---
title: "Thursday Tech News Roundup: Porsche Rakes It In, and More"
description: "Your daily mobility technology news roundup, collected by a robot under safety driver supervision."
date: "2019-09-12"
modified: "2019-09-16"
authors:
  - name: "Bertel Schmitt"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/bertel-schmitt"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/tech/29799/tech-news-roundup-thursday-9-12-2019-battery-kills-34-porsche-rakes-it-in-more"
categories:
  - "Car Tech"
  - "News"
tags:
  - "analysis"
  - "autonomous"
  - "autonomy"
  - "av"
  - "Curated"
  - "delivery"
  - "EV"
  - "Headlines"
  - "Links"
  - "Markets"
  - "Mobility"
  - "News"
  - "porsche"
  - "reporting"
  - "ride-hailing"
  - "Robot"
  - "robotics"
  - "Roundup"
  - "self-driving"
  - "sensors"
  - "tech"
  - "technology"
---

# Thursday Tech News Roundup: Porsche Rakes It In, and More

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2019/09/ThursdayTech.png>)
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- [The Porsche 911 is the most profitable car of 2019 - Automotive News:](<https://europe.autonews.com/automakers/porsche-911-most-profitable-car-2019>) The highly profitable 911 will help Porsche to counterbalance expected losses from the just-released Taycan, its first full-electric series production car.
- [Apple CarPlay subscription no longer 'free' for new cars - Autocar:](<https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/apple-carplay-subscription-no-longer-free-new-cars>) A year has passed since BMW released what it called OS7 - the seventh iteration of its iDrive infotainment system - but the first customers are now being asked to hand over money in order for some services to continue. Owners are now seeing the message: "Your free trial of Apple CarPlay is up. Would you like to renew? Please pay £85 for another ye
- [Cruise Ship Companies Are Finding It Hard to Quit Carbon - Bloomberg:](<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-12/cruise-ship-companies-are-finding-it-hard-to-quit-carbon?srnd=businessweek-v2>) Mike Kaczmarek, Carnival's marine technology chief, says the two cases and the company's environmental record haven't affected bookings. He cites ...
- ['Tesla of China' Sputters a Year After IPO - Caixinglobal:](<https://www.caixinglobal.com/2019-09-12/tesla-of-china-sputters-a-year-after-ipo-101461960.html>) 'Tesla of China' Sputters a Year After IPO - Sales for Nio have dropped sharply since start of 2019, hit by slumping market and safety concerns.
- [Missouri lawmakers consider much higher fees to license electric vehicles - Radio:](<https://kmbz.radio.com/articles/mo-lawmakers-consider-higher-licensing-fees-evs>) New and proposed laws do not seem to have a big effect on electric vehicle sales. EVs surpassed two percent of overall sales in 2018, and that was a ...
- [Diesel scandal at German carmaker Volkswagen widens: Report - Xinhua | English.news.cn - Xinhuanet:](<https://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-09/12/c_138387358.htm>) The scandal surrounding illegally manipulated exhaust emissions of diesel cars for the German car maker Volkswagen is widening ...
- [US opens probe into Nissan Rogue automatic emergency braking - Washington Post:](<https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/us-opens-probe-into-nissan-rogue-automatic-emergency-braking/2019/09/12/e022fee8-d554-11e9-8924-1db7dac797fb_story.html>) The U.S. government's road safety agency is investigating complaints that the automatic emergency braking on the Nissan Rogue can turn on for no apparent ...
- [Tesla begins retrofits of Hardware 3 Full Self-Driving computer on selected cars - Teslarati:](<https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-hardware-3-retrofit-full-self-driving-computer-model-s-x/>) Tesla considers HW3 as a key to achieving autonomous driving, as indicated by the company in its Autonomy Day event this past April.
- [Merkel offers to help German automakers with ‘Herculean task’ - Automotive News:](<https://feedproxy.google.com/~r/autonews/BreakingNews/~3/Ew07WE6FSCc/merkel-offers-help-german-automakers-herculean-task>) While short on specifics, the German chancellor backed efforts to encourage consumers to buy more environmentally friendly products such as EVs fueled by renewable power.
- [Commission clears the creation of a joint venture between Toyota Motor Corporation and Panasonic Corporation - Sciencebusiness:](<https://sciencebusiness.net/network-updates/commission-clears-creation-joint-venture-between-toyota-motor-corporation-and>) The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the creation of a joint venture between Toyota Motor Corporation and Panasonic ...
- [Elon Musk says Tesla's new Model S prototype is a 7 seater - Electrek:](<https://electrek.co/2019/09/12/tesla-model-s-prototype-7-seats-elon-musk/>) After announcing the upcoming new Tesla 'Plaid powertrain' yesterday, Elon Musk said that Tesla had another Model S prototype with 7 seats.
- [Singapore's Vertex adds $290 million venture fund for high-growth tech firms - Reuters:](<https://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INbusinessNews/~3/l94ZsEv1qM4/singapores-vertex-adds-290-million-venture-fund-for-high-growth-tech-firms-idINKCN1VX10S>) Singapore-based Vertex Venture Holdings, the first main backer of Southeast Asia's ride-hailing giant Grab, has added a new $290 million venture capital fund targeting investments in high-growth technology firms, a senior company official said.
- [Waymo eyes deploying self-driving technology in trucking -CEO Krafcik - Reuters:](<https://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/companyNews/~3/mwbyA80yhZg/waymo-eyes-deploying-self-driving-technology-in-trucking-ceo-krafcik-idUSL5N2631S3>) Waymo is exploring deploying its self-driving technology in the trucking industry, CEO John Krafcik said on Thursday, as it works with industry partners to seize a commercial opportunity from a looming shortage of human drivers.
- [ZF eyes sale of stake in Sweden's Haldex, ending ownership stalemate - Reuters:](<https://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/companyNews/~3/f7d_dZWkR4o/zf-eyes-sale-of-stake-in-swedens-haldex-ending-ownership-stalemate-idUSL5N2631SF>) Germany's ZF Friedrichshafen said on Thursday it would look to sell its 20% stake in brake systems maker Haldex in a move which could break the ownership deadlock in the Swedish firm dating back to a bidding war in 2017.
- [Toyota tests solar-powered Prius in quest for plugless electric car - Reuters:](<https://ca.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idCAKCN1VX0D7-OCATC>) Inspired by new ultra-thin solar panels developed for satellites, a project led by Toyota Motor Corp is experimenting with a ...
- [Feds award $7.5M to Michigan for self-driving car testing - The Detroit News:](<https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/mobility/2019/09/12/michigan-self-driving-car-testing-programs-get-major-federal-grant/2290311001/>) Testing will take place at UM's Mcity and the American Center for Mobility in Ypsilanti, as well as the streets of Detroit.
- [Chilean lithium producer SQM bullish on white gold demand; shares rise - Reuters:](<https://www.reuters.com/article/us-chile-lithium-sqm/chilean-lithium-producer-sqm-bullish-on-white-gold-demand-shares-rise-idUSKCN1VX05V>) Shares in Chilean lithium producer SQM jumped on Wednesday after it announced plans to invest about $2.1 billion in the next ...

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