So long, Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets; hello, Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association! The AV industry’s top lobbying group in Washington, DC is rebranding, dropping the reference to “self-driving” in exchange for a more straightforward moniker. The group, which was founded in 2016 by Waymo, Ford, Lyft, Uber, and Volvo, lobbies lawmakers to pass legislation favorable… Continue reading The self-driving car industry is abandoning the term ‘self-driving’ and leaving it to Tesla
Author: The Verge Online News
General Motors will build a third EV battery factory in the US
General Motors announced a $7 billion investment in growing its electric vehicle manufacturing capabilities in Michigan, calling it “the single largest investment announcement in GM history.” The company will spend the money on four manufacturing sites, with plans to create 4,000 new jobs and retain another 1,000 in the state. The investment includes construction of… Continue reading General Motors will build a third EV battery factory in the US
Seven CEOs and one secretary of transportation on the future of cars
Regular listeners of Decoder know car CEOs love coming on the show. There is a lot of change in the car industry, a lot of big ideas about how to manage that change, and a lot of big problems to solve: the transition to electric vehicles, the fact that cars are basically turning into rolling… Continue reading Seven CEOs and one secretary of transportation on the future of cars
Ford reportedly suspends reservations of its Maverick hybrid pickup truck
Ford’s hot-in-demand 2022 Maverick pickup truck appears to be sold out, with The Wall Street Journal reporting that the automaker has taken the unusual step of suspending reservations. Ford reached out to its dealers to tell them it was suspending customer orders, the Journal reports. The company will resume taking orders for the plug-in hybrid… Continue reading Ford reportedly suspends reservations of its Maverick hybrid pickup truck
Mercedes-Benz acquires stake in lidar maker Luminar, will use its sensors for future autonomous vehicles
Mercedes-Benz announced it will integrate Luminar’s lidar sensors into future production vehicles to enable autonomous driving capabilities. The German automaker is also taking an equity stake in the Orlando, Florida-based company, acquiring a total of 1.5 million shares. Based on Luminar’s share price of $13.45 at market close January 19th, Mercedes-Benz is purchasing approximately $20.2… Continue reading Mercedes-Benz acquires stake in lidar maker Luminar, will use its sensors for future autonomous vehicles
How Volkswagen can reinvent itself as an EV company, with CEO Herbert Diess
Today, I’m talking to Volkswagen Group CEO Dr. Herbert Diess. Volkswagen is one of the two biggest carmakers in the world — there’s a battle every year between VW and Toyota for the top spot; they both sell around 10 million cars a year. To put that in perspective, Ford sells around 4–6 million cars… Continue reading How Volkswagen can reinvent itself as an EV company, with CEO Herbert Diess
EV startup Bollinger ‘indefinitely’ delays its rugged electric trucks to focus on delivery vans
Bollinger, a Michigan-based startup, announced today that it was postponing its plans to manufacture electric trucks in order to focus on commercial delivery vans. Bollinger burst onto the scene several years ago with a pair of rugged, box-like electric truck prototypes: the four-door B1 (which is shaped like a Jeep Wrangler) and the B2 (which… Continue reading EV startup Bollinger ‘indefinitely’ delays its rugged electric trucks to focus on delivery vans
Peer-to-peer car-sharing service Turo files to go public
Turo, the peer-to-peer car-sharing service, has filed for its initial public offering, the latest transportation-related startup to sell its shares on a public stock exchange. The company proposes to sell $100 million of stock, but that figure could change as Turo gets closer to its public debut. Founded in 2010, the San Francisco-based company allows… Continue reading Peer-to-peer car-sharing service Turo files to go public
Ford doesn’t want the F-150 Lightning’s launch to be plagued by scalpers
Ford is fighting to keep the 2022 F-150 Lightning from being scalped — the company has sent a notice offering to help dealers prevent 2022 F-150 Lightning buyers from reselling their trucks, according to a report from CNET. If a dealer chooses to add a no-sale provision provided by Ford to its contracts, the buyer… Continue reading Ford doesn’t want the F-150 Lightning’s launch to be plagued by scalpers
Ford’s e-scooter company is pulling out of any city that doesn’t limit competition
Spin, the e-scooter company owned by Ford, announced a major restructuring Friday where it will pull out of “nearly all open permit markets.” More specifically, Spin is beginning to exit “a few” US markets, Germany, and Portugal, and it is “projecting” to close down in Spain as soon as February. Moving forward, Spin says it… Continue reading Ford’s e-scooter company is pulling out of any city that doesn’t limit competition