Before humanoid robots enter the modern battlefield alongside ground bots and low-cost suicide drones, these bipedal robots are first being unleashed on factory floors and inside warehouses, where the physical world of AI is beginning to take shape.
The latest development in humanoids entering factory floors comes from BMW's Spartanburg factory, where the Figure 03 robots were deployed earlier this week.
"Following the successful deployment of Figure 02 on the assembly line in 2025, our latest generation robot - Figure 03 - arrived in Hall 52, one of the assembly and logistics halls at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg," robot startup Figure wrote in a press release.
JPMorgan analyst Jose Asumendi attended the "Home of X" event at the Spartanburg plant on Tuesday, which showcased the German automaker's commitment to the US, where it's becoming the test bed for "physical AI."
"At the same time, we have seen that the Plant Spartanburg is advancing the next stage of innovation through physical AI. By utilizing humanoid robots from Figure AI, Plant Spartanburg has become a pioneer of BMW's Physical AI Initiative," Asumendi wrote in a note to clients.
The analyst continued, "These humanoid robots are actively engaged in tasks such as transporting materials, handling components, and organizing parts within the facility. Their involvement supports associates by taking on physically demanding and repetitive work, allowing employees to concentrate on the precision, craftsmanship, and quality that are hallmarks of every BMW vehicle. This collaboration between humans and robots is setting a new standard for manufacturing efficiency and innovation at Plant Spartanburg."
What the analyst saw on the manufacturing line:
Humanoids on the factory floors of BMW's Spartanburg plant are part of the car company's $1.7 billion investment in South Carolina, laying the groundwork for U.S. production of fully electric BMW vehicles. The company plans to begin assembling the fully electric iX5 in Spartanburg before the end of 2026 and at least six fully electric models in the U.S. by 2030.
Last month, Deutsche Bank's Head of APAC Automation & Industrials Research, Iris Zheng, shared with clients that the humanoid robot market is beginning to show signs of life, driven by faster ramp-ups from Chinese manufacturers and Tesla's push toward mass production.
This prompted Zheng's team to raise its 2026 to 2029 forecast for the global humanoid robot market; now expecting global shipments of humanoid robots to approach 50,000 units in 2026, up from the previous forecast of 17,500 in 2025 (more than doubling), before rising to about 700,500 units by 2030 and 70 million by 2050.
Related:
Bernstein analyst Eunice Lee recently noted that car companies are beginning to develop humanoids themselves:
Complete overview of the auto industry by company developing humanoids:
What's important to understand right now is that this is the early stage of physical AI, and some automakers are deploying these robots on factory floors, while others, such as Tesla, are developing them. The new model for car companies to create new revenue streams will be the production of robots because they share a similar parts ecosystem with EVs.
Tyler Durden Sat, 07/04/2026 - 21:35Authored by Kimberly Hayek via The Epoch Times,
President Donald Trump on Friday announced pardons for six individuals he said were persecuted by the Biden administration for repairing their own vehicles, saying that the cases were emblematic of regulatory overreach.
President Donald Trump arrives to deliver remarks during the Faith & Freedom Coalition's 2026 Policy Conference at the Washington Hilton in Washington on June 26, 2026. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images"It is my Great Honor to have just signed Pardons for six people who were persecuted by the Biden Administration, and were in, or being sent to, prison, for 'fixing their car,'" Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. "I AM SETTING THEM ALL FREE, RIGHT NOW!"
The pardoned individuals were targeted under the Clean Air Act for allegedly disabling or tampering with vehicle emissions control systems, generally on commercial diesel trucks or personal vehicles.
Individuals who had installed "defeat devices" were pursued by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice under the Biden administration. Trump's action means the immediate release of those in prison or facing incarceration.
The identities of the six people were not named in Trump's post.
On June 29, the president signed a presidential memorandum titled "Lowering the Cost of Living by Promoting the Freedom to Fix," directing federal agencies to expand access to aftermarket parts and support independent repairs to lower costs for Americans.
"We have a big ruling that we're just issuing now," Trump said. "I think it's very important to lower the price of your car."
"In all fairness, this is something that's very exciting to me," Trump said. "It means a lot to people that own vehicles, cars in particular, but cars and anything else. It's going to save them a lot of money, and they're going to be able to do it themselves."
"We are not going to be going after people who are fixing their own vehicle, like past administrations have," Trump stated, referencing Biden-era enforcement.
