Refraction AI is currently testing its autonomous REV-1 e-trike in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Looking like a cargo-bike without the rider, the self-driving electric cargo bot can carry up to 40 kilos of groceries, food, or medicine and has a top speed of about 20 kph. In times of quarantines, this EV may come in handy […]

Many ‘tear-downs’ have already shown that Tesla has a lead of years in electric drive and battery technology. Now the Japanese business paper Nikkei has also had the Tesla Model 3 dismantled.

US Local Motors caught a lot of attention with a 3D-printed autonomous shuttle Olli as early as 2017. Fast-forward to 2020, and we sat down with Local Motors CEO John B. Rogers and his UK partners from Protean.

In the UK, Gordon Murray Design has developed the platform Motiv for autonomous electric vehicles in cooperation with Delta Motorsport and itMoves. The vehicle itself is designed as a small pod that can be adapted for multiple passengers, wheelchair users or for delivery services.

Founded by former Google engineers, the US start-up Nuro is to make goods delivery autonomous and electric. They now launched the next-gen pod, R2, and say they can start testing in Houston within weeks. Regulators have approved a driverless exemption for this.

With a concept that looks like out of a Transformers movie, the Japanese manufacturer Kubota provides a glimpse into the future of agriculture. The company claims to be a pioneer in introducing smart technologies in farming.

The Spanish bus manufacturer Irizar has presented an autonomous version of its electric model Irizar ie. The bus is to be used as part of a mobility project in the city of Málaga set to start in a few months.

Cruise, the General Motors subsidiary for autonomous vehicles, has revealed the production model of the Cruise Origin – an autonomous electric vehicle for ridesharing that offers space for six people and no steering wheel.

Toyota has just led May Mobility’s B round financing totalling $50M, which also included BMW iVentures. The financing should allow the Michigan-based startup to expand every aspect of the company and its autonomous electric shuttle fleet.

StreetScooter has hired former managers from Tesla and Ford to join the executive team of the German electric delivery van manufacturer with immediate effect. German postal services Deutsche Post, however, is again expecting significant losses from its subsidiary this year.

Jeff Dahn and his team, who carry out battery research for Tesla, have published test results for a new battery cell that could have a life of 1 million miles (1.6 million km) and thus be suitable for Tesla’s planned robo taxis. At the same time, Tesla battery cell manufacturing appears to be well underway.

Development service provider EDAG will be presenting a study of a swarm intelligent and multifunctional robotic vehicle with fuel cell drive for the IAA. The EDAG CityBot is to be operational around the clock and can be retrofitted as required using add-on modules.

The long-expected alliance between Volkswagen and Ford is official. As part of the deal, VW will become an equal stakeholder in Ford’s self-driving cars venture, while Ford will get access to VW’s electric vehicle technology.

May Mobility that partners with Magna and has select funders such as BMW iVentures or Toyota AI onboard is moving its autonomous electric vehicle concept forward. To be exact, the company is developing a wheelchair-accessible prototype of its self-driving electric shuttle.

Nissan and its China partner Dongfeng are currently in talks with Didi Chuxing to establish a joint venture with Didi’s ride-hailing and car sharing services. The Japanese and Chinese car makers should supply Didi with electric vehicles.

France’s Transport Minister Élisabeth Borne has announced a plan to develop transit with autonomous electric vehicles. The government intends to invest a total of 200 million euros in tests with self-driving electric shuttles in 16 areas of France and to create the legal framework.

Tesla presented its latest take at autonomous driving at its “Autonomy Day” and will install the Autopilot technology in all new vehicles with immediate effect. Utilising it, Tesla plans to launch its peer-to-peer “Robotaxi” service as early as next year, provided the authorities allow it.

At the Hanover IAA, VW Commercial Vehicles will present four concepts to illustrate the way autonomous electric transporters can become the basis for new business ideas, technically based on their modular electric drive system (MEB).

By the Rhein river in the city of Monheim in Germany, five fully autonomous electric buses will begin operations on five bus lines this autumn. Each bus built by France’s Easymile is four meters long with seating for just six passengers.

Announced in autumn, the first self-driving electric shuttle called Gacha, which has been made for all weather conditions, has now been presented in Helsinki. The electric shuttle will be available to the general public in pilot projects as of April this year in the Finnish city of Espoo and will also be available in Hämeenlinna, […]

Apple is ramping up, or better, reviving its ‘Project Titan’ with a new attempt to build its own electric vehicle it appears. Insiders now suggest that the Apple car could be an autonomous electric van.

Scania and Scandinavian public transport operator Nobina have started preparations for a trial with fully autonomous electric buses to begin in 2020. Two Scania Citywide LF electric buses will be tested on a stretch of regular road in Stockholm.

Just a little bit shorter than Wall-E, Amazon.com’s little delivery bot has been called Amazon Scout. The six-wheeled robot will be making deliveries during pilot tests in Washington’s Snohomish County.

It is a ‘yes’ indeed for Volkswagen and Ford. The two carmakers put an end to rumours as they announce details on the extent of their alliance for the first time in Detroit. They want to begin to develop new vans and medium-size pick-up trucks together starting in 2022 and continue to look into other […]

Volkswagen has readied the ground for a research and development centre with its Chinese joint venture partner JAC, in Hefei, Anhui Province. The centre will focus on electrification, connectivity and autonomous driving.

Elon Musk’s tunnel digging venture, The Boring Company says they will open their first tunnel underneath L.A. on December, 18. Moreover they will combine it with the debut of an autonomous shuttle Musk says is “road-legal”.

Volvo Cars and the Chinese internet giant Baidu have agreed to cooperate and jointly develop fully electric and autonomous vehicles for the Chinese market, before entering serial production with them.

Ford and VW are already cooperating in the field of utility vehicles, but now the two automobile manufacturers are planning a far more extensive cooperation in the areas of electric mobility and autonomous driving. The plan is to work together to lower development costs for future technologies.

Volkswagen has chosen Israel to install a new ride-hailing service using self-driving electric cars. Together with Intel-owned Mobileye, VW is planning a joint venture to launch their Mobility-as-a-service (Maas) offer early next year and to scale up quickly.

The town of Candiac in Québec will see the first real-road trial of autonomous electric shuttles in Canada. Setup by Keolis using EVs from Navya, the trial will run over 12 months. The shuttles will serve on public roads on a 2-km stretch.