Uber is in the hotel business now, thanks in part to AI
Uber announced several new features on Wednesday during its annual event, which push far beyond the company’s original ride-hailing purpose and deeper into its users’ lives.
Transportation
Uber adds hotels to its app in big travel swing
Open Uber’s app and you’ll see options to hail a car, order some food, or go grocery shopping. And starting today, you’ll see something new: hotels. In a major expansion into the world of travel accommodations, Uber says that it’s adding the ability to book and pay for a hotel room to its app. The […]
BMW i Ventures has a new $300M fund and AI is riding shotgun
BMW i Ventures is interested in startups working on agentic AI and physical AI, as well as industrial software, advanced materials, and manufacturing and supply chain technologies.
Electric air taxis are finally taking flight — just not with passengers
It was the perfect day for an electric air taxi demonstration – albeit one without passengers. On Monday, an electric aircraft from Joby Aviation took off from JFK Airport for a flight demonstrating the company’s future air taxi route to Manhattan. The aircraft – egg-shaped cabin, six tilt-rotor propellers, electric motor – made its way […]
China freezes new robotaxi licenses after Baidu chaos
China has suspended new licenses for autonomous vehicles, Bloomberg reports, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter. The move comes after dozens of robotaxis operated by Chinese tech giant Baidu ground to a halt in traffic last month in Wuhan, creating chaos. The restrictions will prevent companies from adding new driverless cars to their fleets, […]
General Motors is adding Gemini to four million cars
General Motors is planning to bring Google’s Gemini AI assistant to around four million vehicles across the US. Model year 2022 and newer Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC vehicles with Google built-in will be eligible for the AI upgrade, which will be rolled out via over-the-air software updates for GM’s infotainment system “over several months,” […]
TechCrunch Mobility: Elon’s admission
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation.
An influx of used EVs could drive down prices
Part of what has held back electric cars has been the cost. But an influx of used vehicles over the next three years could bring prices down dramatically. In 2025, just 123,000 leases on EVs expired. That is expected to more than double to 300,000 in 2026, and double again to 600,000 in 2027 and […]
BMW is one step closer to selling you a color-changing car
At CES 2022, BMW debuted its BMW iX Flow concept car that could dynamically change its appearance using the same grayscale E Ink panels found in e-readers like the Kindle. It was followed by the BMW i Vision Dee concept and the BMW i5 Flow Nostokana that were both upgraded with color E Ink panels. […]
Tesla’s Cybercab goes into production — so why is Musk tapping the brakes?
Tesla’s Cybercab is now in production at the company’s Gigafactory in Austin, Texas, but Elon Musk is sounding unusually cautious about the rollout. The robotaxi’s start of production was announced Thursday on X, with Tesla posting a video shot from inside a steering wheel-less Cybercab as it drove out of the factory with the caption, […]