This article appears to be a collection of news and updates in the transportation and tech industries, specifically focusing on autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, startups, and venture capital. Here are some key points summarized:
Startups and Venture Capital
- A startup called Harbinger raised $100M in Series B funding for its electric vehicle (EV) company.
- Another startup, Rivian, produced 1,015 vehicles in 2021, delivering 920 by the end of the year, despite originally targeting production of 1,200 vehicles.
- General Motors has recognized California’s authority under the Clean Air Act to set its own vehicle emissions standards.
Autonomous Vehicles
- Local Motors, an autonomous vehicle company, is facing financial difficulties and has been acquired by a new owner.
- Aurora, another autonomous vehicle startup, is taking the US government to court over safety rules as it nears self-driving truck launch.
Electric Vehicles
- Mercedes-Benz launched two new electric vehicles: the 2022 AMG EQS and the SL Roadster.
- Rivian has more than 71,000 pre-orders for its R1T pickup trucks.
Industry Trends and Analysis
- The article highlights "feature bloat" as a contributing factor to the current chip shortage in the auto industry. This refers to the tendency of automakers to add unnecessary technology features that require complex software.
- The author notes that this trend has resulted in higher prices and spotty availability of certain features for consumers.
Other News
- Tesla’s $100 million big-rig charging funding request was rejected by the Biden administration for a second time.
- CBRE acquired Industrious, a co-working company, at an $800M valuation.
