Elon Musk’s vision of autonomous driving differs from a lot of Tesla’s competitors in that he’s been adamant that LiDAR isn’t a core component of his approach. It’s a stance that provokes a lot of debate among experts in the field, many of whom, including former Tesla employees, disagree that full autonomy can be managed… Continue reading Elon Musk’s self-driving strategy still doesn’t include LiDAR
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
Mobility services platform Stratim, formerly known as Zirx, sells to KAR
On the heels of its rebrand in November, mobility service STRATIM has sold itself to KAR Auction Services, a car remarketing company. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. STRATIM, formerly known as on-demand valet and car services startup ZIRX, powers fleet management for more than 50 companies, including BMW (DriveNow), General Motors (Maven), Ford… Continue reading Mobility services platform Stratim, formerly known as Zirx, sells to KAR
Nuro’s self-driving vehicle is a grocery-getter and errand-runner
Not every self-driving car has to be able to move passengers from point A to point B. Take, for example, Nuro: The startup just revealed their unique autonomous vehicle platform, which is more of a mobile small logistics platform than a self-driving car. The company, which has been working away in stealth mode in Mountain… Continue reading Nuro’s self-driving vehicle is a grocery-getter and errand-runner
Uber is piloting a bike-sharing service with JUMP
Uber is launching a bike-sharing service next week in partnership with JUMP, a startup that recently received the first and only permit to operate dockless bike-sharing in San Francisco. JUMP’s contract with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency enables it to launch 250 of its dockless, electric bikes in San Francisco. After the first nine months… Continue reading Uber is piloting a bike-sharing service with JUMP
On-demand dog walking app Wag raises $300 million from SoftBank Vision Fund
The SoftBank Vision Fund has struck again. This time, it’s investing $300 million in on-demand walking and dog care startup Wag. Wag has also brought on Hilary Schneider, formerly of identity theft protection company LifeLock, to serve as the company’s new chief executive officer. Last year, Wag was reportedly in talks with a handful of investors,… Continue reading On-demand dog walking app Wag raises $300 million from SoftBank Vision Fund
Ford files a patent for an autonomous police car
If the fourth season of Black Mirror didn’t throughly freak you out, buckle up! Ford has filed for a patent on an autonomous police car. While patent filings don’t always come to fruition, the mere fact that this idea is in development is mildly unnerving. The patent, first spotted by Motor1, describes an autonomous police… Continue reading Ford files a patent for an autonomous police car
Tesla responds to fresh reports of Model 3 production issues
Tesla’s Model 3 EV delays are well-known, including in the company’s own earnings report and quarterly delivery numbers. A fresh report from CNBC on Thursday claimed that Model 3 production was even more delayed than it appeared, with specific continued issues around battery manufacturing. CNBC also suggested that the company is “not close” to mass-production… Continue reading Tesla responds to fresh reports of Model 3 production issues
Apple grows fleet of self-driving test cars to 27
Apple has expanded its autonomous vehicle test fleet, according to Bloomberg, jumping from just three cars registered with the California DMV last year, to 27 vehicles in total now. The fleet consists entirely of Lexus RX450h SUVs, a popular choice for anyone working on autonomous car tech because they can be fairly easily retrofitted with… Continue reading Apple grows fleet of self-driving test cars to 27
Here acquires Micello to add indoor mapping as part of its IoT business unit
Here Technologies, the mapping company valued at around $3 billion that counts a consortium of car makers, Intel and others among its shareholder/owners, today announced a move that underscores its intention to focus on more than just the outdoor navigation business. The company has acquired Micello, a startup that offers a database of indoor maps… Continue reading Here acquires Micello to add indoor mapping as part of its IoT business unit
Nexar gets $30M Series B for its AI-based road safety dashcams and network
Nexar, a startup that makes an AI-based dashcam app to monitor road safety, announced today that it has raised a $30 million Series B led by Ibex Ventures. Participants included Alibaba Innovation Ventures (the venture capital investment arm of Alibaba Group), Nationwide Insurance and returning investors Aleph, Mosaic Ventures, Slow Ventures, True Ventures and Tusk… Continue reading Nexar gets $30M Series B for its AI-based road safety dashcams and network