Uber
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Uber turns on electric vehicles in the UK, starting with 50 cars in London
The race for who will take the lead in the next generation of automotive technology is on, and today Uber is kicking off a program that it hopes will help put it in pole position. Today, the transportation-on-demand behemoth is launching a new electric car service in the UK, in partnership with Nissan and China’s BYD, where it will offer leasing (not purchasing) options for… Read More
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Alphabet’s David Drummond leaves Uber’s board amid mounting competition
David Drummond, who joined Uber’s board of directors in August 2013, stepped down several weeks ago, Uber has confirmed to TechCrunch. The Wall Street Journal first reported the news. At first blush: no surprise whatsoever. Earlier this month, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick said the company’s first fleet of self-driving cars would begin running in Pittsburgh soon (as soon as this… Read More
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Jobless in the self-driving economy
Uber’s self-driving cars will hit the road this month, earlier than anticipated. That’s an exciting surprise…unless of course you’re a driver. They won’t be the only ones affected, though. The consequences of robot-induced unemployment could eventually ripple through the rest of the economy. What will happen to Uber’s 1 million drivers? And the 3.5… Read More
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Didi wins, Uber retreats, but Chinese riders and drivers lose
No one wants to fight a land war in Asia, not even Uber. It could have burnt mountains of cash battling for market share with local ride app juggernaut Didi Chuxing, between marketing, discounts, and driver incentives. Instead, Uber surrendered. It’s sold its UberChina operation to Didi in exchange for a 20% stage in the merged company, while Didi has invested $1 billion into Uber at… Read More
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The 7 steps of Elon Musk’s “Master Plan”
Why did Tesla buy SolarCity? To make your solar panel roof battery power your self-driving electric pickup truck. Elon Musk just revealed the second phase of his “Master Plan” and we broke it down so you can see the future too. Uber for 911 transport is a horrible idea
The Washington D.C. Fire and EMS Department is considering a plan to use Uber to transport low priority 911 callers, according to NBC Washington. It’s a horrible idea.
Washington’s plan is to hire a team of nurses who could evaluate a caller’s condition over the phone and direct them to an Uber if they are deemed stable. Already this is odd given that the purpose of an… Read More
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Can the Airbnb regulatory nightmare be solved with more tech?
Sharing economy startups like Airbnb and Uber have gone nuclear to defend their business model, suing city governments or shuttering their services entirely when they don’t get their way. Airbnb recently sued the City of San Francisco over legislation that would require Airbnb to boot hosts off its platform if they don’t register with the city. Uber and Lyft haven’t had… Read More
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New reports confirm $1.15B leveraged loan raised by Uber at 5%
Two weeks ago, we reported that Uber was in talks to raise $1-2 billion in leveraged loans. The Wall Street Journal is circulating new information that the company has closed a $1.15 billion leveraged loan, with a 5 percent yield. This number comes in on the low side of our previous estimates. Last month, sources confirmed to TechCrunch that Uber had plans to raise $1-2 billion in… Read More
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Lyft’s latest launch is luxury
Over the coming months, we are going to be seeing a lot more pink mustaches on Audi, BMW, and Mercedes vehicles. Today, Lyft is launching Lyft Premier. Users will be able to catch rides in luxury sedans and SUVs. Highly rated drivers with access to high-end vehicles can service rides. The cost premium for Premier rides will earn drivers additional money. Lyft will also be able to take… Read More
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How our founding fathers raised a Series A
For some of us, hotdogs, patriotic songs, and fireworks are enough. We here at TechCrunch expect more of our readers. Why be satisfied with fireworks when you could literally launch a Kickstarter into the sky. If you’re like me, you were likely quite disappointed to find out that Hamilton wasn’t about an epic duel, I mean “syndicate,” between Backstage… Read More
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