Amid a recent avalanche of bad headlines — including the release of an email memo to employees outlining his rules for partying and sex — Uber CEO Travis Kalanick may step away from the company for a bit. [More]
ride-sharing
Uber Fares Will Soon Be Based On How Much Uber Thinks You’re Willing To Pay
By 5.19.17
If you’ve ever hailed an Uber ride and thought afterward that you paid a lot less than you should have, those days may soon be over. The company’s latest change to its pricing model will offer you a rate that isn’t based purely on time and distance, but on what Uber’s computers think you’ll be willing to pay. [More]
Google To Take On Uber, Lyft With Major Expansion Of Waze Carpooling Service
By 2.22.17
It seems you can’t throw a rock in the street these days without hitting a ride-sharing vehicle (but don’t do that, seriously). Google is going to make that marketplace even more crowded with a major expansion it has planned for the carpooling function included in its Waze navigation app. [More]
Uber Driver Reportedly Saves Woman From Human Trafficking
By 12.29.16
When you see a headline containing the phrase “Uber Driver” it’s rarely good news. In the past, the ridesharing company’s drivers have faced accusations of assaulting, overcharging, and stranding passengers, but today we have a welcome change of pace. Police in California say one Uber driver actually helped to save a teen from a human trafficking ring. [More]
Uber, Lyft, Zipcar Offer Free Or Discounted Rides To Polls On Election Day
By 11.7.16
Election Day is nearly here, and millions of Americans will head to their respective polling places on Tuesday. You might be able to drive, walk, bike, or jetpack to your voting site, but for those who need a ride (or just a car), a handful of companies are offering free or discounted options. [More]
Tesla’s Future Fully Self-Driving Cars Won’t Be Allowed On Uber, Lyft Platforms
By 10.20.16
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]
Google Expands Waze Ride-Sharing Test To San Francisco
By 9.30.16
What’s that sound? It’s Google knocking on Uber and Lyft’s doors to tell them it’s come out to play: the technology giant is taking one step further into providing transportation by expanding its pilot ride-sharing program to San Francisco. [More]
Google Launching Actual Ride-Sharing Pilot To Compete With Uber, Lyft
By 8.31.16
When Uber was new, it may have claimed to be a ride-sharing service, but these days it’s a high-tech, glorified, unlicensed taxi app. So Google’s planning to start competing against it in San Francisco, with… an actual ride-sharing service. [More]
Ford Plans To Make Autonomous Ride-Sharing Vehicles Available By 2021
By 8.16.16
For the last several years carmakers have worked to perfect their self-driving vehicles as a way to prepare consumers for the inevitable robot revolution and to beat their competitors to the punch. Today, Ford announced a timeline for when its fully autonomous ride-sharing vehicle will hit the market, picking up passengers at the drop of a hat. Spoiler alert: It’s in five years. [More]
VW Focusing On New Electric Car Offerings To Make Up For Emissions Scandal
By 6.16.16
After admitting to equipping more than 11 million vehicles worldwide — around 500,000 in the U.S. — with illegal “defeat devices” designed to cheat emissions standards, Volkswagen is trying to undo that damage by focusing more on greener, electric vehicles. [More]
Waze Taking On Uber, Lyft In San Francisco With Carpool Service
By 5.16.16
Earlier this year, Google’s traffic app Waze joined forces with Lyft, allowing the ride-hailing company to use its navigation technology in an attempt to get riders to their destinations in the fastest manner possible. Now, the tech company is ready to take on the on-demand ride industry all by itself, launching a carpooling service in San Francisco. [More]
GM & Lyft Set To Test Self-Driving Taxis Within A Year
By 5.5.16
It hasn’t taken General Motors long to figure out how to spend its $500 million investment in Lyft. A month after the carmaker said it would use some of those funds to rent SUVs to prospective drivers, the partners unveiled plans to begin testing self-driving taxis on public roads in California. [More]
Uber Objects To Atlanta Airport’s Plan For Driver Background Checks, Fare Fees
By 3.18.16
The next time you need a ride at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, it’s not likely going to be an Uber driver who picks you up. The ride-share company has balked at the airport’s proposal that would require Uber and Lyft drivers to get fingerprint-based background checks, as well as impose fees on every fare. [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]
Sidecar Calling It Quits, Ceasing Service Dec. 31
By 12.29.15
There will be one less ride-sharing company to shuttle you and your packages around the city come January 1: Sidecar plans to shutter its ride and delivery service by the end of the year. [More]
Pennsylvania Proposes $50M Fine Against Uber For Operating Without Approval
By 11.18.15
Uber’s tendency to begin operations now and ask for permission later seems to have backfired in a big way in Pennsylvania, with two judges for the state’s taxi and bus regulatory agency recommending a $50 million fine against the ride-hailing company for operating without first getting the proper state approval. [More]
Uber Testing Bus-Like Feature That Gives Passengers A Discount For Getting Picked Up Along “Smart Routes”
By 8.24.15
While some folks might prefer the privacy of their own car and driver, others are totally willing to share a ride in order to save a few bucks. Uber is testing a new feature for its UberPool option — which allows drivers to pick up multiple passengers along a common route — that works similar to bus routes. [More]
Lyft To Pay $300,000 To Resolve Claims It Illegally Operated In Some Areas Of New York
By 6.19.15
Nearly a year after the New York Attorney General’s office and state insurance regulators filed a lawsuit accusing ride-sharing app Lyft of violating state law in certain areas, the company has agreed to pay $300,000 to resolve the complaint. [More]
