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Lucid targets industry-first self-driving car technology with Nvidia

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Lucid targets industry-first self-driving car technology with Nvidia


The Lucid display is seen at the New York International Auto Show on April 16, 2025.

Danielle DeVries | CNBC

Lucid Group is targeting a new goal that would make it the first automaker to offer highly advanced self-driving capabilities in its vehicles in the coming years, the company said Tuesday.

The all-electric vehicle manufacturer expects to launch what it’s calling “mind-off” driving in which a car can essentially drive itself under normal circumstances without a human needing to monitor it or intervene unless there’s a change in circumstances, such as severe weather. That would be like an occupant playing a game of cards or watching TV while the car is driving.

Lucid on Tuesday said it plans to leverage Nvidia‘s “Drive AV” platform and multisensor suite that includes cameras, radar, and lidar — or light detection and sensing, which allows the vehicle to better “see” its surroundings — for the forthcoming system.

Marc Winterhoff, interim CEO of Lucid, said the plan is to debut the new system “definitely in the coming years,” but he declined to specify an exact timeframe other than it won’t be in 2026. The system is first planned for Lucid’s upcoming midsize vehicle before it would expand to other models, he said.

“I want to make sure that we can offer this for our customers in a timeframe that I think is very ambitious, but at the same time, also we’re realistic,” Winterhoff told CNBC. “The main reason why I decided to not start from scratch, just do it ourselves, it’s simply time to market. … Also, it would cost a lot of money.”

Winterhoff said Nvidia’s technologies will be a catalyst for the system, while Lucid plans to actually execute the self-driving technology.

In the meantime, Winterhoff said Lucid plans to continue to increase the automated technologies on its current vehicles — the Air sedan and Gravity SUV — in partnership with Nvidia.

A Lucid-supplied teaser image of its upcoming midsize vehicle behind its current Gravity SUV.

Lucid

“It will be a stepping stone,” said Winterhoff, who has served as interim CEO since company founder Peter Rawlinson left as chief executive in February.

Many companies, including General Motors and Tesla, have promised personal self-driving vehicles but have failed to deliver. Automakers have invested billions of dollars working on autonomous vehicles in recent years, with most pulling back spending after years of trying to deploy the technologies.

What Lucid is aiming to launch is what the industry refers to as “Level 4: High Driving Automation.” As defined by SAE International, formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers, Level 4 technologies should not require monitoring or human intervention under certain, but not all, conditions.

There are a limited number of Level 4 vehicles currently on U.S. roadways. Most notably, Alphabet‘s Waymo operates robotaxis in a variety of cities. Lucid is saying it plans to be the first for a consumer vehicle.

Achieving such a system for Lucid will be daunting, especially given its track record on advanced driver assistance system, or ADAS.

The company, by its own admission, has not lived up to its customers’ expectations. It has been slow to release systems capable of hands-free driving, like many companies offer, or compete with well-known “Level 2” technologies such as GM’s “Super Cruise” or Tesla’s “Autopilot” or “FSD.”

Meanwhile, it’s set to be a record year for EV sales, but demand for all-electric cars is expected to decline with the end of federal incentives of up to $7,500.

Lucid announced the self-driving technology plans as well as other initiatives in conjunction with the Nvidia GTC global artificial intelligence conference taking place this week in Washington, D.C.



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Companies start getting tariff refunds after Supreme Court decision

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Companies start getting tariff refunds after Supreme Court decision


Containers at the Port of Oakland in Oakland, California, US, on Thursday, March 26, 2026.

David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Months after the Supreme Court ruled some tariffs were unconstitutional, the first round of tariff refunds has begun flowing in.

Oshkosh Corporation CFO Matt Field confirmed to CNBC that the company has started receiving tariff refunds as of Tuesday.

“Following acceptance of our initial filing, we have begun receiving payments on our tariff refund claims, representing an initial portion of our total claims submitted,” Field said.

The company has not yet verified its total refund amount, Field added.

Basic Fun, the company behind Care Bears and Tonka trucks, also told CNBC it began receiving tariff refunds on Tuesday.

CEO Jay Foreman said the refunds so far have only represented 5% of the company’s total claim on its early invoices.

“We will utilize the refund dollars to help support our 2026 cash flow and invest in our team. This is the toughest time of the year for toy companies,” Foreman said in a statement. “We’ll also be announcing to our staff that we will be increasing salaries to help offset cost of living increase, announcing promotions and larger merit increases. We are reinvesting the funds in our business and people.”

Logistics companies UPS, FedEx and DHL have previously said that they will file for tariff refunds on behalf of their customers, requiring no further action from them. The first phase of tariff refunds only covers requests for entries that CBP finalized within the past 80 days, though that process could take months to reach customers.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a court filing that it anticipated paying refunds of $35.46 billion on 8.3 million shipments, as of Monday morning.

In February, the Supreme Court invalidated President Donald Trump‘s tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977. In the months that followed, companies began filing for tariff refunds in a portal, called the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries.

