Volume 36
| Argo AI, Ford and Lyft to launch self-driving ride-hail service in Miami and Austin Reuters, July 21st Self-driving startup Argo AI, carmaker Ford Motor Co (F.N) and ride-hail company Lyft Inc (LYFT.O) on Wednesday said they partnered to offer robotaxi trips to Lyft customers in Miami and Austin. |
| TuSimple’s self-driving truck network takes shape with Ryder partnership Tech Crunch, July 30th TuSimple, the self-driving truck company that went public earlier this year, has partnered with Ryder as part of its plan to build out a freight network that will support its autonomous trucking operations. |
| Last-mile delivery startup Fetch raises $60M for hiring spree, market expansion Biz Journals, July 21st Fetch, an Austin last-mile delivery service for apartment communities, is on a quest to hire a few hundred people and bring its services to 24 new markets over the next two years. |
| Tesla offers ‘Full Self-Driving’ feature as a monthly subscription Consumer Reports, July 22nd Tesla has introduced a new subscription plan for the driver assistance package it calls Full Self-Driving (FSD). |
| Bridgestone acquires fleet tracking platform Azuga for $391 Venture Beat, August 2nd Bridgestone Americas today announced that it has acquired Azuga, a connected vehicle platform for fleet operators, for $391 million in cash and stock. As a part of the deal, Bridgestone says it’ll take ownership of all of Azuga’s assets and integrate the team, including CEO Ananth Rani, into the parent company’s mobility solutions division. |
| Uber, Lyft seen boosted by return of riders, but driver shortage, stubborn virus cloud outlook WHTC, August 2nd Concerns over an ongoing driver shortage and the spreading Delta variant are clouding the outlook for making good on achieving profitable operations this year. |
| As attitudes toward EVs change, automakers learn to think beyond the chassis Forbes, August 2nd A few years ago, many experts believed consumer’s biggest concern in adopting electric vehicles was “range anxiety” — the fear that a car couldn’t hold a charge long enough to get you where you wanted to go and back home. |
| Cargo van manufacturers take advantage as the last-mile delivery industry grows Transport Topics News, August 2nd The massive proliferation of e-commerce has made final-mile delivery vans operated by carriers such as FedEx, DHL and Amazon a common sight in most U.S. neighborhoods. As a result, van manufacturers are working to meet the demands of this growing e-commerce delivery business. |
| Argo AI can now offer the public rides in its autonomous vehicles in California Tech Crunch, July 30th Argo AI, the autonomous vehicle technology startup backed by Ford and VW, has landed a permit in California that will allow the company to give people free rides in its self-driving vehicles on the state’s public roads. |
| Uber boosts trucking push with $2.25 billion deal to buy freight service transplace Forbes, July 22nd Ridehail giant Uber is making a big push to beef up its trucking business by purchasing logistics service Transplace for about $2.25 billion, intending to turn its Uber Freight unit into a top player in arranging and tracking shipments of goods. |
