Lordstown Motors does not have binding orders from customers for its electric Endurance pickup truck — a reversal from claims made earlier this week by company executives in an effort to restore confidence in the troubled company, according to a regulatory filing released Thursday. Lordstown Motors interim CEO Angela Strand and President Rich Schmidt made… Continue reading Lordstown Motors reverses claims about ‘binding orders’ for electric pickup truck
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
Lincoln’s first EV will arrive in 2022 with three more to follow
Lincoln Motor will launch its first all-electric vehicle in 2022 followed by three other EVs as part of the luxury brand’s goal to electrify its entire portfolio by the end of the decade. The first EV will come to market just in time for Lincoln’s 100th birthday celebration — and nearly four years since initial… Continue reading Lincoln’s first EV will arrive in 2022 with three more to follow
Investors Clara Brenner, Quin Garcia and Rachel Holt on SPACs, micromobility and how COVID-19 shaped VC
Few people are more closely tapped into the innovations in the transportation space than investors. They’re paying close attention to what startups and tech companies are doing to develop and commercialize autonomous vehicle technology, electrification, micromobility, robotics and so much more. Clara Brenner, co-founder and managing partner of Urban Innovation Fund; Quin Garcia, the managing… Continue reading Investors Clara Brenner, Quin Garcia and Rachel Holt on SPACs, micromobility and how COVID-19 shaped VC
Self-driving trucks startup Kodiak Robotics snags investment, partnership from Bridgestone
Tire-making giant Bridgestone has taken a minority stake in Kodiak Robotics, the Silicon Valley-based startup developing autonomous trucks, as part of a broader partnership to test and develop smart tire technology. While the terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, Kodiak Robotics co-founder and CEO Don Burnette told TechCrunch that this is a direct financial investment.… Continue reading Self-driving trucks startup Kodiak Robotics snags investment, partnership from Bridgestone
Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving arm, raises $2.5B in second external investment round
Waymo, Google’s former self-driving project that is now a business unit under Alphabet, said Wednesday it raised $2.5 billion in its second outside funding round. The company said in a blog post it will use the funds to continue growing Waymo Driver, its autonomous driving platform, and growing its team. The round saw participation from… Continue reading Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving arm, raises $2.5B in second external investment round
EV battery swapping startup Ample charges up operations in Japan, NYC
EV battery swapping startup Ample has locked in two partnerships this month that will help fuel an expansion into Japan and New York City after years of working on the technology. The startup, which was founded in 2014 and came out of stealth in March, said Tuesday it has partnered with Japanese petroleum and energy… Continue reading EV battery swapping startup Ample charges up operations in Japan, NYC
Lordstown Motors execs cite binding orders to restore confidence a day after CEO, CFO resignations
Lordstown Motors has enough “binding orders” from customers to fund limited production of its electric pickup truck through May 2022, executives at the company said Tuesday, just a day after an executive shakeup that included the resignation of the company’s CEO and CFO. Reaching that goal will come at a cost. The company is putting… Continue reading Lordstown Motors execs cite binding orders to restore confidence a day after CEO, CFO resignations
Chinese startup Pony.ai plans to launch a driverless robotaxi service in California in 2022
Pony.ai, the robotaxi startup that operates in China and the United States, has started testing driverless vehicles on public roads in California ahead of plans to launch a commercial service there in 2022. The company said the driverless vehicle testing, which means the autonomous vehicles operate without human safety drivers behind the wheel, is happening… Continue reading Chinese startup Pony.ai plans to launch a driverless robotaxi service in California in 2022
Autonomous delivery startup Nuro moves into logistics with FedEx
Nuro, the autonomous delivery startup founded in 2016 by former Google engineers Dave Ferguson and Jiajun Zhu, is expanding into parcel logistics through a partnership with FedEx. The multiyear, multiphased strategic partnership announced Tuesday aims to test and ultimately deploy Nuro’s second-generation R2 autonomous delivery vehicle within FedEx operations. Unlike others in the autonomous vehicle… Continue reading Autonomous delivery startup Nuro moves into logistics with FedEx
Cruise secures $5B credit line to buy electric, autonomous Cruise Origin vehicles from GM
Cruise, the self-driving subsidiary of GM, has tapped a $5 billion line of credit from the automaker’s financial arm to pay for hundreds of purpose-built electric and autonomous Origin vehicles as they start to roll off the assembly line. The access to the credit provided by GM Financial will push Cruise’s “total war chest” to… Continue reading Cruise secures $5B credit line to buy electric, autonomous Cruise Origin vehicles from GM