Waze upgrades carpooling service to let drivers take multiple passengers

Google-owned navigation app Waze now lets drivers pick up more than one passenger at a time when using the app’s carpooling feature. VentureBeat notes that Waze now supports picking up a maximum of four passengers, which you can do by tapping the “+” icon after confirming an initial ride. The new feature will allow drivers… Continue reading Waze upgrades carpooling service to let drivers take multiple passengers

Ford’s scooter company launches aggressive expansion plan and next-gen scooter

Spin, the dockless scooter company acquired by Ford Motor Company last year, announced on Thursday that it will deploy 15,000 scooters in eight cities starting in August. The company also unveiled its latest model of electric scooter, with anti-theft technology and custom parts meant to deter vandalism. Spin has been expanding since it was bought… Continue reading Ford’s scooter company launches aggressive expansion plan and next-gen scooter

Pedestrian collision puts Vienna’s driverless bus trial on hold

A self-driving bus trial taking place in Vienna, Austria, has been paused after an incident occurred between a pedestrian and one of the vehicles, reports Bloomberg. On Thursday morning a 30-year-old woman collided with the bus, which is operated by the self-driving startup Navya, sustaining minor injuries. The city’s transit authority has paused the trials… Continue reading Pedestrian collision puts Vienna’s driverless bus trial on hold

Byar Volta is a shaft-driven e-bike that might never need charging

Think “bicycle” and most people imagine a handlebar, wheels, and pedals attached to a diamond frame. A chain converts the power generated by leg muscles into mechanical energy to drive the contraption forward. That’s been true for nearly 150 years. A new bike I’ve been testing from a small Dutch startup hopes to change your… Continue reading Byar Volta is a shaft-driven e-bike that might never need charging

Tesla workers say they had to cut corners to meet production goals

Over half a dozen current and former Tesla employees claim that aggressive production goals have forced workers to take shortcuts when manufacturing its cars in a new report from CNBC. They also accuse Tesla of creating harsh working conditions, especially for employees working in the “GA4” production tent where assembly is not fully automated. Employees… Continue reading Tesla workers say they had to cut corners to meet production goals

Chinese EV startup Seres halts US launch, lays off 90 people in Silicon Valley

Seres, the Chinese EV startup formerly known as SF Motors, is laying off 90 people in its Silicon Valley office, the company announced in a staff meeting held earlier today. The US launch of its first electric SUV, the SF5, is also now on hold, according to a recording of the meeting obtained by The… Continue reading Chinese EV startup Seres halts US launch, lays off 90 people in Silicon Valley

Former Tesla employee admits uploading Autopilot source code to his iCloud

Guangzhi Cao, a former engineer at Tesla, admitted in a court filing this week that he uploaded zip files containing Autopilot source code to his personal iCloud account in late 2018 while still working for the company. Tesla sued Cao earlier this year for allegedly stealing trade secrets related to Autopilot and bringing them to… Continue reading Former Tesla employee admits uploading Autopilot source code to his iCloud

Bird is making Paris its ‘second home,’ as city cracks down on scooter riding

Bird is planning to build a new hub in Paris and hire 1,000 people over two years to help spur the growth of its scooter-sharing service across the European continent. Bird CEO Travis VanderZanden said the hub will be the Santa Monica-based company’s “second European home.” Bird first launched its dockless, electric scooter rental business… Continue reading Bird is making Paris its ‘second home,’ as city cracks down on scooter riding

Fake noise will be added to new electric cars starting today in the EU

All new models of electric cars sold in the European Union must now make artificial noise under certain conditions, reports BBC News. Acoustic Vehicle Alert Systems (aka, AVAS) will need to be installed in new models of hybrid and electric cars introduced from today onward, and all existing models by July 2021. With an AVAS… Continue reading Fake noise will be added to new electric cars starting today in the EU

BMW executive calls EVs ‘overhyped’ at company event about EVs

BMW executive and board member Klaus Fröhlich told reporters this week that the shift to cars powered by electricity is “overhyped,” and said that there is “no” consumer demand for them. Curiously, Fröhlich made these comments at an event where BMW proudly announced it will accelerate plans to release 25 cars that are partially or… Continue reading BMW executive calls EVs ‘overhyped’ at company event about EVs