Welcome again to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for information and insights on the way forward for transportation. This would be the final publication of 2024! However don’t fear, we’ll be again in 2025 — join right here to get it in your inbox each week. Thanks for studying and your emails. I like to get them. Glad holidays and have a Glad New 12 months.
I didn’t meet Jean Jennings till lengthy after she had cemented her standing as an automotive journalism icon. By then, Jennings (previously Lindamood) had been editor of Automotive and Driver and had helped discovered Vehicle Journal — the place she would finally develop into editor-in-chief — and launched an internet site known as Jean Is aware of Vehicles. Jennings died December 16 at age 70 after residing with Alzheimer’s illness.
To say she was well-known within the business is an understatement. To offer you an thought of her impression, Ford CEO Jim Farley and Chairman Invoice Ford issued an official assertion on her dying, and Stellantis designer Ralph Gilles and lots of, many others within the business have posted their very own memorials to Jean on social media.
And for good cause. Jennings lived and breathed automobiles, first as a mechanic and later as a journalist and editor. Her articles and travels are a part of automotive lore. I used to be simply dipping my toe into the automotive press pond when she was rising from it, however I nonetheless knew of Jennings. It wasn’t simply her writing, which was witty and pleasant. It was the entire energetic bundle, which generally made her a central character in different articles, like Brock Yates’ 1983 Baja Mexico Sedan Torture Check article in C&D.
In fact, when you met her (which I used to be fortunate sufficient to do), there was no forgetting her. Jean, hat’s off to you.
And earlier than we leap into the remainder of the information, take a look at TechCrunch’s 51 most disruptive startups of 2024 to study some attention-grabbing tech and corporations outdoors of transportation.
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Just a little fowl
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Offers!
The Biden administration is racing to approve quite a few initiatives earlier than President-elect Donald Trump takes over, together with clear vitality loans. Current Division of Power (DOE) mortgage recipients embody StarPlus Power (a battery three way partnership from Stellantis and Samsung) and Rivian.
This week, it was electrical car charging startup EVgo’s flip.
The DOE accredited a $1.25 billion mortgage to EVgo to assist the startup set up 7,500 public chargers at 1,100 charging stations throughout the U.S. over the subsequent 5 years. The primary deployments will embody 350kW DC fast-charging tools that may cost two automobiles directly.
Different offers that obtained my consideration …
Bikmo, a U.Okay. startup that gives insurance coverage for bikes and cyclists, raised £4.75 million ($5.9 million) in a spherical led by Puma Development Companions.
Honda and Nissan are reportedly in merger talks. If that have been to return collectively, the merger, which can additionally embody Mitsubishi, would type the world’s third-largest carmaker. The intrigue across the potential deal turned much more attention-grabbing when Bloomberg reported that discussions accelerated after Foxconn, the Taiwan-based producer of iPhones, approached Nissan about buying a stake within the firm.
Nanoramic, a Boston-based superior battery expertise startup, raised $44 million in a spherical co-led by Basic Motors Ventures and Catalus Capital, with participation from Samsung Enterprise Funding Company, High Materials, and present traders, together with Fortistar Capital and WindSail Capital Group.
Orqa, a Croatian developer of superior autonomous drone programs, raised 5.8 million euros ($6 million) in a seed spherical led by Lightspeed Enterprise Companions, with participation from Radius Capital, Decisive Level, and present investor Day One Capital.
Slip Robotics raised $28 million in a Sequence B funding spherical led by DCVC and noticed participation from present traders Eve Atlas, Tech Sq. Ventures, Hyde Park Enterprise Companions, Overline, and Pathbreaker Ventures. James Hardiman of DCVC has joined the board.
Vaeridion, a German aviation startup growing an electrical plane for short-haul industrial flights, raised a €14 million Sequence A funding spherical led by World Fund, with participation from Undertaking A Ventures, Vsquared Ventures, Andreas Kupke, Schwarz Holding, and InnovationQuarter.
