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| Here is your start of the week Transportion briefing: - ✈️ The FAA mandated a temporary grounding of Boeing 737 Max 9s.
- ⚙️ VinFast revealed intentions to establish a car factory in India.
- 🚗 Tesla modified the Model Y's advertised driving ranges.
Thanks for reading! Robel
p/Robel-Kelkile | |
| 1 | | The FAA ordered a temporary grounding of Boeing 737 Max 9s after an incident on an Alaska Airlines flight. The move led to inspections affecting 171 planes worldwide: More: - FAA issued an emergency directive for inspections after a hole blew out mid-flight on an Alaska Airlines plane.
- No serious injuries were reported among 171 passengers and six crew members.
- Alaska and United Airlines grounded their Boeing 737 Max 9 fleets as a precautionary measure.
- An investigation by the NTSB started; they sought public help to find the missing door and praised luck for the incident occurring during ascent.
- Experts called the event extremely rare, describing it as an "explosive decompression" and a structural failure.
- FAA inspections will take 4-8 hours per plane; airlines like Alaska have canceled flights, which could affect thousands of passengers.
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| 2 | | Aurora and Continental completed the initial phase of a $300M project to create mass-produced autonomous vehicle hardware for self-driving trucks. Founded in 2017, the company went public in 2021 via SPAC. More: - Completion of the design and system architecture for autonomous vehicle hardware, including a fallback system, will be announced before CES 2024.
- Continental plans prototype development by 2027, initially testing in New Braunfels, Texas, aiming for a validation phase integrating hardware and software into a truck fleet by 2026.
- The company's ultimate goal will be to mass-produce reliable, weather-resistant, cost-effective automotive-grade hardware systems for long-haul trucks.
- Aurora anticipated profitability through the compelling economics of the Aurora Driver and plans a 2024 launch of up to 20 driverless Class 8 trucks between Dallas and Houston before scaling with the newly designed kit.
- Despite initial trucks not featuring the Aurora-Continental hardware, they meet automotive standards and operate safely without drivers, with continual hardware updates planned over several years.
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| 3 | | Truck transportation jobs have slowly recovered, with an increase in December, yet are still below the levels seen in 2023. Average hourly earnings in truck transportation dropped to $30.51, indicating a decrease in wages, possibly reflecting reduced hiring and retention efforts by carriers. More: - Seasonally adjusted truck transportation jobs rose by 3,300 in December to 1,586,300 jobs, slightly improving over previous months.
- Jobs that were not seasonally adjusted dropped to 1,588,400 from 1,592,900, indicating a nuanced trend in job numbers.
- Economists cautioned that both adjusted and non-adjusted figures paint different pictures, with seasonal data showing improvement while non-seasonal figures reveal a decrease since October.
- Despite consecutive monthly increases, the sector still faces a significant gap compared to the high of January 2023, with a long road ahead to reach those levels.
- Warehouse sector jobs have steadily declined, with a decrease of 82,200 jobs compared to the previous year.
- Rail employment increased slightly by 500 jobs, reaching the highest level since the pandemic, yet still significantly lower than pre-pandemic peaks.
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| 4 | | Vietnamese EV manufacturer VinFast announced a $2B facility in India. The factory will target an annual capacity of 150,000 units. More: - The memorandum of understanding with Tamil Nadu outlines plans for an EV facility in Thoothukudi, which is expected to create thousands of job opportunities.
- VinFast aims to develop a pan-India dealership network alongside the manufacturing unit, positioning itself in India's growing electric vehicle market.
- VinFast's move into India aligns with the country's push towards a 30% electrification goal by 2030, attracting global EV players like Tesla, Hyundai, and Tata Motors.
- VinFast, which is in the process of constructing a factory in North Carolina, has recently established a dealership network in the United States.
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| 5 | | Due to EPA testing changes, Tesla adjusted the Model Y's advertised driving ranges. Ranges on the website dropped by 17 - 20 miles. More: - Model Y Long Range decreased from 330 to 310 miles; Model Y Performance dropped from 303 to 285 miles, and Rear Wheel Drive Model Y remains at 260 miles.
- Changes in EPA testing now involve acceleration and ride height modes, resulting in higher consumption and decreased overall range, affecting several Tesla models.
- Tesla also adjusted range estimates for select Model S and Model X versions in response to new EPA testing requirements in the U.S. and Canada.
- Past allegations involved Tesla's dashboard showing inaccurate range, reportedly using an algorithm to display more optimistic projections below 50% battery charge to prevent driver inconvenience.
- Tesla employees allegedly reassured customers who complained about lower-than-expected range that their cars were operating normally, canceling their service appointments.
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| 6 | | Uber announced it is piloting a flexible pricing service called Uber Flex in several Indian cities to allow commuters to bid on fares. The move is aimed at countering haggling practices seen in rival ride-hailing platforms: More: - Uber Flex, which was initiated in India last October and expanded to over 12 cities, allows riders to bid on fares for cab and auto-rickshaw rides.
- Unlike Uber's standard dynamic pricing, which fluctuates based on demand and supply, Uber Flex offers riders nine pricing points to bid on their preferred fare, shared with nearby drivers for acceptance or rejection.
- The service aims to tackle the issue of riders setting too low fares, a concern raised by drivers on platforms like inDrive, where manual fare haggling is allowed.
- Uber is exploring various service models in India, such as Uber Taxis in Mumbai and a Wait & Save feature in multiple cities, aiming to cater to local demands and alleviate surge pricing issues.
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- VinFast, the Vietnamese electric vehicle manufacturer, appointed its founder as CEO and made changes in the CFO position.
- A proposed sales tax increase focused on transit qualified for the November ballot in San Diego County.
- Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Geely launched its inaugural all-electric Galaxy model in an effort to attract broader consumers, competing against BYD and international brands in the market.
- Detroit announced bus drivers will receive increases of $3 per hour and amplified bonuses as part of an updated agreement.
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 | Writer | | Born and raised in the Bay Area, Robel Kelkile is passionate about all things tech, venture, and financial education. He has previously served both universities and state governments in their engagement strategy and tracking legislation. | | This newsletter was edited by Aaron Crutchfield | |
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