All eyes might be on the California robotaxi market, but Texas is the one shaping up to be the next hot testbed of the technology — and regulatory fights that could follow. The Lone Star State has been home to autonomous vehicle testing, particularly with trucks, for years now. However, Texas, a state with negligible… Continue reading The Wild West of robotaxis: Will Texas be a regulatory haven or chaos unleashed?
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
Uber takes steps to combat unfair driver deactivations
Uber is introducing new features geared toward addressing the issues of unfair deactivations that ride-hail and delivery drivers often face. Starting Monday across the U.S., Uber will roll out a technology that identifies riders or Uber Eats customers who consistently give bad ratings or feedback with the intent of getting a refund. Allegations by those… Continue reading Uber takes steps to combat unfair driver deactivations
Lyft picks comfort over sharing in bid to compete with Uber
Lyft is introducing a “more affordable sort of higher-end ride” in an attempt to offer ride-hail products that customers actually want, CEO David Risher said Wednesday during the company’s third-quarter earnings call. The move comes after Lyft has been successful, by some metrics, in regaining market share from Uber by slashing its ride-hail fares. In… Continue reading Lyft picks comfort over sharing in bid to compete with Uber
Lyft’s price war with Uber yields mixed results
Lyft’s strategy of slashing ride-hail fares to compete with Uber has resulted in slow and steady gains for the company, but competition remains fierce. According to Lyft’s third-quarter earnings, reported Wednesday, Lyft’s active ridership numbers have increased sequentially quarter-over-quarter this year. In the three months ending September 30, Lyft recorded 22.4 million active riders, up… Continue reading Lyft’s price war with Uber yields mixed results
May Mobility rides the AV wave while Cruise and Waymo feel the heat
May Mobility has raised hundreds of millions from some of the biggest names in the auto industry, but if you haven’t heard of the autonomous vehicle startup yet, that’s apparently by design. The Toyota- and BMW-backed company builds autonomous vehicle systems like Cruise and Waymo. Yet, it’s dodging the fire those companies are under by… Continue reading May Mobility rides the AV wave while Cruise and Waymo feel the heat
Uber’s Q3 numbers include impressive profitability gains, slower-than-expected growth
Uber reported third-quarter earnings on Tuesday that show a profitable ride-hail and delivery company that’s chugging along in spite of slowing growth in some sectors. The company reported revenue of $9.3 billion, an 11% increase year over year. Investors had expected Uber to report revenues of around $9.5 billion (FactSet, Refinitiv), meaning that despite the… Continue reading Uber’s Q3 numbers include impressive profitability gains, slower-than-expected growth
Uber and Lyft pay $328M to settle wage-theft complaints in New York
Uber and Lyft have agreed to pay drivers in New York a combined $328 million to settle wage-theft complaints. The settlement is the result of state attorney general Letitia James’ investigation into whether the companies collected certain fees and taxes from drivers rather than passengers. The investigation also looked into whether companies failed to provide… Continue reading Uber and Lyft pay $328M to settle wage-theft complaints in New York
‘Stop the AV disaster’: Teamsters and rideshare drivers join forces
Two of the biggest groups to oppose robotaxi expansion in California are now formally working together. Teamsters 856, which is tied to one of the longest-standing labor unions in the U.S., and Rideshare Drivers United (RDU), a group that advocates for app-based workers, said on Friday that they’ll work together to push for “responsible guardrails… Continue reading ‘Stop the AV disaster’: Teamsters and rideshare drivers join forces
Waymo driverless vehicles are now available through Uber, starting first in Phoenix
Phoenix-area Uber users can now hail a Waymo driverless vehicle. The two companies today announced the launch of the joint service, which we first reported in May 2023. To use the service, Uber users will need to hail a UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort or Uber Comfort Electric, and, if available, confirm the Waymo vehicle… Continue reading Waymo driverless vehicles are now available through Uber, starting first in Phoenix
Xpeng starts removing HD maps from Tesla FSD-like feature in China
Xpeng is often called the Chinese challenger to Tesla for its efforts to bring advanced driving capabilities to its electric vehicles. It’s now getting a step closer to its American counterpart as it gets rid of high-definition mapping in its XNGP assisted driving feature, its equivalent to Tesla FSD. Tesla FSD famously does not rely… Continue reading Xpeng starts removing HD maps from Tesla FSD-like feature in China