Toyota released new details about its upcoming electric compact SUV, the BZ4X, which includes an optional solar roof and a steering yoke similar to the one featured in the latest version of the Tesla Model S. The steering yoke, which Toyota describes as having a “wing-shape,” employs a steer-by-wire system, where there is no mechanical… Continue reading Toyota’s new electric SUV has a solar roof and a steering yoke like Tesla
Author: The Verge Online News
Ford delays launch of its ‘hands-free’ BlueCruise driver assist feature until 2022
BlueCruise, the “hands-free” driver assist feature that Ford sees as a viable competitor to GM’s Super Cruise and Tesla’s Autopilot, won’t reach car owners until the first quarter of 2022, the company’s executives said Wednesday night. The automaker had originally planned on pushing an over-the-air (OTA) software update activating BlueCruise for select Ford customers before… Continue reading Ford delays launch of its ‘hands-free’ BlueCruise driver assist feature until 2022
Uber aims for 50,000 Teslas on its platform by 2023
Uber is acquiring 50,000 Tesla vehicles to rent to its drivers as part of an ambitious plan to electrify its fleet in the US by 2030. The ride-hailing company is working with rental car company Hertz, which announced yesterday that it had ordered 100,000 Teslas. The move comes as car companies and transportation providers around… Continue reading Uber aims for 50,000 Teslas on its platform by 2023
General Motors wants to help build 40,000 electric vehicle chargers in the US
General Motors will work with its network of dealers to help spur the installation of 40,000 electric vehicle chargers in the US, the company announced today. It will also begin selling its own “Ultium” branded Level 2 chargers for home or business uses. GM said that it hopes the new project will spur the creation… Continue reading General Motors wants to help build 40,000 electric vehicle chargers in the US
Lyft’s first-ever safety report reveals over 4,000 assaults between 2017-2019
Warning: this story contains descriptions of sexual assault that some readers may find disturbing. Ten people were killed in physical altercations and over 4,000 people were assaulted during Lyft rides from 2017-2019, the company revealed in its first-ever safety report. Also during that period, 105 people died in fatal vehicle crashes involving a Lyft car.… Continue reading Lyft’s first-ever safety report reveals over 4,000 assaults between 2017-2019
Tesla rolls out Safety Score-based insurance product in Texas
Tesla is now selling insurance to customers in Texas, two years after first launching the offering in its now-former home state of California. But the version in Texas is different. The company says it will evaluate driving behavior in real-time using the “Safety Score” feature that it recently launched to screen drivers who want to… Continue reading Tesla rolls out Safety Score-based insurance product in Texas
Waymo’s autonomous vehicles keep getting stuck in a dead-end street in San Francisco
Traffic is hell, but what if the cars clogging up the roadways are all robots? That’s what some residents on one quiet street in San Francisco have discovered, with a seemingly endless parade of autonomous vehicles from Waymo driving down a dead-end street in the city’s residential Richmond district, turning around, and driving away. “There… Continue reading Waymo’s autonomous vehicles keep getting stuck in a dead-end street in San Francisco
Aurora’s autonomous trucks and taxis will be available to customers via subscription
Aurora, the autonomous vehicle company founded by the former lead engineer for Google’s self-driving car project, announced that its autonomous trucks and taxis will be available to customers via subscriptions. Aurora doesn’t expect to roll out its self-driving trucks and ride-hailing vehicles until 2023 and 2024, respectively, but the company is providing more detail about… Continue reading Aurora’s autonomous trucks and taxis will be available to customers via subscription
Safety regulator wants info on Tesla’s FSD beta, ‘safety score’ evaluation
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wants to know why Tesla didn’t issue a recall for Autopilot after it became obvious the driver assistance system had a problem “seeing” parked emergency vehicles. NHTSA is also asking Tesla for more information about the growing public beta test of its incomplete Full Self-Driving software, the recently launched… Continue reading Safety regulator wants info on Tesla’s FSD beta, ‘safety score’ evaluation
VanMoof’s new V e-bike is its fastest ever
VanMoof just announced the VanMoof V, the company’s first high-speed electric bike capable of hitting a top speed of 60km/h (37mph). That’s much faster than VanMoof’s current e-bikes, which are capped at 25km/h in Europe and 20mph in the US, and well beyond what local laws currently allow. Vanmoof is launching the pedal-assisted V today… Continue reading VanMoof’s new V e-bike is its fastest ever