| Volume 32 Next-Gen Mobility News June 8th, Volume 32 Welcome to the next edition of our bi-weekly recap of the latest and greatest in connected and on-demand mobility. If you’re not already receiving this email, you should be: Subscribe |
| California approves a pilot program for driverless rides NPR, June 5th The California Public Utilities Commission announced Friday that Cruise, a self-driving car service out of San Francisco, has been authorized to participate in the state’s first pilot program to provide driverless ride services to the public. |
| Last mile delivery poised for huge growth after e-commerce boom Automotive World, June 7th Last mile players face a wealth of product, customer and operational challenges, but intelligent and green tech promises a bright and competitive market. |
| The fastest way to get more people to buy electric vehicles Vox, June 4th Whether the United States can get to net-zero emissions by 2050 hinges hugely on our love of cars: They’re the dominant mode of transportation in America — ridership on trains, buses, and other public transit pales in comparison. |
| Aurora brings in outsiders to boost safety efforts,public trust of driverless vehicles Tech Crunch, June 3rd Aurora, the autonomous vehicle company that acquired Uber ATG last year, has re-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 even use. |
| Revel claims NYC is blocking its push to put Tesla taxis on streets Gothamist, June 7th The New York City-based company Revel, best known for its moped-share program, is hoping to crack into the app-based taxi market with a small fleet of 50 blue, electric Teslas. The company was hoping to start operating this month in Manhattan under a loophole in city rules, which allows new taxis on city streets if they’re either electric or wheelchair accessible. |
| How will new mobility disrupt parcel delivery? Automotive World, June 7th There is more than one way to get a package from delivery hub to customer, but the prevailing technique has been to use diesel-powered vans and trucks. Brimming with parcels and sent out on frequent short trips, these vehicles have proven useful but costly. |
| Why your Uber ride is suddenly costing a fortune Curbed, June 4th The lockdown ended. The curfews were lifted. And just as New Yorkers started to peel off their masks and make their way back out into the world, they were confronted by a rather rude reopening reality. Ride-hailing prices are up — way up, by 50 percent or more over pre-pandemic rates. |
| Waymo’s driverless taxi service can now be accessed on Google Maps Tech Crunch, June 3rd Waymo One, the ride-hailing service that uses driverless vehicles in the suburbs of Phoenix, can now be accessed and booked through Google Maps. |
| In China, a little-known EV maker is leaving Tesla in the dust Aljazeera, June 7th Since last July, a little-known automaker in China’s southwest has dominated the world’s largest electric car market, outselling bigger players and even Tesla Inc. almost every month with a tiny, bare-bones EV that starts at just $4,500. |
| Pandemic demands cause major shift in supply chain provider relationships MH&L News, June 7th The pandemic has changed the ways shippers and 3PLs connect with last-mile transportation providers. Many shippers and third-party logistics (3PL) companies formed new strategic partnerships in the face of these changes to combat same-day delivery expectations fueled by the “Amazon Effect” during lock-down. |
| Cheaper lidar sensors brighten the future of autonomous cars Nikkei Asai, May 30th Prices of one key type of the sensors used in autonomous cars are falling rapidly, raising hopes of accelerating progress in the development of self-driving technology. Velodyne Lidar, the leading manufacturer of lidar sensors, has developed a product with a price only one-hundredth of those up until now. |
