Chinese lidar maker Hesai lands $300M led by Hillhouse, Xiaomi, Meituan

The rush to back lidar companies continues as more automakers and robotaxi startups include the remote sensing method in their vehicles. Latest to the investment boom is Hesai, a Shanghai-based lidar maker founded in 2014 with an office in Palo Alto. The company just raised over $300 million in a Series D funding round led… Continue reading Chinese lidar maker Hesai lands $300M led by Hillhouse, Xiaomi, Meituan

The Station: Aurora gets closer to a SPAC deal, Spin’s new strategy and Waymo One app numbers

The Station is a weekly newsletter dedicated to all things transportation. Sign up here — just click The Station — to receive it every weekend in your inbox. Hello and welcome back to The Station, a weekly newsletter dedicated to all the ways people and packages move (today and in the future) from Point A to… Continue reading The Station: Aurora gets closer to a SPAC deal, Spin’s new strategy and Waymo One app numbers

Booster Hires Chief People Officer and General Counsel to Support Fleet Business Growth

SAN MATEO, Calif., June 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Booster, the leading mobile energy delivery service, today announces new additions to its upper management team. Chief People Officer Ron Storn of KeepTruckin, Zume, and Lyft, and General Counsel Juliana Chen of Guidewire Software and Fitbit will deepen the company’s bench of technology talent and support Booster’s continued… Continue reading Booster Hires Chief People Officer and General Counsel to Support Fleet Business Growth

Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and other gig companies said California’s Prop 22 would create opportunity for workers of color. A new study says it ‘legalized racial subordination.’ (UBER, LYFT, DASH, GRUB, AMZN)

Gig companies said labor law exemptions would create better opportunities for workers of color. Instead, California’s Prop 22 “legalized racial subordination,” a new research paper argues. The law worked like 1930s “wage codes” that paid workers in mostly minority industries less. See more stories on Insider’s business page. Last year, Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, and… Continue reading Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and other gig companies said California’s Prop 22 would create opportunity for workers of color. A new study says it ‘legalized racial subordination.’ (UBER, LYFT, DASH, GRUB, AMZN)

Ford-owned Spin shakes up scooter business with new CEO, e-bikes and city strategy

Spin, the Ford-owned micromobility operator, has added a new CEO, launched a new strategy to capture market share and announced a plan to get back into bike share, although this time with an electric twist.  The flurry of moves suggest that Spin is still trying to figure out the best path forward to push past… Continue reading Ford-owned Spin shakes up scooter business with new CEO, e-bikes and city strategy

Aurora brings in outsiders to boost safety efforts, public trust of driverless vehicles

Aurora, the autonomous vehicle company that acquired Uber ATG last year, has assembled a team of outside experts, shared new details about its operations in a self-assessment safety report and launched a website as part of a broader effort to win over consumers wary of the technology that they may someday share the road with, or… Continue reading Aurora brings in outsiders to boost safety efforts, public trust of driverless vehicles

Rideshare drivers gather in NYC in hopes of unionizing

Protesters gathered in bright red t-shirts and matching masks bearing the Independent Drivers Guild logo. Placards bearing slogans like “Freeze Hiring, Reactive Workers Now!” and “Unlock Uber” were being handed out at a table toward the entrance. What the gathering lacked in sheer numbers, it made up with enthusiasm. A wide range of speakers approached… Continue reading Rideshare drivers gather in NYC in hopes of unionizing

Taking Lyft’s new e-bike for a spin

The bike had none of the usual signage when I took it for a spin around the chaotic and construction-filled streets of Manhattan. It very much looked like a prototype, with visible soldering on the joints and a not-quite-complete AV system. But it handled well, when merging in and out of traffic — and at… Continue reading Taking Lyft’s new e-bike for a spin

Self-Driving Coalition Announces New Board Members Embark and Aurora

WASHINGTON, June 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The Self-Driving Coalition – dedicated to working with lawmakers, regulators and the public to realize the safety and societal benefits of autonomous vehicles (AVs) – announced today that Aurora and Embark have joined the Coalition’s Board of Directors. Both Embark and Aurora became members in 2020, and their addition… Continue reading Self-Driving Coalition Announces New Board Members Embark and Aurora

Thousands of New York Drivers Create Worker-Owned Version of Uber

“Every single transaction reveals exploitation.” True Ridesharing On Sunday, New Yorkers looking for a ride found themselves with a new alternative to Uber or Lyft: a ride-hailing service called the Drivers Cooperative that’s owned and operated by the drivers themselves. The Drivers Cooperative’s founders told The New York Times that they see their new project… Continue reading Thousands of New York Drivers Create Worker-Owned Version of Uber