Startup Bird is looking to roll up the emerging escooter-sharing space
Bird is an e-scooter company based in Santa Monica. It's already done well, but now, in perhaps its boldest move yet, Bird says that it has signed agreements with Ninebot, the parent company of Segway, and Chinese giant Xiaomi, to have exclusive rights to their supply of ride-sharing scooters in the U.S.
At $25,000 per month, this supercar has the most expensive car lease ever
At $25,000 per month -- after a $700K down payment -- the Pagani Huayra Roadster claims the spot as the most expensive new-car lease in history. Why wouldn't well-heeled motorists buy the ultra-exotic hypercar outright? It turns out there are many benefits to leasing over buying or financing.
The biggest carmakers are sitting out the 2019 Detroit Auto Show
Audi recently announced that it won’t have a presence at the 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the “motoring capital” of the U.S. The automaker joins Mercedes-Benz and BMW in sitting out from the Detroit auto show.
The Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR concept is a red-hot chili pepper on wheels
Volkswagen has introduced the hottest GTI to date. Called TCR, it ditches its 220-horsepower turbo four and receives 286 galloping horses, a figure which makes it the most powerful GTI to date. Though it's billed as just a concept, Volkswagen remains committed to making it a reality by the end of the year.
Packtalk voice-command motorcycle communicators connect 15 riders
Cardo Systems introduced two new models for its natural language voice-command motorcycle communications system, which uses a proprietary dynamic mesh technology to connect up to 15 riders in a five-mile range. The Packtalk communicators also use Bluetooth to connect with smartphones, GPS units, and Bluetooth headsets.
UPS deliveries receive a cartoonish makeover with new electric trucks
The future is now! Or, at least it is for UPS and its latest announcement. The company just revealed its latest and greatest fleet of delivery vehicles: a new line of purpose-built, all-electric, compact minivans for urban deliveries in London and Paris.
Nissan turns its Rogue crossover into a road-going Millennium Falcon
Nissan commissioned a Millennium Falcon-themed show car for Solo: A Star Wars Story. Using a Rogue as the starting point, Nissan and Lucasfilm tried to make Han Solo proud by merging the looks of SUV and the spaceship. The show car features customized bodywork and a powerful sound system.
Follow along as Rolls-Royce puts the final touches on its stately Cullinan SUV
Rolls-Royce finished testing the Cullinan in the public eye through a partnership with National Geographic. The British brand's first SUV will go on sale for $325,000. Can it take on the Bentley Bentayga and the Lamborghini Urus to become king of the luxury off-roaders?
FCA gives police the ‘Charger of SUVs’ — the 2018 Dodge Durango Pursuit
There's a new Dodge in town as FCA introduces the 2018 Dodge Durango Pursuit for law enforcement agencies only. The Dodge Charger Pursuit is the fastest police car in the country and this SUV version has more interior space and is equipped for off-road chases. It even has K-9-friendly features.
Lyft’s All-Access subscription plan picks up steam, now boasts a wait-list
Lyft is testing out a subscription service through which riders would pay a monthly fee instead of paying on a per-ride basis. The ridesharing company told Digital Trends it's sending invitations to select passengers to join a new wait-list for the next wave of openings in the All-Access Plan.
Ohio governor says you ‘have to take risks’ as state welcomes driverless cars
The governor of Ohio has given permission for driverless-car tests in the state. While acknowledging the awfulness of the recent tragedy in Arizona when an autonomous Uber car struck and killed a pedestrian, Governor Kasich said it was nevertheless right to "take risks" when developing new technologies.
Ford halts all F-150 truck production lines because the parts aren’t there
A May 2 fire at a parts supplier stopped Ford F-150 production lines in Dearborn, Michigan. Ford said the shut down could last at least several days but won't affect sales. The fire followed an explosion at Meridian Magnesium Products. The profitable Ford F-series trucks are the best-selling vehicles in the country.
Ford, bike makers unveil bike-to-vehicle (B2V) interactive road safety A.I.
Ford joined Trek, Shimano, Specialized, and eight other bike-industry giants to develop A.I. for bike-to-vehicle (B2V) communication. The goal is improved safety for bikes, pedestrians, and vehicles. Cars, bikes, trucks, and roadway infrastructure would connect via the cross-industry B2V standard.
Can A.I. make self-driving cars a reality? Waymo reveals the future
Waymo got some stage time at Google I/O to discuss how Google's artificial intelligence efforts have helped speed up the development of self-driving cars. A.I. allows autonomous cars to react to the environment, according to Waymo, which plans to launch an autonomous ride sharing service later this year.
2019 Mercedes-AMG GT63 S Edition 1 gets racing stripes, aerodynamics package
The Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S Edition 1 aims to make a strong first impression with upgraded aerodynamics and model-specific styling features. Based on the range-topping GT 63 S model, it goes on sale early next year. Other AMG GT 4-Door Coupe variants will follow the Edition 1 to showrooms.
Did Uber’s self-driving prototype decide not to avoid the pedestrian it struck?
Uber has been conducting an investigation into its fatal March self-driving car crash, and now, a new report suggests that the self-driving car may have in fact seen the pedestrian crossing the street, but then decided against taking evasive measures. Uber has not commented further on these reports.
