Struggling electric van startup Canoo has placed its remaining employees on what it’s calling a “mandatory unpaid break” through at least the end of the year, according to an email obtained by TechCrunch. The company told employees they are being locked out of Canoo’s systems at the end of the day Friday, according to the…
Category: Transportation
avs, Global IT News, Global Security News, nhtsa, robotaxi, Transportation
Feds clear the way for robotaxis without steering wheel and pedals
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Friday proposed a new national framework that could make it easier for companies to deploy at scale autonomous vehicles without traditional manual driving controls – like steering wheels, pedals, and sideview mirrors. The guidelines also require AV companies to share a whole lot more safety data with the…
EVs, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, lawsuit, Rivian, Transportation
Rivian executives accused of harassment in previously unreported lawsuits
Four employees have sued Rivian in separate lawsuits this year over allegations they were harassed, in some cases by top executives, and that the company’s leadership did little to address their concerns, according to a TechCrunch review of court records. Rivian has also reached settlements in three other harassment and discrimination cases, TechCrunch has learned. …
AI, Asia Pacific, createai, Gaming, Global Security News, Media & Entertainment, Transportation, TuSimple
TuSimple pivot from self-driving to AI animation is complete with CreateAI rebrand
TuSimple has completed its pivot away from autonomous trucking to AI animation and gaming with a rebrand. The company shall henceforth be known as CreateAI. The rebrand comes as TuSimple is embroiled in controversy over the company’s plans to move its remaining U.S. assets to China to fund the new business, which it initially announced…
Canoo, Global IT News, Global Security News, lucid, RAM, robotaxis, techcrunch mobility, Tesla, Transportation, Waymo, zoox
Waymo fills the Cruise void overseas and a salute to icon Jean Jennings
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. This will be the last newsletter of 2024! But don’t worry, we’ll be back in 2025 — sign up here to get it in your inbox every week. Thank you for reading and your emails. I love…
autonomous vehicles, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Tesla, Transportation
Tesla is courting Texas cities to test its promised robotaxi service
Tesla is evaluating multiple Texas cities where it wants to test a long-promised robotaxi service, including Austin, according to emails obtained by Bloomberg News. An employee has apparently been in touch with Austin officials since May, and recently held an event in December to “train first responders on how to best work with Tesla’s autonomous…
Canoo, EVs, Global IT News, Global Security News, Layoffs, layoffs and furloughs, Transportation
Canoo furloughs workers and idles factory as it scrapes for cash
Struggling EV startup Canoo says it has furloughed 82 employees and is idling its factory in Oklahoma while it grasps for the capital needed to survive. The company claims it is in “advanced discussions with various capital sources” to raise emergency funding. The announcement comes just a few days after board member James Chen resigned,…
electric vehicles, EVs, Global IT News, Global Security News, In Brief, Rivian, Transportation
Rivian EVs finally get YouTube, Google Cast, and SiriusXM
Rivian has released a new software update to its vehicles that brings some long-awaited apps to its in-vehicle experience. Owners who update their R1S SUV or R1T pickup truck can now use YouTube (while parked) or SiriusXM (with a subscription). The company is also adding Google Cast functionality. That also can only be used while…
california, california air resources board, clean air act, Climate, epa, Global IT News, Global Security News, Transportation, zero emissions
California can ban new gas cars starting in 2035, EPA says
California’s phase out would begin in 2026, when the state will require 35% of automakers’ sales to be zero emissions vehicles. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Apps, DoorDash, drone delivery, Global IT News, Global Security News, Transportation, wing
Wing and DoorDash launch drone deliveries in Dallas-Fort Worth
Alphabet’s Wing announced on Wednesday that it’s expanding its partnership with DoorDash to bring drone delivery to customers in the the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Customers in the area will now be able to order food from 50 merchants located in Stonebriar Centre in Frisco and Hulen Mall in Fort Worth. Wing says its drones can…
EVs, Global IT News, Global Security News, Stellantis, Transportation
Ram delays electric truck launch to 2026, bets on extended range Ramcharger
Stellantis is tapping the brakes on the all-electric Ram 1500 REV truck and will push its launch into 2026, the company said Wednesday, citing slowing industry demand for half-ton battery electric pickups. The automaker had originally planned to begin selling the electric truck to customers in the first half of 2025. The automaker will instead…
autonomous vehicles, Global IT News, Global Security News, robotics, slip robotics, Startups, Transportation
Slip Robotics snags $28M for its bots that can load a truck in five minutes
