The Latest from Rebecca Bellan
GM to invest $81M in hand-building Cadillac Celestiq EV
General Motors is investing more than $81 million to build the Cadillac Celestiq, the luxury electric hatchback, at the company’s Global Technical Center, the heart of the automaker’s engi
Amid recalls, Ford says costs to build Mustang Mach-E are skyrocketing
Ford Motor is preparing for an economic downturn, despite steady consumer demand for new vehicles, according to the automaker’s chief financial officer. Even though Ford has seen record profits
Massachusetts court rejects ballot to define gig workers as contractors
In a major setback for app-based gig economy companies like Uber, Lyft and DoorDash, a Massachusetts court ruled on Tuesday to throw out a proposed ballot measure that would, if passed, define gig wor
Lime is trialing shared electric motorbikes
Shared micromobility giant Lime is piloting electric motorbikes in Long Beach, California. Lime has been teasing a new form factor to cater to use cases outside of scooters and bikes for a while, so i
Overair nabs $145M to produce eVTOL prototype by 2023
Overair, a California-based electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle startup, has secured $145 million in funding that will go toward the development of Butterfly, the company’s exp
TuneIn’s live radio platform will be in Rivian EVs
TuneIn, the radio service that allows users to stream news, sports, music and podcasts, will be built into Rivian’s R1T electric trucks, the company confirmed on Tuesday. Rivian had previously m
EV SPAC Faraday Future now has the attention of the DOJ
Amid an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission into inaccurate statements to investors, Faraday Future has received a preliminary request for information from the U.S. Department of J
Tesla accuses civil rights agency of unlawfully suing for racial discrimination
Tesla has accused the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) of failing to conduct proper investigations before it sued Tesla for racial bias at its assembly plant, according to a
Departing Amazon exec Dave Clark to head logistics startup Flexport
Dave Clark, the former Amazon consumer chief, will take over as CEO of freight forwarding and customs brokerage startup Flexport starting September 1, 2022. Clark resigned from his role as CEO of Amaz
Judge says former Tesla worker has 2 weeks to accept $15M payout over racial abuse
A federal judge told Owen Diaz, a former elevator operator at Tesla, that he has 2 weeks to decide whether he wants to accept $15 million in damages over racial abuse at the automaker’s Fremont,
Bird is laying off 23% of staff
Shared micromobility company Bird plans to layoff 23% of its staff, according to tech layoff tracker Layoffs.fyi. The tech tracker attributes the news of the layoffs to an internal memo, but certain L
Nimbus launches a tiny EV prototype that’s like a motorbike with a roof
As shared e-scooter companies have infiltrated cities and e-bike sales have soared, micromobility has been offered up as a panacea to save us all from the ill humors and packed streets caused by gas-g
Waymo Via and Uber Freight partner up for the long haul
Waymo Via, the delivery division of Alphabet’s self-driving unit, is embarking on a long-term, strategic partnership with Uber Freight, Uber’s logistics spinout. As part of the agreement,
Uber Eats will now deliver your waffles across the country
Uber Eats, the food delivery arm of Uber, is launching nationwide shipping, a new product that will allow customers across the U.S., excluding Alaska and Hawaii, to get specialty food delivered from s
With ride-hail and delivery launch, Fenix wants to be the Bolt of the Middle East
Abu Dhabi-based mobility startup Fenix has added ride-hail and courier services to its portfolio of mobility products. The company launched “Fenix Taxi” in Manama, Bahrain, on Monday and s
Unlikely players team up to lead South Korea’s air taxi industry
South Korea, which lacks the VC, entrepreneurial ecosystem and aerospace legacy of the U.S., might be the first to lay the groundwork for taking air mobility from expensive project to viable service.
Mexico City’s Kolors wants to disrupt intercity busing in Latin America
Kolors, a Mexico City-based startup, says its platform that connects intercity bus riders with bus drivers is like “if Uber and Southwest Airlines had a baby.” Like Uber and other ride-hai
Cruise can finally charge for driverless robotaxi rides in San Francisco
Cruise, the autonomous vehicle unit of General Motors, has finally been given the green light to start charging fares for its driverless robotaxi service in San Francisco. The California Public Utilit
Car-sharing startup Turo expands to New York and France
Peer-to-peer car-sharing company Turo is expanding to New York State and France in June, the company said on Wednesday. The expansion comes at a time when post/mid-COVID tourism is beginning to heat u
Chick-fil-A taps Refraction AI for autonomous delivery pilot
When Refraction AI was founded in 2019, its goal was to use robotics to bring down the cost of last-mile delivery. Over the past couple of years, the startup has worked directly with restaurants in it