markets and mirrors the company’s shift from human‑monitored rides to fully driverless operation, which began in Austin in January after safety monitors were removed. Tesla’s fleet size varies by city, with over 400 vehicles in Austin but only a few dozen elsewhere; the San Antonio launch adds to a modest presence that still trails Waymo’s larger, mixed‑vehicle service in the same market. The move underscores Tesla’s push to position itself as a mobility provider rather than solely an automaker.

💡 Tesla’s entry into San Antonio pits its camera‑only AI system against Waymo’s sensor‑rich fleet, testing whether a leaner tech stack can win real‑world riders in a competitive market.