Articles by Jane Lanhee Lee, Hyunjoo Jin and Paresh Dave

California Autonomous Delivery Service Rolling out from Nuro, 7-Eleven

Self-driving tech startup Nuro said on Wednesday it was rolling out California’s first commercial autonomous delivery service in partnership with 7-Eleven, a convenience store operator. Nuro and rivals such as Waymo are launching or planning to launch autonomous delivery services …

GM, Alphabet Win California’s First Autonomous Permits for Passenger Rides

General Motors Co.’s Cruise and Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo self-driving car subsidiaries on Thursday became the first companies to receive autonomous vehicle permits to offer rides to passengers in California. Cruise has obtained a permit from the California Department of Motor …

Researchers Use Drones to Help Forecast Fires as Wildfires Hit Western U.S.

In a grassy meadow outside Missoula, Montana, Jennifer Fowler eyes two drones high in the sky with weather instruments — part of a program to see how drones can help to fight and monitor wildfires. Missoula is a major center …

Insurtech Startup bolttech Raises $180 Million, Valuing Firm at More Than $1B

Insurance tech startup bolttech on Thursday said it raised $180 million in a funding round, led by private investment firm Activant Capital Group, that valued it at more than $1 billion. The New York and Singapore-based company’s online platform serves …

California Permits GM’s Driverless Car to Cruise Streets of San Francisco

The race for driverless autonomous vehicles is heating up and in October, Cruise became the first to receive a permit to test cars without anyone in them on the streets of San Francisco from California’s Department of Motor Vehicles. Cruise, …

Waymo Issues Self-Driving Car Incident Score Card for Phoenix Area

Self-driving tech company Waymo, which this month opened its driverless taxi service in the Phoenix suburbs to the public, on Friday said its autonomous vehicles there had been involved in 18 minor incidents since 2019 during tests and actual rides. …

Self-Driving’s Latest Turn: GM’s Cruise Seeks OK for Cars Without Steering Wheel, Pedals

Self-driving car maker Cruise said on Wednesday it and majority shareholder General Motors Co. would seek U.S. regulatory approval in coming months to deploy a limited number of Cruise Origin vehicles without steering wheels or pedals. At the same time, …

California Permits GM’s Driverless Car to Cruise Streets of San Francisco

The race for driverless autonomous vehicles is heating up and on Thursday Cruise became the first to receive a permit to test cars without anyone in them on the streets of San Francisco from California’s Department of Motor Vehicles. Cruise, …

As Wildfires Spread, Public Safety Tech Startups Lack Venture Capitalists’ Backing

Silicon Valley’s innovation engine has been slow to produce useful new tools to help firefighters like Dave Winnacker extinguish the deadly blazes that each year fill California’s skies with smoke. Winnacker, a fire district chief who led a team against …

Self-Driving Vehicles, Robots Showing What They Can Do in Contactless Deliveries

Self-driving cars, trucks, sidewalk robots and shuttles are rolling out of the labs and parking garages and onto American streets to help deliver groceries, meals, and medical supplies. Although self-driving car companies have paused on-road testing in the U.S., as …