Exor to Invest $200 million for a 9% Stake in Ride-Hailing Company Via Transportation

New York City-based on-demand and shared transportation provider Via announced it received a $200 million investment from Exor, the holding company of Italy’s Agnelli family, the business dynasty founded by Giovanni Agnelli, one of the original founders of Italian automaker Fiat.

The Model Y is the First Tesla Model to Use a Heat Pump

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk recently took to Twitter to announce that Model Y will come with some special equipment, including a new heat pump.

NHTSA Alters Safety Rules to Make Room for Self-Driving Cars

A new proposal by the NHTSA would modernize safety standards to allow companies and automakers to continue working on autonomous technology.

Ford to Use Seat Ventilation Fans From F-150 to Make Respirators

With the coronavirus continuing to spread in the U.S. and American automakers closing their factories, some have started to lend a hand by building respirators.

Air Taxi Startup Lilium Raises $240 Million in Fundraising Round Led By Tencent

Aviation startup Lilium announced this week a new internal funding round of more than $240 million. The Munich-based company is developing all-electric, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft for air mobility services.

Automakers Ford & General Motors are Allowing Rival Tesla to Lead U.S. EV Production Until at Least 2026, Data Indicates

U.S. automakers Ford Motor Co and General Motors plan to collectively build 325,000 electric vehicles per year by 2026, according to their executives and suppliers familiar with the plans. Although its an ambitious goal for the two legacy carmakers, the number of new EVs may not be nearly enough to gain any ground on segment leader Tesla.

Self-Driving Truck Startup TuSimple Announced Partnership with Auto Supplier ZF for the Production of Autonomous Trucks

California-based self-driving truck startup TuSimple announced today today that it established a partnership with global automotive supplier ZF. ZF will serve as TuSimple’s default supplier for the hardware components required for autonomous driving. TuSimple plans to have its autonomous trucks on the road in commercial operations by 2021.

Baidu is Building a 5G-Powered, 20 Square Kilometer Test Site for Connected & Autonomous Vehicles in Chongqing, China

China’s tech giant Baidu announced it received a RMB 52.8 million ($7.3 million) government contract to build an autonomous vehicle testing area within the Chinese municipality of Chongqing. The Chinese city of 30 million residents plans to be a leader in smart city technology powered by 5G cellular networks.

Production of the Electric Performance Polestar 2 Begins in China

Polestar announced today that production of the Polestar 2 is underway in Luqiao, China. Polestar is the new electric performance car brand jointly owned by Volvo Car Group and Chinese automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely). The company is operated by Sweden-based Volvo Cars as a standalone performance EV brand.

Toyota is Developing a Hydrogen-Powered Fuel Cell Truck With its Hino Motors Unit

​Toyota Motor Corp and its subsidiary Hino Motors, Ltd. (Hino) have announced the joint development of a new heavy-duty fuel cell truck powered by hydrogen. In addition to the development of a fuel cell truck, the two partners will also study the practical use of fuel cell trucks in the shipping industry.

Chinese Automaker Geely is Delivering Keys by Drone for New Vehicle Purchases

Chinese automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd (Geely) has come up with a novel way to help customers take delivery on their new cars without having to interact with dealership employees to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The automaker announced its is using drones to deliver the keys to customers after they order their new vehicles online.

Automakers Finally Close Their North American Factories Over Coronavirus Concerns

General Motors, Ford, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles recently announced factory closures that are aimed at keeping workers safe during the spread of the coronavirus. It's not just American automakers, Honda, Nissan, and Toyota will also be shutting their North American factories down.

BMW Confirms the Next 7 Series Will Come with an Electric, Hybrid, Diesel or Gas Powertrain

BMW confirms that the first fully-electric version of its flagship 7 Series sedan is under development. The next-generation BMW 7 Series lineup will also feature a hybrid powertrain along with the conventional gas and diesel variants.

IIHS Claims Advanced Driver-Assist Systems Need to Keep Drivers Focused on the Road More

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety believes that modern advanced driver-assist systems allow drivers to stop focusing on the road and don’t allow them to regain control of the car when necessary.

Former Head of Google’s Self-Driving Car Project Pleads Guilty to Stealing Trade Secrets

In one of the biggest cases involving the theft of intellectual property in Silicon Valley in recent memory, Anthony Levandowski, the former head engineer of Google’s self-driving car project, has agreed to plead guilty for stealing trade secrets from the technology giant and using them to launch his own self-driving truck startup Ottomotto.

Electric Automaker Tesla is Forced to Reduce its Workforce By 75% at its Fremont, California Factory

As the San Francisco Bay Area remains under a multi-county shelter-in-place order to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, local businesses are being forced to temporarily close and keep their employees at home, including electric automaker Tesla. The company is idling around 7,500 employees at its Fremont, California factory.