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Articles by including Tesla
Tesla breaks with local authorities, claims person was in the driver’s seat during fatal crash in Texas
SAN FRANCISCO — Tesla executives on Monday claimed a driver was behind the wheel at the time of a fatal crash that killed two in suburban Houston this month, contradicting local authorities who have previously said they were certain no one was in that seat. Tesla made the statement on its earnings call Monday, building on a previous tweet from chief executive Elon Musk that data “so far” showed that the vehicle’s Autopilot driver-assistance system was not enabled at the time of the crash.
A Tesla will operate without a person in the driver’s seat, Consumer Reports finds
SAN FRANCISCO — A Tesla will operate with no one in the driver’s seat, a leading consumer protection group found, raising new concerns about the electric-vehicle maker’s rollout of driver assistance features. Consumer Reports found a Tesla Model Y crossover would operate in Autopilot mode without a driver after attaching a weight to the steering wheel to trick a sensor Tesla uses for driver monitoring.
Tesla crash that killed two shines spotlight on company’s shaky history with U.S. safety investigators
SAN FRANCISCO — Officials said Tesla is not party to a probe into a weekend Model S crash that killed two — a departure from typical protocol and a potential sign of the auto company’s strained relations with investigators. National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Keith Holloway said Tuesday was investigators’ first full day on the scene of the Houston-suburb crash, and they were probing the vehicle’s operation and the subsequent fire.
Uber grants U.K. drivers ‘worker’ status, entitling them to the minimum wage, company announces
SAN FRANCISCO — Uber will grant its more than 70,000 U.K. drivers “worker” status, the company announced Tuesday, entitling its gig workforce to the minimum wage and benefits and marking a major departure for a company that has built a business model out of treating drivers as independent contractors.
As Uber avoided paying into unemployment, the federal government helped thousands of its drivers weather the pandemic
When the pandemic hit U.S. soil roughly a year ago, tens of thousands of gig workers were left without employer support as work opportunities dried up and the risk of contracting the coronavirus kept many off the road. Ride-hailing trips dropped as much as 80 percent in major cities, according to data released in the companies’ earnings calls and quarterly reports.
Uber and Lyft to share data on driver deactivations, more than a year after pledging to do so
SAN FRANCISCO — Uber and Lyft will begin sharing data on driver deactivations related to assaults with one another, the companies said Thursday, more than a year after first pledging to do so. The new database follows years of pleas from victims’ advocates to better protect passengers from violence and sexual assault by doing so.
Elon Musk's celebrity status and big move to Texas are having consequences for Tesla
Twice in a matter of days recently, the 49-year-old complained of what he called an “insane” work schedule, juggling responsibilities with his car company and aerospace firm and taking in “torrents of information” in wall-to-wall meetings.
Tesla agrees to recall 135,000 vehicles over touch screen failures, after sparring with regulators Original
SAN FRANCISCO — Tesla said it was recalling 135,000 Model S and X vehicles over older touch screen failures, signaling another complication as its first generation of passenger vehicles age. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ordered a recall last month, after finding that the touch screens on those models were going blank and limiting access to numerous features.
Uber expands into alcohol delivery with acquisition of Drizly for $1.1 billion Original
SAN FRANCISCO — Uber said Tuesday it has acquired alcohol delivery service Drizly, the latest purchase for the ride-hailing company as it aggressively diversifies its business after a pandemic-related plummet in rides. The companies announced the $1.1 billion deal in a joint news release, explaining that Drizly would maintain its marketplace but that it would eventually also appear in the Uber Eats app.
Elon Musk grills Robinhood CEO over GameStop trading freeze: ‘The people demand answers’
Elon Musk had just wrapped up a wide-ranging 90-minute interview on the audio chat app Clubhouse early on Monday, when he threw the hosts a curveball. “Do you want to hear the real story from Vlad [from] Robinhood about what happened on the Street with GameStop?” Musk asked. He advised the moderators to click on Robinhood CEO Vladimir Tenev so he could talk.
