Insights on Automotive

Both Leandra English, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s deputy director, and Mick Mulvaney, the White House’s pick for interim head, have shown up for work.

Uber has announced a new deal with Volvo. Under the agreement, Uber plans to purchase as many as 24,000 self-driving Volvos once the technology is production-ready, putting the vehicles into its extensive ride-hailing network.

Want to take your Tesla for a joyride … through the air? In a tease that would be utterly ludicrous if it had come from practically anyone else, Tesla CEO Elon Musk hinted Sunday that a “special upgrade” of the company’s new Roadster supercar may be capable of briefly flying.

Richard Cordray, the embattled director of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, announced Wednesday that he will leave the agency by the end of November.

Arent Fox secured a favorable decision on behalf of three New York Maserati dealerships.

Trucks will someday drive themselves out of warehouses and cruise down freeways without the aid of humans or even a driver’s cab — about that there seems little disagreement.

Self-driving cars will change millions of people’s lives for the better by providing independence and mobility to those who can’t drive because of physical limitations or age.

Is Silicon Skyline the next Silicon Valley or Silicon Beach?

No driver, no driving, no problems (shoes and shirts required). Waymo has been testing its self-driving vehicles in Arizona since 2016, and the rollout of completely driverless cars in Chandler, Arizona now marks a major milestone for the technology and the company.

Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) sent the request to the White House’s Office of Management and Budget’s Mick Mulvaney, urging him to act on rulemaking involving the standardization of vehicle to vehicle, or V2V, communication.

Automotive practice leader Aaron Jacoby recently spoke with San Fernando Valley Business Journal about several topics pertaining to autonomous vehicles.

Automotive practice group chair, Aaron Jacoby recently spoke with San Fernando Valley Business Journal about several topics pertaining to autonomous vehicles, including how a small company located in Northridge, CA is developing a “black box” for the autonomous or driverless vehicle market.

Car safety regulations requiring human hands and feet may be getting the boot. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has asked industry players to share their feedback on “any unnecessary regulatory barriers to automated safety technologies.”

A couple million dollars saved is a few technology advancements earned. Identifying and reducing day-to-day costs on the traditional side of the automaker business is set to fund the more futuristic innovations in the industry.

Have we mentioned that everyone is getting together over self-driving cars? In a $450 million transaction, Delphi Automotive will buy self-driving software startup nuTonomy to accelerate their commercial autonomous rollout.

Foreign markets are top-of-mind for automakers, and neither the market nor the auto brands are being shy about it.

Gotta love a good survey. According to Edmunds, consumers are ready to spend on early-stage automotive autonomy technology even if they’re still unsure about fully self-driving cars.

It seems like cartels are not just popular on Netflix these days. In documentary-worthy drama, EU authorities raided BMW headquarters to investigate an alleged cartel among German automakers.

No need to spell it out if you can just use Alphabet. The Big G’s CapitalG investment fund helped Lyft raise $1 billion in new funds. With the latest boosts, Lyft says its valuation has increased from $7.5 billion to $11 billion.

The diesel scandal is not a failure on the part of individual companies, but rather the result of collusion among German automakers that lasted for years.

Self-driving technology isn’t just about the four wheels. In a new study by Boston Consulting Group and the World Economic Forum, urban sprawl is a concern in how autonomous cars will change the composition of cities.

And they’re not products of the Detroit Three. Two self-driving electric shuttles, developed by Ann Arbor-based startup May Mobility, were the first commercial autonomous shuttles to ferry passengers within the city of Detroit.

California is getting ready for a Flintstones-Jetsons-like change. The state’s Department of Motor Vehicles recently published proposed rules to regulate self-driving cars once “everyday people” eventually use the technology.

The biggest automakers in the world are being forced to follow Beijing’s lead as China takes steps to dominate in electric vehicles and technology.

While we don’t believe GM is getting into the nightclub industry, anything is possible. The automaker just announced the acquisition of Strobe, a startup that does actually make lasers. However, these are not paired with disco balls and electronic music.