Category: Automotive

Elon Musk calls it ‘financially insane’ to buy a car that isn’t an EV capable of full self-driving

During the Tesla Annual Shareholders Meeting that took place on Tuesday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk didn’t mince words when he talked about what he thinks of the value proposition of traditional fossil fuel vehicles. He called it “financially insane” to buy any car that isn’t an electric car capable of full autonomy – which, conveniently,… Continue reading Elon Musk calls it ‘financially insane’ to buy a car that isn’t an EV capable of full self-driving

Sense Photonics flashes onto the lidar scene with a new approach and $26M

Lidar is a critical part of many autonomous cars and robotic systems, but the technology is also evolving quickly. A new company called Sense Photonics just emerged from stealth mode today with a $26M A round, touting a whole new approach that allows for an ultra-wide field of view and (literally) flexible installation. Still in… Continue reading Sense Photonics flashes onto the lidar scene with a new approach and $26M

Tesla has a ‘decent shot’ at a record quarter on every level: Musk

FILE PHOTO: SpaceX founder Elon Musk speaks at a post-launch news conference after the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Crew Dragon spacecraft, lifted off on an uncrewed test flight to the International Space Station from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., March 2, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Blake (Reuters) – Tesla Inc has… Continue reading Tesla has a ‘decent shot’ at a record quarter on every level: Musk

Mazda Toyota’s Nod to Huntsville’s History

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UPDATE 1-End of the road for Volkswagen’s self-driving Aurora deal

FILE PHOTO: The logo of German carmaker Volkswagen is seen at the Volkswagen (VW) automobile manufacturing plant in Puebla near Mexico City September 23, 2015. REUTERS/Imelda Medina BERLIN (Reuters) – Volkswagen has ended its partnership with self-driving car software firm Aurora, two days after the Silicon Valley start-up said it would build autonomous platforms for… Continue reading UPDATE 1-End of the road for Volkswagen’s self-driving Aurora deal

Amazon to shut restaurant delivery service in U.S

FILE PHOTO: The logo of Amazon is seen at the company logistics centre in Boves, France, May 13, 2019. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol/File Photo (Reuters) – Amazon.com Inc said on Tuesday it would end its U.S. restaurant food delivery service on June 24, giving in to intense competition from GrubHub Inc, DoorDash, Uber Technologies’ Uber Eats services.… Continue reading Amazon to shut restaurant delivery service in U.S

Tesla Model 3 / Hyundai Kona Electric Help Canada Achieve 100K EVs

Bring on the new, compelling EVs and let’s watch adoption rise exponentially. According to a recent report by Electric Mobility Canada (EMC), some 8,000 EVs hit the country’s roads in the first quarter of 2019. EMC is “dedicated to the promotion of electric mobility as a solution to Canada’s emerging energy and environmental issues.” Related EV… Continue reading Tesla Model 3 / Hyundai Kona Electric Help Canada Achieve 100K EVs

Volkswagen concludes partnership with self-driving start-up Aurora, in talks with Ford

Julian Stratenschulte | picture alliance | Getty ImagesVolkswagen has ended its relationship with Amazon-backed self-driving start-up Aurora, and is now considering partnerships with Ford and competitor Argo AI, CNBC has confirmed.
Three people familiar with the matter first told the Financial Times that after a trial run that lasted a few months, the German automaker declined to renew the 2018 contract with Aurora. A new deal with Ford, however, could be reached by summer, according to the FT.
“The activities under our partnership have been concluded,” a Volkswagen spokesperson told CNBC.
Volkswagen previously sought to acquire Aurora following General Motor's acquisition of Cruise and Ford's $1 billion commitment to Argo AI.
Aurora on Monday announced a partnership with Fiat Chrysler to develop self-driving vehicles for corporate clients. The start-up also raised more than $530 million in an Amazon-led funding round in February, valuing the company at more than $2.5 billion.
Ford did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.
Aurora will continue to use the VW e-Golf in development of its driverless vehicle systems, the company confirmed. Aurora also characterized the end of the partnership as amicable, and said there was potential to work together again down the line.
“Volkswagen Group has been a wonderful partner to Aurora since the early days of development of the Aurora Driver. As the Driver matures and our platform grows in strength, we continue to work with a growing array of partners who complement our expertise and expand the reach of our product,” an Aurora spokesperson told CNBC.
Volkswagen and Ford announced plans in January to partner up on the development of light commercial vehicles, and said they were considering other projects. Volkswagen has also committed over $50 billion to develop more than 50 pure battery-electric vehicles by 2025, to be sold through brands like Porsche and Audi.