Didi filed to go public in the United States last night, providing a look into the Chinese ride-hailing company’s business. This morning, we’re extending our earlier reporting on the company to dive into its numerical performance, economic health and possible valuation. Recall that Didi has raised tens of billions worth of private capital from venture capitalists,… Continue reading Despite flat growth, ride-hailing colossus Didi’s US IPO could reach $70B
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
Volkswagen says a vendor’s security lapse exposed 3.3 million drivers’ details
Volkswagen says more than 3.3 million customers had their information exposed after one of its vendors left a cache of customer data unsecured on the internet. The car maker said in a letter that the vendor, used by Volkswagen, its subsidiary Audi and authorized dealers in the U.S. and Canada, left the customer data spanning… Continue reading Volkswagen says a vendor’s security lapse exposed 3.3 million drivers’ details
Elon Musk reveals the Tesla Model S Plaid
Tesla finally held the long-awaited, and once rescheduled, “delivery event” for its ultra-fast Model S Plaid at its factory in Fremont, California. The electric vehicle company will begin with 25 deliveries on Friday evening, expanding to several hundred cars per week and a thousand cars per week in the next quarter, CEO Elon Musk said… Continue reading Elon Musk reveals the Tesla Model S Plaid
Archer Aviation reveals 2-seater demonstration aircraft, a “stepping stone” toward commercial operations
Archer Aviation unveiled its autonomous electric two-seater aircraft dubbed “Maker” on Thursday, which it will use for testing as it works towards certification of a larger piloted five-seater announced in March 2020. The aircraft unveiled on Thursday is not what would take to the skies should the company reach commercial operation in 2024. However, Archer’s… Continue reading Archer Aviation reveals 2-seater demonstration aircraft, a “stepping stone” toward commercial operations
Nvidia acquires hi-def mapping startup DeepMap to bolster AV technology
Chipmaker Nvidia is acquiring DeepMap, the high-definition mapping startup announced. The company said its mapping IP will help Nvidia’s autonomous vehicle technology sector, Nvidia Drive. “The acquisition is an endorsement of DeepMap’s unique vision, technology and people,” said Ali Kani, vice president and general manager of Automotive at Nvidia, in a statement. “DeepMap is expected… Continue reading Nvidia acquires hi-def mapping startup DeepMap to bolster AV technology
Apple confirms hiring of Ulrich Kranz, former CEO of EV company Canoo
Apple has hired the former co-founder and CEO of electric vehicle company Canoo to help with the development of the Apple Car, Bloomberg first reported, citing unnamed sources. Apple has confirmed to TechCrunch it has hired Kranz, but did not provide further details into his job responsibilities or title. Kranz resigned his position at Canoo… Continue reading Apple confirms hiring of Ulrich Kranz, former CEO of EV company Canoo
SoftBank, Uber, Tencent set to reap rewards from Didi IPO
After years of speculation, Didi Chuxing, China’s ride-sharing behemoth, finally unveiled its IPO filing in the U.S., giving a glimpse into its money-losing history. Didi didn’t disclose the size of its raise. Reuters reported the company could raise around $10 billion at a valuation of close to $100 billion. Cheng Wei, Didi’s 38-year-old founder owns… Continue reading SoftBank, Uber, Tencent set to reap rewards from Didi IPO
Scale to launch a mapping product to address the changing needs of its autonomous driving customers
Solving the varied challenges that arise in autonomous driving is an incredibly complex task, but even attempting to get started means ensuring you have quality data that’s accurate and well-annotated. That’s where Scale comes in, having identified early on that the AV industry would require annotation of huge swaths of data, including specialized LiDAR imaging.… Continue reading Scale to launch a mapping product to address the changing needs of its autonomous driving customers
Widespread electrification requires us to rethink battery technology
Moshiel Biton Contributor Dr. Moshiel Biton is the CEO and co-founder of Addionics, a battery technology company providing AI-optimized, Smart 3D Electrodes for the next generation of energy storage. The global economy’s transition to widespread electrification has increased the demand for longer-lasting and faster-charging batteries across industries including transportation, consumer electronics, medical devices and residential… Continue reading Widespread electrification requires us to rethink battery technology
Waymo and JB Hunt partner to bring autonomous trucks to Texas in new pilot
Waymo will be moving freight for a major customer of transportation logistics company J.B. Hunt Transport Services under what the two companies are calling a “test run” that will take place in one of the country’s busiest trade corridors. Waymo Via, the company’s trucking and cargo transportation service, will transport goods along Interstate 45 between… Continue reading Waymo and JB Hunt partner to bring autonomous trucks to Texas in new pilot