Trump's "right to fix" memorandum specifically seeks to counter manufacturer restrictions and regulatory hurdles that undermine consumer access to parts and repair information.
Specialty Equipment Market Association CEO Mike Spagnola said in a statement sent to The Epoch Times on June 29 that Trump's memorandum is "more bold action in support of vehicle owners and automotive aftermarket industry businesses from across the nation, and an example of federal leadership on behalf of our nation's vibrant car culture."
Spagnola highlighted aspects of the order that protect aftermarket manufacturers and expedite approval processes.
Tyler Durden Sat, 07/04/2026 - 21:00Tesla is reportedly preparing a series of updates, including one that would use a vehicle's cabin camera to verify a driver's identity before activating Full Self-Driving.
It sounds a bit dystopian, but this is likely the direction that connected smart-car brands are headed. As vehicles become more autonomous, automakers will increasingly need to verify who is behind the wheel before unlocking FSD functions.
The X account Tesla App Updates penned a new report outlining a series of changes possibly headed to the mobile app, including deeper FSD integration, more owner-facing controls, and expanded software monetization infrastructure.
Version 4.58.5 has been de-compiled and here's what we've found (https://t.co/eysAIiglnp):
• Coastal Blue paint now properly supported in 3D vehicle rendering
• In-app searchable video tutorials with pinning/bookmarking
• Deeper FSD tracking + new “streak days” gamification…
What stood out to us is the possibility of a new FSD identity-verification layer tied to the cabin camera. If the system cannot verify that the driver matches an authorized profile, FSD could be blocked.
Here's the full report:
Native Support for "Coastal Blue" Paint
Tesla has added support for a new paint color called Coastal Blue, currently exclusive to the base Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive built at Giga Berlin for the European market.
The strings COASTALBLUE, getCoastalblue, setCoastalblue, clearCoastalblue, and hasCoastalblue show that the app is being updated to properly render this color in its 3D vehicle models. The app can now dynamically load the correct material and shading when a vehicle with this paint code is detected, ensuring accurate representation on the home screen, climate menu, and widgets.
In-App Searchable Video Tutorials
Tesla is building a native, searchable video tutorial library directly into the mobile app. Users will have access to a dedicated tutorial hub (VideoTutorialContent and VideoSearchPanel) with a search bar (VideoSearchBar) that returns relevant results (VideoSearchResultItem). This allows owners to quickly find how-to videos for features like FSD, wiper blade replacement, or PIN to Drive without leaving the app.
Users can also pin important tutorials (setPinnedVideo, pinnedVideo) for quick access. These pinned videos are expected to sync across devices via mergePinnedVideos. The interface uses a clean card-based design (VideoListCard) with pagination (VIDEO_SEARCH_PAGE_SIZE) for better performance.
Deep FSD Telemetry, Streaks & Identity Verification
Tesla is expanding the amount of Full Self-Driving data and controls visible in the app.
Granular Mileage Tracking: New metrics such as FsdMonthlyMileage, fsdTotalMilesThisMonth, and FsdLast7DaysUsage allow the app to track autonomous versus manually driven miles with much greater detail.
FSD Streak Days (Gamification): The app is now tracking consecutive days of FSD usage (fsdStreakDays). This introduces a gamification element designed to encourage habitual use of the system, similar to the charging badge mechanics seen in previous updates.
Automated FSD Transfer Validation: During trade-ins, the app can now automatically validate whether a vehicle has a transferable FSD license using the tasks/trade-in/fsd-validate and shouldValidateFSDTransfer endpoints. This should streamline the FSD transfer process.
FSD Identity Verification: Strings such as fsdIdentityCheckFailedTitle and showFsdIdentityCheckFailedDialog suggest that the cabin camera may now perform driver identity verification before allowing FSD to activate. If the system cannot confirm the driver matches the authorized profile, it can block FSD and show a failure message in the app.
"App Share" – Deep Linking into the Tesla UI
Tesla is introducing an App Share feature that allows external applications to deep link into the Tesla app.
Using matchesAppShareLinkPath, the app can now handle special links that trigger specific actions (most likely sending a destination to the car’s navigation). Third-party apps like Google Maps, Yelp, or AllTrails could potentially share locations directly with the Tesla app.
The feature includes a compatibility check (getSelectedVehicleSupportsAppShare) to ensure the vehicle’s hardware and software support receiving these shared links.
