Steve Banfield. (GeekWire Photo / Nat Levy) BMW ReachNow CEO Steve Banfield, who helped the German carmaker grow its car-sharing service in the U.S., is stepping down from the role, GeekWire has learned. Banfield took the reins at ReachNow in 2016, one month after the service launched in Seattle. The former INRIX and Rightside executive… Continue reading BMW ReachNow CEO Steve Banfield to step down as BMW and Daimler launch joint mobility company
Author: Geekwire Online News
Portland will allow electric scooters to return after promising pilot
E-scooters will return to Portland. (GeekWire Photos / Kurt Schlosser) Portland transportation officials are recommending that the city launch a longer pilot for rentable electric scooters in 2019, building on a four-month test run with the new mobility devices last year. Officials in Portland approached the scooter-sharing craze with caution. They permitted a limited number… Continue reading Portland will allow electric scooters to return after promising pilot
GM’s Cruise self-driving car venture plots a course to get its Seattle team up and running
Cruise Automation self-driving Chevy Volt took a scenic tour of Seattle, including the Pike Place Market, over the weekend. (Cruise Automation Photo / Stephen Brashear) The Seattle “tech talk” sponsored this week by GM’s autonomous-vehicle subsidiary, Cruise Automation, had all the hallmarks of a recruiting event for software engineers, plus an extra twist: the self-driving… Continue reading GM’s Cruise self-driving car venture plots a course to get its Seattle team up and running
Glasses give sight to the legally blind, opening eyes to the broader potential of making tech accessible
[embedded content] LAS VEGAS ― More than 180,000 people attended CES to see the latest in consumer technology. From autonomous suitcases to a laundry-folding robot, there were many wacky gadgets making headlines throughout the week. But some of the most cutting-edge products at the show were designed for people with disabilities, demonstrating how the tech industry is increasingly… Continue reading Glasses give sight to the legally blind, opening eyes to the broader potential of making tech accessible
Ford-owned shuttle service Chariot will shut down; company operated in Seattle, SF, other cities
Chariot launched its enterprise service in Seattle this past summer. (Chariot Photo) Ford-owned Chariot today announced that it will cease operations, shutting down its commuter shuttle service in the U.K. and U.S. over the next few months. Chariot operated a fleet of vans that provided an alternative to public transit in San Francisco and New… Continue reading Ford-owned shuttle service Chariot will shut down; company operated in Seattle, SF, other cities
Why Filld shut down mobile fueling in Seattle as it wrestles with fire marshals across the country
(Filld Photo) A few months after launching a pilot in Seattle, mobile fueling startup Filld hit a roadblock. On July 25, the Seattle Fire Marshall ordered the company to stop mobile fueling and handling of flammable liquids, Filld’s core business. Filld stopped its on-demand gas service in Seattle and began negotiating with fire officials, one of… Continue reading Why Filld shut down mobile fueling in Seattle as it wrestles with fire marshals across the country
Boeing wins $805M contract to build U.S. Navy’s MQ-25A robotic refueling planes
Boeing has won the Navy’s nod for the MQ-25 autonomous refueling airplane. (Boeing Photo) After a months-long competition with the likes of Lockheed Martin, Boeing has won a $805.3 million contract from the Pentagon to build the first four MQ-25A autonomous refueling planes for the Navy. The MQ-25 Stingray is meant to refuel Navy fighter… Continue reading Boeing wins $805M contract to build U.S. Navy’s MQ-25A robotic refueling planes
A low-cost Tesla car? Elon Musk talks about tech (without turmoil) on YouTube
[embedded content] On the heels of Elon Musk’s angst-filled, market-moving interview with The New York Times, YouTube techie Marques Brownlee offered up lighter, brighter fare from a one-on-one chat with the Tesla CEO at his electric-car factory in Fremont, Calif. Musk discussed the wonky side of vehicle production and the prospects for building cars in… Continue reading A low-cost Tesla car? Elon Musk talks about tech (without turmoil) on YouTube
Dockless bikeshare service Ofo reportedly laying off most of US workforce
Ofo bikes in Seattle. (GeekWire Photo / Monica Nickelsburg) Ofo, the dockless bikesharing service in Seattle and dozens of other U.S. cities, is shutting down most of its U.S. operations according to The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and other reports. News of the layoffs reportedly came from Ofo’s Beijing headquarters. Bikesharing has become a saturated… Continue reading Dockless bikeshare service Ofo reportedly laying off most of US workforce
Smart commute startup Luum steps out of the shadows with big partnerships and expansion plans
Luum CEO Sohier Hall. (Luum Photo) For nearly seven years, Luum has been quietly helping big Seattle-area employers reshape the commuting habits of their employees. But the privately funded startup has opted to fly under the radar, building out its platform and closely guarding information about its customers. Now, Luum is stepping into the spotlight,… Continue reading Smart commute startup Luum steps out of the shadows with big partnerships and expansion plans