Geely-backed Chinese Ride-Sharing Firm Caocao Zhuanche Raises $156M Series A Round At $1.6B Valuation

Caocao Zhuanche, an electric vehicle sharing company backed by Chinese automaker Geely, has completed a RMB1 billion (US$156 million) series A round from various investors, at a valuation of over RMB10 billion (US$1.6 billion), according to its official Weibo account. The identity of investors in the round was not disclosed. Launched in 2015, Hangzhou-based Caocao… Continue reading Geely-backed Chinese Ride-Sharing Firm Caocao Zhuanche Raises $156M Series A Round At $1.6B Valuation

INFINITI Q Inspiration named ‘Best Concept Vehicle’ and awarded ‘Best Designed Interior’ at 2018 NAIAS by EyesOn Design

The Q Inspiration Concept explores a new design language and new proportions for INFINITI DETROIT – The INFINITI Q Inspiration Concept today was named “Best Concept Vehicle” and also awarded “Best Designed Interior” by EyesOn Design at the 2018 North American International Auto Show. The Q Inspiration concept, a preview of INFINITI’s future form language… Continue reading INFINITI Q Inspiration named ‘Best Concept Vehicle’ and awarded ‘Best Designed Interior’ at 2018 NAIAS by EyesOn Design

Bosch technology enables redundancy needed for automated driving

DETROIT – Without redundancy, there is no automated driving. The promise of automated driving requires a mix of technological, societal and regulatory development and cooperation. The technology continues to advance thanks to sensors and software, but also thanks to redundancy. In order to realize fully-automated driving on the path to the accident-free future, redundancy in… Continue reading Bosch technology enables redundancy needed for automated driving

Ford Details Plans to Improve Fitness, Refocus Model Lineup and Accelerate Introduction of Smart Vehicles and Services

Operational fitness, portfolio rationalization and increased investments in electrification, autonomy and mobility at core of company strategy Company increases planned investments in electrification to $11 billion by 2022 Expanded electrified portfolio to include 40 electrified vehicles globally, including 16 full battery electric vehicles by 2022 Announces preliminary results for full-year 2017 of $1.95 earnings-per-share (EPS)… Continue reading Ford Details Plans to Improve Fitness, Refocus Model Lineup and Accelerate Introduction of Smart Vehicles and Services

BMW and Mercedes-Benz will also try out subscription plans for new cars

Not to be left out by rivals, BMW and Mercedes-Benz appear to be joining the world of automotive subscription models that cover all of the fees required with car ownership or leasing under one payment. Both BMW and Mercedes are expected to announce pilot programs for a subscription service that covers not only car payments,… Continue reading BMW and Mercedes-Benz will also try out subscription plans for new cars

Car Bosses Give Lukewarm Endorsements to Their Own Electric Lineups

Global automakers, rarely shy about marketing themselves with glitz and confidence, are noticeably more sober about how customers may react to their own upcoming electric vehicle lineups. Big-truck king Ford Motor Co., for example, said at this week’s Detroit auto show that it’s more than doubling electric-car spending to $11 billion — and in the… Continue reading Car Bosses Give Lukewarm Endorsements to Their Own Electric Lineups

Peugeot confident of SUV and EV push after strong sales results

Peugeot CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato believes his company is well placed to capitalise on the electric and SUV “revolutions” following a year of strong global growth. Speaking exclusively to Autocar, Imparato said that the brand’s 600,000 SUV sales in 2017, which represented 60% growth on the year before, was an example of its improving image and… Continue reading Peugeot confident of SUV and EV push after strong sales results

China’s Chery will use Nvidia-powered ZF ProAI for Level 3 autonomous cars

Chinese automaker Chery will be building cars with Level 3 autonomous features powered by supplier ZF’s ProAI platform, which itself uses Nvidia GPUs for its driving intelligence. The partnership was announced at the North American International Auto Show today in Detroit, and follows announcements from CES where Nvidia announced further collaboration with ZF and with… Continue reading China’s Chery will use Nvidia-powered ZF ProAI for Level 3 autonomous cars

Lyft opens up Concierge, its ride-booking service for businesses, to all

Lyft today announced it’s expanding its Concierge program – the service that allows organizations to schedule rides for other people – to more business customers. First announced in 2016, the service was originally designed to help patients get to medical appointments, particularly in areas where they may not have a car of their own, like… Continue reading Lyft opens up Concierge, its ride-booking service for businesses, to all

Ferrari Has Plans to Make an Electric Supercar

Ferrari NV will make a battery-powered supercar to challenge Tesla Inc. at the high end of the electric-auto market, Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne said. The race-car maker, spun off from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, has been expanding its lineup to lift sales without losing the exclusivity of a brand associated with Italian design and… Continue reading Ferrari Has Plans to Make an Electric Supercar