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Welcome again to TechCrunch Mobility – your central hub for information and insights on the way forward for transportation.
This week was a busy one with Rivian formally asserting the reveal date for its next-gen EV, a Waymo robotaxi hanging a bicyclist (oh and considered one of its robotaxis was vandalized and burned late Saturday evening!), Arrival attempting to dump its UK property, plus a couple of scoops on e-motorcycle startup Cake, Ford and Fisker. There’s a number of floor to cowl, so come alongside for a experience.
Oh, however first, a little bit of late-breaking information over the weekend.
Joby Aviation, an organization growing all-electric plane for business passenger service, introduced Sunday an settlement with Dubai regulators to launch air taxi providers there by early 2026. Joby, a startup that went public in 2021 by way of a merger with a particular objective acquisition firm, stated it’s focusing on preliminary operations as early as 2025.
It’s price noting that beneath the deal, Joby has unique air taxi rights in Dubai for six years and a few monetary “mechanisms”; Joby didn’t present additional particulars. Joby has additionally signed an settlement with Skyports, an organization that can design, construct and function 4 preliminary vertiport websites throughout Dubai.
Let’s go!
Just a little fowl
We’ve had many little birds speaking to us about Fisker, the EV startup that went public in 2020 by way of a merger with a particular objective acquisition firm. These conversations mixed with a overview of inside paperwork, quite a lot of lawsuits and an investigation by federal regulators got here collectively in a riveting and troubling story by Sean O’Kane.
What did O’Kane discover? Fisker Ocean SUV clients have reported greater than 100 separate loss-of-power incidents in addition to a myriad of different issues, together with sudden lack of braking energy, problematic key fobs inflicting them to get locked inside or outdoors of the automobile, seat sensors that don’t detect the driving force’s presence and the SUV’s entrance hood instantly flying up at excessive speeds.
Prospects additionally complained in regards to the service division. After our story was printed, one other little fowl advised us that Fisker’s world service director was just lately let go.
Acquired a tip for us? Electronic mail Kirsten Korosec at [email protected] or Sean O’Kane [email protected]. If you happen to choose to stay nameless, click here to contact us, which incorporates SecureDrop (instructions here) and varied encrypted messaging apps.
Deal of the week
India is among the largest two-wheeler markets on the planet. And a complete new crop of startups — like startup River — are popping up on the scene due to demand for zero-emission automobiles.
River just lately raised $40 million in a Collection B funding spherical led by Japan’s Yamaha Motor. Present buyers Al-Futtaim Automotive, Lowercarbon Capital, Toyota Ventures, Vehicles VC and Maniv Mobility additionally participated.
The startup is going through a aggressive market as many firms are vying for a chunk of the EV pie. River is betting that it’s going to win over Indian clients with Indie, a utility lifestyle-focused product that has been described as an “SUV” two-wheeler.
Different offers that acquired my consideration …
Elroy Air, a South San Francisco-based startup growing autonomous cargo drones, raised $48.9 million, in line with a regulatory filing.
Guided Vitality, a French startup that raised $5.2 million from Sequoia Capital and Dynamo Ventures on the finish of 2023, is constructing a software program software that can assist EV fleet operators with cost administration and dispatch.
Oto, an Indian startup that constructed a financing software program platform for two-wheeled EVs, raised $10 million in a spherical led by GMO Enterprise Companions.
Starship Applied sciences, a supply robotics startup out of Estonia, raised $90 million in funding spherical co-led by two earlier backers: Plural and Iconical. It brings the full raised by Starship to $230 million, with earlier backers together with the Finnish-Japanese agency NordicNinja, the European Funding Financial institution, Morpheus Ventures and TDC.
Notable reads and different tidbits
Autonomous automobiles
An administrative regulation choose with the California Public Utilities Fee held a settlement listening to concerning the October 2 incident that left a pedestrian, who had initially been hit by a human-driven automobile, caught beneath after which dragged by a Cruise robotaxi.
The listening to rehashed a lot of what Quinn Emmanuel – the regulation agency GM employed to analyze the October 2 incident — revealed in an unbiased report. But it surely’s price noting that all through the change, Cruise struck a particularly conciliatory tone. Craig Glidden, GM’s EVP of authorized and coverage who was appointed in December chief administrative officer at Cruise, was significantly ingratiating.
At one level, he appeared to agree with paying a better fantastic, which beneath statute could be $112,000. Right here’s what he stated.
“It was regrettable. It was a mistake and Cruise is attempting to make right with the mistake. I’m not here to quibble about whether it’s $75,000 or $112,000. We want to get the matter settled because we want to move forward and we want to advance the mission of bringing driverless cars that are safer to the public and also greater accessibility to the public to the market. So we’re more than happy to be compromised in any ways that the court would see fit or the commission would see fit to get this matter behind us.”