In a radio interview with WABC on Tuesday morning, Trump called the tariff refund situation “crazy.”

“In theory, you have to pay the tariffs back. We’ll fight that,” Trump said. “We were taking in fortunes from people that hate us, countries and companies that hate us.”

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FinMin discusses budget preparations, macroeconomic outlook with IMF mission – SUCH TV

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FinMin discusses budget preparations, macroeconomic outlook with IMF mission – SUCH TV



Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday briefed the visiting International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission on the country’s macroeconomic outlook, fiscal strategy, reform priorities, and the government’s ongoing efforts to ensure sustainable economic stability and long-term growth.

The meeting with the visiting IMF mission, led by Mission Chief Iva Petrova, focused on Pakistan’s macroeconomic stabilisation efforts, preparations for the upcoming federal budget, and the broader reform agenda aimed at strengthening fiscal and external sustainability while fostering sustainable economic growth.

During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on maintaining reform momentum, preserving macroeconomic stability, and advancing structural reforms to promote investment, productivity, and export-led growth within a balanced and forward-looking policy framework.

The finance minister appreciated the IMF’s continued engagement and constructive dialogue with the government of Pakistan.

He particularly acknowledged the productive discussions initiated during the Spring Meetings held in Washington earlier this year.

Senator Aurangzeb shared encouraging developments regarding Pakistan’s external sector, highlighting positive trends in remittances and export performance.

He noted that recent data indicated improvement in exports on both a month-on-month and year-on-year basis, reflecting growing resilience in the economy and a gradual strengthening of macroeconomic fundamentals.

The minister emphasised that while economic stabilisation efforts had produced encouraging results, the government remained fully mindful of the structural challenges confronting the economy, particularly external liabilities and the need to accelerate sustainable, export-led growth.

He reiterated the government’s commitment to deepening reforms aimed at strengthening macroeconomic stability without compromising long-term growth prospects.

In this regard, he underscored the importance of moving Pakistan away from recurring boom-and-bust cycles through structural reforms, productivity enhancement, deregulation, and improved export competitiveness.

The minister further stated that the government’s reform agenda had been carefully calibrated in consultation with international experts and economists.

He emphasised that the ongoing policy measures were not driven by short-term considerations, but formed part of a broader and technically grounded economic transformation strategy endorsed at the highest level.

The IMF mission acknowledged the positive progress made by Pakistan in maintaining macroeconomic stability despite a challenging global and regional environment.

The Mission appreciated the government’s continued commitment to prudent economic management and reform implementation.

It emphasised the importance of sustaining reform momentum, maintaining fiscal discipline, and advancing structural reforms to support durable and inclusive economic growth.

Discussions during the meeting also focused on the broader macroeconomic framework, the government’s reform agenda, and priorities for the upcoming budget.

The mission reaffirmed its commitment to continued engagement and constructive cooperation with Pakistan in support of the country’s economic reform programme and long-term economic resilience.



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Tata Motors Q4 results: Net profit rises 34% to Rs 1,793 crore; revenue climbs on strong volume growth – The Times of India

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Tata Motors Q4 results: Net profit rises 34% to Rs 1,793 crore; revenue climbs on strong volume growth – The Times of India


Commercial vehicle maker Tata Motors Ltd on Wednesday reported a 33.8 per cent rise in consolidated net profit at Rs 1,793 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2026, driven by strong volume growth.The company had posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 1,340 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year, Tata Motors said in a regulatory filing, as reported PTI.Total revenue from operations in the January-March quarter rose to Rs 26,098 crore from Rs 21,863 crore in the year-ago period.Vehicle wholesales during the quarter stood at 1.32 lakh units, up 25 per cent year-on-year.Total expenses in the quarter under review stood at Rs 24,134 crore.For FY26, consolidated net profit stood at Rs 3,030 crore compared with Rs 3,195 crore in FY25. The company said annual profit was impacted by exceptional items related to the new labour code and demerger-related costs.Total revenue from operations for FY26 increased to Rs 83,855 crore from Rs 58,217 crore in the previous financial year.For the full 2025-26 fiscal, total wholesales stood at 4.28 lakh units, up 14 per cent year-on-year.Commenting on the performance, Tata Motors MD and CEO Girish Wagh said FY26 marked a “clear inflection point” for the commercial vehicles industry, with volumes surpassing the pre-FY19 peak, supported by GST 2.0 reforms and sustained infrastructure spending.“For Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles, FY26 was a landmark year as we delivered milestones of revenues and profits and reinforced industry leadership and strengthened our market position,” he said.Wagh said the underlying demand fundamentals remain resilient despite geopolitical uncertainties signalling some moderation in the near term.“With strong business fundamentals, proactive risk mitigation, disciplined execution and a refreshed portfolio offering industry-leading TCO (total cost of ownership) and smart digital solutions, we remain agile and well positioned to sustain momentum through customer-centric solutions to create long-term stakeholder value,” he added.The company’s board has recommended a final dividend of Rs 4 per fully paid-up ordinary share of Rs 2 each for FY26, subject to shareholders’ approval.



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