Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! We knew this day was coming: Cruise is dead — at least as a robotaxi company. General Motors completed its acquisition of GM Cruise Holdings LLC; Cruise is… Continue reading Pour one out for Cruise and why autonomous vehicle test miles dropped 50%
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
Tracking the EV battery factory construction boom across North America
The onshoring of battery manufacturing for EVs started as a trickle during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then it turned into a tsunami. In 2019, just two battery factories were operating in the United States with another two under construction. Today there are about 34 battery factories either planned, under construction, or operational in the country. Former… Continue reading Tracking the EV battery factory construction boom across North America
Tesla Dojo: Elon Musk’s big plan to build an AI supercomputer, explained
For years, Elon Musk has talked about Dojo — the AI supercomputer that will be the cornerstone of Tesla’s AI ambitions. It’s important enough to Musk that in July 2024, he said the company’s AI team would “double down” on Dojo in the lead up to Tesla’s robotaxi reveal, which happened in October. But what… Continue reading Tesla Dojo: Elon Musk’s big plan to build an AI supercomputer, explained
Lyft’s new AI customer assistant is powered by Anthropic’s Claude
Ride-hail giant Lyft has partnered with AI startup Anthropic to build an AI assistant that handles initial intake for customer service inquiries for both riders and drivers. It’s the first phase of a broader collaboration between the two companies to use Anthropic’s services to research and test new Lyft products and build software internally. The… Continue reading Lyft’s new AI customer assistant is powered by Anthropic’s Claude
Scout Motors sued over plan to sell EVs direct to consumers
Scout Motors’ plan to eschew traditional dealerships and sell EVs directly to consumers is running into legal trouble. A group of Volkswagen and Audi dealers filed a lawsuit in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court in Miami-Dade County this week against Scout Motors, the EV that spun out of Volkswagen. The lawsuit, which was first reported… Continue reading Scout Motors sued over plan to sell EVs direct to consumers
AI’s biggest stage awaits – TechCrunch Sessions: AI tickets available
AI is heating up, and we’re diving in! TechCrunch Sessions: AI is officially open for registration. Secure your spot now and save up to $300 on select tickets before prices rise From startup founders to AI investors to aspiring innovators — TC Sessions: AI is where the entire AI ecosystem comes together. Whether you’re building,… Continue reading AI’s biggest stage awaits – TechCrunch Sessions: AI tickets available
Waymo just popped up on the Uber app in Austin ahead of robotaxi launch
Uber customers in Austin may notice a new offer when they open the app and hail a ride: an invitation to signal their interest in a Waymo robotaxi. For now, this doesn’t translate into a Waymo picking them up. But it will soon. The “interest list,” which launched Wednesday, is part of a partnership between… Continue reading Waymo just popped up on the Uber app in Austin ahead of robotaxi launch
E-fuels startup will make diamonds before powering jet planes
September 11 left a lasting impression on Stephen Beaton, and like many others of his generation, he joined the military. But at the U.S. Air Force academy, his journey took a bit of a turn. There, his chemistry studies deepened his interest in liquid fuels. “As a product of September 11, seeing the spike in… Continue reading E-fuels startup will make diamonds before powering jet planes
Cruise to slash workforce by nearly 50% after GM cuts funding to robotaxi operations
Autonomous vehicle company Cruise is laying off “nearly” 50% of its workforce — cuts that extend to the CEO and several other top executives — as it prepares to shut down operations. What remains of Cruise will move under parent company General Motors as the automaker directs its resources towards improving its hands-free driver assistance… Continue reading Cruise to slash workforce by nearly 50% after GM cuts funding to robotaxi operations
Waabi and Volvo team up to build self-driving trucks at scale
Self-driving truck startup Waabi is partnering with Volvo Autonomous Solutions to jointly develop and deploy autonomous trucks, an important milestone as it gets closer to a commercial launch. The tie up also marks Volvo’s second partnership to co-develop self-driving big rigs with a startup partner. In May 2024, Volvo teamed up with Aurora Innovation to… Continue reading Waabi and Volvo team up to build self-driving trucks at scale