Even after years of using systems like the Google Assistant or Siri, talking to inanimate objects can still feel weird. In cars, the early voice recognition systems were typically close to unusable, with a user experience that was often eclipsed by the worst of customer service phone trees. Nowadays, though, AI has made for a… Continue reading BMW makes interacting with your car’s AI systems more natural
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
Inside Tesla’s solar energy astroturfing
Tesla has been masking its lobbying efforts on solar panels and battery storage through the Energy Freedom Coalition of America, a trade association that is little more than a front for the automaker and alternative energy company, public documents suggest. SolarCity, which Tesla bought in 2016, began the practice of using the EFCA to promote… Continue reading Inside Tesla’s solar energy astroturfing
Lime hires its first CFO
Lime is hiring Ted Tobiason, former managing director in tech equity capital markets, at Morgan Stanley, to serve as its chief financial officer. This comes following Lime’s behemoth of a $310 million Series D round earlier this month. Led by Bain Capital Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, Fidelity Ventures, GV and IVP, the round values Lime at $2.4 billion. Lime, which… Continue reading Lime hires its first CFO
On-demand shuttle startup Via enters South American market
Via, the on-demand shuttle startup backed by Daimler, has expanded into South America. The company launched a service in Goiânia, Brazil with HP Transportes Coletivos, one of the country’s largest public transportation operators. Via says the service, called CityBus 2.0, is the first on-demand shuttle system operated by a public transit operator to launch in Latin… Continue reading On-demand shuttle startup Via enters South American market
On-demand logistics startup Lalamove raises $300M for Asia growth and becomes a unicorn
Lalamove, a Hong Kong-based on-demand logistics startup, has closed a $300 million Series D round as it seeks expansion across Asia. In doing so, the company has officially entered the unicorn club. Founded in 2013 by Stanford graduate Shing Chow, Lalamove provides logistics and delivery services in a similar style to ride-hailing apps like Uber… Continue reading On-demand logistics startup Lalamove raises $300M for Asia growth and becomes a unicorn
Porsche Taycan production forecast may be ‘conservative’
Porsche’s production forecast for its first all-electric vehicle may be too conservative, the company’s head of production said this week. Porsche has targeted 20,000 Taycan electric vehicles for the first year of production. But interest in the vehicle could push those estimates higher, Albrecht Reimold, Porsche’s board member in charge of production, said in an internally… Continue reading Porsche Taycan production forecast may be ‘conservative’
Audi’s new V2I feature helps drivers hit every green light
Audi has added a new feature to the vehicle-to-infrastructure technology embedded in its newer models that’s designed to help drivers catch every green light. The tech, called GLOSA, or Green Light Optimized Speed Advisory, is part of the automaker’s built-in traffic light-reading technology. And Audi says it’s the first automaker to include this GLOSA feature in its… Continue reading Audi’s new V2I feature helps drivers hit every green light
Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal invests $92M in Ola
The money is starting to flow from India’s largest startup exit. Ola has added a major name to its ongoing financing round after it confirmed that Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal has invested 650 crore INR (around $92 million) into the Indian ride-hailing business. The deal rumored in January when Paper.vc, an intelligence service that sifts through company… Continue reading Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal invests $92M in Ola
Nissan’s old Leaf batteries can power this smart pop-up camper for one week
Nissan has turned its old Leaf batteries into an off-grid camping companion. The automaker’s Nissan Energy subsidiary worked with camper manufacturer Opus to create the ultimate “smart” pop-up trailer that integrates cells recovered from its first-generation electric vehicles to provide off-grid power. Add in one to two recharges of the accompanying 400W solar panel accessory and… Continue reading Nissan’s old Leaf batteries can power this smart pop-up camper for one week
Uber reports $3B in Q4 revenue, rising operating losses
Ahead of its anticipated initial public offering this year, Uber reported a net loss of $865 million in the fourth quarter. That figure, however, was aided by a tax benefit that saved the company from reporting a $1.2 billion net loss in the period. On an adjusted, pro-forma basis, Uber’s net loss in the final… Continue reading Uber reports $3B in Q4 revenue, rising operating losses