As you may have heard, Tesla recently announced it would begin making fully autonomous vehicles. But if your enterprising mind immediately began thinking of ways you could make money by using your future self-driving car, say, by providing rides through Uber or Lyft, without actually driving, we’ve got some bad news: the electric carmaker will only allow its vehicles to be used on its own ride-share network. [More]
Transportation & Infrastructure
Police: Miami Uber Driver Admitted He Sexually Assaulted Incapacitated Passenger
By 10.20.16 — Updated: 11.1.16
Police in Miami say an Uber driver has admitted to sexually battering a female customer while she was incapacitated after a night of drinking. [More]
Tesla To Make New Cars Self-Driving, Won’t Actually Turn The System On
By 10.20.16
Tesla’s vehicles already come with Autopilot, a semi-autonomous, assisted steering feature that is not fully hands-off. But in the not so distant future, the electric carmaker plans to equip all of its cars with fully autonomous driving capabilities. [More]
You Can Now Hail A Ride Straight From Google’s Mobile Search Results
By 10.19.16
While Google already offers the option of hailing a cab or ride-service pickup from within Google Maps, the company will now let users order up a car straight from Google’s mobile search results. [More]
New Federal Rules Mean Airlines Have To Offer Refunds For Delayed Baggage
By 10.19.16 — Updated: 11.1.16
The White House issued new regulations this week that are aimed at protecting airline consumers by giving them more information to compare the cost of flights and the performance of air carriers. The Obama administration also wants airlines to refund checked bag fees when luggage is delayed. [More]
Windshield Locks Could Be Parking Enforcement’s New Tool of Choice
By 10.19.16 — Updated: 11.1.16
Putting a boot on a car to crack down on illegally parked vehicles could be a thing of the past in at least one city, where parking enforcement officials are considering an alternative mechanism: a windshield lock that makes it impossible for parking violators to see anything, preventing them from driving away [More]
Volkswagen Finalizing $15B Dieselgate Settlement, But Still No Fix In Sight
By 10.18.16
Back in June, Volkswagen reached a nearly $15 billion tentative agreement with the federal government to begin the long process of putting “dieselgate” in the rearview. Now, the carmaker is seeking to finalize that agreement, with one, rather large, modification: it still doesn’t have a process to fix the 500,000 vehicles that contain so-called “defeat devices” that skirt U.S. emissions standards. [More]
London Uber Drivers Must Pass English Language Test
By 10.18.16
Operating a worldwide ride-sharing platform means that Uber often finds itself disputing local rules and regulations. Most of these battles have been about taxes permits, insurance, or background checks for drivers, but a new directive handed down by London’s transportation agency requires drivers to pass an English language proficiency exam. [More]
Report: Apple Taking A Big Step Back From Electric Car Plans
By 10.17.16 — Updated: 11.1.16
A little over a year ago, Apple was speeding up its quest to join the electric car market, announcing that it hoped to have a vehicle ready by 2019. Fast forward to today, and the company is reportedly putting the brakes on that plan. [More]
San Francisco Proposal Would Limit Residential Airbnb Rentals To 60 Days/Year
By 10.14.16
The relationship between Airbnb and its home city of San Francisco is complicated to say the least. the least. The two have repeatedly duked it out over regulations, taxes, and liability, and now the stage is set for yet another battle between the city and the home-sharing platform, as the San Francisco Board of Supervisors considers reducing the number of days people in the city can rent out their homes each year. [More]
Get Excited: U.S. Airlines Will Probably Raise Ticket Prices Next Year
By 10.14.16 — Updated: 11.1.16
Now that we’ve all gotten used to cheaper flights amid low fuel prices over the last few years, it’s time for the the airline industry to do its best to tick everyone off again by sending fare prices upwards once again. [More]
Lawsuit: Disability Rights Group Claims Uber Violates U.S. Wheelchair Accessibility Laws
By 10.13.16 — Updated: 11.1.16
A Chicago disability rights group is suing Uber in federal court, claiming that the transportation company doesn’t provide reliable access to vehicles equipped to handle wheelchairs, in violation of U.S. laws. [More]
New York State Grants Unemployment Benefits To Two Former Uber And Lyft Drivers
By 10.13.16
The decision to grant unemployment benefits to two former drivers for ride-hailing apps Uber and Lyft is an interesting one, since it means that yet another government agency has concluded that “gig economy” workers were treated like employees and should be considered as such…at least for the purpose of getting some income while they aren’t driving. [More]
Uber Acquires Trucking Company, Wants To Sell Freight Services
By 9.28.16 — Updated: 5.26.17
Consumers know Uber as a replacement for short-range taxis, but the company has other transportation goals. The company recently acquired Otto, a startup that’s developing self-driving trucks. While autonomous vehicles zooming freight across the country are its long-term goal, Uber plans get into the long-haul trucking business long before self-driving trucks are the norm. [More]
GM Offers To Buy Out 40% Of Cadillac Dealers
By 9.23.16
If there are fewer places around where you can buy a Cadillac, will that make the brand seem more luxurious and precious? That’s not really why General Motors has offered to buy out the franchises of 400 of its dealers that sell Cadillacs, but maybe it will help make the brand seem more exclusive, like its weird brand experience café/art gallery in Manhattan. [More]
Gas Shortages Due To Colonial Pipeline Break Begin In Southeastern US
By 9.19.16
The company that runs the Colonial Pipleine that stretches from Houston to NYC has announced that it doesn’t have a projected date when it will be repaired. That’s bad news for people in areas where gas prices are climbing and pumps are beginning to run out: southern states including Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia now report shortages, but they could come soon to an East Coast gas station near you. [More]
Ruptured Gas Pipeline In Alabama May Mean East Coast Fuel Shortages
By 9.16.16
A spill of gasoline from the Colonial Pipeline in Alabama could mean higher gas prices and even shortages on the East Coast, since the line brings fuel north from refineries in Houston all the way up to New York Harbor. The governors of Alabama and Georgia have declared states of emergency as the pipeline’s repair was delayed, and it may not be back online until next week. [More]
Americans Don’t Want Priuses Because They Forgot That Gas Prices Can Change
By 9.6.16
Last year, we noted that low gas prices seem to be giving American car-buyers memory loss, as consumer preferences steered over to SUVs and trucks rather than the hybrid and compact cars that were popular a few years ago when gas prices topped $4 per gallon. Now it’s causing actual problems for Toyota, maker of what were the most popular hybrids… eight years ago. [More]
