Kevin Guo Contributor Kevin Guo is the CEO and co-founder of Hive. For most Americans, the thought of cars autonomously navigating our streets still feels like a science fiction story. Despite the billions of dollars invested into the industry in recent years, no self-driving car company has proven that its technology is capable of producing mass-market autonomous vehicles… Continue reading Driven to safety — it’s time to pool our data
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
Berlin-based Wind Mobility raises $22M for its e-scooter rental service
Wind Mobility, a Berlin-based mobility startup that offers “dockless” e-scooter (and electric bicycle) rentals, has raised $22 million in seed funding, throwing its hat into the ring as European competitor to Bird and Lime. It follows recent raises by Sweden’s VOI ($50 million Series A led by Balderton) and Germany’s Tier (€25 million Series A… Continue reading Berlin-based Wind Mobility raises $22M for its e-scooter rental service
FedEx is adding 1,000 Chanje vans to electrify its fleet
FedEx is turning to a relatively new and unknown startup as it ramps up its efforts to electrify its fleet of delivery vans. The company announced Tuesday plans to add 1,000 electric delivery vehicles from Chanje Energy, a California-based and China-backed startup founded in 2015. FedEx is purchasing 100 of the vehicles from Chanje Energy. It will lease… Continue reading FedEx is adding 1,000 Chanje vans to electrify its fleet
Lidar startup AEye raises $40M Series B led by the Taiwanese government’s investment firm
Lidar technology developer AEye will scale its operations globally through manufacturing partnerships after raising a $40 million Series B. The round was led by Taiwania Capital, the investment firm created and backed by Taiwan’s National Development Council, and included returning investors Kleiner Perkins, Intel Capital, Airbus Ventures, and Tychee Partners. This brings the California-based startup’s… Continue reading Lidar startup AEye raises $40M Series B led by the Taiwanese government’s investment firm
Lightfoot gets $4M to nudge more drivers to go smooth with a ‘Fitbit for cars’
UK car tech startup lightfoot, which sells a telematics system that gives real-time feedback to drivers combined with a rewards platform to further incentivize good driving, has picked up £3.2 million (~$4M) from London-based early-stage venture fund BGF. Former Dyson CEO, Martin McCourt, also contributed to the investment, and will join lightfoot’s board as a non-executive… Continue reading Lightfoot gets $4M to nudge more drivers to go smooth with a ‘Fitbit for cars’
Tesla acquires trucking companies to squeeze in more deliveries before Dec. 31
Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted Thursday that the electric automaker had “acquired trucking capacity,” a move aimed to boost deliveries of its Model 3 vehicles before the federal tax credit begins to wind down December 31. Musk at first didn’t explain what “acquired trucking capacity” meant. The company hasn’t posted any regulatory filings of an… Continue reading Tesla acquires trucking companies to squeeze in more deliveries before Dec. 31
Lyft launches default tipping, rating protections and more to keep drivers happy
Until autonomous vehicles are here, ride-hailing companies like Lyft and Uber have to attract and retain human drivers if they hope to sustain their businesses. Lyft announced Thursday a half dozen new driver-friendly features, from default tipping and in-trip tipping to ways to protect their ratings and an events planner. Lyft also committed to rolling… Continue reading Lyft launches default tipping, rating protections and more to keep drivers happy
Apex.ai raises $15.5 million for autonomous vehicle software
Apex.ai is emerging out of stealth today with quite the claim — an operating system for autonomous vehicles that will never fail Founded by long-time automated systems engineers Jan Becker and Dejan Pangercic, Apex.ai develops operating systems for various types of autonomous mobility platforms. Today, Apex.ai is also announcing a $15.5 million Series A round led… Continue reading Apex.ai raises $15.5 million for autonomous vehicle software
Locked in a Tesla patent suit, Nikola nabs $210M at $1.1B valuation for hydrogen trucks
Nikola, the hydrogen trucking startup currently suing Tesla for patent infringement (those are the actual names, sorry spirit of real Nikola Tesla), today announced that it has raised $210 million in its Series C round of funding. The company had previously announced in August that it had raised $100 million of the round; now it has… Continue reading Locked in a Tesla patent suit, Nikola nabs $210M at $1.1B valuation for hydrogen trucks
GM is going to allow Ford vehicles and other competitors on its Maven car-sharing platform
GM’s car-sharing subsidiary Maven is undergoing another expansion. This time, it’s not just to a new city. Maven plans to open up its new peer-to-peer car rental service to allow owners to rent out non-GM vehicles. It is also setting its sights on bigger changes in the future, according to Julia Steyn, vice president of GM Urban… Continue reading GM is going to allow Ford vehicles and other competitors on its Maven car-sharing platform