Aurora Ends Affiliation with VW as it Begins Collaboration with FCA

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has arguably been quieter on the autonomous vehicle front than Ford and GM, but this week marked a significant development for the company. FCA announced it will partner with Aurora, a Bay Area startup developing self-driving technologies. The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the arrangement. Wired reports that the … Continue reading “Aurora Ends Affiliation with VW as it Begins Collaboration with FCA”

MEDC Leader Details Michigan’s Road to the Waymo AV Factory Deal

This week, Michigan’s economic development office notched a win when it announced that Waymo, Google’s mobility arm, had chosen the Great Lakes State as the location for a new manufacturing operation. According to a press release from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), Waymo will invest $13.6 million in a factory that will integrate Waymo’s … Continue reading “MEDC Leader Details Michigan’s Road to the Waymo AV Factory Deal”

Ford’s AV Update, GM’s Peer-to-Peer Ridesharing, & More Auto News

The “Big Three” Detroit-area automakers have all been making headlines this week. Ford shared more details on its autonomous vehicle division, GM announced a peer-to-peer ridesharing program, and the automotive world lost a key figure who’s been credited with saving Chrysler after the Great Recession. Read on for more details. —Sergio Marchionne, former CEO of … Continue reading “Ford’s AV Update, GM’s Peer-to-Peer Ridesharing, & More Auto News”

Father-Daughter Startup Seeva Turns Old IP into New Driverless Tech

[Correction, 2/23/18: See below.] The mobility sector has spawned plenty of unlikely alliances that have led to new products and business models for self-driving vehicles. But it’s hard to get more unlikely than Seeva, a Pacific Northwest mobility startup with Detroit roots, run by a vivacious daughter and her retired father, and based on technology … Continue reading “Father-Daughter Startup Seeva Turns Old IP into New Driverless Tech”

EOW Reading List: Automation, Onshoring, Heart, and AI Texas Hold’em

One of Xconomy’s areas of focus in 2017 is the increasing impact of technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and automation on human labor. Technology has always made some occupations obsolete, while changing others, and creating new ones. Today, and looking forward, these changes seem to be accelerating. This is the exponential economy from which … Continue reading “EOW Reading List: Automation, Onshoring, Heart, and AI Texas Hold’em”

U-M Unveils Autonomous Shuttle as Snyder Signs Driverless Car Bills

Today, Michigan took another step toward its goal of being a global hub for the development of autonomous vehicles when the University of Michigan unveiled a 15-passenger driverless shuttle. Separately, Governor Rick Snyder signed legislation easing regulations for testing autonomous technologies down the road at the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn. U-M’s electric shuttle, … Continue reading “U-M Unveils Autonomous Shuttle as Snyder Signs Driverless Car Bills”

Boston-Power Vets Take New Approach With Battery Startup Cadenza

Christina Lampe-Onnerud has found it much easier to get a foot in the door with partners and potential customers for her second lithium-ion battery startup, Cadenza Innovation, than for her first, Boston-Power. Maybe that’s because the advanced battery market has matured since she started Boston-Power in 2005. The industry has grown to about 100 lithium-ion … Continue reading “Boston-Power Vets Take New Approach With Battery Startup Cadenza”

Roundup: Duo Insight, Digital Undivided, Bug Bounty & More

Here’s a look at innovation news from around Michigan: —Duo Security, the Ann Arbor-based cybersecurity startup that is also one of the state’s fastest growing companies, has released a free tool that lets IT teams run internal phishing simulations within five minutes. Duo Insight allows administrators to identify potential security weaknesses and share them with … Continue reading “Roundup: Duo Insight, Digital Undivided, Bug Bounty & More”

Roundup: Build Sec Foundry, Tech Bloc, UT’s Goonewardene, & SiNode

Happy Monday from Xconomy Texas. Let’s get caught up on the latest innovation news in the state. —A new incubator in San Antonio aims to nurture young startups in cybersecurity. Build Sec Foundry will be hosted at Geekdom and has received a $600,000 grant from the 80/20 Foundation, a San Antonio group that invests in … Continue reading “Roundup: Build Sec Foundry, Tech Bloc, UT’s Goonewardene, & SiNode”

New Proposed Laws, Collaborations Pave Way for Driverless Future

This has been a banner week for Michigan-centric news pertaining to the development of driverless vehicles. On Wednesday, Google announced in a Google+ post that, after placing a team of employees in the metro Detroit area for “the past few years,” it would open a facility in suburban Novi, MI, to develop self-driving car technology. … Continue reading “New Proposed Laws, Collaborations Pave Way for Driverless Future”

As the Mobility Sector Revs Up, Startups and Dealerships Respond

Mobility, in case you haven’t heard, is the up-and-coming tech buzzword driving the future of transportation. As defined by the auto industry, mobility refers to moving goods and people from point A to point B. This encompasses vehicles for personal use, fleet vehicles, public transit, ridesharing, bicycles, car-sharing, self-driving cars, planes, trains, and essentially any … Continue reading “As the Mobility Sector Revs Up, Startups and Dealerships Respond”