Watch this tuned Audi RS3 give the Dodge Challenger Demon a run for its money
The Audi RS3 is already a fast car, but tuner APR used a host of upgrades to turn it into a quarter-mile killer. The result is a car with abilities not normally expected of even the most hardcore German sports sedans. How does 600 horsepower and a 9.83-second run down the drag strip sound?
Waymo releases Arizona crash video, stresses van was operating in manual mode
A Waymo self-driving van was involved in a car crash in Chandler, Arizona. The Waymo van was traveling at a slow speed in autonomous mode with a human backup driver in the driver's seat and was not the vehicle responsible for the crash, police say. The van was hit by a car driving eastbound into westbound lanes.
Volvo is bringing Google Assistant to your car, even if you don’t use Android
Thanks to an ongoing partnership between the carmaker and the tech giant, Volvo will be introducing Google services into its next-generation Sensus infotainment system, which is built upon Google's Android operating system. This follows last year's announcement of a connected infotainment center.
Tesla requires all contractors to have an employee vouch for them
Elon Musk is sick of Tesla's over-reliance on contract labor. The CEO recently sent out a series of emails warning that the company would be firing the majority of its contract workers
Say hello to the new Lotus Exige Sport 410 — the middle child of the bunch
Lotus Cars Ltd. continues to expand with new sports cars and its latest reveal is the Exige Sport 410. It's a middle option between the 345 horsepower Exige Sport 350 and the track-focused 430 horsepower Exige Cup 430.
Elon Musk hung up on NTSB chairman during a call regarding deadly Model X crash
Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk reportedly grew frustrated with the chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NSB) and hung up on him. This decision reportedly resulted in Tesla's representatives being kicked off the investigation.
2019 Chevrolet Suburban RST Performance Package speeding to dealers this summer
GM just bumped up the hot SUV list with the 2019 Chevrolet Suburban RST Performance Package. Customer response to the Tahoe RST Performance Package prompted Chevy to add the go-power, handling, and braking upgrades to the full-size Suburban. The regular RST looks hot, the Performance Package makes it hot.
Some details slip of a new BMW M5 Competition with more power
It seems some details about a new, harder-edged version of the already ridiculously fast BMW M5 (F90), dubbed the M5 Competition, surfaced somewhere down under in Australia, via some leaked dealer ordering information.
Thieves steal convoy of 2018 Ram 1500 trucks from Michigan factory
An organized group of thieves stole almost a dozen 2018 Ram 1500 pickup trucks ready for dealers from a Warren, Michigan assembly plant. The thieves cut a hole in a fence, grabbed the trucks, and smashed through a security gate in clear view of a security guard. FCA has now provided police with VINs.
Elon Musk is sick of Tesla’s bad press, so he’s going to do something about it
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is tired of reading stories that question Autopilot's safety. The company will begin releasing quarterly reports that outline the system's performance, though Musk stopped short of revealing what they'll contain. Tesla still plans to launch a fleet of fully autonomous cars by late next year.
Kia Nero EV crossover produces zero emissions, but plenty of miles per charge
It's been a few months since Kia first showed off its concept of the all new Kia Nero EV at CES 2018, and now the Korean carmaker has debuted the zero-emissions vehicle in earnest for the first time at the International Electric Vehicle Expo in Jeju, South Korea. It can go 236 miles on a single charge.
Nikola sues Tesla and gets an 800-truck Anheuser-Busch order in the same week
Nikola Motors sued Tesla for $2 billion in loss of business due to alleged patented design infringements. Two days later Nikola received a company record-breaking order for 800 hydrogen fuel cell trucks from Anheuser-Busch, which has also ordered 40 Tesla Semis.
Toyota research arm to construct new test track for automated vehicles
Tests deemed too dangerous for self-driving vehicles to perform on public roadways will now be relegated to a new facility, courtesy of TRI. The carmaker's research arm has announced the construction of a new closed-course test facility that will help Toyota continue to develop its autonomous car technology.
Self-driving cars hit the Las Vegas Strip thanks to Lyft and Aptiv
If you're in Vegas, you may want to pass taking a spin on the roulette wheel, but instead try out some self-driving wheels. As part of its partnership with ride-hailing giant Lyft, Aptiv has launched a fleet of 30 autonomous vehicles in Sin City, and they're now available for your commuting convenience.
2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat prepares to do battle with Ford’s Shelby GT500
The 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat will get some updates, including a new hood design, but this hellacious muscle car faces new competition in the form of Ford's upcoming Shelby GT500 Mustang. We've got the makings of an epic battle here, but will Mopar or Ford come out on top in the end?
AMG still believes in coupe and convertible sports cars (for the most part)
Mercedes-AMG sells more cars than ever in its history, but the company's boss isn't concerned about getting too big as long as it doesn't dilute the brand. He still believes in the coupe and convertible segments, and he told us the next SL will go back to its roots, but the SLC's future is up in the air.
2019 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid is powerful, yet easy on gas
Porsche will expand the third-generation Cayenne lineup with a gasoline-electric variant named E-Hybrid. Its 3.0-liter V6 works with an electric motor to deliver 455 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. Porsche's smartphone app lets owners start, monitor, and stop the charging process remotely.
Subaru says employees manipulated fuel economy data of 903 cars
Subaru said employees manipulated fuel economy data of cars made at two Japanese factories between 2012 and 2017. The data was altered by "factory-floor inspectors" in order to meet internal quality control standards, according to Subaru. About 900 cars had their data altered.