When Merlin Labs founder Matt George was learning to fly in Vermont, he had a close call with a Jet Blue aircraft that was coming into Burlington airport. It was “an unsettling experience,” he told TechCrunch, but one that stuck with him. A few years later, after the transportation company he founded Bridgj was acquired… Continue reading Merlin Labs emerges from stealth to bring autonomy to 55-King Air fleet
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
EV fast charger developer Tritium to go public via SPAC merger at $1.2B valuation
Another day, another mobility SPAC deal. This time, it’s Tritium, a Brisbane-based developer and producer of direct current fast EV chargers that is taking the SPAC path to the public market in a deal valuing the company at $1.2 billion. Tritium said Wednesday it will be heading to the Nasdaq via a merger with special… Continue reading EV fast charger developer Tritium to go public via SPAC merger at $1.2B valuation
Self-driving truck startup Kodiak partnering with SK Group to expand into Asia
Kodiak Robotics, the U.S.-based self-driving truck startup, is partnering with South Korean conglomerate SK to explore the possibility of deploying its autonomous vehicle technology in Asia. The ultimate aim of the partnership is to sell and distribute Kodiak’s self-driving technology in the region. Kodiak will examine how it can use SK’s products, components and technology… Continue reading Self-driving truck startup Kodiak partnering with SK Group to expand into Asia
Tesla will store Chinese user data locally, following Apple’s suit
The handling of user data in China has become a delicate matter for foreign tech companies operating in the country. Apple’s move to store the data of its Chinese customers in servers managed by a Chinese state-owned cloud service has stoked controversy in the West over the years. A recent New York Times investigation found… Continue reading Tesla will store Chinese user data locally, following Apple’s suit
Tesla is no longer using radar sensors in Model 3 and Model Y vehicles built in North America
Tesla Model Y and Model 3 vehicles bound for North American customers are being built without radar, fulfilling a desire by CEO Elon Musk to only use cameras combined with machine learning to support its advanced driver assistance system and other active safety features. Like many of Tesla’s moves, the decision to stop using the… Continue reading Tesla is no longer using radar sensors in Model 3 and Model Y vehicles built in North America
JD.com, Meituan and Neolix to test autonomous deliveries on Beijing public roads
People in a Beijing suburb will begin to see autonomous delivery mini-vans across their neighborhood, moving cautiously alongside human delivery riders belting down the streets. Beijing has greenlighted JD.com, Meituan, and Neolix to trial self-driving delivery vehicles on designated public roads in the Yizhuang Development Area, an economic and technological growth pilot initiated by the… Continue reading JD.com, Meituan and Neolix to test autonomous deliveries on Beijing public roads
Dogs of Lordstown
There’s more to this story than one bad quarter Alex Wilhelm 9 hours The lackluster performance of shares in companies that have combined with special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) in recent quarters took another hit yesterday when Lordstown Motors reported its first-quarter results. Lordstown, part of a wave of electric-vehicle companies that raised capital and… Continue reading Dogs of Lordstown
Canvas lands $20M so tech’s biggest companies can find diverse talent
Ben Herman and Adam Gefkovicz launched Jumpstart in 2017 with a clear mission: to make the world more equitable via a more fair and balanced hiring process. The company released its “Diversity Recruitment Platform” in July of 2018 with the aim of helping people earlier in their careers get a “jumpstart” via technology. Over the… Continue reading Canvas lands $20M so tech’s biggest companies can find diverse talent
Germany gives greenlight to driverless vehicles on public roads
Germany has adopted legislation that will allow driverless vehicles on public roads by 2022, laying out a path for companies to deploy robotaxis and delivery services in the country at scale. While autonomous testing is currently permitted in Germany, this would allow operations of driverless vehicles without a human safety operator behind the wheel. The… Continue reading Germany gives greenlight to driverless vehicles on public roads
Light is the key to long-range, fully autonomous EVs
Nick Harris Contributor Nick Harris is a scientist, engineer, and the founder and CEO of Lightmatter, which manufactures photonic processors. Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) hold immense promise. At times, the headlines about the autonomous vehicle (AV) industry seem ominous, with a focus on accidents, regulation or company valuations that some find undeserving. None of… Continue reading Light is the key to long-range, fully autonomous EVs