WeRide, a Chinese autonomous vehicle startup, said on Friday it has become the first autonomous company to start fully driverless vehicle testing in China, as the world’s biggest auto market accelerates the development of autonomous technologies. Three-year-old WeRide, backed by Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi, said in a statement that it started tests on Wednesday on… Continue reading Chinese autonomous vehicle company WeRide starts driverless testing
Tag: Waymo/Google
Amazon plans at least $100m to retain Zoox talent after $1.3b deal
Amazon.com Inc plans to create at least $100 million in stock awards to retain the 900-plus employees of Zoox, the self-driving car startup it offered to buy last month, and can walk away from the deal if large numbers of them turn down job offers from the technology giant. Amazon, which is aggressively expanding into self-driving technology, announced June 26 it had agreed to… Continue reading Amazon plans at least $100m to retain Zoox talent after $1.3b deal
China’s autonomous vehicle company WeRide starts driverless testing
BEIJING (Reuters) – WeRide, a Chinese autonomous vehicle startup, said on Friday it has become the first autonomous company to start fully driverless vehicle testing in China, as the world’s biggest auto market accelerates development of autonomous technologies. Three-year-old WeRide, backed by Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi, said in a statement that it started tests on… Continue reading China’s autonomous vehicle company WeRide starts driverless testing
Elon Musk Brags That Tesla Is “Very Close” to Full, Level 5 Self Driving
For years, we’ve been promised a near future in which cars drive themselves as well as a human motorist — while their occupants scroll through Twitter or browse Netflix in a cozy cabin with comfy seats. That dream, formally known as Level 5 autonomy, is probably still many years out — but Tesla CEO Elon Musk… Continue reading Elon Musk Brags That Tesla Is “Very Close” to Full, Level 5 Self Driving
@FaradayFuture: The 405 Highway Mode
In Tesla’s first Autonomy Day, one analyst from Los Angeles asked Elon Musk how the new Full Self-Driving Computer (FSD) would handle the infamous Los Angeles traffic. Mr. Musk, with his usual Jack Sparrow swagger, told him that he would be happy to consider including a “Los Angeles” mode in his future software update. Well, it… Continue reading @FaradayFuture: The 405 Highway Mode
Velodyne becomes latest tech company to go public using a SPAC, eschewing the traditional IPO path
Velodyne Lidar, the leading supplier of a sensor widely considered critical to the commercial deployment of autonomous vehicles, said Thursday it has struck a deal to merge with special-purpose acquisition company Graf Industrial Corp., with a market value of $1.8 billion. The company said it was able to raise $150 million in private investment in… Continue reading Velodyne becomes latest tech company to go public using a SPAC, eschewing the traditional IPO path
Daimler-backed Momenta says its robotaxis will be fully driverless and profitable in 2024
In China and the U.S., there’s much debate about when and how humans will achieve fully autonomous robotaxis at scale — cars that chauffeur passengers under complex road conditions without safety drivers behind the wheel. Many pieces are needed to make this happen: mammoth amounts of test data, advanced algorithms, strong operational teams, big checks… Continue reading Daimler-backed Momenta says its robotaxis will be fully driverless and profitable in 2024
Amazon Shakes Up the Race for Self-Driving—and Ride-Hailing
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says his company wants to be the “Amazon for transportation.” Friday, Amazon made clear that it intends to be the Amazon for transportation. The ecommerce giant said it had agreed to acquire Bay Area–based autonomous vehicle company Zoox, a deal reportedly worth more than $1 billion. (Amazon did not respond to… Continue reading Amazon Shakes Up the Race for Self-Driving—and Ride-Hailing
TuSimple seeking $250 million in new funding to scale self-driving trucks
TuSimple, the self-driving truck startup backed by Sina, Nvidia, UPS and Tier 1 supplier Mando Corporation, is headed back into the marketplace in search of new capital from investors. The company has hired investment bank Morgan Stanley to help it raise $250 million, according to multiple sources familiar with the effort. Morgan Stanley has sent… Continue reading TuSimple seeking $250 million in new funding to scale self-driving trucks
All the tech in Ford’s most important vehicle: the 2021 F-150 truck
Ford rolled out all the stops Thursday evening for the reveal of its all-new F-150 truck, right down to the splashy videos dominated by electric guitar riffs. Heck, the automaker even cast the sharp-tongued Denis Leary as its MC. Of course, none of that really matters. It’s all about what Ford has done to improve… Continue reading All the tech in Ford’s most important vehicle: the 2021 F-150 truck