Lyft increases service fees for riders amid rising insurance costs

Lyft is increasing the service fees its riders in the U.S. pay for each ride. The rise in cost, which will go directly to Lyft, aims to cover the higher costs of insurance, reports Reuters. Lyft’s service fees pay for overhead costs like driver insurance and security background checks. The company expected a rise in insurance… Continue reading Lyft increases service fees for riders amid rising insurance costs

Why Cruise is making its own chips, and a lot more besides

Cruise never planned to make its own silicon. But in the quest to commercialize robotaxis — and make money doing it — those never planned pursuits can suddenly seem a lot more appealing. Cruise realized that the price of chips from suppliers was too high, the parts were too big and the reliability of the… Continue reading Why Cruise is making its own chips, and a lot more besides

Inside Sono Motors’ family-friendly $25,000 solar EV

Sono Motors, the company building an electric vehicle that’s partially powered by the sun, debuted its flagship Sion in New York City this week as part of a multi-city tour throughout the U.S. The company aims to launch the $25,000 five-seater hatchback in Europe first — production is expected to start in the second half… Continue reading Inside Sono Motors’ family-friendly $25,000 solar EV

Volkswagen to plough €2.4B into vehicle automation in China and form JV with Horizon Robotics

Volkswagen is accelerating the pace to automate its electric vehicles for Chinese customers. CARIAD, a wholly owned automotive software company of the German auto behemoth, intends to set up a joint venture with Horizon Robotics, one of China’s most serious auto chip developers, the company said on Thursday. The German automaker plans to deploy around… Continue reading Volkswagen to plough €2.4B into vehicle automation in China and form JV with Horizon Robotics

Inside Motional’s strategy to bring robotaxis to market

Motional, the Hyundai-Aptiv joint venture that aims to commercialize autonomous driving technology, announced last week its partnership with Uber to bring robotaxi services to North American cities over the next 10 years. The Uber deal comes off the back of similar partnerships with Via and Lyft to launch robotaxi services in Las Vegas. Sensing a… Continue reading Inside Motional’s strategy to bring robotaxis to market

Sony and Honda envision an EV that entertains while it takes the wheel

Sony and Honda have officially launched their joint mobility venture that aims to start delivering premium electric vehicles with automated driving capabilities in the United States in the spring of 2026, followed by Japan in the second half of 2026. The joint venture from hardware, software and entertainment conglomerate Sony and automaker Honda to produce… Continue reading Sony and Honda envision an EV that entertains while it takes the wheel

Li-Cycle opens battery recycling plant in Alabama

Li-Cycle, a Canadian lithium-ion battery recycler, has opened a battery recycling facility in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The Toronto-based company, which also operates plants in Gilbert, Arizona and Rochester, New York, can now process up to 10,000 tons of manufacturing scrap and end-of-life batteries per year, the equivalent of approximately 20,000 EVs annually. The latest facility is… Continue reading Li-Cycle opens battery recycling plant in Alabama

Polestar steers toward the mass market with its first electric SUV

EV maker Polestar has unveiled the Polestar 3, its first SUV designed to help propel the startup to bona fide mass market automaker. Priced from $83,900, the 489-horsepower Polestar 3 will achieve an estimated 300-mile range, according to Polestar — a competitive set of figures designed to compete with a forthcoming crop of battery-electric luxury… Continue reading Polestar steers toward the mass market with its first electric SUV

Uber scales back in Pakistan

Uber is scaling back its operations in Pakistan, the latest in a series of efforts from the ride-hailing firm as it looks to improve its financial performance. The company says its marquee app is ceasing operations in five of the six cities where Uber had launched and expanded to over the years. The eponymous service… Continue reading Uber scales back in Pakistan

Federal gig worker proposal tanks Uber, Lyft and DoorDash stocks

The stock prices of Uber, Lyft and DoorDash slid on Tuesday after the Department of Labor announced proposed changes to how workers should be classified. The prospective guidance is intended to “combat employee misclassification,” the federal agency said in a statement. Soon after, Uber’s share price dropped by more than 10% to $24.61, while Lyft’s… Continue reading Federal gig worker proposal tanks Uber, Lyft and DoorDash stocks