Adam Jonas

After years of ambitious targets and bold promises, investors are growing impatient with the pace of driverless-car development, applying pressure on an industry that had become accustomed to latitude and piles of cash from investors.Auto makers in recent weeks scaled back plans for the technology amid new pressure to curb expenses during an economic slowdown. An influential hedge fund also has questioned Google-parent Alphabet Inc.’s GOOG -1.38% yearslong effort to…

After years of ambitious targets and bold promises, investors are growing impatient with the pace of driverless-car development, sending shock waves through an industry that had become accustomed to latitude and piles of cash from investors.Auto makers in recent weeks scaled back plans for the technology amid new pressure to curb expenses during an economic slowdown. An influential hedge fund also has questioned Google-parent Alphabet Inc.’s GOOG -1.29% yearslong effort…

If the prospect of flying electric taxis zooming to and from major airports via an app sounds like a pie in the sky, try not to tell United Airlines.On Thursday the airliner announced a $15 million investment into electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle startup Eve Air Mobility along with a conditional purchase agreement for 200 of the firm’s so-called flying taxis. United’s betting big on these helicopter-like, supposedly zero-emission electric aircraft to revolutionize mid-length urban air travel. Whether or not…