Tesla’s new Model S steering wheel raises eyebrows
SAN FRANCISCO — Those who learned to drive by placing their hands at “10” and "2″ are in for a surprise when they climb into Tesla’s upcoming refreshed Model S sedan. Images revealed by Tesla Wednesday ahead of its quarterly earnings call showed a lopped-off steering wheel known as a “Yoke” design, prompting controversy online as fans and foes of the electric vehicle company immediately had opinions. Some acclaimed it as another masterful design. Others questioned the choice.
Biden campaigned on making gig workers employees. Now he has to convince Democrats.
Although President-elect Joe Biden’s campaign platform called for gig workers to be classified as employees, narrow Democratic majorities in the House and the Senate and those intraparty philosophical rifts could block Democrats from reaching agreement on gig-worker rights.
Gig workers sue to overturn California’s Prop 22, which made Uber and Lyft drivers contractors
SAN FRANCISCO — A major labor union and several ride-hailing drivers are suing to overturn a newly passed ballot measure classifying gig workers as independent contractors in California. The groups filed suit Tuesday in California’s Supreme Court, alleging Proposition 22 violates the state constitution and limits the power of state legislators to implement certain worker protections they are authorized to grant.
Elon Musk likely becomes world’s richest person, surpassing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos
SAN FRANCISCO — Tesla CEO Elon Musk likely became the world’s richest person on Thursday, surpassing Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos after an early-morning stock rally. Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index estimated Musk’s net worth at $181 billion on Wednesday, about $3 billion behind Bezos. That was before a more than five percent stock rally Thursday morning by Tesla, strongly outpacing Amazon’s gains for the morning and likely vaulting Musk to the rank of world’s richest.
California fines Uber $59 million, threatens license over refusal to hand over sexual assault data
SAN FRANCISCO — California regulators issued a $59 million fine and threatened to suspend Uber’s license to operate in the state over the ride-hailing giant’s refusal to hand over data on sexual assault on the platform, according to a ruling issued Monday. The order comes a year after Uber released a landmark report on the prevalence of sexual assault on its app, which disclosed there had been roughly 6,000 cases of reported sexual assault between 2017 and 2018.
Fully driverless cars are hitting San Francisco streets for the first time
SAN FRANCISCO — Following years of testing with a human backup driver at the helm, General Motors’ Cruise is launching fully driverless cars onto public streets in San Francisco, the company announced Wednesday, the most complex urban environment robocars have taken on to date.
DoorDash takes its stock public, aiming to dominate food delivery after a pandemic-induced boom in business
SAN FRANCISCO — DoorDash rode its wave of new business to a stock market debut on Wednesday, making an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange during the heat of a pandemic in which food delivery has become the new darling of Silicon Valley’s gig economy. The company, trading under the symbol “DASH,” opened at $102 in a debut that marked a strong departure from the muted public offerings of Uber and Lyft last year.
Uber offloads troubled self-driving unit to startup Aurora
SAN FRANCISCO — Uber is selling its self-driving division to start-up Aurora, in a deal that values the ride-hailing giant’s autonomous vehicle unit at about $4 billion, according to the companies and people familiar with the matter. Uber and Aurora announced the plans Monday afternoon, adding that Uber would invest $400 million in the company and its CEO Dara Khosrowshahi would join Aurora’s board, while Uber would maintain a minority stake.
Hackers said they could steal a Tesla Model X in minutes. Tesla pushed out a fix. Original
San Francisco — Tesla’s internet-connected cars can receive new features and safety updates over the air, one of the key conveniences of the fully electric fleet. But the cars’ connectedness can pose a risk, too, security researchers say. Case in point: Belgian researchers found they could hack and steal a Tesla Model X SUV in a matter of minutes through a Bluetooth-connected key fob. They said that forced Tesla to push out a fix.
