Lyft pulls e-bikes in light of apparent battery fires

Lyft is pulling its e-bikes from the streets of San Francisco, as well as from those in the South Bay Area in light of two recently catching on fire. The first reported fire took place over the weekend, with the second one happening today, according to the San Francisco Examiner. “Out of an abundance of caution,… Continue reading Lyft pulls e-bikes in light of apparent battery fires

Recogni Raises $25M in Series A Funding

Recogni, Inc., a San Jose, CA-based designer of a vision-oriented artificial intelligence platform for autonomous vehicles, raised $25m in Series A financing. The round was led by GreatPoint Ventures with participation from Toyota AI Ventures, BMW i Ventures, Faurecia, Fluxunit and DNS Capital. The company intends to use the funds to continue to develop its… Continue reading Recogni Raises $25M in Series A Funding

Sydney-founded Splend moves to London to bring eco-friendly, affordable cars to ride-share drivers

Being an on-demand driver is a stressful job. Founded in Sydney, Splend aims to making life easier for ride-share drivers, providing them with eco-friendly, affordable cars as well as support and insurance to help them earn more, improve their ratings, and enjoy their jobs more.

The Australian-founded company has relocated its HQ to London and opened a comprehensive support centre for the 90,000 drivers working in the capital for apps like Uber, Bolt, Kapten and ViaVan.

More than just a car supplier, Splend provides resources and a community for drivers. Splend’s new driver hub, a 2,300 square metre facility in Cricklewood, enables members to collect their cars, catch up with their personal account manager, sign up for insurance, receive analytics and advanced driver training, and join community events.

“Ride-sharing can be a tough gig,” said Chris King, CEO and founder. “Splend exists to help drivers succeed by making sure on-demand driving works for them – not the other way around..

Avis enlists Israeli startup to turn rental car data into cash

(Reuters) – Avis Budget Group Inc has enlisted an Israeli startup to help turn data from its car rental fleet into cash, as more auto industry players look to tap a potential $750 billion market for vehicle information. The U.S. car rental company, which owns the Avis, Budget and Zipcar brands, is linking its global… Continue reading Avis enlists Israeli startup to turn rental car data into cash

Startups BRCK and Swvl partner on free WiFi for Kenyan ride-hail buses

Nairobi based internet hardware and service startup BRCK and Egyptian ride-hail venture Swvl are partnering to bring WiFI and online entertainment to on-demand bus service in Kenya. BRCK will install its routers on Swvl vehicles in Kenya and run its Moja service, which offers free public WiFi—internet, music, and entertainment—subsidized by commercial partners. Founded in… Continue reading Startups BRCK and Swvl partner on free WiFi for Kenyan ride-hail buses

Via and HP Transportes Expand CityBus 2.0 to 13 New Neighborhoods of Goiânia, Brazil

Published July 11, 2019 7:20 pm, Via NYC
Via and HP Transportes Expand CityBus 2.0 to 13 New Neighborhoods of Goiânia, Brazil
In a response to growing demand, CityBus 2.0 will soon span more than 25 square miles and service approximately 340,000 residents.

July 11, 2019 (Goiânia, Brazil) — Via, the world’s leading developer of on-demand shared mobility solutions, today announced an expansion of its CityBus 2.0 on-demand transportation deployment in partnership with HP Transportes Coletivos to cover 13 new neighborhoods in Goiânia, Brazil. Starting July 20, the expanded service zone will encompass more than 25 square miles and approximately 340,000 residents.

The move comes after growing demand from residents to increase the service zone over the last five months. Via and HP Transportes partnered to launch CityBus 2.0 in February, first covering 11 key neighborhoods. Starting July 20, the on-demand network will extend to serve passengers in districts like Parque Amazônia, Pedro Ludovico and Jardim América.

“We are delighted by the success of CityBus 2.0 and are thrilled to see the service expand,” said Daniel Ramot, co-founder and CEO of Via. “In just a few short months, CityBus 2.0 has quickly become one of Via’s fastest growing on-demand transport deployments around the globe. As demand grows, we continue to learn more about riders and their needs. We look forward to bringing CityBus 2.0 to vast new areas of Goiânia that need on-demand public transport the most.”

In just five months, more than 38,000 users registered for accounts to ride CityBus 2.0, with research by HP Transportes revealing almost all of which migrated from using single-occupancy vehicles as their primary mode of transportation. In addition, more than 55 percent of the time, a CityBus 2.0 vehicle is transporting more than one passenger, helping to reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions in Goiânia.

“In order to carry out the expansion, we implemented detailed studies and planning,” said Transport Director of HP Transportes, Hugo Santana. “The new areas have large population concentrations, with many buildings, condominiums and colleges. As the zone expands to service more universities, parks and malls, we believe the volume of aggregate travel will increase even more.”

CityBus 2.0 operates from Monday to Saturday, from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., and now runs through more than 20 neighborhoods, including the Central, South, University, West Sectors, Airport sector, Marista, Bueno, Bela Vista, Serrinha, Pedro Ludovico , New Switzerland, Jardim Goiás, Alto da Glória, Vila Redenção, Jardim América, Parque Amazônia, Jardim Atlântico and Vila Rosa.

Users can download the CityBus 2.0 app for iOS and Android devices.

Via now has more than 80 launched and pending deployments nearly 20 countries, providing more than sixty million rides to date. Via has partnered with some of the world’s largest public transit agencies to solve pressing transportation needs including the Los Angeles Metro, Transport for London (TfL), Sydney’s Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW), and Berlin’s Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG). To learn more, visit www.platform.ridewithvia.com.

About Via
Via is re-engineering public transit, from a regulated system of rigid routes and schedules to a fully dynamic, on-demand network. Via’s mobile app connects multiple passengers who are headed the same way, allowing riders to seamlessly share a premium vehicle. First launched in New York City in September 2013, the Via platform operates in the United States and in Europe through its joint venture with Mercedes-Benz Vans, ViaVan. Via’s technology is also deployed worldwide through dozens of partner projects with public transportation agencies, private transit operators, taxi fleets, private companies, and universities, seamlessly integrating with public transit infrastructure to power cutting-edge on-demand mobility. For more information, visit www.platform.ridewithvia.com.

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LeddarTech vs. Phantom Intelligence

Lidar manufacturer LeddarTech has won the patent against Phantom Intelligence. Lidar is an important sensor in the field of Autonomous driving, The market leader and inventor Velodyne has recently filed a lawsuit against Quanergy decided for themselves. It was about the question of a patent infringement. Lidar pictures The process now completed also dealt with… Continue reading LeddarTech vs. Phantom Intelligence

DENSO Announces First-quarter Financial Results

KARIYA (Japan) ―DENSO, the world’s second largest mobility supplier, today announced its global financial results for the first quarter ending June 30, 2019 for fiscal year ending March 31, 2020: Consolidated revenue totaled 1,324.1 billion yen (US$12.3 billion), a 0.5 percent decrease from the previous year. Consolidated operating profit totaled 69.1 billion yen (US$641.5 million),… Continue reading DENSO Announces First-quarter Financial Results

Auto supplier: Schaeffler’s profit warning is not an isolated case

Schaeffler The profit warning is the result of the problems of the entire car industry. (Photo: AP) Munich SchaefflerChief Klaus Rosenfeld summoned his executives to a telephone conference on Tuesday afternoon. There was a need for explanation: For the umpteenth time since the IPO four years ago, the automotive supplier had set its forecasts down.… Continue reading Auto supplier: Schaeffler’s profit warning is not an isolated case