Hyundai bets on Canoo to supercharge electric vehicle plans
Hyundai Motor Group has struck a deal to develop electric vehicles with Los Angeles-based startup Canoo. Under the terms of the agreement, Hyundai and its Kia affiliate will gain access to Canoo’s engineers and technology as the two South Korean automakers look to expand production of electric vehicles (EV). Hyundai and Kia both recently announced plans to invest heavily in electric technology over the next six years, with a $110 million joint investment in U.K. startup Arrival, which counts United Parcel Service Inc. as an investor, to build electric commercial fleets. – Bloomberg
New Huntsville homes possibly being built over Indian burial ground
State officials are investigating reports that a north Alabama developer is building homes on the site of a Native American village and likely burial site in Huntsville. The development, called Flint Crossing, is in the Hampton Cove (or Big Cove) area of Huntsville, off Taylor Road near the Flint River. Jeff Benton Homes began building the subdivision last year, but nearby residents reported finding pottery shards, spearheads and even possible fragments of human remains in and around the construction site. – AL.com
Waitr to lay off thousands of drivers, including hundreds in Alabama
Online food delivery service company Waitr is delivering some bad news to thousands of its drivers. They’ll soon face layoffs. Many of those drivers are in Alabama. According to the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Worker Adjustments and Retraining Notification List, or WARN List for short, the company notified state officials on Feb. 3 of its plans to layoff 491 drivers statewide. Those layoffs would be effective as of April 6. The WARN List requires companies to give a minimum 60-day notice of mass layoffs. – WSFA
Medical cannabis bill clears first major hurdle in Alabama Senate
Alabama is one quick step closer to legalizing medical cannabis. On Wednesday, a bill in the state’s Senate surmounted its first hurdle, as it easily passed in that body’s judiciary committee. The vote was eight in favor, and one against, with one abstaining. Senate Bill 165 can now advance to the senate floor for a full vote. The bill was introduced last week by state senator Tim Melson, a Republican. It calls for marijuana use to be permitted for qualifying patients with any of 15 conditions that range from chronic pain to cancer. – Nasdaq
Warrior Met Coal starts development of Blue Creek reserves
Warrior Met Coal, Inc says it is commencing development of its Blue Creek reserves into a new, $500 million longwall mine located in Alabama near its existing mines. “Once completed, this transformational growth investment will reinforce Warrior’s position as the premier US pure-play producer of premium metallurgical coal products that are sought by customers throughout the global steel industry. Met coal, unlike thermal coal, has unique physical properties and is used solely for the production of steel.” – International Mining
