GM to Expand Access to EV Charging
General Motors announced a new community charging program to install up to 40,000 EV chargers across the U.S. and Canada. GM is working to bring charging access to underserved and rural areas where EV charging is limited. The initiative begins next year and is part of GM’s commitment to invest nearly $750 million to expand home, workplace, and public charging infrastructure.
Cruise Launches Self-Driving Deliveries in Arizona
Cruise recently launched self-driving deliveries in Scottsdale, Arizona through a pilot program with Walmart. If eligible, customers will get a text asking if they’d like their items delivered from a self-driving car. For those that say yes, they’ll be notified when the car is outside their location and use their phone to unlock the doors and retrieve their items. Cruise cars used in the program are all-electric, zero emission vehicles.
Toyota Invests $3.4 Billion into Electrified Future
Toyota announced it will invest approximately $3.4 billion in automotive batteries in the U.S. through 2030. The investment will go toward developing and localizing automotive battery production, including batteries for electric vehicles. Toyota also announced a $461 million investment in its Kentucky plant that will add 1,400 jobs and help the company reach its carbon neutrality goals.
Motional is Designing an Intuitive Driverless Robotaxi Experience
Motional has designed its driverless robotaxi experience to be as intuitive as a trip in a traditional ride-hailing vehicle for a seamless end-to-end experience. If riders can’t find their vehicle upon arrival, Motional is exploring ways to help riders, like being able to use their phone to tell the robotaxi to flash its lights or honk its horn. Passengers may also be able to locate their ride by matching an identifier on their phone to the same identifier shown on an LED panel on the vehicle’s exterior.
Zoox Expands Testing to Seattle
Zoox has begun testing its L3 vehicles in Seattle. After years of testing in Las Vegas and the Bay Area, Seattle provides different weather conditions, infrastructure, and laws to test Zoox’s hardware and software so it can continue to evolve. The data collected will help Zoox apply the lessons learned to their entire fleet.
Waymo Begins Testing in New York City
ChargePoint: Electric School Buses Are a Smart Move
Getaround Announces New Program to Incentivize Entrepreneurs
Wejo Studio Enables Access to Connected Vehicle Data Anytime, Anywhere
Dell Highlights Six Technologies Key to Future Driverless Mobility
Aurora Forms Industry-First Collaboration to Deliver Goods At Scale
Uber is Improving the Airport Experience
DoorDash Introduces New Technology to Keep Drivers Safe
What’s New in Tech
Apple iPhones to Detect Car Crashes, Auto-Dial 911
Beginning next year, iPhone users in a car accident could have their phone automatically dial 911 for help. According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple plans to roll out a feature called “crash detection” that will use data from sensors in their devices to help determine if an accident occurred. Apple previously rolled out Fall Detection to connect users to emergency services if a hard fall is detected.
What We’re Saying
TechNet Commends Introduction of the Control Our Data Act, Urges Passage of a National Privacy Law
Tech Groups Urge U.S. Government to Protect Its Access to Cutting-Edge Technologies