Self-driving Cars

Eyewitnesses had noticed a Tesla Model S between Edmonton and Calgary on July 9 this year. The car, according to the police report, appeared at first glance to be driving along Highway 2 without a driver. No one was visible behind the wheel.

It wasn't until police stopped the vehicle that the mystery was revealed. Two people were in the vehicle. However, both the driver. Leran C., as well as passenger had slept and for it the back of their seats completely backward folded. The car, which was traveling at up to 150 km/h, was controlled by the "autopilot" feature of the onboard software.

The incident not only earned the 20-year-old a one-day suspension of his driver's license for drowsy driving, but also a charge of traffic endangerment and speeding.

Reuters reports that Apple is aiming to produce self-driving passenger vehicles, known as "Project Titan", by 2024. The cars are rumoured to include a breakthrough battery technology, sources told Reuters. Apple has declined to comment on the matter.

Amazon is expanding its portfolio yet again. The company acquired Zoox, a self-driving car startup located in California with almost 1,000 employees for a rumoured $1 billion deal. Zoox has been working on developing a self-driving electric car that doesn't have a steering wheel so that it can drive in either direction. Zoox CEO Aicha Evans will continue leading the company and said that "this acquisition solidifies Zoox's impact on the autonomous driving industry."

"Zoox is working to imagine, invent, and design a world-class autonomous ride-hailing experience," said Jeff Wilke, Amazon’s CEO, Worldwide Consumer in a statement on Amazon's blog. "Like Amazon, Zoox is passionate about innovation and about its customers, and we're excited to help the talented Zoox team to bring their vision to reality in the years ahead."

Intel Corporation announced it has acquired Moovit for approximately $900 million ($840 million net of Intel Capital equity gain).

Intel claims "The addition of Moovit brings Intel’s Mobileye closer to achieving its plan to become a complete mobility provider, including robotaxi services, which is forecast to be an estimated $160 billion opportunity by 2030".

Techcrunch sources claim Intel is close to acquiring transit app developer Moovit in a deal estimated at around $1 billion.

Moovit — which had previously been backed by Intel Capital in a strategic investment — will become part of Intel’s Israeli automotive hub and help with Intel's overall self-driving strategy.