Apple hires ex-Waymo engineer for self-driving project

David Gray / Reuters Apple may not be as loud about its plans to create a self-driving car as Google or Uber, but the company is still in the game. According to The Information, Apple has just hired Jamie Waydo, a prominent engineer from Waymo’s autonomous vehicle unit. Apple’s project, currently code-named Titan, could likely… Continue reading Apple hires ex-Waymo engineer for self-driving project

How GM trains human drivers to monitor its autonomous cars

Cruise Automation, a self-driving unit of General Motors, is revealing new details about its training program for its human test drivers. Drivers undergo a month-long training session as well as in-car audits, incident response drills, and exams. Moreover, testers who sit in the driver’s seat are instructed to keep their hands on the steering wheel… Continue reading How GM trains human drivers to monitor its autonomous cars

rideOS raises $9 million in Series A funding led by Sequoia and announces partnership with Autonomic

rideOS announced it has raised $9 million in Series A funding. Sequoia Capital led the round with participation from Graph Ventures and SV Angel, and Sequoia Partner Mike Vernal has joined rideOS’s board of directors. In tandem, the company has announced its partnership with Ford-owned Autonomic, to address key challenges in the area of self-driving… Continue reading rideOS raises $9 million in Series A funding led by Sequoia and announces partnership with Autonomic

China’s Didi Chuxing continues its international expansion with Australia launch

Didi Chuxing, China’s dominant ride-hailing company, is continuing its international expansion after it announced plans to launch in Australia this month. The company — which bought Uber’s China business in 2016 — said it will begin serving customers in Melbourne from June 25 following a month-long trial period in Geelong, a neighboring city that’s 75km… Continue reading China’s Didi Chuxing continues its international expansion with Australia launch

Elon Musk’s Boring Company Wins Chicago High-Speed Transit Contract

Illustration: Boring Company Advertisement Editor’s Picks On Thursday, the Chicago Infrastructure Trust, on behalf of the City of Chicago, announced that it was awarding Elon Musk’s Boring Company a contract to build a rapid-transit link between O’Hare Airport and downtown. The trip currently takes about 40 minutes on public transportation; the Boring Company aims to… Continue reading Elon Musk’s Boring Company Wins Chicago High-Speed Transit Contract

Toyota pumps $1 billion in Grab in auto industry’s biggest ride-hailing bet

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp has agreed to buy a $1 billion stake in Southeast Asia’s Grab in the biggest investment by a carmaker into a ride-hailing firm, at a time when traditional automakers are racing to team up with disruptive tech companies. FILE PHOTO: A logo of Toyota Motor Corp is seen at… Continue reading Toyota pumps $1 billion in Grab in auto industry’s biggest ride-hailing bet

Why Self-Driving Car Companies Are Eyeing This Remote Driving Startup

Six months ago, remote driving startup Phantom Auto was just a fleck in a crowded sea of companies vying for visibility—and customers—in the nascent autonomous vehicle industry. Today, it’s on the verge of landing deals with automakers, tech companies, and ride-hailing services all racing to deploy autonomous vehicles for public use. Phantom Auto, fresh from… Continue reading Why Self-Driving Car Companies Are Eyeing This Remote Driving Startup

Scooter startup Bird is reportedly about to hit a $2B valuation

More financing is coming in for Bird, this time potentially valuing the company at $2 billion, according to a new report by Axios. There’s not a ton to add here compared to the last round (which happened just weeks ago), as the same dynamics are probably in play here. While Uber was a bet on… Continue reading Scooter startup Bird is reportedly about to hit a $2B valuation

Uber is looking to buy the bike-share company behind Citi Bike and Ford GoBike

Uber is reportedly looking into buying Motivate, the company that makes Ford GoBike’s in the San Francisco Bay Area and Citi Bike over on the East Coast. This comes following reports of Lyft getting close to purchasing Motivate in a $250 million deal. Uber bought bike-share startup JUMP, a dockless, electric bike-share service, earlier this… Continue reading Uber is looking to buy the bike-share company behind Citi Bike and Ford GoBike

Dara Khosrowshahi now relies on bicycles: Uber boss explains why his company has failed in Germany

All articles and backgrounds 06/06/2018 Dara Khosrowshahi now relies on bicycles Uber boss explains why his company has failed in Germany REUTERS Uber boss Dara Khosrowshahi Uber makes it one size smaller in Germany in the future: The aggressive car broker wants to bring his freshly bought electric bikes soon in Berlin on the streets.… Continue reading Dara Khosrowshahi now relies on bicycles: Uber boss explains why his company has failed in Germany