Popular food delivery service Postmates is in the process of merging with Uber in a blockbuster $2.65 billion deal that would see it join forces with its food delivery competitor, Uber Eats. The deal remains under antitrust scrutiny, and has not yet been approved for closing. The deal is expected to close in the first… Continue reading Postmates cuts losses in Q2 as it heads towards tie-up with Uber
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
Nikola chairman, VectoIQ CEO Steve Girsky eyes his next transportation investment
Steve Girsky, the former GM vice chairman, consultant and investor whose special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) merged with hydrogen electric startup Nikola this summer, is in talks to back self-driving trucks startup TuSimple, according to four people familiar with the deal. The capital would come from Girsky’s VectoIQ LLC, a consulting and investment company he… Continue reading Nikola chairman, VectoIQ CEO Steve Girsky eyes his next transportation investment
HumanForest suspends London e-bike sharing service, cuts jobs after customer accident
UK-based startup HumanForest has suspended its nascent ‘free’ e-bike service in London this week, after experiencing “mechanical” issues and after a user had an accident on one of its bikes, TechCrunch has learned. The suspension has also seen the company make a number of layoffs with plans to re-launch next spring using a different e-bike.… Continue reading HumanForest suspends London e-bike sharing service, cuts jobs after customer accident
EV charging network ChargePoint to go public via SPAC
Several electric vehicle startups, including Canoo, Fisker Inc., Lordstown Motors and Nikola Corp., have gone public this year by merging with a special purpose acquisition company. Now, an electric vehicle charging company is joining the growing list of SPACs. ChargePoint, an electric vehicle charging network, has struck a deal to merge with special-purpose acquisition company… Continue reading EV charging network ChargePoint to go public via SPAC
California will require all passenger vehicles sold in the state be zero-emission by 2035
California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on Wednesday requiring sales of all new passenger vehicles be zero-emission by 2035. The new order would be a huge boost for electric vehicles, and vehicles using alternative fuels like hydrogen, and could boost a sector that’s already surging in California. As an announcement from the California… Continue reading California will require all passenger vehicles sold in the state be zero-emission by 2035
VW’s Traton Group strikes a deal with TuSimple to develop autonomous trucks
The Traton Group, Volkswagen AG’s heavy-truck business, has taken a minority stake in TuSimple as part of an agreement between the two companies to develop self-driving trucks. Neither company disclosed the financial terms of the partnership or the percentage of the minority stake. Traton did make a direct capital investment into TuSimple, according to one… Continue reading VW’s Traton Group strikes a deal with TuSimple to develop autonomous trucks
German space agency reveals an autonomous, electric urban mobility prototype for use right here on Earth
The German Aerospace Center (DLR) has debuted a prototype of what it calls ‘U-Shift,’ an urban mobility vehicle designed for multiple uses. U-Shift is a fully electric vehicle, designed for autonomous operation, and could serve in a number of capacities including as an on-demand shuttle, a bus, a mobile distribution center for package delivery, or… Continue reading German space agency reveals an autonomous, electric urban mobility prototype for use right here on Earth
Tuverl aims to bring order and access to transit in Africa
Africa may be a diverse continent overflowing with different cultures, languages and customs, but Tuverl co-founder and CEO Hope Ndhlovu says there is one experience — or industry — that is consistent from South Africa up to Egypt and everywhere in between. Public transportation is the same fragmented, disorganized ecosystem of millions of small-to-medium private… Continue reading Tuverl aims to bring order and access to transit in Africa
Spotawheel raises €10M debt and equity for its ‘end-to-end’ used car buying platform
Spotawheel, the “end-to-end” digital platform for buying a used car in Poland and Greece, has raised €10 million in debt and equity funding, as it sees a bounce-back from the slowdown witnessed as the coronavirus crisis took hold. Once again the new investment was led by VentureFriends, with participation from existing investor Velocity Partners, along… Continue reading Spotawheel raises €10M debt and equity for its ‘end-to-end’ used car buying platform
GM to reveal, start taking reservations for Hummer EV on October 20
GM will reveal its GMC-branded electric Hummer on October 20, the same day that the company will also begin taking customer reservations for the new vehicle that it describes as a “super truck.” The Hummer EV debut, which was originally scheduled to occur May 20 and delayed due to COVID-19, is one of 20 electric… Continue reading GM to reveal, start taking reservations for Hummer EV on October 20