Spin, the electric scooter company recently bought by Ford, still won’t be able to operate in San Francisco. Well, at least for now. This comes after Spin appealed the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s decision regarding electric scooter permits in the city. A neutral officer, James Doyle, has since denied Spin’s appeal. “The SFMTA is… Continue reading SF denies Spin’s appeal to operate electric scooters, but offers some hope
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
China continues 5G push despite economic slowdown and Huawei setbacks
China will fast-track the issuance of commercial licenses for 5G as part of a national plan to boost consumer spending, said a notice published this week by the National Development and Reform Commission. The move appears to be multifaceted, for 5G plays a key role in China’s bid to lead the global technology race and one… Continue reading China continues 5G push despite economic slowdown and Huawei setbacks
Argo AI acquires permit to test autonomous vehicles in California
Argo AI, the self-driving car startup that burst onto the scene in 2017 with $1 billion in backing from Ford, has obtained a permit to test its autonomous vehicles in California. The permit, issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, is for one vehicle and two drivers. Unlike other self-driving car companies, California isn’t… Continue reading Argo AI acquires permit to test autonomous vehicles in California
Waze expands its Bluetooth beacons to New York City to end GPS signal blackouts
Drivers in New York City will soon be able to use Waze — and other navigation apps — in places like tunnels or bridges where it’s common to lose a GPS signal. The new capability is courtesy of small open-source puck-like devices called Waze Beacons that were invented in-house by Gil Disatnik, an engineer who… Continue reading Waze expands its Bluetooth beacons to New York City to end GPS signal blackouts
Rules to rein in ride-hailing apps coming to Barcelona
Catalonia’s regional government in Spain has agreed new rules to regulate the vehicle for hire (VTCs) sector that will require ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Cabify to substantially change how they operate in Barcelona and other local cities as soon as this week. The changes have been agreed by decree, ahead of a planned… Continue reading Rules to rein in ride-hailing apps coming to Barcelona
Southeast Asia’s Grab is adding Netflix-like video streaming to its ride-hailing app
Grab is Southeast Asia’s top ride-hailing firm thanks to its acquisition of Uber’s local business last year. Its biggest competitor gone, the company is on a push to go beyond transport and become an everyday ‘super app’ and that strategy just embraced video streaming today. That’s because Grab is integrating video-on-demand service HOOQ — a… Continue reading Southeast Asia’s Grab is adding Netflix-like video streaming to its ride-hailing app
Porsche Taycan owners will get three years free charging at hundreds of Electrify America stations
Owners of the upcoming Porsche Taycan will get three years of free charging at hundreds of Electrify America public stations that will blanket the U.S. in the coming months. And in many cases, that will include access to DC fast chargers that will allow the Taycan, which is designed to have an 800 volt battery that… Continue reading Porsche Taycan owners will get three years free charging at hundreds of Electrify America stations
Los Angeles is using ride-hailing startup Via to shuttle people to public transit
Los Angeles is partnering with on-demand shuttle-based service Via as part of a pilot program that will give people rides to three busy public transit stations. The pilot program, which launched Monday, aims to solve the first- and last-mile problem that makes it challenging for people to get to and from public transit stations. Under… Continue reading Los Angeles is using ride-hailing startup Via to shuttle people to public transit
BMW, Porsche, Jaguar Land Rover invest in roadside assistance startup Urgently
Urgently, the roadside assistance startup that connects car owners who need help with tow truck and other services, has raised $21 million in a Series B round that includes the venture arms of BMW, Porsche and Jaguar Land Rover. BMW has also signed Urgently as a vendor partner for its own roadside assistance platform (known… Continue reading BMW, Porsche, Jaguar Land Rover invest in roadside assistance startup Urgently
Go-Jek makes first close of $2 billion round at $9.5 billion valuation
Southeast Asia-based ride-sharing firm Go-Jek is making progress with its plan to raise up to $2 billion in fresh capital to fund its battle with close rival Grab. Indonesia-headquartered Go-Jek has closed an initial chunk of that round after a collection of existing investors, including Google, Tencent and JD.com, agreed to invest around $920 million towards… Continue reading Go-Jek makes first close of $2 billion round at $9.5 billion valuation