German air taxi startup Volocopter raised €50 million ($55.3 million) in a funding round led by Geely, the Chinese parent company of Volvo Cars, the company announced. The new funds will be put toward achieving Volocopter’s goal of launching a commercial air taxi service powered by its 18-rotor electric aircraft “within the next three years.”… Continue reading Flying taxi startup Volocopter raises $55 million in round led by Volvo parent Geely
Author: The Verge Online News
Uber will spend $200 million to expand its Uber Freight trucking venture
Uber will invest $200 million and hire thousands of engineers to bolster its two-year-old long-haul trucking venture, Uber Freight, the company announced today. The expanded business will be headquartered in a newly opened office in downtown Chicago where it will house up to 2,000 engineers that Uber plans to hire over the next three years.… Continue reading Uber will spend $200 million to expand its Uber Freight trucking venture
Elon Musk: Tesla pickup truck pushed back to November
The Tesla pickup truck, described by Elon Musk as “the coolest car I’ve ever seen,” is now looking at a November reveal at the earliest, according to a tweet from the Tesla CEO. The science-fiction inspired electric pickup truck had been expected to arrive this summer, or October at the latest, based on previous statements… Continue reading Elon Musk: Tesla pickup truck pushed back to November
GM will use Google’s embedded Android Automotive OS in cars starting in 2021
General Motors will use Google’s new Android Automotive OS to power the infotainment systems in its cars starting in 2021, the two companies announced on Thursday. That means Google Assistant, Maps, and other automotive-approved Android apps will be available in GM’s cars via the Play Store without requiring the use of an Android smartphone. All… Continue reading GM will use Google’s embedded Android Automotive OS in cars starting in 2021
EcoFlow’s giant Delta battery is powerful enough to charge a Tesla
EcoFlow, maker of big-ass batteries that can even be stacked in the relentless pursuit of portable power, has returned with an even bigger-ass battery. Delta is dubbed “the world’s strongest battery generator” by the company and tops out with a capacity of 1300Wh and continuous AC output of 1800W. It also supports 3300W surges to… Continue reading EcoFlow’s giant Delta battery is powerful enough to charge a Tesla
Lime, Jump, Bird pledge to remove their Miami scooters to avoid flying menaces
Hurricane Dorian’s expected landfall on Florida has Miami, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, and Tampa scrambling to remove bikes and scooters from their streets. If the devices aren’t removed from the streets, they could potentially be picked up by hurricane winds — transforming into threats to people and property. Miami has demanded that all of these mobility… Continue reading Lime, Jump, Bird pledge to remove their Miami scooters to avoid flying menaces
Tesla launched a car insurance product, then spent the next 24 hours fixing it
Just a few hours after Tesla launched its in-house car insurance product in California on August 28th, the company stopped offering rate quotes and suspended access to the insurance website. But during the time Tesla’s insurance site was working and offering owners quotes, some people weren’t happy with the results. Tesla tells The Verge those… Continue reading Tesla launched a car insurance product, then spent the next 24 hours fixing it
Waymo’s robot taxi service is improving, but riders still have complaints
Waymo is operating its self-driving ride-hailing service in two cities: Phoenix, with some paying customers and some riding for free, and San Francisco and the surrounding towns, with just employees as passengers. A majority of riders leave positive feedback about their experiences riding in Waymo’s robot taxis, but there are still some notable complaints, according… Continue reading Waymo’s robot taxi service is improving, but riders still have complaints
Apple contractors were allegedly listening to 1,000 Siri recordings a day — each
Each of the big five tech companies has been caught secretly using human contractors to listen to conversations recorded by their gadgets and services. Pro-privacy Apple is one of those companies, and thanks to a report from the Irish Examiner, we may know a little more about the actual work Apple contractors did, including having… Continue reading Apple contractors were allegedly listening to 1,000 Siri recordings a day — each
The new Chevy Bolt gained 21 miles of range thanks to a battery chemistry tweak
The 2020 Chevrolet Bolt is going to offer 21 miles more range on a full charge than its predecessors, thanks to a tweak in battery chemistry, the automaker announced Thursday. The new version of the automaker’s flagship electric vehicle will therefore get an EPA-estimated 259 miles of range when it goes on sale later this… Continue reading The new Chevy Bolt gained 21 miles of range thanks to a battery chemistry tweak