Zoox's new self-driving permit, Toyota's reprioritization, and Velodyne Lidar's merger
| 1. Amazon's Zoox revealed it is testing self-driving vehicles with employees on public roads in Foster City after receiving a permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Amazon acquired Zoox in 2020 for $1.3B. Q: Which city do you think Zoox will launch next? Share your thoughts on Inside.com. |
| 2. The Department of Transportation is reportedly considering requiring the CSS standard for EV charging stations to qualify for the $7.5B incentive program. Tesla, which uses its own North American Charging Standard, filed to install Superchargers with CSS connectors in Texas in December 2021. Q: Do you think the DOT should require CSS as the standard for EV chargers? Share your thoughts on Inside.com. |
| 3. Toyota is shifting its plans to prioritize electric vehicles and batteries as Koji Sato prepares to replace CEO Akio Toyoda, who demonstrated skepticism about EVs and placed focus on hybrids. Toyota plans to build 750,000 vehicles across engine types globally in February as it monitors the auto parts supply situation. Q: What do you think about Toyota's change in priorities? Will the automaker begin making investments to secure the materials required for EV production this year? Share your thoughts on Inside.com. |
| 4. General Motors announced that Magna will produce battery enclosures for the Chevy Silverado EV in St. Clair, Michigan. GM sold 754,876 non-electric Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks in 2022, down 2% YoY. |
| 5. Transport for London revealed that electric scooter collisions dropped by 25% to 304 incidents after a 20 mph speed limit was imposed. In November 2021, Paris introduced a 6 mph cap throughout the city, with the exception of major streets. |
| 6. LiDAR companies Ouster and Velodyne completed their merger and expect $75M in savings as a result in the first nine months. LiDAR company Quanergy declared bankruptcy in December after it lost its patent lawsuit against Velodyne related to its 3D point cloud measuring system in February 2022. |
| 7. PepsiCo filed for permits to expand a Tesla Megacharging station for Semi trucks at its distribution center in Fresno, California. Tesla delivered the first Semi trucks to PepsiCo on Dec. 1. |