Pony.ai, the Chinese autonomous vehicle startup and relative newcomer to the industry, is now valued at $5.3 billion following a fresh injection of $267 million in funding. The round was led by TIP, an innovation fund within the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board that focuses on late-stage venture and growth equity investments in companies that… Continue reading Chinese autonomous vehicle startup Pony.ai hits $5.3 billion valuation
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
Elon Musk’s Tesla tequila will run you $250 a bottle
Teslaquila, the Tesla-branded liquor that co-starred in CEO Elon Musk’s controversial April Fool’s Day joke about the automaker filing for bankruptcy, has arrived. The automaker now lists Tesla Tequila (a bit different from the original Teslaquila branding) on its website. The tequila — described as a “small-batch premium 100% de agave tequila añejo made from… Continue reading Elon Musk’s Tesla tequila will run you $250 a bottle
Waymo pauses operations in San Francisco, stays the course in Phoenix on Election Day
Waymo has taken a dual approach to operations on Election Day. In San Francisco, where Waymo has been testing its autonomous vehicles, driving operations have been temporarily suspended Tuesday and Wednesday “out of an abundance of caution.” Its fleet of autonomous vehicles was moved Monday to nearby Mountain View, according to an internal email first… Continue reading Waymo pauses operations in San Francisco, stays the course in Phoenix on Election Day
Lidar startup Aeva to go public via $2.1 billion SPAC merger
Aeva, a Mountain View, California-based lidar company started by two former Apple engineers and backed by Porsche SE, is merging with special purpose acquisition company InterPrivate Acquisition Corp., with a post-deal market valuation of $2.1 billion. The deal with InterPrivate, which is led by private equity investor Ahmed Fattouh, is expected to close by early… Continue reading Lidar startup Aeva to go public via $2.1 billion SPAC merger
Tesla has increased the price of its ‘Full Self-Driving’ option to $10,000
Tesla has made good on founder and CEO Elon Musk’s promise to boost the price of its “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) software upgrade option, increasing it to $10,000 following the start of the staged rollout of a beta version of the software update last week. This boosts the price of the package $2,000 from its price… Continue reading Tesla has increased the price of its ‘Full Self-Driving’ option to $10,000
Via and Hyundai-Aptiv joint venture to offer shared robotaxi rides next year
Motional, the Hyundai-Aptiv joint venture, and on-demand shuttle startup Via plan to launch a shared robotaxi service for the public in a U.S. city in the first half of 2021. The companies said the aim is to develop a “blueprint” for on-demand shared robotaxis and learn how these driverless vehicles can be integrated into mass transit.… Continue reading Via and Hyundai-Aptiv joint venture to offer shared robotaxi rides next year
E-bike subscription service Dance closes $17.7M Series A, led by HV Holtzbrinck Ventures
Three months on since the former founders of SoundCloud launched their e-bike subscription service, Dance today is announcing the close of a $17.7 million (€15 million) Series A funding round led by one of the larger European VCs, HV Holtzbrinck Ventures. Founded by Eric Quidenus-Wahlforss (ex-SoundCloud), Alexander Ljung (still at SoundCloud as chairman) and Christian… Continue reading E-bike subscription service Dance closes $17.7M Series A, led by HV Holtzbrinck Ventures
Proterra, which makes big honkin’ battery systems and electric buses, raises $200 million
Proterra, the battery system technology developer for heavy-duty electric vehicles, said it has raised $200 million in a new round of funding. The new cash comes from Cowen Sustainable Investment Advisors, which led the round, along with money from Soros Fund Management, Generation Investment Management and Broadscale Group. Cowen took the bulk of the round,… Continue reading Proterra, which makes big honkin’ battery systems and electric buses, raises $200 million
Tesla’s decision to scrap its PR department could create a PR nightmare
The move effectively makes founder Elon Musk the company’s lone voice Ayelet Noff 12 hours Ayelet Noff Contributor Ayelet Noff is the founder and CEO of SlicedBrand, a top global PR agency headquartered in Berlin. A solid public relations team solves many issues within a company. It helps spread important news announcements and topics integral… Continue reading Tesla’s decision to scrap its PR department could create a PR nightmare
Why Amazon and Panasonic are betting on this battery recycling startup
JB Straubel, the Tesla co-founder and former CTO, is often cast as the humble and pioneering engineer, the quiet one who toiled away in the background for 15 years on some of the company’s most important technologies. That characterization — which intensified as the hype and media attention on Tesla CEO Elon Musk grew —… Continue reading Why Amazon and Panasonic are betting on this battery recycling startup