Mercedes-Benz has just unveiled the 2021 E-Class, and like many of its German luxury siblings, it will come equipped with the company’s latest driver-assistance features. But the new E-Class also changes how the car registers whether the driver is paying attention while using those features, as Mercedes-Benz is introducing a new wheel with capacitive sensing.… Continue reading 2021 E-Class will use capacitive sensing to check for hands on the wheel
Author: The Verge Online News
Audi announces three-motor performance versions of the E-Tron
Audi will make and sell sportier performance versions of its E-Tron and E-Tron Sportback electric cars powered by a three-motor system, the company announced on Friday. The news comes as parent company Volkswagen says it has tapped Audi to “take the lead for research and development” for the entire Volkswagen Group. The new performance models… Continue reading Audi announces three-motor performance versions of the E-Tron
Citroën’s tiny Ami electric car can be driven by 14-year olds for $22 a month
Citroën’s Ami, the tiny two-seater electric car that was first revealed as a concept last year, will be released this spring. The Ami is absolutely tiny at just 2.41 meters (7 feet, 11 inches) long, and is technically classed as a “light quadricycle” similar to the Renault Twizy, which means it can be driven by… Continue reading Citroën’s tiny Ami electric car can be driven by 14-year olds for $22 a month
E-bike startup Wheels lays off staff as dockless micromobility struggles continue
Wheels, a Los Angeles-based startup that rents electric bikes in over a dozen cities, is laying off 6 percent of its staff, The Verge has learned. The company is the latest micromobility firm to shed employees in the quest to find a profitable business model. Wheels was founded in early 2019 by Jonathan and Joshua… Continue reading E-bike startup Wheels lays off staff as dockless micromobility struggles continue
Ford’s Spin electric scooters are coming to Europe
Spin, the dockless electric scooter company purchased by Ford in 2018, is expanding beyond the US. TechCrunch reports that the company is launching its electric scooter rental service in Cologne, Germany this Spring, with launches in other German cities planned to follow. Until now Spin has operated exclusively in the USA. Its website says that… Continue reading Ford’s Spin electric scooters are coming to Europe
Toyota steers $400 million to self-driving startup Pony.ai
Pony.ai, a self-driving startup based in Silicon Valley and Guangzhou, China, is deepening its ties to Toyota. The two companies announced a pilot program to test self-driving cars on public roads in two Chinese cities, Beijing and Shanghai. The Japanese auto giant plans to invest $400 million in Pony.ai, valuing the startup at $3 billion.… Continue reading Toyota steers $400 million to self-driving startup Pony.ai
Argo AI’s CEO explains why its fleet of self-driving taxis won’t be all-electric (at first)
One of the burning questions facing self-driving carmakers is whether it makes sense to go all-electric. Some companies, like GM-owned Cruise, are all in on battery-electric vehicles, seeing both self-driving and all-electric as the future. Others are keeping one foot in the present, like how Waymo is building a fleet that includes both all-electric Jaguar… Continue reading Argo AI’s CEO explains why its fleet of self-driving taxis won’t be all-electric (at first)
Polestar teases an all-electric concept sedan running Android Automotive
Volvo’s performance sub-brand Polestar is bringing a striking electric concept car to this year’s Geneva Motor Show. Instead of focusing on flashy performance specs, though, the company is talking up two different topics: the use of sustainable materials throughout the car, and a deeper integration with Google’s new Android Automotive operating system. The car is… Continue reading Polestar teases an all-electric concept sedan running Android Automotive
Rivian loses its first CTO, a veteran Apple exec who helped create the iPhone
Buzzy EV startup Rivian has lost its first chief technology officer just nine months after he started the job. Mike Bell, a longtime Apple executive who helped start the iPhone project, left Rivian this month, the company confirmed to The Verge. Rivian hired Bell in June 2019, as The Verge first reported last year. He… Continue reading Rivian loses its first CTO, a veteran Apple exec who helped create the iPhone
‘Disgruntled’ former Waymo self-driving car operator arrested for causing car crash
A former Waymo contractor was arrested after allegedly forcing one of the company’s self-driving cars to crash in Tempe last month, according to AZ Central. Police say 31-year-old Raymond Tang drove his Mazda recklessly around the Waymo vehicle, eventually swerving in front of the self-driving car and slamming his brakes, causing the Waymo vehicle to… Continue reading ‘Disgruntled’ former Waymo self-driving car operator arrested for causing car crash