A court hearing on the sale of bankrupt electric truck startup Nikola’s assets to Lucid Motors was going smoothly on Friday. No objections had been filed to the transaction, and Delaware bankruptcy judge Thomas Horan verbally approved it without hesitation. Until, that is, a lawyer piped up on the Zoom call toward the end of… Continue reading Nikola founder Trevor Milton accused of trying to derail bankruptcy case
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
Blue Water Autonomy comes out of stealth promising autonomous naval ships
A new shipbuilding startup called Blue Water Autonomy has emerged from stealth with the promise of developing captain-less naval ships. The Boston, Massachusetts-based company has raised a $14 million seed round from Eclipse, Riot, and Impatient Ventures. The startup was founded in 2024 by former members of the U.S. Navy, leaders of Amazon Robotics, and… Continue reading Blue Water Autonomy comes out of stealth promising autonomous naval ships
Parallel Systems is building autonomous electric rail for short-distance freight
The business of moving goods in the United States is dominated by trucks, which handle about two-thirds of the 20.2 billion tons of freight that’s transported annually. Parallel Systems founder and CEO, Matt Soule, wants to change that by putting a modern autonomous and electric twist on the centuries-old railroad system. The Los Angeles-based company… Continue reading Parallel Systems is building autonomous electric rail for short-distance freight
Hacked documents reveal guide to serving Elon Musk on private jets
A recent breach of Berkshire Hathaway-owned private jet company NetJets has revealed a guide for flight attendants serving Elon Musk, per a Bloomberg report. The memo offers an interesting glimpse into the personal preferences of the world’s richest man. Some of the preferences are surprising for the CEO of Tesla, a company dedicated to sustainability.… Continue reading Hacked documents reveal guide to serving Elon Musk on private jets
Lucid Motors wins bankruptcy auction for Nikola’s Arizona factory and other assets
EV startup Lucid Motors has emerged as a surprise winner in the bankruptcy auction for electric trucking company Nikola’s Arizona factory and other assets, according a late Thursday night court filing. Lucid committed around $30 million in cash and non-cash considerations in exchange for the factory, Nikola’s lease on its Phoenix headquarters, and “certain machinery,… Continue reading Lucid Motors wins bankruptcy auction for Nikola’s Arizona factory and other assets
Tesla used car listings skyrocketed in March
A growing number of Tesla owners are putting their used vehicles up for sale, as consumers react to Elon Musk’s political activities and the global protests they have fueled. In March, the number of used Tesla vehicles listed for sale on Autotrader.com skyrocketed, Sherwood News reported, citing data from Autotrader parent company Cox Automotive. The… Continue reading Tesla used car listings skyrocketed in March
Bezos-backed EV startup Slate Auto’s pickup truck spotted in the wild
Just one day after TechCrunch revealed that Jeff Bezos is backing a secretive EV startup called Slate Auto, an early version of the company’s low-cost electric pickup truck was spotted in the wild. Reddit user u/discostranger09 posted a photo to the r/whatisthiscar subreddit on Wednesday of a small, dark gray, two-seater pickup truck on a… Continue reading Bezos-backed EV startup Slate Auto’s pickup truck spotted in the wild
NHTSA’s self-driving safety staff reportedly ‘disproportionally affected’ by DOGE cuts
The cuts that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency made at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in February “disproportionately affected” employees working on vehicle automation safety, according to The Financial Times. That division was formed in 2023 and therefore included a number of staffers who were still in their initial probationary hiring period, which… Continue reading NHTSA’s self-driving safety staff reportedly ‘disproportionally affected’ by DOGE cuts
Polestar EV sales jump in Q1 on discounts like its ‘Tesla conquest’ bonus
Swedish electric vehicle maker Polestar saw its first-quarter sales jump 76% compared to the same period in 2024 after it began offering discounts and other promotions, including ones geared toward locking in Tesla owners. Polestar sold 12,304 cars in the first three months of the year compared to 6,975 in Q1 2024. Sales were relatively… Continue reading Polestar EV sales jump in Q1 on discounts like its ‘Tesla conquest’ bonus
Wayve’s self-driving tech is headed to Nissan vehicles
Nissan said it will use self-driving software developed by Wayve to beef up its advanced driver assistance system starting in 2027, a landmark deal for the buzzy UK startup that has raised more than $1.3 billion from Nvidia, Microsoft, SoftBank Group, and Uber. Nissan will integrate Wayve’s software as well as sensors, including lidar from an undisclosed… Continue reading Wayve’s self-driving tech is headed to Nissan vehicles