Veteran Chipotle executive Jack Hartung was appointed a member of Tesla’s board of directors Thursday, according to a Tesla filing with the SEC. Hartung’s addition to the board comes as Tesla quietly works to finish its 1950s-style diner and charging station in Los Angeles. Hartung brings over two decades of experience as a Chipotle CFO,… Continue reading Chipotle president Jack Hartung joins Tesla’s board ahead of Tesla Diner launch
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
Is $1 billion a lot of money these days?
Databricks just snatched up another AI company. This week, the data analytics giant announced a $1 billion acquisition of Neon, a startup building an open source alternative to AWS Aurora Postgres. It’s the latest in a spree of high-profile buys, joining MosaicML and Tabular, as Databricks positions itself as the place to build, deploy, and… Continue reading Is $1 billion a lot of money these days?
Lucid’s record quarter got a lift from rental sales and company leases
Lucid Motors set a company record for deliveries in the first quarter of 2025, shipping 3,109 EVs to customers in North America, Europe, and Saudi Arabia. It appears that a new company car program and sales to rental fleets helped it get there. According to a footnote in Lucid Motors’ latest regulatory filing, it sold… Continue reading Lucid’s record quarter got a lift from rental sales and company leases
Apple finally launches next-gen ‘CarPlay Ultra’ software, starting with Aston Martin
Apple’s next-generation version of its popular CarPlay infotainment software is finally launching three years after it was first announced. The company said Thursday that this new version of CarPlay — now known as “CarPlay Ultra” — will start rolling out on new Aston Martin vehicles in the U.S. and Canada, roughly half a year late.… Continue reading Apple finally launches next-gen ‘CarPlay Ultra’ software, starting with Aston Martin
Billionaire founder of Luminar replaced as CEO following ethics inquiry
Austin Russell, who became a billionaire after his lidar startup Luminar went public, appears to be out as CEO, according to the company’s board. Luminar’s board announced Wednesday — the same day of its first-quarter earnings report — it had replaced Russell and appointed Paul Ricci to the role. Ricci is the former chairman and… Continue reading Billionaire founder of Luminar replaced as CEO following ethics inquiry
Waymo recalls 1,200 robotaxis following low-speed collisions with gates and chains
Waymo issued a software recall on 1,200 self-driving vehicles after some of its robotaxis were involved in minor collisions with gates, chains, and other gate-like roadway objects. The software update, which was first reported by Reuters, was conducted late last year, according to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Alphabet-owned… Continue reading Waymo recalls 1,200 robotaxis following low-speed collisions with gates and chains
A new bipartisan bill aims to lift the 52-year ban on supersonic flight
U.S. lawmakers introduced Wednesday the Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act in a bid to revise the FAA’s 52-year ban on supersonic flight over U.S. soil. The bipartisan legislation – introduced by Senator Ted Budd (R-NC), Aviation Subcommittee Chair Troy Nehls (R-TX), and Representative Sharice Davids (D-KS) – would allow supersonic travel, provided no audible sonic boom… Continue reading A new bipartisan bill aims to lift the 52-year ban on supersonic flight
Uber to introduce fixed-route shuttles in major US cities designed for commuters
Ride-hail and delivery giant Uber is introducing cheap, fixed-route rides along busy corridors during weekday commute hours in major U.S. cities — one solution to a world that feels, for most people, more expensive every day. Starting Wednesday, riders in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New York City, Philadelphia, and San Francisco will be able to… Continue reading Uber to introduce fixed-route shuttles in major US cities designed for commuters
The Amazonification of Uber: Part II
Three years ago, I wrote about the Amazonification of Uber, an evolution of the transportation company into a closed business loop that feeds customers back into other Uber channels. At the time, the focus was on how Uber creates customer stickiness by, for example, actively cross-selling food delivery customers into grocery, and grocery into alcohol,… Continue reading The Amazonification of Uber: Part II
GM taps Aurora co-founder for new chief product officer role
General Motors has turned to Sterling Anderson, a veteran of the autonomous vehicle industry, to oversee its entire product line of gas-powered and electric vehicles, in a newly created job that will touch nearly every department at the U.S. automaker. The new VP of global product and chief product officer position will cover the entire… Continue reading GM taps Aurora co-founder for new chief product officer role