The reception to Bronco 2021 — Ford’s flagship series of 4×4 vehicles that were revealed earlier this month — surpassed expectations of the company’s most optimistic initial projections, CEO Jim Hackett said in an earnings call Thursday. More than 150,000 customers have plunked down $100 to reserve a spot to order one of the vehicles,… Continue reading Ford Bronco reservations surpass 150,000
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
Self-driving startup Argo AI hits $7.5 billion valuation
Autonomous vehicle technology startup Argo AI is valued at $7.5 billion, just a little more than three years after the company burst on the scene with a $1 billion investment from Ford. The official valuation was confirmed Thursday nearly two months after VW Group finalized its $2.6 billion investment in Argo AI. Under that deal,… Continue reading Self-driving startup Argo AI hits $7.5 billion valuation
Lyft expands its rental business with Sixt partnership
Lyft continues to expand beyond its core ride-hailing business into bikes, scooters, transit and now rental cars. The company said Thursday that it’s taking Lyft Rentals, a pilot program that launched in December, and expanding it through a partnership with Sixt. Lyft Rentals initially gave folks in Los Angeles and San Francisco the ability to… Continue reading Lyft expands its rental business with Sixt partnership
China’s electric SUV maker Li Auto raises $1.1 billion in U.S. IPO
Trade tensions between China and the U.S. have not stopped Chinese companies from eyeing to list on American stock exchanges. Li Auto, a five-year-old Chinese electric vehicle startup, raised $1.1 billion through its debut on Nasdaq on Thursday. The Beijing-based company is targeting a growing Chinese middle class who aspire to drive cleaner, smarter, and… Continue reading China’s electric SUV maker Li Auto raises $1.1 billion in U.S. IPO
Panasonic boosts energy density, trims cobalt in new 2170 battery cell for Tesla
Production to start at Tesla gigafactory in September Kirsten Korosec 13 hours Panasonic has developed new battery technology for the ‘2170’ lithium-ion cells it produces and supplies to Tesla, a change that improves energy density by 5% and reduces costly cobalt content. The new, higher-energy dense 2170 cells will be produced by Panasonic at Tesla’s… Continue reading Panasonic boosts energy density, trims cobalt in new 2170 battery cell for Tesla
GM starts construction on the cornerstone of its EV strategy
Steel construction has begun on the nearly 3-million-square-foot factory that will mass produce Ultium battery cells and packs, the cornerstone of General Motors’ strategy to bring 20 electric vehicles to market by 2023. The Ultium Cells LLC battery cell manufacturing facility in Lordstown, Ohio is part of a joint venture between GM and LG Chem… Continue reading GM starts construction on the cornerstone of its EV strategy
Elon Musk says Tesla is open to licensing Autopilot, supplying powertrains and batteries to other automakers
Tesla CEO Elon Musk noted on Twitter on Tuesday night that the automaker would be “open to licensing software and supplying powertrains & batteries” to other automakers. Musk added that that would even include Autopilot, the advanced driver assistance software that Tesla offers to provide intelligent cruise control in a number of different driving scenarios.… Continue reading Elon Musk says Tesla is open to licensing Autopilot, supplying powertrains and batteries to other automakers
China now accounts for nearly one-quarter of Tesla revenue
Tesla has been counting on China to maintain its sales momentum, and it seems to be on track with the plan. In the three months ended June 30, the automaker’s revenue in China climbed 102.9% year-over-year to $1.4 billion, according to its latest SEC filing. That means China now makes up 23.3% of Tesla’s total… Continue reading China now accounts for nearly one-quarter of Tesla revenue
Six things venture capitalists are looking for in your pitch
Founders pitch venture capitalists at every available chance, which is why most of them quickly develop the skills required to identify whether someone is offering them an opportunity or wasting their time. At TechCrunch Early Stage, I chatted with NFX Managing Partner James Currier about how founders can find the right investors and what they… Continue reading Six things venture capitalists are looking for in your pitch
Lucid Motors’ all-electric Air will have 32 sensors, including lidar to support hands-free highway driving
Lucid Motors is loading up its first electric vehicle with hardware — dozens of sensors, a driver monitoring system and an Ethernet-based architecture — for an advanced driver assistance system that aims to match and even surpass its rivals. There will be 32 sensors in all, according to Lucid, which has branded its advanced driver… Continue reading Lucid Motors’ all-electric Air will have 32 sensors, including lidar to support hands-free highway driving