Technology

The Financial Times followed Time magazine in naming Elon Musk “Person of the Year,” with the British newspaper lauding the world’s richest man’s role in shifting the automotive industry toward an all-electric future.

Carmakers including Volkswagen AG and General Motors Co. should brace for the global semiconductor shortage to last beyond next year and redesign cars so they need fewer of the high-tech components, consultancy Roland Berger said.

Asset-tracking provider SkyBitz has introduced a new management portal for its SmartTank wireless tank monitoring system.

In a move aimed both at fulfilling a community need and advancing vehicle technologies considered a key part of its future, Ford Motor Co. is launching a fresh food delivery pilot in southwest Detroit using an autonomous vehicle shuttle.

Electric battery manufacturer Proterra on Dec. 14 announced it is expanding its overall production facilities, adding a new $76 million factory in Greer, S.C., that is expected to be operational in the second half of 2022.

A data-driven approach to reputation management that could help trucking companies counter plaintiffs’ attorneys’ attacks in trials involving crashes is under development.

TOKYO — Japanese automaker Toyota is beefing up its electric vehicle lineup, offering 30 new fully electric models by 2030, company president Akio Toyoda said Dec. 14.

Roadie, the same-day delivery startup that UPS Inc. acquired in October, said its package volume more than doubled in November from a year earlier as shoppers heeded the call to make holiday purchases early.

The Biden administration on Dec. 13 released a federal strategy to build 500,000 charging stations for electric vehicles across the country and bring down the cost of electric cars with the goal of transforming the U.S. auto industry.

Volkswagen AG will invest 2 billion euros in a planned battery hub in Germany as part of a decision to create a dedicated company for the carmaker’s battery business.