Waymo has the eye of regulators in California after considered one of its robotaxis struck a bicyclist in San Francisco. The bicycle owner suffered minor accidents. Waymo stated its robotaxi was stopped at a four-way intersection as a big truck was driving in the wrong way. The automobile then moved into the intersection and collided with the bicycle owner who was behind the truck.
TechCrunch spoke to the Division of Motor Automobiles and the California Public Utilities Fee — the 2 companies that management permits that permit firms like Waymo to check, deploy and commercially cost for driverless rides. The CPUC stated it was “gathering information from Waymo” and the DMV advised me the company “is reviewing the incident.” We’ll see if this turns into something extra.
Yet one more Waymo merchandise. At round 9 p.m. Saturday night, a crowd surrounded an empty Waymo robotaxi, started rocking it, smashing home windows and in the end lit it on hearth courtesy of fireworks. FriscoLive415 shared the video on X. Fairly insane footage. A Waymo spokesperson advised TechCrunch the automobile was not transporting any riders and no accidents have been reported. The corporate is “working closely with local safety officials to respond to the situation.”
Electrical automobiles, charging & batteries
Arrival introduced that its U.Ok. division is entering administration, the nation’s model of chapter.
Electrical bike firm Cake held talks with Harley-Davidson and different automakers in 2023 because it fought to remain alive, founder and CEO Stefan Ytterborn advised TechCrunch.
Cowboy is rolling out an on-demand service program for fundamental upkeep, customization and repairs, delivered on the e-bike proprietor’s house.
Ford has been quietly engaged on a low-cost EV. The corporate created a skunkworks project two years in the past that’s primarily based in Irvine, California and led by ex-Tesla and Ford Superior EV improvement boss Alan Clarke. Notably, the staff contains engineers from Auto Motive Energy (AMP), the EV energy startup that the automaker acquired in November 2023. AMP founder Anil Paryani, who coincidentally overlapped with Clarke for about 5 years at Tesla, can be a part of the skunkworks mission.
Rivian will reveal its smaller, cheaper R2 SUV on March 7. Keep tuned!
Toyota will spend an extra $1.3 billion to arrange its Kentucky manufacturing unit for manufacturing of a brand new three-row all-electric SUV designed for U.S. shoppers
Gig financial system
Uber hit a significant milestone that a couple of years in the past I wasn’t certain would ever be met. The ride-hailing and supply app reported a full-year profit (pushed by working revenue) as a public firm. And it appears that evidently revenue momentum is anticipated to proceed into the primary quarter. Uber has hit an annual revenue earlier than, however it was largely resulting from its investments. In 2023, the corporate’s earnings additionally got here from its operations.
Reminder that Lyft will publish its fourth-quarter and full-year earnings after markets shut February 13.
Individuals
Getaround, an organization that helps automobile homeowners lease out their automobiles, vans and SUVs to different friends, is cutting 30% of its North American workforce as a part of a restructuring. Getaround lower 10% of its employees in February 2023.
Basic Motors hired battery expert and ex-Tesla government Kurt Kelty to be the automaker’s new vice chairman of batteries — a model new position for the corporate.
This week’s wheels
Picture Credit: Taylor Hatmaker
This week’s wheels may get the eye of e-bike followers. Editor Taylor Hatmaker writes this about her “zombie” Van Moof.
My VanMoof e-bike isn’t lifeless, however it’s not fairly alive both. I purchased an X3 from VanMoof after I reviewed the bike for TechCrunch again in 2021 and got here away wildly impressed. The bike was glorious; however it was additionally a private revelation, empowering me —a lazy fair-weather bicycle owner — to bike round my metropolis (Portland, OR) after I may in any other case use a automobile.
Once I purchased my VanMoof, on sale on the time, I knew it was a threat. I spent the cash, figuring out that within the worst-case situation my bike might flip right into a $2,000 brick. That situation arrived final yr when VanMoof declared bankruptcy.
Lavoie purchased the corporate’s stays late final summer time, offering a glimmer of hope that the notoriously fickle bikes filled with bespoke elements will nonetheless be serviceable sooner or later. Within the meantime, VanMoof homeowners like myself scrambled to obtain apps like Bikey, made by Cowboy, to salvage the digital keys linking us to our bikes.
I nonetheless have a number of affection for my 30-pound possible-future-paperweight, which I nervously energy on and join my cellphone to some occasions every week. It’s been pouring for months — not the sort of climate I’ll bike in any extra — however I hope when Spring rolls round that my X3 exhibits some contemporary indicators of life too.
