As electric vehicles have gone mainstream, buyers are facing a smorgasbord of options, and Tesla--once untouchable--is no longer the dominant force. Last year was a tough one for Elon Musk's auto brand: Sales efforts faltered, and the company lost its title of world's largest EV maker to China's BYD . Today, it feels like all automakers-- including luxury brands --are racing to release their own EVs. But at the same time, some companies are scaling back production plans . So where is the market headed?

On this episode of, we introduce you to DoorDash's new delivery robot and discuss what the growing robot population means for humans. Coco delivery robots navigate the streets of Santa Monica, CA. All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links. Earlier this week, DoorDash unveiled its own new autonomous robot called Dot. The company says it's part of its goal to have a "hybrid" model for deliveries. It's the latest sign of a renewed interest in the industry of delivery robots after years of challenges. WIRED's Aarian Marshall joins us to discuss why this matters for all of us, whether we're ordering in or not. Write to us at uncannyvalley@wired.com . You can always listen to this week's podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here's how: If you're on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link . Hey, Louise, how are you doing? Yeah, Lauren is on a really exciting trip to Arizona that I'm sure we'll hear more about soon. So, as her editor, I am happy to fill in when she's off on an adventure.

If you've spent time in San Francisco or Phoenix in the last couple years, chances are you've probably seen a self-driving car making its way around. This week, we're joined by WIRED's Aarian Marshall to talk about the race to flood our streets with self-driving cars. We'll get into safety regulations, the pros and cons of robotaxis, and we imagine a future where driverless cars become mainstream. Write to us at uncannyvalley@wired.com. You can always listen to this week's podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here's how: If you're on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link.

One of the greatest ironies in this still-nascent era of self-driving cars is that humans are the backup safety drivers for these autonomous systems, while the systems themselves are supposed to replace human drivers and all our follies. Earlier this week, a preliminary report from the NTSB indicated that the Uber self-driving car that killed a woman in Arizona earlier this year, did in fact "see" the woman in the seconds before the crash occurred. Transportation writer Aarian Marshall and editor Alex Davies join the Gadget Lab podcast this week to discuss the issues that surround "software that's not yet ready to replace humans, and humans that are ill-equipped to keep their would-be replacements from doing harm." And of course, we couldn't have a conversation about the future of transportation without talking about Elon Musk. Also, Alex writes about the follies of humans act as backup safety drivers, while Aarian lays out California's heavy-handed plans to regulate autonomous vehicles.

Depending on the time of day, your meter could charge you anywhere between 50 cents and $8. A ride in General Motors' safety-first autonomous vehicle, bombshell evidence in the Uber-Waymo trade secrets lawsuit, a new Infiniti revealed, and more car news from this week. Ric Jacobs might have been a whistle-blower. The ride-hailing giant portrays him as an extortionist. GM and Cruise are testing vehicles in a chaotic city, and the tech still has a ways to go.