Nov 20, 2017 - Technology

Uber to buy 24,000 Volvos for self-driving push

Uber headquarters in San Francisco. Photo: Eric Risberg / AP

Uber plans to buy up to 24,000 cars from Volvo in an effort to prepare a fleet of self-driving on-demand vehicles, per Reuters. The XC90s, equipped with autonomous technology and priced at $46,900 in the U.S., will be delivered between 2019 and 2021.

Why it matters: The move comes two weeks after Waymo, the self-driving unit of Google's parent Alphabet that is suing Uber over theft of its trade secrets, announced it was launching fully driverless taxis in a pilot program in Phoenix, Arizona — the first in the industry to do so.

Go deeper

Axios
Updated 3 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

  1. Politics: COVID-19 looms over White House Halloween celebrations — Fauci: Trump hasn't been to a COVID task force meeting in months.
  2. Health: Fauci says if people won't wear masks, maybe it should be mandated — America was sick well before it ever got COVID-19 —U.S. hits highest daily COVID-19 case count since pandemic began — AstraZeneca to resume vaccine trial in U.S. — How to help save 130,000 lives.
  3. World: Polish President Andrzej Duda tests positive for COVID-19.
Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Mike Allen, Margaret Talev
2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Post-debate poll finds Biden strong on every major issue

Joe Biden speaks Friday about "The Biden Plan to Beat COVID-19," at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

This is one of the bigger signs of trouble for President Trump that we've seen in a poll: Of the final debate's seven topics, Joe Biden won or tied on all seven when viewers in a massive Axios-SurveyMonkey sample were asked who they trusted more to handle the issue.

Why it matters: In a time of unprecedented colliding crises for the nation, the polling considered Biden to be vastly more competent.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Bryan Walsh, author of Future
4 hours ago - Science

The murder hornets are here

A braver man than me holds a speciment of the Asian giant hornet. Photo: Karen Ducey/Getty Images

Entomologists in Washington state on Thursday discovered the first Asian giant hornet nest in the U.S.

Why it matters: You may know this insect species by its nom de guerre: "the murder hornet." While the threat they pose to humans has been overstated, the invading hornets could decimate local honeybee populations if they establish themselves.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow

Get Axios AM in your inbox

Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!