Business News
Breaking News Hawaii is giving travelers the chance to spend one night in one of their hotels for free, in exchange for volunteer work. Those looking to volunteer can exchange it for one free night at a number of hotels across Hawaii. Read More By JEANETTE TORRES-PEREZ, ABC News (NEW YORK) -- The countdown is on for Black Friday, which is now just one week away.
Uber says it wants to bring laws like Prop 22 to other states
SAN FRANCISCO — Uber helped wage a $200 million war in California to keep drivers as contractors. Now that the ballot measure passed, the company says its work isn’t done. The ride-hailing giant’s CEO said Thursday that Uber is looking to expand the model to other states, joining an executive from rival Lyft who said something similar earlier this week.
California voters sided with Uber, denying drivers benefits by classifying them as contractors
The gig companies defeated legislation to make drivers employees after running a record $200 million campaign to deny workers employment. Shares of Uber and Lyft surged as the stock market opened, jumping at least 15 and 18 percent, respectively, as it became clear the companies’ fears about the costs and business impacts of a potential employment model would not be realized. Both sides of the debate treated Prop 22 as an existential battle.
Court rejects Uber drivers’ bid to bar app from pushing anti-employment messaging Original
SAN FRANCISCO — Uber can continue sending pro-Prop 22 messages to drivers in its app, a San Francisco Superior Court judge said Wednesday, rejecting arguments that the company had broken the law by pushing political messaging to its gig workers during a heated ballot campaign leading up to Tuesday’s election.
Appeals court sides with California on order to make Uber and Lyft drivers employees
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Uber drivers sue app over ‘constant barrage’ pushing California anti-employment initiative
SAN FRANCISCO — A group of gig workers in California on Thursday sued Uber for up to $260 million in damages alleging the company has violated their employment rights with aggressive in-app messaging urging them to support the company’s position on a November ballot measure. Uber has been asking drivers in its app to support Proposition 22, which would supersede a state law that requires gig companies to make its drivers employees.
Tesla launches full self-driving for select users despite concerns from industry groups and regulators
Tesla is forging ahead despite skepticism among some safety advocates about whether Tesla’s technology is ready — and whether the rest of the world is ready for cars that drive themselves. An industry coalition consisting of General Motors’ Cruise, Ford, Uber and Waymo, among others, this week criticized the move by Tesla, saying its vehicles are not truly autonomous because they still require an active driver.
Judges raise questions regarding Uber and Lyft’s arguments in employment case
SAN FRANCISCO — California appeals judges raised questions about Uber and Lyft’s arguments in a landmark employment case as they weighed whether to uphold a lower-court ruling that would force the companies to make their drivers employees.
What is prop 22? Uber, Doordash and others are spending millions to knock down the bill that could turn gig workers into employees
The ballot measure, known as Proposition 22, would establish drivers as an independent class of workers with access to limited job benefits, along with wage and worker protections they’ve so far lacked under the gig economy model.
Waymo to launch fully driverless service to the public — a first just in time for the pandemic
SAN FRANCISCO — Waymo is launching fully driverless vehicles to the public, a milestone achievement for Silicon Valley’s self-driving car industry that comes during a global pandemic where efforts to limit person-to-person contact have found a welcoming audience.
Tesla built a network of connected cars. What happens when it goes down?
SAN FRANCISCO — Some Tesla owners on Wednesday reported they had trouble getting into their cars, checking how much the battery had charged and accessing other services, a symptom of increasingly connected cars and how they are at the mercy of fragile Internet connections. The cause was a network outage rippling across automaker Tesla’s range of services, hindering users’ connections to the company’s mobile app and website.
Tesla’s latest big unveiling isn’t a car or truck: It’s the battery tech that could power its future
SAN FRANCISCO — Tesla has focused on squeezing as much energy as possible out of its batteries, with industry-leading range figures that have bested its competitors by dozens of miles per charge. Now it has its sights set on a different goal: building batteries that cannot only beat rivals’ range — or how far their cars can travel on a single charge — but far outlast the life span of a single vehicle.