Drop by any given loading dock and a buzz of forklifts — loaded up with goods — can be spotted maneuvering in and out of truck trailers. This logistical dance can take up to an hour to fill a trailer, leaving truck drivers in idle limbo. The founders of Atlanta-based Slip Robotics say they’ve developed…
antitrust, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Kakao, Kakao Mobility, Transportation
Kakao Mobility hit with $10.5M antitrust fine for limiting rivals’ access
South Korea’s antitrust watchdog has fined Kakao Mobility, the ride-hailing unit of Korean tech firm Kakao, $10.5 million (KRW 15.1 billion) for limiting competitors’ access to its taxi app — lowering the penalty from an initial fine of $50.3 million (KRW 72.4 billion) as the earlier sanction was based on an overestimated calculation of the…
Alphabet, autonomous vehicles, Global IT News, Global Security News, Japan, robotaxi, tokyo, Transportation, Waymo
Waymo robotaxis are coming to Tokyo in 2025
Waymo will begin testing its autonomous vehicle technology in Tokyo in early 2025, the first time the Alphabet company’s robotaxis have driven on public roads outside the U.S. The move to Japan is part of Waymo’s so-called “road trips,” a development program that involves bringing and testing its technology in a variety of cities —…
Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups, Transportation, TuSimple, xiaodi hou
TuSimple drama heats up ahead of pivotal shareholder meeting
TuSimple co-founder and former CEO Xiaodi Hou is on a war path in the lead up to Friday’s annual shareholder meeting that will decide the makeup of the company’s board of directors. Over the past several weeks, Hou has sued TuSimple for control of his voting rights, demanded the company immediately liquidate and return all…
Global IT News, Global Security News, supercharging, Tesla, Tesla Model S, Transportation
Tesla offers free Supercharging for Model S with a catch
Tesla is trying to boost its Model S sales before the year is out, but it’s got a funny way of doing it. After initially abandoning its free Supercharging for life offer in 2018, the automaker is bringing it back for some Tesla Model S cars at the end of the year. It’s something of…
EV, Global IT News, Global Security News, lucid, Lucid air pure, Startups, Transportation
The 2025 Lucid Air Pure is a luxe ride at $69,900 with room for tech tune-ups
The all-electric 2025 Lucid Air Pure is a dreamy, sexy car that’s no less luxurious for being the cheapest trim in Lucid’s Air lineup. I felt fancy and discerning driving around, but in an understated way – as if I were wearing designer sweatpants. But does fancy equal value? I spent about 10 days driving…
advanced technology vehicles manufacturing loan, Climate, Department of Energy, EV batteries, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Rivian, Samsung SDI, Solar Power, starplus energy, Stellantis, sunwealth, Transportation
Biden administration races to approve clean energy loans before Trump takes over — here’s who is benefiting
The Department of Energy (DOE) is on a loan-approval spree in the lead-up to President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, and the winners are all companies manufacturing clean energy solutions on U.S. soil. Companies like Stellantis and Samsung, Rivian, and most recently, EVgo. Trump has promised to cancel any unspent federal dollars under President Joe Biden’s Inflation…
Climate, DOE, EV charging, evgo, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, inflation reduction act, Transportation
EVgo secures $1.25 billion loan amid Biden’s rush to approve clean energy loans
Electric vehicle charging startup EVgo is the latest company to secure funds from the U.S. Department of Energy as the Biden administration races to approve clean energy loans before Donald Trump takes over. Trump has promised to cancel any unspent funds from Biden’s bipartisan Inflation Reduction Act, including the $7,500 tax credit for new EV…
autonomous vehicles, Cruise, EVs, Global IT News, Global Security News, Tesla, Transportation, Trump
The federal crash-reporting rule Tesla opposes could be on the chopping block
The Trump transition team wants to end a federal rule requiring automakers to report crashes when advanced driver-assistance or autonomous driving technology is engaged, Reuters reports. Federal safety agencies would lose the ability to investigate and regulate the safety of vehicles with automated-driving systems should the rule — which went into effect in 2021 —…
Global IT News, Global Security News, robotaxi, Transportation, Waymo
A Waymo robotaxi got stuck in a roundabout loop
Roundabouts. They trapped Clark Griswold in National Lampoon’s European Vacation and now they’ve tripped up a Waymo robotaxi. A video is circulating on social media showing a Waymo robotaxi going round and round on a roundabout — as if it is stuck in a loop. A Waymo spokesperson told TechCrunch there were no passengers onboard…
autonomous vehicles, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, In Brief, Tesla, Transportation, zoox
Tesla’s loss is Zoox’s gain
Zoox co-founder and CTO Jesse Levinson told the crowd at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 that he didn’t think Tesla would launch a robotaxi ride-hailing service in California (or anywhere else) next year, despite what Elon Musk had claimed. The “fundamental issue is they don’t have technology that works,” he said at the time. But it seems that…