Intel’s Mobileye, rental giant Sixt to launch a robotaxi service in Germany next year

Intel subsidiary Mobileye and rental car giant Sixt SE plan to launch a robotaxi service in Munich next year, the CEOs of the two companies announced Tuesday during the IAA Mobility show in Germany. The robotaxi service is leveraging all of Intel’s, and more specifically Mobileye’s, assets that have been in development or purchased in… Continue reading Intel’s Mobileye, rental giant Sixt to launch a robotaxi service in Germany next year

BP Ventures invests $11.9M in in-car payments provider Ryd to support expansion

BP Ventures, the investing arm of oil and gas giant BP, has announced a €10 million (~$11.9 million) investment in Ryd, a German in-car digital payments provider. The fresh funds will help Ryd expand its service into international markets and build out its offering, according to a statement. Ryd’s service allows users to lump together… Continue reading BP Ventures invests $11.9M in in-car payments provider Ryd to support expansion

Mercedes-Benz throws down the EV gauntlet at IAA Mobility

Mercedes-Benz introduced a slew of electric vehicles ahead of the IAA Mobility show in Germany, including its first AMG-branded high-performance EV, a sedan and a G-Class SUV concept — all part of the company’s bid to become an electric-only automaker by the end of the decade. Mercedes has already started producing the all-electric EQS, a… Continue reading Mercedes-Benz throws down the EV gauntlet at IAA Mobility

Volkswagen and Argo AI reveal first ID Buzz test vehicle for autonomous driving

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, a standalone VW brand responsible for the development and sales of light commercial vehicles, and Argo AI, an autonomous driving technology company, unveiled the first version of the ID Buzz AD (Autonomous Driving) on Sunday. The two companies shared plans to test and commercially scale the jointly developed, fully-electric self-driving van over… Continue reading Volkswagen and Argo AI reveal first ID Buzz test vehicle for autonomous driving

Rivian’s electric R1T pickup truck, R1S SUV get their official EPA ranges

Rivian announced Friday that the first edition version of its all-electric R1T pickup truck has an official EPA range of 314 miles, while its R1T SUV comes in a skosh higher at 316 miles. The official range and fuel economy values have been posted on the U.S. EPA website. The official numbers align with Rivian’s… Continue reading Rivian’s electric R1T pickup truck, R1S SUV get their official EPA ranges

DoorDash workers protest outside CEO Tony Xu’s home demanding better pay, tip transparency and PPE

California DoorDash workers protested outside of the home of DoorDash CEO Tony Xu on Thursday, prompted by a recent California Superior Court Judge ruling calling 2020’s Proposition 22 unconstitutional. Prop 22, which was passed last November in California, would allow app-based companies like DoorDash, Uber and Lyft to continue classifying workers as independent contractors rather… Continue reading DoorDash workers protest outside CEO Tony Xu’s home demanding better pay, tip transparency and PPE

BMW Group’s Neue Klasse lineup to focus on circular economy to achieve reduction in CO2 emissions

The BMW Group announced Thursday its intentions to commit to a 50% reduction from 2019 levels in global carbon dioxide emissions during the use-phase of its vehicles by 2030, as well as a 40% reduction in emissions during the life cycle of the vehicle. These goals, including a plan to focus on the principles of… Continue reading BMW Group’s Neue Klasse lineup to focus on circular economy to achieve reduction in CO2 emissions

Nikola and Bosch ink deal for hydrogen fuel cell modules

Beleaguered electric truck developer Nikola Corp. has inked a new agreement with Bosch for its hydrogen fuel cell modules. The modules will be used to power two of Nikola’s hydrogen-fueled semi-trucks, the short-haul Nikola Tre and Nikola Two sleeper. “This announcement is the result of a multi-year working relationship with Bosch,” Nikola CEO Mark Russell said… Continue reading Nikola and Bosch ink deal for hydrogen fuel cell modules

AxleHire to scale Tortoise and URB-E zero-emissions delivery solutions nationally

Last-mile logistics supplier AxleHire provides same-day and next-day delivery through a network that includes gig economy, couriers and traditional carriers. Over the past year, it has been quietly piloting automated repositioning startup Tortoise’s remote controlled delivery robots in Los Angeles and compact container delivery service URB-E’s e-bike container delivery in New York City. On Thursday,… Continue reading AxleHire to scale Tortoise and URB-E zero-emissions delivery solutions nationally

Massachussetts AG greenlights Uber, Lyft-backed gig worker ballot initiative

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey gave a coalition of app-based service providers like Uber and Lyft the go-ahead to start collecting signatures needed to put a proposed ballot measure before voters that would define drivers as independent contractors rather than employees. Backers of the initiative, which is essentially a MA version of Proposition 22, would… Continue reading Massachussetts AG greenlights Uber, Lyft-backed gig worker ballot initiative