Squad Mobility’s vision of the perfect urban vehicle is a low-cost EV equipped with solar panels, swappable batteries and enough zip and range in its diminutive 6.5-foot package to meet the needs of city drivers. The early-stage Dutch startup, which recently revealed the final design of its quadricycle, is now assembling working prototypes in Breda, […]
Sustainable jet fuel company Alder Fuels seals investments from United, Honeywell
The aviation industry is notoriously difficult to decarbonize, in part because airplanes use a petroleum-based fuel to fly. Alder Fuels wants to change that. The new clean tech company, headed by Bryan Sherbacow, is developing a low-carbon jet fuel that can be used as a 100% drop-in replacement for petroleum fuel, without needing to adapt […]
GM extends Chevy Bolt EV production shutdown another two weeks
GM has extended a shutdown at its Orion Assembly Plant another two weeks due to a battery pack shortage related to the widespread Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV safety recall. GM said the extended downtime at the Orion plant will last through September 20. Orion Assembly Plant in Michigan has been shut down since […]
Plentywaka founder Onyeka Akumah on African startups and global expansion
Plentywaka, a combination of English and Nigerian that means “plenty movement,” has big plans to ameliorate the public transport infrastructure in Africa and beyond.
Ford builds leadership team of commercial vehicle unit ahead of E-Transit launch
Ford has hired six senior-level executives to its newly minted commercial vehicles and services business unit as the automaker prepares to bring to market the E-Transit cargo van and the F-150 Lightning Pro pickup truck — two electric vehicles it’s betting will become commercial customers’ new workhorses. Ford pulled from within its ranks and outside […]
Solar-powered aircraft developer Skydweller Aero adds $8M to Series A, partners with Palantir
Airplanes and drones today, regardless of size or fuel type, all face the same limitation: eventually they have to land. Skydweller Aero, the U.S.-Spanish aerospace startup, wants to break free from that constraint by developing an autonomous solar-powered aircraft it says will eventually be capable of perpetual flight. Their pitch, which helped the company raise […]
China’s WeRide unveils Robovan, its first electric, autonomous cargo van
Chinese autonomous driving company WeRide has unveiled its first cargo van, the vessel upon which it will self-drive into the world of urban logistics. WeRide will work with Chinese automobile manufacturer Jiangling Motors (JMC) and Chinese express delivery company ZTO Express to commercialize its first self-driving van at scale. The deal was signed on Wednesday […]
Sila Nanotechnologies’ battery technology will launch in Whoop wearables
Sila Nanotechnologies next-generation battery technology made its commercial product debut Wednesday in the new Whoop fitness tracker, a milestone that caps a decade of research and development by the Silicon Valley startup all aimed at cracking the code to packing more energy into a cell at a lower cost. Billions have been spent over the […]
Geely’s ride-hailing unit Cao Cao Mobility raises $589M Series B to upgrade tech and expand fleet
Cao Cao Mobility, the ride-hailing unit of Chinese automaker Geely Automobile Holdings, has announced a $589 million (RMB 3.8 billion) Series B raise that the company says will help it upgrade its technology and expand its fleet, according to a statement released by the company (in Chinese). The raise, which Cao Cao announced on Monday, […]
Ford Hires Away Executive Leading Apple’s Car Project
Ford is hiring the head of Apple’s car project away from the iPhone maker, a stunning development that brings the 118-year-old automaker an executive with Silicon Valley chops. Bloomberg reports: Doug Field is coming aboard as chief advanced technology…