Wayve raises $1B to take its Tesla-like technology for self-driving to many carmakers

Wayve, a U.K.-born startup developing a self-learning rather than rule-based system for autonomous driving, has closed $1.05 billion in Series C funding led by SoftBank Group. This is the U.K.'s largest AI fundraise ever and sits among the top 20 AI fundraises globally to date. Also participat

Lucid loses longtime Apple and Intel exec who steered software division

Lucid Motors’ senior vice president of digital Mike Bell has resigned from his position. The company said in a filing Monday that the longtime Apple and Intel executive’s resignation is “effective immediately, in order to pursue other opportunities.” Lucid says Bell will se

Hyundai antes up $1B for AV startup Motional and Elon unplugs the Tesla Supercharger team

Welcome back to technewss Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Before I jump into the all the news — and boy there was a lot! — I have an important update for all of you lovely readers. technewss Mobility is moving to Thursdays! It

Luminar cuts 20% of staff and outsources lidar production

Lidar company Luminar is slashing its workforce by 20% and will lean harder on its contract manufacturing partner as part of a restructuring that will shift the company to a more “asset-light” business model, as it aims to scale production. The cuts will affect around 140 employees, an

Fisker stiffed the engineering firm developing its low-cost EV and pickup truck, lawsuit claims

Henrik Fisker stood on a stage last August and proudly debuted two prototypes designed to catapult his eponymous EV startup Fisker into the mainstream. There was the Pear, a low-cost EV meant for the masses, and the Alaska, Fisker's entry into the red-hot pickup truck market. In the weeks that

Rivian wins $827M incentive package to expand Illinois factory for R2 production

Rivian is getting $827 million in incentives from the state of Illinois to support building its next-generation electric vehicle, known as the R2. The company announced Thursday that the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will dole out the funds, which will be used to expand

Hyundai is spending close to $1B to keep self-driving startup Motional alive

Hyundai has agreed to spend nearly $1 billion on Motional, an investment that will give the automaker a majority stake while providing the self-driving startup with the necessary capital to keep operating. The Korean automaker invested $475 million directly into Motional as part of a broader deal t

Acura's new all-electric SUV proves the most expensive model isn't always the best

The first electric vehicle I ever drove was a Tesla Roadster in 2011. I will never forget the feeling of the instant torque provided by the electric motor, propelling me to 60 miles per hour in less than four seconds — a feat my little Miata daily driver couldn’t even dream of doing. I&

Elon Musk guts Tesla’s charging team after winning over major automakers

Tesla has gutted its charging team in a new round of layoffs, despite recently winning over major automakers like Ford and General Motors and making its connector the de facto standard in North America. Tesla’s Supercharger network has long been seen as one of its greatest competitive advanta

Inside the Autonomous Racing League event that pitted a self-driving car against a Formula 1 driver

Wander the pits at any professional motorsports event, especially something like Formula 1, and you’ll see endless computer displays full of telemetry. Modern teams are awash in real-time digital feedback from the cars. I’ve been in many of these pits over the years and marveled at the

Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free system under investigation after fatal crashes

Federal safety regulators have opened an investigation into Ford’s hands-free driver-assistance system, BlueCruise, after it was found to be active during two recent crashes that killed multiple people. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigatio

Tesla profits tumble, Fisker flatlines, and California cities battle for control of AVs

Welcome back to technewss Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here — just click technewss Mobility — to receive the newsletter every weekend in your inbox. Subscribe for free. Welp, Tesla earnings happened this week — and yeah that

A wrestling match over who should control robotaxis is playing out in California

Cities around the country have long been crying out for more control over how autonomous vehicles are deployed on their streets. In California, they might finally get their wish. A handful of AV-related bills, which made progress this month in their long journey through the state legislature, could

Tesla Autopilot investigation closed after feds find 13 fatal crashes related to misuse

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration closed a long-standing investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot driver assistance system after reviewing hundreds of crashes involving its misuse, including 13 that were fatal and “many more involving serious injuries.” At the same ti