Latest news with #SterlingAnderson
Axios
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Axios
Aurora's driverless trucks have a human observer behind the wheel again
Less than three weeks after Aurora Innovation made a splash with the commercial launch of the first driverless semi trucks in Texas, the company is putting a humanobserver in the driver's seat. Why it matters: The decision is another speed bump for an industry leader after a widely watched milestone, coming just days after co-founder Sterling Anderson left to take a big job at General Motors. The big picture: Aurora's autonomous technology will still do the driving, and the change won't affect the company's development plans, CEO Chris Urmson wrote in a blog post Friday. Urmson said the decision to move an "observer" from the rear of the cab into the driver's seat was made at the request of Paccar, the manufacturer of Aurora-owned Peterbilt trucks. Between the lines: Paccar wanted someone in the driver's seat "because of certain prototype parts in their base vehicle platform," Urmson wrote, without elaborating. Paccar declined to comment. "We are confident this is not required to operate the truck safely based on the exhaustive testing (covering nearly 10,000 requirements and 2.7 million tests) and analysis that populates our safety case. "Paccar is a long-time partner and, after much consideration, we respected their request." Zoom in: Per Aurora, observers had already been riding along in the back of the cab during trips expected to run into bad weather. (The Aurora Driver currently does not operate in bad weather.) Aurora says the truck would automatically pull itself to the side of the highway in such circumstances. Having someone in the back seat helps with a timely recovery because they can switch over to manual driving mode to complete the trip. The intrigue: A short-seller's report by Bleecker Street Research, dated May 14, suggested Aurora and Paccar weren't on the same page about the timing of the "driver-out" commercial launch. Indeed, the Peterbilt logo had been removed or covered in photos Aurora provided to mark the April 27 launch. Aurora noted that for the time being, it owns and operates its trucks, and validated and approved them for driverless operations. Eventually, it will evolve to a subscription model, where Aurora will get paid by the mile for trucks equipped with the Aurora Driver that are sold by manufacturing partners like Paccar to carrier customers. Aurora has driven over 6,000 driverless miles in its company-owned trucks as of last week, per the company. By the numbers: Aurora stock is down nearly 25% in the last five trading sessions, following Anderson's departure and the Bleecker report, though it's still up more than 120% over the last year. What we're watching: Bleecker's analysis suggests Aurora faces difficulties as it tries to scale its autonomous technology over the next few years with Paccar and its other manufacturing partner, Volvo Trucks. "We are making significant progress towards driverless technology and will remove the safety driver only when we have thoroughly evaluated all factors and deem it appropriate," Volvo spokesperson Ceren Wende told Axios.
TechCrunch
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- TechCrunch
TechCrunch Mobility: Google's Gemini is coming to your car, chaos comes for Luminar, and the Amazonification of Uber 2.0
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! OK, who placed their bet on General Motors being the landing spot for Aurora co-founder and chief product officer Sterling Anderson? Not me. But here we are. A few days after Anderson announced his resignation from his position and the board at Aurora, he spoke to me about his next gig as chief product officer at GM. In short, he will oversee the entire product line of GM's gas-powered and electric vehicles — a position that will cover the entire life cycle of GM's portfolio and include hardware, software, services, and user experience. Anderson couldn't say too much; plus, he hasn't started the job yet. Anderson did say he wouldn't have taken the new job if Aurora had yet to launch its commercial self-driving truck service in Texas. Let's jump into the rest of the news. A little bird Image Credits:Bryce Durbin In an absolutely wild turn of events, Luminar's founder Austin Russell appears to have been pushed out as CEO and board chair. You can read my coverage here, which provides a bit of an overview of how this unfolded, but I know there is so much more to this story. TL;DR: If you were to only read Luminar's Q1 earnings report, you would assume Russell was still at the helm. A separate press release, released as the company's earnings went out, announced a leadership change and that Russell had resigned following an ethics inquiry from the board's audit committee. Here's what I'm hearing from a few little birds. The word 'blindsided' came up more than once, and the chaos isn't over. Luminar board member Jun Hong Heng, who is founder and chief investment officer at Crescent Cove Advisors and a mentor of Russell's, resigned a day later. Heng was also on the audit committee. Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at or my Signal at kkorosec.07, Sean O'Kane at or Rebecca Bellan at Or check out these instructions to learn how to contact us via encrypted messaging apps or SecureDrop. Techcrunch event Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot for our leading AI industry event with speakers from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cohere. For a limited time, tickets are just $292 for an entire day of expert talks, workshops, and potent networking. