Celebrity Tech: X Games Rallycross Edition

By Davis Adams Published April 24, 2023

Last week I packed my bag full of flat-brimmed caps, read up on Bro Culture, and prepared for a weekend with skaters, BMXers, and energy drink-crazed rally car drivers under the Texas sun.

The destination? Austin, where Subaru had invited me to check out the X Games — Rally Team USA was to compete in the second race of this season’s Global Rallycross. The stands were packed with fans, but I was fortunate enough to set up camp in the Subaru factory team’s tent. It was there that I had the chance to meet and mingle with all-star Travis Pastrana and X Games silver-winning Bucky Lasek, and I wandered around the paddocks to meet a few other teams as well.

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This type of racing was a foreign thing to me. In rallycross, Subaru WRX STIs are essentially gutted, given 600-horsepower engines and suspensions made for 5+ feet of airtime, and raced around a miniature dirt track.

I loved it.

But I noticed a more than a few times that our celebrity racers were snapping photos for Instagram and pointing at things on their phones, which got me to wondering: What kind of tech does a rally racer use in his daily life?

So I grabbed some seat time with some of the guys who have really shaken up the business in the past few years.

Travis Pastrana

Travis Pastrana currently runs a Subaru WRX STI factory racecar, and like Rhys Millen, wears the Red Bull flag around the track. Pastrana admits that he’s a little too busy – and happily so, with his family and badass career – to spend a ton of time with all of his gadgets (and he has many, since he’s been sponsored by Samsung in the past), and he’s bounced around between Android and iOS devices. He currently rocks an iPhone that he uses to take photos of his family, as well as occasionally play a few racing games.

Rhys Millen

Rhys Millen races with Hyundai, Red Bull and his own team, RMR this year, and he’s also known for his record-setting climbs of Pike’s Peak. He’s a religious iPhone and iPad user, and he also owns a Mac that his family uses more than he does. However, a quick peek into his trailer also proved that his team uses PC products to keep track of his driving performance data.

Tanner Foust

Tanner Foust may be recognizable from Top Gear USA, but he’s also a rallycross racer for Volkswagen and Rockstar energy drinks. He’s a full-bore tech whiz, and he wasn’t afraid to drop phrases like “two-stage encryption” for his completely automated (and wirelessly-controlled) home, where he uses Nest appliances and a Lutron lighting system. He’s a MacBook Pro, iPad and iPhone user, and he makes heavy use of Instagram to post from his “mobile office” every day. You can follow him @TannerFoust.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Whether you're talking about gadgets or cars, Davis always seems to prefer "next year's models." He's a neophile to the core…

Cars

Buy Now, Upgrade Later: Slate’s $25K Truck Flips the Script on EVs

many hybrids rank as most reliable of all vehicles evs progress consumer reports cr tout cars 0224

A new electric vehicle startup—quietly backed by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos—is building something bold in Michigan. Not just a car, but a whole new idea of what an EV company can be. Slate Auto is a stealthy new automaker with one mission: ditch the luxury-first EV playbook and start from the affordable —which most drivers actually seek.
The start-up has been operating out of public sight since 2022, until TechCrunch found out about its existence. Of course, creating a little mystery about a potentially game-changing concept is a well-tested marketing approach.
But Slate truly seems to approach EVs in a very different way than most: It isn’t debuting with a six-figure spaceship-on-wheels. Instead, it's targeting the holy grail of EV dreams: a two-seat electric pickup truck for just $25,000. Yep, twenty-five grand. That’s less than a tricked-out golf cart in some neighborhoods. Slate is flipping the Tesla model on its head. Tesla, but also the likes of Lucid, BMW, and to a certain degree, Rivian, all started with high-end vehicles to build brand and bankroll future affordable car. But Slate wants to start with the people’s pickup—and letting it grow with you.
This isn’t just a cheap car. It’s a modular, upgradeable EV that’s meant to be personalized over time. Buy the basic model now, then add performance, tech, or lifestyle upgrades later—kind of like building your own dream ride one paycheck at a time. It’s a DIY car for a generation raised on customization and subscriptions. The company even trademarked the phrase: “We built it. You make it.”
Backing up this idea is an equally bold strategy: selling accessories, apparel, and utility add-ons à la Harley-Davidson and Jeep’s MoPar division. You’re not just buying a vehicle; you’re buying into a lifestyle. Think affordable EV meets open-source car culture.
Slate's approach isn't just novel—it's almost rebellious. At a time when other startups risk folding under the weight of their own lofty ambitions, Slate is keeping things lean, scalable, and customer focused. The company reportedly plans to source major components like battery packs and motors from outside suppliers, keeping manufacturing costs low while focusing energy on design, experience, and upgrade paths.
Sure, it’s all been kept under wraps—until now. With plans to begin production near Indianapolis by next year, the wraps are about to come off this EV underdog.
While, at least in spirit, the U.S. market has been dominated by high-end EVs, Slate’s “start small, scale with you” philosophy might be just the jolt the industry needs.

Cars

Kia EV9 and EV6 now fully qualify for the $7,500 tax credit – except for one trim

Kia EV 9

As Kia reported record first-quarter sales, Eric Watson, Kia America VP of sales, made a point of painting a rosy picture for the future: Now that the latest versions of its two best-selling electric vehicles, the EV9 and the EV6, are in full-scale production at Kia’s plant in Georgia, the road is paved for further sales growth.
After all, when Kia announced it was switching production of the EV9 to the U.S. from South Korea in 2023, it largely based its decision on its EVs being eligible for the $7,500 tax credit on new EV purchases offered under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
But the EV9’s battery still came from South Korea and China, which meant it would only receive a partial tax credit of $3,750. Starting this year, the EV9 can qualify for the full $7,500 credit, as Kia switched the sourcing of its battery to its Georgia plant.
As for the EV6, 2025 marks the first time its production takes place stateside, and most of its trims have also become eligible for the full tax credit.
However, there are notable exceptions: Both the EV6 and EV9 GT trims, which are known for providing more horsepower - ie, being faster – and offering a “more aggressive styling and accents”, won’t qualify at all for the tax credit: That’s because production for those vehicles remains based in South Korea, according to CarsDirect, which cited a Kia bulletin to its dealers.
The full credit should still be available for those who lease the vehicles, as leasing does not have the same sourcing requirements under the IRA.
Another big unknown for the GT trims is whether the U.S.’ 25% tariffs on all imported vehicles will again be applied. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump paused most tariffs announced in early April for 90 days.
While prices for the new EV6 and EV9 have yet to be revealed, the combination of the tariffs and the inegibility for the tax credit could seriously dent the appeal of the GT trims.

Android

AR driving at last – this Android Auto feature could mean navigation on smart glass

AR driving

A heads-up display while driving has always been the dream use of AR glasses and now it looks like that could soon become a reality.

Looking at a screen for navigation while driving is undoubtedly a hazard. So overlaying guidance on glasses, that let you keep focused on the road, makes a lot of sense.