Portland protests: One person shot dead following clashes between BLM activists, pro-Trump supporters
Occurring in the aftermath of back-to-back political conventions, and following racial upheaval in Kenosha, Wis., that left two protesters dead, the armed hostilities signaled how political strife is manifesting itself in violence and further scarring this country as it moves toward the fall’s presidential contest.
Heat is turbocharging fires, drought and tropical storms this summer
America is roasting. At least 140 Western weather stations notched record highs in the past 10 days as a thermometer in California’s Death Valley hit 130 degrees Fahrenheit, one of the highest temperatures measured on Earth. Eighty million U.S. residents are under excessive heat advisories. More than 35 wildfires are raging in California, burning 125,000 acres in the San Francisco Bay area alone, threatening 25,000 businesses and homes this week.
Tesla fires three more, overriding guidance allowing workers to stay home during pandemic Original
SAN FRANCISCO — Three Tesla workers say they’ve been fired after opting to stay home from the Fremont, Calif., factory rather than risk being potentially exposed to the coronavirus. The company, which reopened in May in defiance of county orders at CEO Elon Musk’s direction, told workers they could remain home if they had reservations about working during a pandemic.
Tesla defied county orders so it could restart production. Days later, workers tested positive for the coronavirus.
SAN FRANCISCO — Tesla workers in California tested positive last month for the novel coronavirus following chief executive Elon Musk’s defiant reopening of the company’s main production facility in Fremont, according to employees with knowledge of the situation.
Uber’s secret project to bolster its case against AB5, California’s gig-worker law
SAN FRANCISCO — After California state legislators passed a law with the intention of transforming Uber drivers and other contractors into employees late last year, executives at the ride-hailing giant sprang into action. Uber’s chief technology officer, Thuan Pham, put out a cryptic call for volunteers to join a “critical project around AB5″ that would involve developing new app features, according to an October email viewed by The Washington Post.
California Senate passes ride-hail bill that has divided Democrats over the future of Uber and Lyft drivers
The state Senate approved the bill in Sacramento late Tuesday night and that version passed the state Assembly on Wednesday. Next it will need the governor’s signature. Both Uber and Lyft said they would fight the new law. The bill has proved particularly divisive for members of the Democratic Party nationwide.
Federal safety regulators scolded Musk over ‘misleading statements’ on Tesla safety
Federal safety regulators accused Elon Musk of issuing “misleading statements” on his company’s Tesla Model 3 last year, sending a cease-and-desist letter after the chief executive claimed it was safer than other vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration admonished Musk for claiming the vehicle had “the lowest probability” of injury ever tested by the agency in its safety ratings program, according to the document obtained by government and legal transparency group PlainSite.
Employee shot during robbery try in H Street NE Whole Foods; suspect arrested
This story has been updated. An employee was shot inside a Whole Foods Market during an attempted robbery Sunday morning, terrifying shoppers and diners — many with small children — who fled the popular gathering spot in the city’s trendy H Street corridor. D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham said the victim, a cashier, was struck twice after struggling with the gunman, who demanded money and tried to reach into the cashier’s drawer. The cashier “heroically” resisted, Newsham said.
Capitals’ Stanley Cup parade: Ovechkin’s speech brings the celebration to a wild end
“WE’RE STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS!” captain Alex Ovechkin roared at the end of the rally, followed by a series of guttural screams. Moments earlier, team owner Ted Leonsis had offered his own rowdy speech to the crowd, telling the masses in front of him that the hockey franchise “put the unity in the community.
Metro wants to rebuild 20 station platforms over three years, creating SafeTrack-like disruptions
There will be no service on Metro’s Blue and Yellow lines south of Reagan National Airport for 98 days beginning in May 2019, as the transit agency embarks on a platform rebuilding project spanning six stations, part of an effort to refurbish 20 station platforms over three years.