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | REGISTER NOW Deals! Image Credits:Bryce Durbin Aurora has had an odd couple of weeks filled with highs — driverless commercial service woohoo! — and twists — whoops, there goes a co-founder. To cap things off, Uber announced plans to offer $1 billion in exchangeable senior notes due in 2028 in private placement. As you might expect, stocks dropped after investors got spooked about potential dilution and what this might mean for the value of Aurora's stock. Other deals that got my attention … AutoUnify, the latest startup that has launched out of the partnership, raised $5 million in seed money. The Santa Monica, California-based startup, which built an API to allow dealerships and service shops to communicate in real time with the manufacturers and software vendors that power their operations, has been operating quietly for about nine months. Chinese battery manufacturer CATL is far from a startup. But it's worth noting this bananas IPO plan. The company wants to raise at least HK$31.01 billion — that's just shy of $4 billion — in its Hong Kong listing. This is the largest listing globally in 2025. Here's a potential deal that has raised some eyebrows. Federal railroad regulators are in talks with Elon Musk's tunneling firm, The Boring Company, over a multibillion-dollar Amtrak project. Flock Freight, the shared truckload freight brokerage based in California, raised $60 million in a Series E funding round led by O'Neil Strategic Capital. Susquehanna Private Equity Investments, SignalFire, GLP Capital Partners, and Bracket Capital also participated. Notable reads and other tidbits Image Credits:Bryce Durbin Autonomous vehicles Tesla's plan to launch a robotaxi service in Austin next month has caught the attention of federal safety investigators. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Office of Defects Investigation sent the company a detailed list of questions on its upcoming robotaxi service as part of an investigation into how the company's 'Full Self-Driving (Supervised)' software operates in low-visibility conditions. Recalls are starting to pop up more in the AV sector. Last week it was Zoox. Now Waymo has issued a software recall on 1,200 self-driving vehicles after some of its robotaxis were involved in minor collisions with gates, chains, and other gate-like roadway objects. WeRide seems to be trying to ramp in Guangzhou. The Chinese company said it has introduced eight autonomous robotaxi pilot operation routes in the central part of the city. The company has also started trialing fully driverless robotaxis in Abu Dhabi. Electric vehicles, charging, & batteries General Motors has been working on a new battery chemistry called lithium manganese-rich, which it says should slash costs while delivering driving range. Notably, these LMR batteries dramatically reduce the amount of nickel and cobalt compared with GM's most advanced cells, two critical minerals that aren't readily available from domestic sources in the United States. A footnote in Lucid's recent Q1 regulatory filing gives a bit more insight into its sales numbers. The EV maker's record quarter got a lift from rental sales and company leases. Slate Auto has racked up more than 100,000 reservations for its customizable low-cost electric pickup truck. Everyone, let's give a slow clap to Toyota for redesigning — and more importantly, renaming — its sole all-electric vehicle for the U.S. market. The EV, once called the bZ4X, will now simply be bZ. The original bZ4X was not well received. I'm looking forward to getting behind the wheel to see what improvements Toyota has made. Meanwhile, Toyota has brought back the C-HR nameplate, but this time as an EV. Hopefully this time it's more successful. It arrives in the U.S. in 2026. Gig economy Three years ago, reporter Rebecca Bellan noted that Uber was going through an Amazonification. Her pitch was that the company, like Amazon, had created a closed business loop to feed customers back into other Uber channels. The second part of that evolution has started, she reported this week. Uber appears to be moving beyond its focus on transportation and working to become a convenient super app, an aggregator of services, a daily-use lifestyle platform with its best offerings tucked behind a paywall. Future of flight U.S. lawmakers introduced the Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act in a bid to revise the FAA's 52-year ban on supersonic flight over U.S. soil. The timing could be crucial for startup Boom Supersonic, which has made progress in developing next-generation supersonic aircraft Vertical Aerospace announced a plan to develop a hybrid-electric variant of its VX4, suggesting the company is pursuing opportunities in defense and logistics. In-car tech Apple's next generation of its popular CarPlay infotainment software is finally launching. Reminder: It was first announced three years ago. The new version, called CarPlay Ultra, will make its debut on new Aston Martin vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. Google is bringing Gemini, its generative AI, to all cars that support Android Auto in the next few months. Patrick Brady, VP of Android for Cars, said Gemini will surface in the Android Auto experience in two main ways.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Sterling Anderson Joins General Motors (NYSE:GM) As Executive VP And Chief Product Officer
General Motors recently appointed Sterling Anderson as Executive Vice President, Global Product, and Chief Product Officer, underscoring its commitment to enhancing its product strategy amidst the evolving electric vehicle market. The company's stock experienced a 16% increase over the past month, aligning well with broader market trends, which saw a 4% rise over the last week. Despite decreased earnings guidance and a slight decline in quarterly net income, the dividend increase and strategic leadership appointments lend support to investor confidence, balancing the broader market influence on GM's overall performance during this period. General Motors has 3 possible red flags (and 2 which are concerning) we think you should know about. Trump has pledged to "unleash" American oil and gas and these 22 US stocks have developments that are poised to benefit. The recent appointment of Sterling Anderson at General Motors is poised to have a significant effect on the company's strategic direction, particularly its electric vehicle (EV) and autonomous vehicle (AV) focus. This leadership change aligns with GM's efforts to refine its EV strategy and pursue operational efficiencies. Long-term shareholders have seen a total return of 110.19% over the past five years, highlighting robust historical performance despite recent earnings guidance adjustments. This growth trajectory signifies substantial investor confidence fueled by enhanced product strategies and broader market participation. Over the past year, GM underperformed compared to the US Auto industry, which saw returns of 61.8%, emphasizing challenges amid heightened EV competition and global supply chain issues. However, the company's aggressive cost-cutting measures and strategic investments in AV technology partnerships, such as with NVIDIA, could contribute positively to revenue and earnings forecasts. Despite a current share price of $45.46, the stock is trading at an approximate 16% discount to the analyst consensus price target of $54.39. This price gap suggests potential for appreciation if GM successfully implements its planned efficiencies and capital allocation strategies, offsetting tariff impacts and enhancing its market position in the rapidly evolving automotive landscape. Click to explore a detailed breakdown of our findings in General Motors' financial health report. