Autonomous

The top U.S. road-safety regulator is gathering information about a Tesla Inc. feature that allows customers to remotely call for their car to pick them up.

DALLAS — Infrastructure required for autonomous and electric vehicles will follow demand for such products, according to technology experts.

The absence of autonomous vehicles legislation before congressional committees has not discouraged industry stakeholders from continuing to insist lawmakers establish a set of federal policies for the technology.

Automation has “contributed substantially” to reducing the portion of national income that goes to U.S. workers over the past two decades, according to a new study by economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

Ford Motor Co. will begin testing self-driving cars in Austin, Texas. The automaker said Sept. 25 it will begin testing there in November, when hybrid Ford Fusions equipped with hardware and software developed by self-driving partner Argo AI will hit Austin roads.

South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor Group will start mass production of self-driving cars within the next five years, said Chung Euisun, the heir to the auto giant, as he made a hefty investment in a joint venture the company established with Aptiv on Sept. 23.

Geotab announced the launch of Torque Labs, which is intended to accelerate the internet of things industry by providing funds and access to other resources for startups developing innovative technologies for transportation and smart cities.

Bollinger Motors debuted its four-door, all-electric SUV and pickup trucks.

Uber Technologies has chopped 300 jobs in the Bay Area, including hundreds in San Francisco and dozens in Palo Alto, a state government filing shows.

WASHINGTON — The transportation committee in the U.S. House of Representatives is likely to consider a long-awaited highway bill early next year, Rep. Peter DeFazio, the chamber’s top transportation policymaker, said in an exclusive interview with Transport Topics.