Latest news with #AndroidAutomotive
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Why this LA-based VC firm was an early investor in Slate Auto
Slate Auto, which came out of stealth mode earlier this year with a surprising – and surprisingly affordable – customizable electric truck, has raised $700 million to date. But long before the EV startup broke cover, it quietly raised a Series A round of more than $100 million in 2023. And while Jeff Bezos was involved in that round, as TechCrunch originally reported, he was not alone. A regulatory filing submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission shows as many as 16 investors were involved. Slauson & Co., a Los Angeles venture firm that launched five years ago, is one of the few investors in Slate's Series A to speak publicly about why they backed the company. Slauson & Co. partner Ajay Relan told TechCrunch in an exclusive interview his firm is well aware of the many EV startup bankruptcies that have occurred in recent years, as well as the headwinds coming from the Trump administration for anything green energy-related. Regardless, Relan said he and his partner Austin Clements believe in the startup's mission of providing 'more affordable, reliable, and customizable vehicles that are domestically manufactured.' Relan and Clements started Slauson & Co. in 2020. Friends since high school, they both grew up off of Slauson Avenue in South Central Los Angeles, which Relan wryly categorized as being 'not necessarily known for its tech and venture capital innovation.' 'But it definitely is a source of cultural capital that gets repackaged and distributed to more developed areas and other parts of the world,' Relan said. Slauson & Co.'s mission is to bridge the gap between those two worlds by funding and empowering people who have 'historically just not had their perspective represented in the innovation economy.' Relan said they got turned on to Slate by Jeff Wilkie, the former Amazon consumer division CEO who co-founded Re:Build Manufacturing, an incubator that Slate spun out of. Wilkie, who Relan has known since before founding Slauson & Co, first introduced them to the secretive project in 2023. Relan admits investing in an EV startup is a bit outside of his firm's 'primary themes.' But the duo was intrigued by Slate's mission to make a more affordable and approachable car. He was sold on the venture after Wilkie introduced Slauson & Co. to the Slate team. Slauson & Co. raises $100M Fund II proving appetite for inclusion persists The startup was still just a few dozen people in early 2023. But those people had decades of experience in the automotive industry. CEO Chris Barman spent more than 20 years at Chrysler, running vehicle line programs, leading the Android Automotive integration, and even collaborating with Waymo. Chairman Rodney Copes and chief financial officer Ryan Green spent years at Harley-Davidson and Rivian. Barman particularly impressed the Slauson & Co. partners. 'She has great vision. She has a great reputation within the company she's worked for before,' Clements said. 'She's no frills, not about the hype. She's really about delivering.' Clements said he and Relan also rely heavily on taste when it comes to early-stage investing. 'Do we think that this is something that resonates with what people are looking for at this point?' he said. 'The idea that there are no affordable cars, particularly for young people, but really for everybody, and just the mismatch between affordability of vehicles and what's available just didn't make sense.' Slate's truck won't hit the market until late 2026, but Relan and Clements already have a little validation that their eye for taste was spot on with Slate: The company passed 100,000 refundable reservations in just two weeks. Of course, it doesn't hurt to be standing alongside some serious financial and industrial firepower. Not only did Bezos invest in that initial funding round, but Slate also courted big money from Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter as well as VC firm General Catalyst. ('The partners they were able to bring along for the journey before and after us were icing on the cake,' Reman said in an email.) Those backers have helped fill Slate's coffers to the tune of around $700 million, and the company told TechCrunch that it's already started on a Series C funding round. Slauson & Co. also invested in the Series B; the firm declined to share how much it has invested in Slate to date. This combination – the Slate team, the major backers, and the opportunity at the entry level of the car market – left Relan and Clements believing their investment can generate a good return, even in the notoriously low-margin auto business. 'We have to have some deep conviction that this is something that could drive very real returns in the fund,' Clements said, before adding with a laugh: 'You know, we're not just a purely philanthropic organization.'