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include NYSE:GM. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Sterling Anderson Joins General Motors (NYSE:GM) As Executive VP And Chief Product Officer
General Motors recently appointed Sterling Anderson as Executive Vice President, Global Product, and Chief Product Officer, underscoring its commitment to enhancing its product strategy amidst the evolving electric vehicle market. The company's stock experienced a 16% increase over the past month, aligning well with broader market trends, which saw a 4% rise over the last week. Despite decreased earnings guidance and a slight decline in quarterly net income, the dividend increase and strategic leadership appointments lend support to investor confidence, balancing the broader market influence on GM's overall performance during this period. General Motors has 3 possible red flags (and 2 which are concerning) we think you should know about. Trump has pledged to "unleash" American oil and gas and these 22 US stocks have developments that are poised to benefit. The recent appointment of Sterling Anderson at General Motors is poised to have a significant effect on the company's strategic direction, particularly its electric vehicle (EV) and autonomous vehicle (AV) focus. This leadership change aligns with GM's efforts to refine its EV strategy and pursue operational efficiencies. Long-term shareholders have seen a total return of 110.19% over the past five years, highlighting robust historical performance despite recent earnings guidance adjustments. This growth trajectory signifies substantial investor confidence fueled by enhanced product strategies and broader market participation. Over the past year, GM underperformed compared to the US Auto industry, which saw returns of 61.8%, emphasizing challenges amid heightened EV competition and global supply chain issues. However, the company's aggressive cost-cutting measures and strategic investments in AV technology partnerships, such as with NVIDIA, could contribute positively to revenue and earnings forecasts. Despite a current share price of $45.46, the stock is trading at an approximate 16% discount to the analyst consensus price target of $54.39. This price gap suggests potential for appreciation if GM successfully implements its planned efficiencies and capital allocation strategies, offsetting tariff impacts and enhancing its market position in the rapidly evolving automotive landscape. Click to explore a detailed breakdown of our findings in General Motors' financial health report. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include NYSE:GM. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Car and Driver
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
GM's New Product Boss Sterling Anderson Specializes in Self-Driving Tech
General Motors has a new vice president overseeing the product life cycle for its gas-powered and battery-electric vehicles. Sterling Anderson comes over from the autonomous trucking startup Aurora and previously worked on Tesla's Autopilot. Bringing on a VP with a background in robotics and autonomous driving could mean planned advances for GM's Super Cruise. GM's newest executive hire is Sterling Anderson, recently brought over from Aurora, a trucking company working on driverless freight delivery. Before his eight years at Aurora, where he worked with one of the founders of Waymo, Anderson spent time at Tesla, including working on early Autopilot development. When he officially starts his new role at GM on June 2, he will oversee the end-to-end product life cycle for gas-powered and electric vehicles. Anderson is educated in robotics, holding both a Master's and Ph.D in the subject from MIT. While studying at MIT, he developed a semi-autonomous-driving safety system, work which he continued in the private sector. Aurora is currently running an SAE Level 4 autonomous driving system for heavy trucks, operating between Dallas and Houston. Its highly automated semi-trailers hit the roads earlier this month, after a comprehensive supervised-test rollout that hauled more than 10,000 loads of freight over 3 million miles of autonomous operation. GM Given his background, GM seems to be thinking hard about the future of its Super Cruise hands-free-driving system and looking forward to a greater level of autonomy. This doesn't necessarily mean that Anderson will be working specifically on an end goal of a fully autonomous vehicle, but possibly working on more effective Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and increasing the functionality of Super Cruise. Super Cruise is currently rated as Level 2 autonomy under SAE definitions, or partial automation. The Level 4 that Aurora's trucks are beginning to operate at is rated at high automation, meaning the vehicle is performing all steering and driving tasks, but it's geofenced to specific conditions. Taking Super Cruise to Level 4 wouldn't mean a fully autonomous vehicle, but it would be sufficiently advanced for full eyes-off, hands-off operation in defined scenarios. Waymo is currently already operating at this level, so it's not far-fetched. Waymo operates in Arizona and Aurora in Texas, both flat, dry places with defined parameters. So there's plenty of work to be done before a Level 4 Super Cruise-equipped Chevy Blazer can handle a stormy fall commute while its driver rests. But this hire might be GM getting one step closer. Brendan McAleer Contributing Editor Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. Read full bio
