Shifting Gears: Uber's safety report is finally here, Elon Musk takes the stand, and a shakeup at United

Uber's long-awaited safety report is finally out

The ride-hailing giant on Thursday evening disclosed nearly 6,000 sexual assaults in 2017 and 2018 combined. The 84-page report also maintained that 99.9% of trips were safe.

"It's important to understand the scale of Uber's business in interpreting this data," the report said. "This year, nearly 4 million Uber trips happened every day in the US — more than 45 rides every second."

You can read the executive summary here. And the full report here (pdf).

Elon Musk heads to court

Tesla's chief executive was back in court this week, this time for a defamation lawsuit brought by the British cave explorer he called a "pedo guy" on Twitter back in 2018 after the dramatic rescue of a Thai soccer team trapped in a flooded cave.

During an explosive two days on the witness stand, Musk defended his tweet, saying it wasn't intended in the literal sense of "pedophile."

Vernon Unsworth, the target of the attack, said the sting of the ordeal remained with him. "Feels very raw," he said in his first day of testimony. "Feel humiliated, ashamed, dirtied."

"I feel very vulnerable," he added. "It hurts to talk about it."

United calls for a crew change

Oscar Munoz will step down as chief executive of United Airlines in May, the airline said this week. He'll transition to chairman of the board and Scott Kirby, the company's president who was recruited from American Airlines in 2016, will take over as CEO.

United has seen strong performance this year under Munoz's leadership, despite strong industry headwinds. Still, the 2017 scandal in which police dragged a doctor off of an oversold flight — and the airlines' response — is likely to be another hallmark of his time at the helm.

GM inks a big battery deal

General Motors and LG Chem said this week that they'll form a joint-venture to build a new battery factory in Ohio. The 50-50 collaboration is expected to total as much as $2.3 billion in investment from the US' top automaker and the South Korean energy company.

The new plant is anticipated to create 1,100 jobs and break ground in 2020.

Last call for rising stars nominations

We're beginning to cull the list of rising stars of autonomous driving. Is there anyone in the self-driving field we should consider? Now is your last chance to make sure they're nominated. Details can be found here.

Everything else:

• A 4,000 horsepower Peterbilt truck named Thor, the 'most powerful big rig ever,' just sold for $13.2 million in Saudi Arabia
• Elon Musk said in a leaked email to Tesla employees that delivering cars and installing solar roofs are his top priorities for the end of the year
• An airline opened a restaurant selling plane food because it says people love its in-flight meals so much they want to eat them even when they're not flying
• Boeing's chief engineer who oversaw the 737 Max is retiring, just one month after testifying before Congress with the beleaguered company's CEO
• All of the 'Popemobiles' Pope Francis rode this year, from a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen to a hydrogen-powered Toyota
• Photos showed Tesla Supercharger stations faced long lines during holiday travel, revealing a big hurdle for EV makers
• Uber's CEO shares the best advice he ever received — and explains why young people shouldn't plan their life too rigidly
• Filet mignon and artichoke ravioli: American Airlines' lead marketing exec reveals how its investments in gourmet dining are helping the company attract business travelers