Amazon is staking a claim in the EV market after it led a $700 million investment round in electric pickup truck and SUV maker Rivian. Other details about the investment aren't being disclosed, but previous shareholders are involved and Rivian is remaining an independent company. Rumors suggested this week Amazon and GM would both invest, but it's not clear if the latter took part in this round. Nor did Rivian disclose how much of the company Amazon now owns. "We are excited to have Amazon with us on our journey to create products, technology and experiences that reset expectations of what is possible," Rivian's CEO RJ Scaringe said.

A self-driving car technology startup founded by former Google, Tesla and Uber executives said Thursday it secured $530 million in new funding that included a'significant' investment from Amazon. The funding round for Aurora Innovation led by Silicon Valley venture capital powerhouse Sequoia reportedly valued the startup launched just two years ago at more than $2.5 billion. While Aurora might not be well-known, the firm already has links to several big names in the industry, with research and development partnerships that include Byton, Hyundai, and Volkswagen. 'We are always looking to invest in innovative, customer-obsessed companies, and Aurora is just that,' Amazon said in response to an AFP inquiry. 'Autonomous technology has the potential to help make the jobs of our employees and partners safer and more productive, whether it's in a fulfillment center or on the road, and we're excited about the possibilities.' Aurora is developing the technology for autonomous vehicles, but leaving the making of cars to other companies and said in a blog post it wants to work alongside, rather than compete with, leading automakers.

Amazon is clearly interested in autonomy between its delivery drone project and Scout robots, but it's taking that commitment one step further. The tech giant has participated in a $530 million investment round for Aurora Innovation, a self-driving car startup created by luminaries like ex-Googler Chris Urmson, former Tesla Autopilot leader Sterling Anderson and Uber autonomy co-founder Drew Bagnell. While Amazon hasn't said what it hopes to gain from the investment, Aurora's technology may provide some clues. Like many similar startups, Aurora is focused on developing a driverless system rather than producing full-fledged cars. You could integrate its technology into various vehicles, and companies like Hyundai and VW have already pledged to use Aurora software in their cars by 2021.

Tesla revealed that it has lowered the price of its Model 3 again. Tesla shares slid Thursday afternoon after self-driving car startup Aurora said it raised more than $530 million in funding from investors including Amazon, Sequoia and the investment arm of energy giant Shell. Tesla shares were down more than 3 percent, near $305.60 a share after the announcement was published. Markets Insider reports that Thursday's selling has Tesla shares teetering toward their lowest close since Jan. 29, the day before the electric-car maker's fourth-quarter earnings report. Amazon made "significant investments" in Aurora, the tech start-up said in a press release.