Autopilot Base Tiers & Dynamic Override System
This is one of the more significant architectural updates in the app. Tesla is refactoring how it manages Autopilot and FSD ownership.
AutopilotBase – Permanent Tier: The vehicle now has a permanent AutopilotBase tied to the VIN (AUTOPILOTBASE_BASIC, AUTOPILOTBASE_ENHANCED, AUTOPILOTBASE_HIGHWAY, AUTOPILOTBASE_SELF_DRIVING). This represents what the car fundamentally owns.
AutopilotOverrideState – Temporary Upgrades: Tesla has introduced an “Override” system that sits on top of the base tier. This allows temporary activations such as trials or subscriptions (AUTOPILOTOVERRIDESTATE_TRIAL, AUTOPILOTOVERRIDESTATE_SUBSCRIPTION, AUTOPILOTOVERRIDESTATE_TIMEBOUND_TRIAL, etc.).
Live Expiration Tracking: The app can now read autopilotOverrideExpireTime directly from the vehicle, enabling accurate countdowns for when a trial or subscription will end.
Service & Loaner Management: The AUTOPILOTOVERRIDESTATE_VEHICLE_MANAGED state allows Tesla to temporarily enable enhanced Autopilot or FSD on service loaners or demo vehicles without permanently altering the car’s base configuration.
Ownership Quality Assurance Flow
A new authenticated endpoint and supporting UI components have been added for what appears to be an Ownership Quality Assurance process.
Endpoint: bff/v2/mobile-app/ownership/quality-assurance (GET, requires authentication)
What This Feature Likely Does: This system introduces a dedicated Quality Assurance modal (QualityAssuranceModal / quality-assurance-modal) that displays ownership-related verification items to the user.
Key components include:
Likely Use Cases
Given the endpoint path and UI elements, this flow is probably used in scenarios where Tesla needs to verify or document ownership status before certain actions. Possible contexts include:
If biometric facial-recognition systems are used to unlock Apple iPhones, then they are almost certainly coming to Tesla and other connected vehicles.
Tyler Durden Sat, 07/04/2026 - 20:25Yemen's Houthis announced Friday that they had "repelled" an attempt by Saudi warplanes to prevent an Iranian civilian aircraft from landing at Sanaa airport.
Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said that Saudi warplanes violating Yemeni airspace were targeted with several air-defense missiles, forcing them to withdraw.
via ReutersSaree stressed that the Iranian civilian aircraft was carrying more than 200 Yemeni citizens who had been stranded in Iran, including many who were sick or wounded.
“We warn the criminal Saudi enemy against repeating any attempt to violate our airspace or any aggression targeting our country. Such actions will be met with a comprehensive response targeting its airports and vital interests on land and sea,” Saree said in a video statement.
The YAF spokesman further stressed that "our hand is on the trigger" to implement any directives issued by Ansarallah leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi "within the framework of breaking the Saudi-American siege on our people and expelling the occupiers."
Saree also praised Iran's role in "breaking the siege" on Yemen by operating flights to transport patients and stranded people and to alleviate humanitarian suffering in Yemen.
After landing in Sanaa, the Iranian plane safely returned to Tehran carrying an official delegation of the Republic of Yemen to participate in the funeral of slain Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has imposed a blockade on Yemen's land, sea, and air ports, severely restricting vital commercial and humanitarian imports, including fuel and food.
The blockade triggered what the UN called one of the most severe humanitarian crises globally, leading millions towards famine and drastically damaging healthcare and water systems.
The Saudi siege on Yemen was partially lifted following April 2023 negotiations with the Ansarallah resistance movement, which leads the YAF and is closely allied with Iran.
Commentary @BashaReport | The possibility of war is very high. The Houthis are now signaling strength, claiming Iran ignored both Saudi Arabia and the internationally recognized Yemeni authorities by flying around 200 passengers in and out of Sanaa. They also say the aircraft… https://t.co/kVTxkuSUoO
— Basha باشا (@BashaReport) July 4, 2026The US and Israel also fought a war with Yemen following the start of what Ansarallah condemned as genocide of Palestinians in Gaza in 2023.
In response to the genocide, the YAF imposed a blockade on Israeli-linked ships passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait along the Yemeni coast of the Red Sea, eventually prompting the US and European navies to flee the Red Sea.
Tyler Durden Sat, 07/04/2026 - 19:50