Uber lays off another 3,000 employees

Uber is laying off another 3,000 employees, the Wall Street Journal first reported. Uber is also closing 45 offices, and rethinking its approach in areas like freight and autonomous vehicle technology. “I knew that I had to make a hard decision, not because we are a public company, or to protect or stock price, or… Continue reading Uber lays off another 3,000 employees

The first Vision Fund is officially done investing (and spent $100M every day of its existence)

There is a flurry of news out of SoftBank this morning, which announced its Fiscal Year 2019 (ending March 31, 2020) financial results overnight. It’s been a bad year for the Vision Fund, with huge losses at WeWork and Uber due to corporate incompetence, intrigue, and of course, COVID-19. But buried a bit in the… Continue reading The first Vision Fund is officially done investing (and spent $100M every day of its existence)

Tesla scouts head to Tulsa, Austin as hunt for Cybertruck gigafactory location nears end

Tesla officials visited two sites in Tulsa, Oklahoma this week to search for a location for its future and fifth gigafactory that will produce its all-electric Cybertruck and Model Y crossover, a source familiar with the situation told TechCrunch. Company representatives also visited Austin. A final decision has not been made, but Austin and Tulsa are… Continue reading Tesla scouts head to Tulsa, Austin as hunt for Cybertruck gigafactory location nears end

Cruise lays off 8% of workforce amid COVID-19, puts resources toward engineering

Cruise, the self-driving car subsidiary of GM that also has backing from SoftBank Vision Fund, automaker Honda and T. Rowe Price & Associates, is laying off nearly 8% of its more than 1,800-member workforce today as it tries to reduce costs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The layoffs will affect employees in Cruise’s product, marketing and… Continue reading Cruise lays off 8% of workforce amid COVID-19, puts resources toward engineering

Tesla said to be readying new long-lasting, low-cost batteries to put EVs at price parity with gas cars

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been touting forthcoming battery technology improvements, going so far as to dub a forthcoming company talk “battery day” in prior public comments. Now Reuters is reporting that the automaker plans to unveil new advanced battery technology it has developed that can produce power sources for its EVs which last for… Continue reading Tesla said to be readying new long-lasting, low-cost batteries to put EVs at price parity with gas cars

Alameda County may allow Tesla’s Fremont factory to reopen as soon as next week

Alameda County officials announced today that Tesla can reopen as soon as next week if it implements additional safety recommendations. The statement from the Alameda County Public Health Department said that after receiving Tesla’s COVID-19 site-specific safety plan for its Fremont plant, officials “held productive discussions today with Tesla’s representatives about their safety and prevention… Continue reading Alameda County may allow Tesla’s Fremont factory to reopen as soon as next week

A Grubhub-Uber tie-up would remake the food delivery landscape

Earlier today news broke that Uber is pursuing an acquisition of Grubhub. The global ride-hailing giant is worth a multiple of the American food delivery service, making the tie-up financially feasible, provided that a palatable price can be found for both parties. The Wall Street Journal broke the news; you can read TechCrunch’s coverage of… Continue reading A Grubhub-Uber tie-up would remake the food delivery landscape

Uber is reportedly in talks to buy GrubHub

Uber is in talks to buy GrubHub in an all-stock deal, The Wall Street Journal reports. According to the WSJ’s sources, GrubHub wants 2.15 Uber shares for each GrubHubs share. Uber first approached GrubHub earlier this year with an offer, but the two companies are still in talks, according to the WSJ.  A Bloomberg report… Continue reading Uber is reportedly in talks to buy GrubHub

Elon Musk just put a new person in charge of production at Tesla’s Fremont factory

On the same day that Elon Musk defied local regulations and reopened Tesla’s factory in Fremont, California, the CEO put a new person in charge of production. Musk named Richard Miller, who was director of paint operations at Tesla, to head of production at the factory, according to an internal email sent to employees Monday… Continue reading Elon Musk just put a new person in charge of production at Tesla’s Fremont factory

Fiat Chrysler and AV startup Voyage partner on self-driving minivans

Self-driving vehicle startup Voyage said Monday that it has inked a deal with Fiat Chrysler to supply purpose-built vehicles, a partnership that will help accelerate its plan to launch a fully driverless ride-hailing service. Voyage, a three-year-old startup that tests and operates a self-driving vehicle service (with human safety operators) in retirement communities in California… Continue reading Fiat Chrysler and AV startup Voyage partner on self-driving minivans