TuSimple co-founder Xiaodi Hou has refuted allegations from senior leadership that he was trying to poach staff for his new company. In a LinkedIn post, Hou said that he resigned from TuSimple’s board last week due to disagreements about CEO Cheng Lu’s compensation package, as well as the company’s shift from Level 4 autonomy to… Continue reading TuSimple co-founder blames exit on CEO pay and autonomy downgrade
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
Europe’s Bolt expands to Nepal with ride-hailing service
European startup Bolt is expanding to Nepal and launching its ride-hailing service in the country. The company’s previous market expansion was its launch in Thailand in 2020. On Wednesday, Bolt announced the pilot of its on-demand ride-hailing service in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu. The startup has kicked off the service with more than 400 local drivers.… Continue reading Europe’s Bolt expands to Nepal with ride-hailing service
California agency must provide Tesla with details of racial bias investigation
California’s Civil Rights Department (CRD) must provide Tesla with details of the investigation it conducted prior to filing a lawsuit against the company for racial discrimination, a judge has ruled. The CRD first sued Tesla in February last year after receiving several allegations that Tesla’s Fremont factory was a racially segregated workplace where Black workers… Continue reading California agency must provide Tesla with details of racial bias investigation
Cruise to begin testing Origin robotaxis in Austin in coming weeks
Cruise, the self-driving unit under GM, is rolling out its custom-built Origin robotaxi on Austin’s public streets in the next several weeks, CEO Kyle Vogt said while onstage at SXSW. The Origin vehicles won’t be accessible to the public — at least for a while. For now, Cruise will be testing the Origins on public… Continue reading Cruise to begin testing Origin robotaxis in Austin in coming weeks
Inside Lightship’s electric RV
Lightship finally showed off to the world — or at least those attending SXSW in Austin this week — a prototype of the L1, an all-electric RV designed to remove a barrier for owners of all-electric SUVs and trucks who want to haul a travel trailer on long road trips. The result, which earned the… Continue reading Inside Lightship’s electric RV
TuSimple co-founder resigns, accused of poaching staff for new venture
TuSimple’s co-founder, Xiaodi Hou, resigned from the company’s board of directors last week amid an internal investigation which sought to verify claims that Hou approached TuSimple employees about leaving the company to join his new venture, per an SEC filing. Sources familiar with the matter told TechCrunch a “whistleblower” informed upper management about Hou’s solicitations… Continue reading TuSimple co-founder resigns, accused of poaching staff for new venture
Indonesia’s Broom builds out automated asset-backed lending for used car dealers
The Indonesian used car market is on a course for growth fueled by a number of trends: the increasing digitization in used car sales; a larger variety of finance options; and the COVID-19 pandemic, which pushed the idea of private car ownership. Broom, an Indonesia-based auto-financing startup that wants to help used car dealers work more… Continue reading Indonesia’s Broom builds out automated asset-backed lending for used car dealers
California court upholds Prop 22 in win for Uber, Lyft, DoorDash
A California appeals court on Monday reversed a lower-court ruling that found Proposition 22, the ballot measure passed in November 2020 that classified Uber and Lyft drivers as independent contractors rather than employees, to be illegal. The decision by three appeals court judges, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, is a win for app-based… Continue reading California court upholds Prop 22 in win for Uber, Lyft, DoorDash
Volkswagen and PowerCo to build North American battery factory in Canada
Volkswagen Group and its battery company PowerCo have picked Canada for its first overseas battery cell factory. The plant, located in St. Thomas, Ontario, will produce battery cells beginning in 2027, according to the German automaker. PowerCo, a VW company that launched in July 2022, will handle the automaker’s global battery business, including sourcing raw… Continue reading Volkswagen and PowerCo to build North American battery factory in Canada
China’s robotaxi upstart WeRide confidentially files for IPO
WeRide.ai, one of the most funded Chinese robotaxi operators, has confidentially filed to go public in the U.S., Bloomberg reported on Monday. The company declined to comment when reached by TechCrunch. China’s autonomous driving startups have been racking up hefty investments in the past few years to fuel their technology development and fleet deployment, which… Continue reading China’s robotaxi upstart WeRide confidentially files for IPO