Ridesharing of any kind seems to be a money losing business. I'm not too excited about investments in that space.
Toyota unveils revamped hydrogen sedan to take on Tesla By Reuters October 11, 2019 | 10:20am | Updated Enlarge Image Getty Images More On: toyota Toyota partners with AI startup to design robots to help at home Robot sets world record for hitting 2,020 consecutive free throws 2019 New York International Auto Show: The hottest rides Toyota's new robot may be the world's best 3-point shooter Toyota unveiled a completely redesigned hydrogen-powered fuel cell sedan on Friday in its latest attempt to revive demand for the niche technology that it hopes will become mainstream. Japan’s biggest automaker has been developing fuel cell vehicles for more than two decades, but the technology has been eclipsed by the rapid rise of rival battery-powered electric vehicles promoted by the likes of Tesla. Ahead of the Tokyo Motor Show starting on Oct. 24, Toyota unveiled a prototype of the new hydrogen sedan built on the same platform as its luxury Lexus brand’s LS coupe. The new Mirai model boasts longer driving range than its predecessor and completely redesigned fuel cell stack and hydrogen tanks, the company said. “We wanted to make a car that people really want to buy, not just because it’s an eco-car,” Yoshikazu Tanaka, chief engineer of the new Mirai, said at the unveiling. “We wanted something that’s fun to drive.” Its sporty redesign with longer wheelbase and lower-slung chassis is a marked departure from the first-generation Mirai, which looks like a bulked-up Prius hybrid. The new car also has a 30 percent improvement in driving range over the previous iteration’s 435 miles, according to the company. Tanaka said the latest Mirai would cost less to make than its predecessor, because of a shift to mass production. The current model is mostly assembled by hand. Costing consumers about 5 million yen ($46,500) after subsidies in Japan, the original Mirai is one of three fuel cell cars available to consumers. Hyundai sells the Nexo, while Honda leases out the Clarity. Toyota has sold fewer than 10,000 of the Mirai, a fuel cell sedan it touted as a game-changer at its launch five years ago. By contrast, Tesla sold 25,000 battery-powered Model S sedans in its first year and a half. Toyota declined to disclose a price for the model and said it would be available late next year in Japan, North America and Europe. https://nypost.com/2019/10/11/toyota-unveils-revamped-hydrogen-sedan-to-take-on-tesla/
Toyota is working on an A.I.-enabled household cleaning robot. Cleaning robots have been making big inroads in commercial settings during the pandemic. Now comes news from Wired that Toyota is researching a multi-armed robot that could be suspended from a home's ceiling and be used to clean surfaces, including countertops and cupboard doors, as well to put away cutlery and dishes. "Toyota does not have a timeline for commercializing its prototypes, but it is looking to be an