The Herald
17-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Herald
Everything you need to know about the new Audi Q3
There's more evolution to be found inside the cabin, where an updated dashboard design supports Audi's curved panoramic display incorporating a 11.9" instrument cluster and 12.8" MMI touchscreen infotainment system. The latter runs a newly developed Android Automotive operating system that offers third-party apps such as YouTube and Spotify to be downloaded from the Audi Application Store. You can also look forward to Audi's latest AI-enriched voice assistant, optional head-up display, two flavours of customisable mood lighting (ambient light package plus or pro) and the option of a Sonos sound system. Elsewhere, Audi has relocated the gear lever up to the steering column to free space on the centre console between the front seats. In its place you will find two large cup holders and a cooled inductive charging tray with 15 watts of charging power. The feature is complemented by two USB-C ports up front and an additional pair in the rear. A total of nine interior packages are available, with many making use of sustainable materials such as fast-growing wood, 100% recycled polyester and something called Econyl, a nylon fibre made from old fishing nets, carpet remnants and industrial waste.
Android Authority
17-06-2025
- Automotive
- Android Authority
Android Automotive now lets apps show your food order status and more on your car's home screen
Polestar TL;DR Android Automotive OS is getting a new feature called AppCard, which allows apps to display their most relevant data and functions on the home screen. AppCards can display information like the status of a food order, but the visual styling of these cards is controlled by carmakers, not app developers. It's unclear whether the feature will require the latest version of Android Automotive, though. When you're driving, your focus should be on the road, but sometimes you need to glance at your car's infotainment screen for an alert. Google's operating system for car infotainment screens, Android Automotive OS, already provides numerous ways to quickly catch up on alerts and will soon add another in the form of app cards on the home screen. In the new version of Android Automotive, the home screen features a large, dedicated card for Google Maps and a smaller media player card between the status and navigation bars. Past releases also included a dedicated card for showing the weather at the current location. Until now, these home screen cards were provided by the OS, with no way for app developers to add their own. This approach keeps the home screen clean and consistent, allowing drivers to quickly view key information without futzing with the UI. The downside, however, is that drivers have to open individual apps to get updates on information not available on the home screen, like the status of a takeout food order. Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority Home screen in Android Automotive 15 To solve this, Google is introducing a new feature called AppCard. An AppCard 'displays an app's most relevant data and functionality to users in a way that is accessible and always available.' It's a 'grouping of UI elements' whose styling is controlled by car makers, so apps only provide the information, not the design. Apps can provide elements like an image with text, a tappable button, or a progress bar, but developers should be aware that space constraints will limit how much can be shown on the card. An AppCard with text and an image An AppCard with a progress slider and a single button An AppCard with a progress slider and two buttons Beyond that, there don't appear to be any restrictions on what apps can put in AppCards. Google envisions developers using the feature to do things like 'display the status of a takeout food order,' 'show photos to passengers,' or 'track and periodically update the price of crypto coins,' but there's seemingly no explicit rule against showing other information. Google could later enforce restrictions on this feature via Play Store policies, but whether that will happen remains to be seen. It's unclear if AppCards will be exclusive to the new version of Android Automotive based on Android 16. However, there's evidence suggesting they won't be, as Google lists the feature under its 'unbundled apps' documentation. Unbundled apps are decoupled from the main Android Automotive OS and can be updated independently, much like the automotive app host, car UI library, and dashcam app. While car makers will still likely need to push out an update to support the feature, that update may not need to be based on Android 16. It will be interesting to see how developers adopt this feature, especially as Google makes more apps available on cars running Android Automotive. This is precisely the kind of functionality that could help an app achieve a 'car differentiated' status — a higher tier of optimization beyond simply being 'car ready.' Given the extra time and care required, few apps fall into that higher category right now. However, providing a straightforward way to show custom information on the home screen might be the incentive needed to encourage more developers to take the plunge and fully optimize their apps for the car. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
TimesLIVE
17-06-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Everything you need to know about the new Audi Q3
