Updates: The good, the bad, and the autonomous

We’ve got EV’s and paper straw updates. This is the good, the bad, and the autonomous.

Been hankering for an update on your fav non-productive EV company? How about a primer on how the world’s best only paper straw company is doing?

Updates: The good, the bad, and the autonomous

Here are a few updates on some old gems:

The good: Aardvark is killing the paper straw game

In August, Aardvark, the great crusader against plastic straws, was acquired by Hoffmaster Group — because when you’re the only paper straw maker in an industry currently catching like wildfire, sometimes you need a hand.

As promised by the Hoffmaster Group, Aardvark is building a new factory to further stay ahead of booming demand (which has grown 50x), and a question looms: What’s Aardvark’s carbon footprint gonna look like once the new digs are up and running?

The bad: Faraday Future still on hard times

What’s worse than a company with arguably one of the most revolutionary EV concepts in the past 5 years but still no product to show for it? Answer: A company that, nearly 5 years later, still has no product to show for it. And what do you know, it’s the employees who continue to suffer.

According to the Verge, EV company Faraday Future has furloughed at least 250 more employees since reducing staff from 1k to 600 back in October. Their reasoning: A “financial crisis.”

Of course, the company is pointing its finger at Evergrande Health, who agreed to a $2B bailout back in June so Faraday could keep the lights on.

Now, the company claims the investor is “refusing to make its scheduled payments,” and employees are getting the ax because of it. Basically, Faraday is the kid who repeatedly wrecks his car, then blames Mom and Dad for cutting him off.

The autonomous: Waymo’s new self-driving taxi launches

Last month, Alphabet’s self-driving arm, Waymo, announced its new self-driving taxi, the Waymo One, would hit the streets in December.

Well, the holiday season is here, and they did not disappoint: Yesterday, Waymo became the first autonomous ride-hailing company to hit the streets without the restraints of a closed course, or engineers riding shotty. 

Now, it’s just the car, you, and nothing behind the wheel.

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