May Mobility is deploying autonomous vehicles differently than its peers. Rather than operate robotaxis for individual ride-hail, May has followed a “gentle on-ramp” approach to commercialization by offering on-demand shuttles and pooled rides within campuses and along uncomplicated routes. The startup announced Wednesday the launch of its first fully driverless commercial service in Peachtree Corners,… Continue reading May Mobility launches its first driverless commercial ride-hail service
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
Trump picks Apple exec to lead transportation safety agency
President Donald Trump has chosen Jonathan Morrison, an Apple executive, to head the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, per a Senate filing. The nomination will be reviewed and voted on by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation before being sent for a full Senate vote. If he’s sworn in, Morrison will oversee an… Continue reading Trump picks Apple exec to lead transportation safety agency
A woman in China sued Tesla after complaining of faulty brakes — now she’s paying Tesla $23K
As per an investigation by the Associated Press (AP), Tesla has won a defamation lawsuit against one individual called Zhang Yazhou, who in February 2021 was a passenger in a Tesla Model 3 car that allegedly crashed due to faulty brakes, resulting in a four-day hospital stay for both her parents. Following the accident, Zhang… Continue reading A woman in China sued Tesla after complaining of faulty brakes — now she’s paying Tesla $23K
BYD to offer Tesla-like driver assist, even on its cheapest models
Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD unveiled “God’s Eye,” an advanced driver assistance system that will be install on its entire model lineup, including its $9,600 Seagull hatchback. BYD founder Wang Chuanfu said at a live streamed event Monday that “we’re entering an era where autonomous driving is for everyone,” according to The Financial Times. God’s… Continue reading BYD to offer Tesla-like driver assist, even on its cheapest models
Archer Aviation doubles down on defense aircraft with $300M raise
Escalating geopolitical tensions and a new administration with a hawkish defense agenda has led many startups to embrace dual-use strategies to secure revenue through military applications. It’s a trend that is already heating up in aerospace. Take Archer Aviation, a California-based startup building eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles). Until very recently, Archer’s go-to-market… Continue reading Archer Aviation doubles down on defense aircraft with $300M raise
Rivian opens commercial van sales to all businesses
Rivian will sell its commercial electric vans to any U.S. business that wants one — more than a year since ending an exclusivity deal with backer Amazon. The company will sell two vans — the smaller 500 and the larger 700 — but buyers will have to be registered businesses, according to the company. That… Continue reading Rivian opens commercial van sales to all businesses
Revel nabs $60M in New York state funding to build more EV chargers
As President Donald Trump attempts to freeze funding for a $5 billion federal EV charging infrastructure program, some states are stepping up. EV charging infrastructure startup Revel secured on Monday a $60 million loan from New York’s clean energy investment fund NY Green Bank to more than triple its current public fast-charging network in New… Continue reading Revel nabs $60M in New York state funding to build more EV chargers
Lyft to launch Mobileye-powered robotaxis ‘as soon as 2026,’ starting with Dallas
Ride-hail giant Lyft plans to bring fully autonomous robotaxis, powered by Mobileye, to its app “as soon as 2026” in Dallas, with more markets to follow, TechCrunch has exclusively learned. The news comes a day before Lyft reports its fourth-quarter financial results, coinciding with Waymo’s preparations to launch a commercial robotaxi service with Uber in… Continue reading Lyft to launch Mobileye-powered robotaxis ‘as soon as 2026,’ starting with Dallas
Trump admin freezes EV charging program that gave Tesla millions
The Department of Transportation (DOT) has paused funding for a $5 billion EV charging infrastructure program that Tesla has received at least $31 million from. The move is widely viewed to be illegal. It’s the latest attempt from the Trump administration to hack away at federally funded renewable energy projects around the country, a clear… Continue reading Trump admin freezes EV charging program that gave Tesla millions
Tesla’s Dojo, a timeline
Elon Musk doesn’t want Tesla to be just an automaker. He wants Tesla to be an AI company, one that’s figured out how to make cars drive themselves. Crucial to that mission is Dojo, Tesla’s custom-built supercomputer designed to train its Full Self-Driving (FSD) neural networks. FSD isn’t actually fully self-driving; it can perform some… Continue reading Tesla’s Dojo, a timeline