In 2017, when Tesla announced incredibly ambitious Model 3 production targets of 5,000 Model 3s per week and the beginning of “production hell,” analysts were wary. But Elon Musk insisted he could pull it off, citing hyper-automation — a robotic assembly line — as his secret weapon to increase manufacturing speed and drive down costs.… Continue reading Elon Musk wasn’t wrong about automating the Model 3 assembly line — he was just ahead of his time
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
Pininfarina’s $2 million electric ‘Battista’ hypercar is faster than a Formula 1 race car
Automobili Pininfarina, the automaker brand infused with Pininfarina design house DNA and owned by India’s Mahindra Group, revealed its first production car this week at the Geneva International Motor Show. And it’s an audacious inaugural effort. The Pininfarina Battista — a nod to design house founder Battista “Pinin” Farina — is an all-electric beast of… Continue reading Pininfarina’s $2 million electric ‘Battista’ hypercar is faster than a Formula 1 race car
Audi’s new Q4 e-tron concept is a compact electric crossover with 280 miles of range
Audi today provided an advanced look at what will be its fifth production electric vehicle, a compact crossover concept that is expected to come to market at the end of 2020. The all-electric Q4 e-tron SUV concept, which was revealed at the Geneva International Motor Show, is equipped with dual motors with a power output… Continue reading Audi’s new Q4 e-tron concept is a compact electric crossover with 280 miles of range
Mercedes Concept EQV delivers an all-electric luxe vision of van life
Mercedes-Benz revealed Tuesday the Concept EQV, an all-electric premium van designed to travel up to 249 miles on a single charge. Concepts often times never become production vehicles. But this one will. The EQV, which was unveiled at the Geneva International; Motor Show, will go into series production. The automaker plans to produce an electric… Continue reading Mercedes Concept EQV delivers an all-electric luxe vision of van life
VW’s futuristic all-electric dune buggy embraces its 1960s’ roots
Volkswagen has added another member to its ever-expanding I.D. line of concept electric vehicles that’s meant to showcase the automaker’s electric future. This time it’s the I.D. Buggy, an all-electric dune buggy with some 1960s California subculture flair. The I.D. Buggy, which made its global debut Monday at the 89th Geneva International Motor Show, is… Continue reading VW’s futuristic all-electric dune buggy embraces its 1960s’ roots
Failed meal-kit service Munchery owes $6M to gift card holders, vendors
Several weeks after a sudden shutdown left customers and vendors in the lurch, meal-kit service Munchery has filed for bankruptcy. In the Chapter 11 filing, Munchery chief executive officer James Beriker cites increased competition, over-funding, aggressive expansion efforts and Blue Apron’s failed IPO as reasons for its demise. Munchery owes $3 million in unfulfilled customer… Continue reading Failed meal-kit service Munchery owes $6M to gift card holders, vendors
FlixBus, the German Uber-like bus service, is buying rival Eurolines from Transdev
While all eyes are on what Uber, Lyft and Didi will do this year as transportation-on-demand using private vehicles continues to consolidate, there’s also some interesting moves being played out in the adjacent business of bus and coach services. Today, FlixBus, the German startup backed by Daimler, General Atlantic, Silver Lake and others that has… Continue reading FlixBus, the German Uber-like bus service, is buying rival Eurolines from Transdev
Go-Jek pulls in $100M more for its massive Series F round
U.S. ride-hailing giants Lyft and Uber are going public in the U.S. imminently, but over in Southeast Asia, the two largest on-demand companies are still madly fueling up on investment capital. The latest update to that story today saw Go-Jek, the Indonesian ride-hailing firm aiming to go regional in Southeast Asia, announced that it has… Continue reading Go-Jek pulls in $100M more for its massive Series F round
Equity Shot: Lyft files to go public and we’re stoked
Hello and welcome to an Equity Shot, a short-form episode of the show where we dive into a single breaking news story. Guess what we’re talking about today?! It’s Lyft. You guessed correctly. The Lyft S-1 is the very first major S-1 event of 2019. As you might recall, the government shutdown gummed the IPO… Continue reading Equity Shot: Lyft files to go public and we’re stoked
Lyft will give eligible drivers a one-time cash bonus up to $10K
Hardworking drivers, rejoice! As part of Lyft’s initial public offering, the transportation company is deciding to reward the drivers who form the backbone of the company’s core service. The program will give a maximum cash bonus of $10,000 to drivers “in good standing” who have completed at least 20,000 rides as of February 25, 2019.… Continue reading Lyft will give eligible drivers a one-time cash bonus up to $10K