Zingbus, the Indian intercity bus service, raised $9 million from BP Ventures in a Sequence A funding spherical.
Notable reads and different tidbits
Autonomous automobiles
Waymo continues to step into the areas the place its earlier rivals have been planning to arrange store. The newest instance: Waymo is bringing its robotaxis to Tokyo in 2025 with companions taxi-hailing app GO and taxi firm Nihon Kotsu as a part of its Japanese “road trip.” Historical past lesson: Cruise was planning on working in Japan in 2026 via a partnership with Honda.
Waymo could also be dominating, however its robotaxis nonetheless have challenges. One lately obtained caught in a roundabout.
Reuters obtained its fingers on a doc from the Trump transition staff that exhibits deep curiosity in ending a federal rule that requires automakers to report crashes when superior driver-assistance or autonomous driving expertise is engaged. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has lengthy opposed the federal crash-reporting rule. The timing of that is notable. If profitable, federal security companies would lose the power to analyze and regulate the protection of automobiles with automated-driving programs simply as extra automation involves public roads.
Drama at TuSimple continues. This time, co-founder and former CEO Xiaodi Hou is pushing shareholders to change the board and substitute it with new members who would help liquidating the corporate.
Zoox has employed Zheng Gao as director of {hardware} engineering. Zheng was most lately at Tesla, the place he spent eight years and was head of Tesla’s Autopilot {hardware} engineering staff. Previous to Tesla, Zheng was at Apple for 9 years.
Electrical automobiles, charging, & batteries
Canoo is hurting for money. The EV startup has idled its manufacturing facility and furloughed employees because it seeks emergency funding.
The Environmental Safety Company (nonetheless below the Biden administration) will permit California to ban most gross sales of latest gas- and diesel-powered automobiles and lightweight vehicles beginning in 2035. Consider, although, that that is sure to be reversed by the incoming Trump administration.
Ram delayed its electrical truck to 2026 and can as an alternative put the range-extended truck referred to as the Ramcharger within the entrance of the queue. Lagging EV demand is behind the choice.
Tesla is bringing again free Supercharging to clients who purchase a brand new Mannequin S. However this seems to be a little bit of a shell recreation, as Tesla additionally elevated the value of the Mannequin S by $5,000.
In-car tech
Rivian launched a brand new software program replace to its automobiles that brings some long-awaited apps to its in-vehicle expertise, together with YouTube, Google Solid, and SiriusXM (with a subscription).
Different random transpo information!
Kakao Mobility, the ride-hailing unit of Korean tech agency Kakao, was fined $10.5 million (KRW 15.1 billion) for limiting opponents’ entry to its taxi app.
Alphabet’s Wing is increasing its partnership with DoorDash to convey drone supply to clients within the Dallas-Fort Price Metroplex.
This week’s wheels
TechCrunch reporter Rebecca Bellan hung out within the 2025 Lucid Air Pure — twice! You may learn the entire overview right here. However for individuals who need the gist, right here it’s.
The 2025 Lucid Air Pure is dreamy, horny, and splendid — and has some first rate tech in addition — regardless that it’s the most cost-effective trim within the EV maker’s present lineup. As Bellan wrote, “I felt fancy and discerning driving around, but in an understated way — as if I were wearing designer sweatpants.” I assume which means the Lucid Air Pure is the equal of high-priced athleisure.
Nonetheless, did that translate into worth? Bellan says sure, however provided that Lucid continues to enhance its software program via over-the-air updates.
As somebody who has pushed the Lucid Air a number of occasions, I used to be happy to study that a few of my largest complaints, just like the car ping-ponging when the lane-centering characteristic is engaged, have been resolved.
What’s “This week’s wheels”? It’s an opportunity to study concerning the completely different transportation merchandise we’re testing, whether or not it’s an electrical or hybrid automobile, an e-bike or perhaps a journey in an autonomous car. Future automobiles embody the next-gen Rivian R1S and the Volkswagen ID Buzz. Keep tuned.
