Cruise, the autonomous vehicle company aiming to deploy robotaxis in San Francisco and Dubai, has added Walmart as an investor in an extended fundraising round that has grown to $2.75 billion. The company said it has a post-money valuation of more than $30 billion. Walmart and several unnamed institutional investors added capital to a $2… Continue reading Walmart helps push Cruise’s latest investment round to $2.75B
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
Ford takes aim at Tesla, GM with its new hands-free driving system
Ford will debut its new hands-free driving feature on the 2021 F-150 pickup truck and certain 2021 Mustang Mach-E models through a software update later this year, technology that the automaker developed to rival similar systems from Tesla and GM. That hands-free capability — which uses cameras, radar sensors and software to provide a combination… Continue reading Ford takes aim at Tesla, GM with its new hands-free driving system
Toyota taps Apex.AI for its autonomous vehicle operating system
Automakers shifting to all-electric and tech-laden vehicles have discovered that software — and more aptly software that is free of bugs and can be updated wirelessly — has become a consistent speed bump on the road to attracting customers. It is an issue that plagued Volkswagen’s launch of its all-electric VW ID.3, the 2022 Volvo… Continue reading Toyota taps Apex.AI for its autonomous vehicle operating system
China’s Xpeng in the race to automate EVs with lidar
Elon Musk famously said any company relying on lidar is “doomed.” Tesla instead believes automated driving functions are built on visual recognition and is even working to remove the radar. China’s Xpeng begs to differ. Founded in 2014, Xpeng is one of China’s most celebrated electric vehicle startups and went public when it was just… Continue reading China’s Xpeng in the race to automate EVs with lidar
Daily Crunch: Spotify unveils an in-car entertainment system
Spotify wants to have a bigger presence in your car, Apple hints at iPad-centric announcements and Microsoft’s new Surface Laptop goes on sale. This is your Daily Crunch for April 13, 2021. The big story: Spotify unveils an in-car entertainment system Spotify’s new device is the oddly (but memorably!) named Car Thing. While there are… Continue reading Daily Crunch: Spotify unveils an in-car entertainment system
Grab to go public in the US following $40 billion SPAC deal
Ride-hailing and delivery company Grab has announced plans to go public in the U.S. Based in Singapore, the company has evolved from a ride-hailing app to a Southeast Asian super app that offers several consumer services, including food delivery, financial services, such as an e-wallet so that you can send and receive money. It operates… Continue reading Grab to go public in the US following $40 billion SPAC deal
Chinese autonomous vehicle startup WeRide scores permit to test driverless cars in San Jose
WeRide, the Chinese autonomous vehicle startup that recently raised $310 million, has received a permit to test driverless vehicles on public roads in San Jose, California. WeRide is the seventh company, following AutoX, Baidu, Cruise, Nuro Waymo and Zoox, to receive a driverless testing permit. In the early days of autonomous vehicle development, testing permits… Continue reading Chinese autonomous vehicle startup WeRide scores permit to test driverless cars in San Jose
EV automaker Rivian partners with Samsung SDI in battery cell supply deal
Rivian, the Amazon-backed EV manufacturer aiming to bring an electric pickup to market later this year, has partnered with Samsung SDI as its battery cell supplier, the company said Monday. The two companies did not disclose the value of the deal or its term length, but in a statement released Monday Rivian said it had… Continue reading EV automaker Rivian partners with Samsung SDI in battery cell supply deal
The Station: The biggest SPAC ever and reading the micromobility permit tea leaves
The Station is a weekly newsletter dedicated to all things transportation. Sign up here — just click The Station — to receive it every weekend in your inbox. Hi there, new and returning readers. This is The Station, a weekly newsletter dedicated to all the ways people and packages move (today and in the future) from… Continue reading The Station: The biggest SPAC ever and reading the micromobility permit tea leaves
Equity Monday: Microsoft buys Nuance, Uber isn’t dead, and Austin has a new unicorn
Hello and welcome back to Equity, TechCrunch’s venture capital-focused podcast where we unpack the numbers behind the headlines. This is Equity Monday, our weekly kickoff that tracks the latest private market news, talks about the coming week, digs into some recent funding rounds and mulls over a larger theme or narrative from the private markets. You… Continue reading Equity Monday: Microsoft buys Nuance, Uber isn’t dead, and Austin has a new unicorn