What’s a ride-hailing company to do when it’s got a rival or two cruising around town trying to pick up the same customers it wants? It has to have a leg up on the competition. Getting passengers to their destinations quicker than other services is one way to beat out others, which is why Lyft is partnering with Google’s traffic app Waze. [More]
Transportation & Infrastructure
Uber Uses Sensors In Drivers’ Phones To Track If They Are Speeding
By 1.26.16
If you complain to Uber about your driver taking you on a wildly circuitous route to your destination — thus resulting in a higher bill — you know the company can check that because you can see your car’s every turn being tracked in real time on the app. But Uber can also use the driver’s smartphone to see if they are driving recklessly. [More]
Uber Driver Allegedly Pulls Gun On Passenger Who Said He Might Toss His Cookies In The Car
By 1.26.16
It is undoubtedly unpleasant — nay, down right nasty, when someone vomits in your car. But just because someone says vehicular vomiting is a possibility, that doesn’t mean you should pull out a gun and order them to get the heck out of your ride, which is what police say one Uber driver in Florida did recently. [More]
After Takata Airbag Death, Ford Recalls 391K Ranger Trucks
By 1.26.16
Just days after federal regulators said another five million vehicles would be recalled because of defective, shrapnel-shooting Takata airbags, Ford has stepped up to announce that this recall now includes 391,000 Ranger trucks. [More]
Whole Foods Recalling Frozen Pork Pepperoni Pizzas For Masquerading As Beef Pepperoni Pizzas In New England
By 1.26.16
Labels are very important when it comes to food, considering most of us do not have X-ray vision that allows us to scan products with our eyes and know exactly what ingredients those items contain. That’s why Whole Foods is recalling a bunch of frozen pizzas on the East Coast: some pies labeled as containing “uncured beef pepperoni” are actually covered in pork pepperoni. [More]
Lawsuit Claims Honda Refuses To Fix Vehicles With Soy-Coated Wiring That’s Irresistible To Hungry Critters
By 1.25.16
If a car’s insides are an appealing snack for mice, squirrels, and rabbits, should the company that made the vehicle pay to fix the soy-coated wiring when those critters throw themselves a feast? The plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed against Honda think so, and say the carmaker is refusing to pick up the tab for repairs. [More]
Takata Airbag Recall Increases By 5 Million, Ninth U.S. Death Reported
By 1.22.16
The December death of a Georgia man prompted federal regulators to increase by five million the number of vehicles recalled because of defective Takata airbags that can shoot shrapnel at drivers and passengers upon deployment. [More]
2015 Was Another Record Year For Vehicle Recalls
By 1.22.16
Shortly after taking over as head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Mark Rosekind warned carmakers, consumers, and anyone who would listen that 2015 could see more recalls than the recallapalooza that was 2014. Fast forward 12 months, and his prediction has become a reality. [More]
Uber Expands On-Demand Food Delivery Service To 10 More Cities
By 1.21.16
People who are looking for a bite to eat, but don’t feel like interacting with the world at large can now simply order their meals from their Uber app. The ride-hailing company expanded its UberEATS meal-delivery service to 10 more cities, including Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Atlanta, Houston, Seattle, and Dallas. The service delivers customers their choice of meals from a specially curated and rotating menu that features “local flavors that you crave the most” from the “most popular, iconic restaurants.” [The Wall Street Journal] [More]
Business Travelers Would Rather Take An Uber Than Rent A Car
By 1.21.16
Uber has been gaining in popularity in the corporate travel realm for a few months now, but according to one analysis, it’s now the No. 1 option for business travelers, overtaking taxis and topping rental cars. [More]
GM Launches Ride-Share Service Maven In U.S., Germany
By 1.21.16
General Motors currently operates a number of pilot car-sharing and peer-to-peer vehicles services in the U.S. and Germany. Today, the company announced it would roll all of those program into one, Maven. [More]
Tesla Sues Supplier Over Falcon-Wing Door Misrepresentations, Demands For Payment
By 1.20.16
The super-cool, futuristic looking doors on Tesla’s Model X might be eye-catching, but they were apparently a source of consternation for the company and one of its suppliers, according to a new lawsuit. [More]
Ford Under Investigation For Door Latch Issues, Again
By 1.20.16
Just two months after federal regulators shut the book on a probe into why the door latches on certain Ford vehicles refused to stay shut, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a similar investigation into another set of sedans from the carmaker. [More]
Uber Will Get A Special Drop-Off And Pick-Up Area For Passengers Traveling To The Super Bowl
By 1.20.16
For the first time ever, Super Bowl ticketholders will be able to take an Uber to the big game: the ride-hailing company has put down a big chunk of money to snag a special drop-off and pick-up zone near Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, close to San Francisco. [More]
Need A Ride? Soon You Can Hail A Helicopter With Uber
By 1.18.16
Hate dealing with traffic, and have a big chunk of money just burning up in your pocket? You’ll soon be able to summon a helicopter ride using Uber, as part of partnership between the ride-hailing company and aircraft manufacturer Airbus. [More]
Fiat Chrysler Recalling 389K SUVs (Again) To Fix Wiring Issue That Can Lead To Sun Visors Catching Fire
By 1.15.16
In May, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an investigation into Fiat Chrysler over Jeep and Dodge SUVs that were recalled in July 2014 for a wiring issue that could cause sun visors to burst into flame. NHTSA wanted to see how effective that recall remedy had been, after post-recall reports of problems continued. Chrysler is now recalling almost 389,000 SUVs in the U.S. for a second time for that same issue. [More]
Regulators Move To Ease Restrictions For Self-Driving Cars
By 1.14.16
With everyone from Google to Ford trying to get into the self-driving vehicle business, federal regulators say it may be time to ease up on some restrictions that the industry claims are slowing innovation in the relatively new field. [More]
Tesla Unveils Vegan-Friendly Car With Synthetic Leather Seats
By 1.14.16
Watch ads for luxury cars and you’ll inevitably hear about their “sumptuous” leather seats and interior trimmings. But what if you have gobs of money to spend on a car and don’t want it lined with leather (or boring old cloth)? That’s why Tesla now offers a new, vegan-friendly option for its pricey electric vehicles.
[More]