NTSB ‘unhappy’ with Tesla release of investigative information in fatal crash
Federal investigators said Sunday they were “unhappy” that Tesla had released information related to a fatal crash involving one of its Model X vehicles late last month. Tesla announced late Friday that the Tesla Model X had its semiautonomous “Autopilot” mode activated moments before it slammed into a highway barrier on U.S. 101 in California on March 23, killing driver Walter Huang, 38.
The Koran-burning preacher has been driving for Uber
Even the Koran-burning preacher himself was surprised when he was approved to drive for Uber last month. “I don’t know how much research they do,” Terry Jones, 65, said from his Florida home Saturday. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Jones made headlines worldwide in 2010 when he organized International Burn a Koran Day. It sparked death threats and global protests and earned him a No. 2 spot on an al-Qaeda hit list.
Metro ridership for Inauguration Day 2017 lowest in years
Friday morning’s Metro ridership was the lowest in at least three presidential Inaugurations, according to Metro, as fewer riders flocked to the system than would even on a typical weekday. The transit agency said about 193,000 people had taken trips through the system as of 11 a.m. That’s significantly lower than figures from the 2009 and 2013 Inaugurations of President Barack Obama, and on par with ridership for President George W. Bush’s second inauguration in 2005.
Your Uber driver is twice as likely to cancel if you’re black
A new study from a Massachusetts research firm illustrates a pattern of racial discrimination in Uber pickups, showing black passengers wait longer for rides and face cancellations at double the rate of white passengers. The study, conducted for the National Bureau of Economic Research, analyzed nearly 1,500 rides on the platform and other ride-hailing services for evidence of racial bias.
Some Metro employees still denying federal inspectors access
You’re a federal inspector charged with conducting safety checks on a transit system. You arrive at your assigned property — in this case Metro — and, as you’ve been trained to do, identify yourself and present your credentials. You’re wearing the required protective equipment: composite-toe boots, goggles and a reflective vest. And you explain that you’d like to access the platform to perform an inspection. Metro’s response: Thanks, but no thanks.
Top 10 questions D.C. area residents asked about the Metro shutdown, according to Google
After Tuesday’s announcement of an unprecedented Metro shutdown, many Washington area residents had questions about how the closure would affect their commutes, alternative transit options and the rail system itself. Here, via a company spokesman, are the top 10 things people Googled related to the shutdown. And because this is a news blog, we’ve provided some answers — though admittedly, some of them didn’t require much digging. 1. How many people ride the D.C. Metro everyday?
No surge-pricing for Lyft during the storm
Lyft’s version of surge pricing, “Prime Time” will not be in effect during the blizzard, a company spokeswoman said Friday. The company said it turns off dynamic pricing under a state of emergency, which Maryland, D.C. and Virginia have all declared ahead of this weekend’s anticipated blizzard. Lyft spokeswoman Katie Dally said the company is reminding its driver to be extra cautious while out on the roads this weekend. “Safety of drivers and passengers is our top priority,” she said.
Metro Green Line train separates on approach to Navy Yard
Metro officials are investigating why a Green Line train carrying passengers separated as it approached the Navy Yard station Wednesday morning causing delays during the busy commute. Metro spokeswoman Sherri Ly said a coupler between the second and third cars of the six-car train disengaged as it approached the station around 8:12 a.m. She said the train immediately stopped and the operator conducted an inspection.
Metro flying through pope sleeves fast; get’em while they last!
Get ’em while they last! The pope only just landed in the U.S., but Metro says it already has distributed more than 20,000 Pope Francis commemorative SmartTrip card sleeves since Monday. That’s more than half the supply, so riders who want to get their hands on a limited-edition piece of papal memorabilia should act fast. The agency ordered 40,000 sleeves, and workers are expected to hand out the remaining supply at stations near papal events on Wednesday, said Metro spokeswoman Morgan Dye.
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