Anthony Levandowski pens that his life’s passion is to improve safety on real roads in the blog post launching his new venture. He stands by his safety record, claiming its second to none. LINK
- FLASHBACK: As the safety driver for a Google self-driving Prius, Anthony Levandowski forced a Camry into a ditch. His passenger and colleague injured his spine so severely that he required multiple surgeries. Levandowski then bragged that the incident was an invaluable source of data. He did not go back to see if the Camry driver was ok. LINK
BMW launches ReachNow in China to compete against Didi Chuxing. Bayerische Motoren Werke is the first foreign company to get a license to operate a ride-hailing service in China. LINK
- FLASHBACK: BMW signs a deal in Berlin pledging to invest more in China joint ventures. The German automaker obtained something in return — the opportunity to gain control of local joint ventures before other foreign peers.LINK
Personal injury law firm launches a “Free Taxi Ride App” to get drunk people home for the holidays. No need to prove your drunk to get a free ride somewhere not home. Lawyer says live on-air that the app is very popular with underage drinkers. LINK
The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission is offering $5 off Lyft rides to get drunk people home for the holidays. No need to prove you’re drunk to get a discounted ride somewhere not home. Sorry traditional cab companies, no tax dollars for you. LINK
An 18-year-old Chicago woman says her Uber Pool driver tried to abduct her LINK
Ola UK’s Terms and Conditions warned women “to use their own prudence in offering or accepting a ride.” They also advised women “to share the ride details with family, friends, relatives”. When asked how this passed the vetting process, the city said, we don’t read the terms either. Ola updated its terms and conditions, blaming the legal copy was a “technical error”. LINK
Taxify has rebranded as Hopp in the UK because it legally can’t have the word ‘taxi’ in its name. LINK
A delivery robot burst into flames at the University of California, Berkeley, and students were said to be so devastated, they held a candlelit vigil to mark its demise. LINK
Children are writing and sending letters to Santa courtesy of a fleet of Autonomous Reindeer Robots. Grocery chain Co-op in England has transformed their delivery robots to pick up letters to Santa. LINK
Chinese bike-sharing startup Ofo, backed by Alibaba, is on the verge of bankruptcy. LINK
Google Maps can now direct you to Lime scooters and bikes. You’ll still need to book the ride on the Lime App. LINK
- FLASHBACK: Google Ventures invests in Lime. LINK
Allstate Insurance says no coverage for a driver using his personal car for ride sharing. They have denied coverage to three people injured when an independent contractor hit an oncoming truck. Allstate argues its policy with the driver excluded damages if the car was serving as a “vehicle for hire.” LINK
Bosch is collaborating with toom, a German hardware chain, to launch an electric van sharing service at five stores. Each store will get one StreetScooter van. LINK
For those keeping track. Helm.ai is the 62nd company to get a permit from the California DMV for testing autonomous vehicles on all public roads in California. LINK
