Waymo will begin offering a robotaxi service to the public in Los Angeles this week and in Austin by the end of the year, the company’s co-CEO Tekedra Mawakan said Wednesday at SXSW. The Alphabet company has been testing and validating its driverless vehicles across about 43 square miles around downtown, Barton Hills, Riverside, East… Continue reading Waymo to launch commercial robotaxi service in Austin by end of the year
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
Uber CEO outlines plans for increasing driver EV access, reducing emissions at SXSW
Uber’s future will be greener, more affordable, and able to challenge Amazon at its own rapid delivery game, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi predicted while onstage this week at SXSW. His vision, which he charted out during an interview with city of Austin mayor Kirk Watson, isn’t entirely new. The company made a commitment in 2020 that… Continue reading Uber CEO outlines plans for increasing driver EV access, reducing emissions at SXSW
Applied Intuition lands $6 billion valuation for AI-powered autonomous vehicle software
Autonomous vehicle software company Applied Intuition has raised $250 million in a round that values the startup at $6 billion, as it pushes to bring more artificial intelligence to the automotive, defense, construction and agriculture sectors. The eye-popping funding round is the latest example of investor fervor for AI. Applied Intuition appears to have nailed… Continue reading Applied Intuition lands $6 billion valuation for AI-powered autonomous vehicle software
Waymo launches driverless rides for employees in Austin
Waymo will start letting its autonomous vehicles traverse Austin without a safety operator behind the wheel as of tomorrow, a crucial step before the company opens the program up to the public. The company announced Tuesday that it will begin shuttling employees around 43 square miles of the Texas capital, including the Barton Hills, Riverside,… Continue reading Waymo launches driverless rides for employees in Austin
Apple’s €1.84B fine, new AI rules in India, and the latest pre-IPO round
Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello, and welcome back to Equity, the podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines. This is our Monday show, in which we take a look back at the weekend and what’s ahead in the week. Over the weekend we had… Continue reading Apple’s €1.84B fine, new AI rules in India, and the latest pre-IPO round
Waymo can now charge for robotaxi rides in LA and on San Francisco freeways
Waymo received approval Friday afternoon from the California Public Utilities Commission to operate a commercial robotaxi service in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Peninsula and on San Francisco freeways. The approval removes the last barrier for the Alphabet company to charge for rides in these expanded areas. Importantly, it opens up new territory for Waymo… Continue reading Waymo can now charge for robotaxi rides in LA and on San Francisco freeways
Hyundai-backed autonomous company Motional cuts 5% of workforce
Motional, the autonomous vehicle company born out of a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv, told employees Wednesday it will cut about 5% of its workforce, TechCrunch has learned. The cuts, which translate to fewer than 70 people, mostly affect administrative roles and some employees working in Boston, one of several cities where… Continue reading Hyundai-backed autonomous company Motional cuts 5% of workforce
Apple cancels its autonomous electric car project and is laying off some workers
Apple is scuttling its secretive, long-running effort to build an autonomous electric car, executives announced in a short meeting with the team Tuesday morning. The company is likely cutting hundreds of employees from the team and all work on the project has stopped, TechCrunch has learned. Some remaining employees will be shifted to Apple’s generative… Continue reading Apple cancels its autonomous electric car project and is laying off some workers
Stellantis CEO dishes on Waymo, Rivian cuts staff and the great EV softening continues
TechCrunch Mobility is a weekly newsletter dedicated to all things transportation. Sign up here — just click TechCrunch Mobility — to receive the newsletter every weekend in your inbox. Subscribe for free. Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares and I covered… Continue reading Stellantis CEO dishes on Waymo, Rivian cuts staff and the great EV softening continues
Rabbit’s Jesse Lyu hops into StrictlyVC LA on February 29
We’re announcing an exciting addition to our speaker lineup for StrictlyVC Los Angeles on February 29. Jesse Lyu, founder and CEO of rabbit Inc., will be joining us and showcasing rabbit r1, the pocket-sized AI hardware assistant that took CES — and the broader news cycle — by storm last month. Lyu is an entrepreneur… Continue reading Rabbit’s Jesse Lyu hops into StrictlyVC LA on February 29