Apple hires Tesla’s former Autopilot software director

Apple hasn’t been all that vocal about its electric car project, but according to Bloomberg, the iPhone maker is hiring Tesla’s Autopilot software engineer to work on its EVs. Sources close to the matter told Bloomberg that Apple scooped up Christopher “CJ” Moore to work on its self-driving software. He’ll report to Stuart Bowers, another… Continue reading Apple hires Tesla’s former Autopilot software director

VW CEO explains why it needs to be more like Tesla: Giga Berlin will produce 90 cars/hour on 1 line

In a new note to his management team, as he is being challenged by his own workforce, VW CEO Herbert Diess explained why the German automaker needs to be more like Tesla. Surprisingly, a lot of it has to do with manufacturing – something that Elon Musk said would become Tesla’s main advantage. As we… Continue reading VW CEO explains why it needs to be more like Tesla: Giga Berlin will produce 90 cars/hour on 1 line

Some new BMWs won’t have touchscreens thanks to chip shortage

BMW is dropping touchscreens from many of its new cars due to the chip shortage, according to a forum post on BimmerFest and later confirmed by the car company to Edmunds and AutoBlog. While we’ve seen other auto manufactures have to pause production or cut other features, this omission is a big deal — nowadays,… Continue reading Some new BMWs won’t have touchscreens thanks to chip shortage

Cruise lays out its plan for ‘how’ it will make robotaxis a reality

The string of engineers who spoke Thursday night during a deep dive into Cruise’s autonomous vehicle technology never mentioned Tesla’s name. They didn’t have to, although the message was clear enough. GM’s self-driving subsidiary Cruise presented a technical and deployment roadmap — at a granular level — that aimed to show how it has built… Continue reading Cruise lays out its plan for ‘how’ it will make robotaxis a reality

Lime raises $523M as it prepares to go public

Shared electric micromobility giant Lime has closed a $523 million raise in convertible debt and term loan financing, money that Lime CEO Wayne Ting says is the next step on the company’s path to going public next year. Lime will use the capital to invest in its decarbonization efforts, refresh a significant portion of its… Continue reading Lime raises $523M as it prepares to go public

EV startup Workhorse faces Department of Justice probe

The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into struggling electric vehicle startup Workhorse, according to The Wall Street Journal. The probe is reportedly being led by the US Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York, which often investigates financial crimes. Workhorse is already part of an investigation from the Securities and Exchange… Continue reading EV startup Workhorse faces Department of Justice probe

Tesla confirms acquisition of battery startup in new patent

Tesla confirmed that it quietly acquired Colorado-based battery startup SiILion, Inc., in a new patent for a silicon-based battery anode. Over the last few years, Tesla has been rumored to have acquired SiILion, Inc., a battery technology startup based out of Colorado. The rumors started after a few of the startup’s employees were hired by… Continue reading Tesla confirms acquisition of battery startup in new patent

Vietnam’s VinFast to make over $200m capital investment in California

Vietnamese automaker VinFast said on Friday it will make over $200 million in capital investments and place its U.S. headquarter in California as part of its plan to expand operation in North America. VinFast, the automobile arm of Vietnam’s largest conglomerate Vingroup, became the country’s first fully fledged domestic car manufacturer when its gasoline-powered models… Continue reading Vietnam’s VinFast to make over $200m capital investment in California

Autonomous driving startup Momenta raises another $500M

In the wake of a $300 million investment from General Motors in September, Momenta, an autonomous driving solution provider from China, announced today an additional $500 million added to its Series C round. The new injection brings the total of the startup’s Series C to over $1 billion. Momenta adapts what it calls a two-legged… Continue reading Autonomous driving startup Momenta raises another $500M

A former Rivian executive sues the automaker for gender discrimination

Electric transport startup Rivian has been sued by one of its former employees. Per The Wall Street Journal, Laura Schwab, an executive who was a vice president of sales and marketing at the automaker until last month, filed a gender discrimination complaint with the California Superior Court in Orange County on Thursday. In the lawsuit,… Continue reading A former Rivian executive sues the automaker for gender discrimination