Audi has unveiled its latest Q3 SUV. One of the marque's best-selling vehicles (more than two million have found homes since it entered production in 2011), the new third-generation model adopts a more assertive exterior design that's sure to attract a new legion of fans. Up at the business end, standout features include an extra wide Singleframe radiator grille flanked by sleekly tapered headlamps that can, for the first time in Q3 history, be specced with Audi's advanced digital Matrix LED lighting technology. There's also a more defined shoulder line, steeply sloping D-pillars and blistered front/rear wheel arches Audi said are a throwback to the original quattro that kicked up such a fuss in the 1980s. Depending on the model, customers can pick from a range of new wheel designs ranging from 17" to 20'. At the rear, Ingolstadt's design team has fitted the new Q3 with two-part taillamps and a continuous LED light strip that spans the entire width of the vehicle. You will also spy a full set of illuminated Audi rings and a large diffuser integrated into the raised bumper. There's more evolution to be found inside the cabin, where an updated dashboard design supports Audi's curved panoramic display incorporating a 11.9" instrument cluster and 12.8" MMI touchscreen infotainment system. The latter runs a newly developed Android Automotive operating system that offers third-party apps such as YouTube and Spotify to be downloaded from the Audi Application Store. You can also look forward to Audi's latest AI-enriched voice assistant, optional head-up display, two flavours of customisable mood lighting (ambient light package plus or pro) and the option of a Sonos sound system. Elsewhere, Audi has relocated the gear lever up to the steering column to free space on the centre console between the front seats. In its place you will find two large cup holders and a cooled inductive charging tray with 15 watts of charging power. The feature is complemented by two USB-C ports up front and an additional pair in the rear. A total of nine interior packages are available, with many making use of sustainable materials such as fast-growing wood, 100% recycled polyester and something called Econyl, a nylon fibre made from old fishing nets, carpet remnants and industrial waste. On the practical side of things, the new Q3 packs a 488l boot expandable to 575l with the rear seat bench slid all the way forward and placed in an upright position. Fold it flat and you'll avail 1,386 l, more than enough for carrying bulkier items such as boxes or a bicycle. From launch Audi is offering the new Q3 with a choice of four powertrains, starting with a 110kW 1.5l four-cylinder 48V mild-hybrid petrol engine. It's paired to a seven-speed S tronic transmission and features cylinder on demand technology that temporarily shuts down the second and third cylinders at low and medium loads to save fuel. Next in line is a spicy 2.0l four-cylinder petrol engine churning out 195kW and 400Nm of torque. This is sent to all four paws via a quattro all-wheel drive system and seven-speed S tronic gearbox. There's also a 110kW/360Nm 2.0l four-cylinder turbodiesel and an e-hybrid offering up to 119km of electric driving range thanks to a newly developed 25.7kWh battery pack. It also sports a combined output of 200kW and 400Nm of torque. 50kW DC fast charging enables the battery to be recharged from 10% to 80% in less than 30 minutes. Other innovations bundled into the new Q3 include an updated chassis with the option of a newly fettled steel sprung sports suspension. Suspension with two-valve damper control is also available and is said to offer an 'optimally balanced driving experience' by continuously adjusting to the demands of the road surface and driving situation. The list of driver assistance systems spliced into the new third-generation Q3 is plentiful, with parking system plus with distance display, cruise control (including speed limiter), lane departure warning with emergency assist, traffic sign recognition, attention and fatigue warning with driver monitoring and active front assist with evasion and turning assist, front cross traffic assist and front emergency brake assist all fitted as standard. The new Audi Q3 will go on sale in Europe in October. Local availability is to be confirmed.
Edmunds
17-06-2025
- Automotive
- Edmunds
The 2026 Audi Q3 Has Bold Styling and Fresh Tech
Up front, the 2026 Q3 features matrix LED headlights that can display four different light signatures or project warnings like an ice crystal on the road to warn other drivers of possible icy conditions. It's not confirmed that the matrix LED headlights or their full functionality will make it to our shores; past Audis have not offered this tech in the U.S. Wheel sizes will range from 17 to 20 inches, though the U.S. version is unlikely to get the base 17-inchers. Inside, the Q3's new design is marked by bigger screens, revised controls and new technology. The previous 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 8.8-inch infotainment touchscreen give way to a curved panoramic display that includes an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.8-inch central touchscreen. The touchscreen runs Audi's MMI infotainment system powered by the Android Automotive operating system. Third-party apps including YouTube will be available through the Audi app store, meaning they won't require a smartphone connection to use. A head-up display will also be offered, as will a 12-speaker, 420-watt Sonos audio system. For the new Q3, the gear shifter moves from the center console to a stalk on the right side of the steering wheel. Another stalk on the left handles the lighting and wipers. Without a shifter, the center console opens up more space and features two cupholders, a wireless charging pad and two USB-C ports.
