TechCrunch Mobility: The Tesla robotaxi Rorschach test and Redwood’s next big act
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Transportation
Tesla loses key execs but hires a new one from GM’s failed robotaxi company
There’s some executive shuffling going on at Tesla. Two key leaders have left recently – one of them being fired by CEO Elon Musk – but the company also hired an exec from Cruise, GM’s failed robotaxi company. Yesterday, reports from Forbes and CNBC said that Musk had fired Omead Afshar, who formerly led operations […]
Electric Cars, Energy, News, Science, Tech, Tech News, Transportation
Redwood Materials is giving old EV batteries a second life as microgrids
Redwood Materials is repurposing old EV batteries into energy storage systems that cost “substantially less” than brand new storage projects, the company said Thursday. The electric vehicle battery recycling and manufacturing venture, which was founded by Tesla’s former chief technologist, has created a new division called Redwood Energy to manage these projects. The aim is […]
Apple, Cars, News, Tech, Tech News, Transportation
Apple’s more immersive CarPlay is dividing the auto industry
Apple’s next-generation CarPlay is splitting the auto world down the middle. Several automakers are eagerly lining up to adopt the newly immersive CarPlay Ultra, which takes over more screens and includes embedded vehicle features like speedometers, heating and cooling, and radio functions. Others are flatly refusing to allow it, while the rest are taking a […]
Here’s a running list of all of Tesla’s robotaxi mishaps so far
Tesla’s robotaxi rollout has been rockier than the fanboys and influencers who got early access to the company’s driverless vehicles would like you to believe. And thanks to these diligent Redditors, we now have a list of all the mistakes the company’s “unsupervised” vehicles have made in the first couple days. Some are relatively minor, […]
Veloretti just made one of the best e-bikes lighter and cheaper
Dutch bicycle brand Veloretti just announced a slimmed-down version of its excellent Electric Two series of electric bikes for European commuters. The step-over Ace Two Lite is a lighter and less expensive version of the very heavy Ace Two e-bike I reviewed back in 2023, which ditches the sublime Enviolo automatic shifter in favor of a simpler […]
Tesla’s robotaxis are operating in a regulatory vacuum
This week, Tesla launched its long-promised robotaxi service in Austin, and almost immediately its vehicles were caught fucking up. In a YouTube video, a Tesla robotaxi briefly drives on the wrong side of the road. Another video shared by Ed Niedermeyer, the author of a book about Tesla’s origins, shows a robotaxi braking hard in […]
Tesla’s robotaxi reality check
After years of grand promises about how robotaxis would change the way we buy and use our cars, Tesla finally launched its taxi service. In one small portion of one city. With only a few cars and a few riders. Plus safety monitors in the passenger seat. Caution is a good thing in this industry, […]
Waymo’s robotaxis are now available on the Uber app in Atlanta
Uber customers in Atlanta now have the option of hailing a driverless Waymo robotaxi, the company announced today. Atlanta is the second market, after Austin, to play host to Uber and Waymo’s burgeoning autonomous ridehail partnership. At launch, Waymo’s vehicles will be available exclusively on the Uber app in Atlanta. The two companies first announced […]
Raleigh One e-bike launches with VanMoof DNA
The Raleigh One e-bike is now official after The Verge first published details of it last week. It was developed for the Accell Group’s Raleigh brand with help from VanMoof’s cofounders, Ties and Taco Carlier, according to my sources. The announcement never mentions their involvement, which could be viewed as good or bad — good if you […]