Welcome back to the TechCrunch Podcast. This week Amanda Silberling is here to talk about how Dungeons and Dragons creators are fighting to keep their livelihoods and Rebecca Bellan comes on to talk about how a tweet has gotten Elon Musk into legal trouble…again. And as always, we break down the biggest stories in tech.… Continue reading Court to decide if Elon Musk is careless or criminal and other TC news
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
GM, please build the baby EV pickup of my dreams
In an industry obsessed with making everything huge (at least here in the U.S.), you may not’ve expected GM to show interest in an electric baby pickup, but here we are. GM is considering a pickup design that’s “smaller than the Ford Maverick and the Hyundai Santa Cruz,” with a “low roofline” and a 4… Continue reading GM, please build the baby EV pickup of my dreams
Musk oversaw misleading 2016 video saying Tesla drove itself
Musk published a blog post on Tesla’s website on October 19, the day before the video went up, that said all Tesla cars from that day forward would ship with the hardware necessary for full self-driving capability. His emails to staff that month discussed the importance of a demonstration drive to promote the system. Musk’s… Continue reading Musk oversaw misleading 2016 video saying Tesla drove itself
In race to electrify, Uber wants EVs that sacrifice top speeds, wheels
The clock is ticking for Uber to electrify its fleet, and the rideshare company wants automakers to help by designing cheaper electric vehicles for its drivers. Lawmakers are setting deadlines for rideshare companies to ditch fossil fuels (California‘s Air Resources Board among them), and Uber has its own electrification deadlines, which range from 2025 to… Continue reading In race to electrify, Uber wants EVs that sacrifice top speeds, wheels
Outrider raises $73M to brings its autonomous electric yard trucks into the mainstream
Autonomous vehicle technology may no longer be the fuel powering the hype machine. But companies applying the technology to agriculture, commercial and logistics applications are still attracting venture capital. Take Outrider, a Golden, Colorado startup developing autonomous electric yard trucks, for example. Distribution yards are the nerve center of the supply chain. Its where all… Continue reading Outrider raises $73M to brings its autonomous electric yard trucks into the mainstream
Musk stands to lose billions in trial over ‘funding secured’ tweet
The question of whether Tesla CEO Elon Musk is a fraud or is just too careless with his words took center stage in a San Francisco court room Wednesday. Under the microscope was Musk’s notorious 2018 tweet that stated funding was “secured” to take Tesla private at a potential value of $420 per share. In a… Continue reading Musk stands to lose billions in trial over ‘funding secured’ tweet
Lidar companies face a ‘make it or break it’ year
That nagging deja vu feeling kept creeping in earlier this month during CES 2023 in Las Vegas. At every turn, in the newly constructed West Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and even amid the crowded startup grinder at Eureka Park, was a company pitching lidar sensor technology. That might not have been so… Continue reading Lidar companies face a ‘make it or break it’ year
Shell snaps up EV charging operator Volta for $169 million
A U.S.-based subsidiary of oil company Shell is buying EV charging network operator Volta in an all-cash transaction valued at $169 million. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Shell USA Inc. will acquire all outstanding shares of Class A common stock of Volta at $0.86 per share in cash upon completion of the merger.… Continue reading Shell snaps up EV charging operator Volta for $169 million
Self-driving truck startup Waabi brings on Volvo VC as strategic investor
Autonomous trucking startup Waabi has bagged Volvo Group Venture Capital AB, the automaker’s VC arm, as a strategic investor. The companies aren’t disclosing the amount invested, nor many other details about the deal, but having Volvo on board will both provide Waabi access to Volvo’s extensive industry network and help the startup explore opportunities for… Continue reading Self-driving truck startup Waabi brings on Volvo VC as strategic investor
Uber, Bolt drivers hope for increased earnings foiled as Tanzania reinstates 25% commission
Barely a year after Tanzania capped the commissions that e-hailing firms like Uber and Bolt charge their partners at 15%, the authority in charge has backtracked on the order, taking away drivers’ prospects of increased earnings. The fee was increased to 25% effective last Sunday after the Land and Transport Regulatory Authority (Latra) issued a… Continue reading Uber, Bolt drivers hope for increased earnings foiled as Tanzania reinstates 25% commission