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! But don’t fear, we’ll be again in 2025 — join right here to get it in your inbox each week. Thank you for studying and your emails. I like to get them. Happy holidays and have a Happy New Year.
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 Car and Driver and had helped discovered Automobile Magazine — the place she would ultimately turn out to be editor-in-chief — and launched a web site referred to as Jean Knows Cars. Jennings died December 16 at age 70 after dwelling 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 Bill 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 vehicles, 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 typically made her a central character in different articles, like Brock Yates’ 1983 Baja Mexico Sedan Torture Test article in C&D.
Of course, 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 find out about some fascinating tech and firms outdoors of transportation.
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A bit fowl
Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com, Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com, or Rebecca Bellan at rebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com. Or take a look at these directions to learn to contact us through encrypted messaging apps or SecureDrop.
Deals!
The Biden administration is racing to approve quite a lot of initiatives earlier than President-elect Donald Trump takes over, together with clear vitality loans. Recent Department of Energy (DOE) mortgage recipients embody StarPlus Energy (a battery three way partnership from Stellantis and Samsung) and Rivian.
This week, it was electrical car charging startup EVgo’s flip.
The DOE authorized 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 first deployments will embody 350kW DC fast-charging tools that may cost two vehicles directly.
Other offers that received 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 Growth Partners.
Honda and Nissan are reportedly in merger talks. If that had been to come back collectively, the merger, which can additionally embody Mitsubishi, would kind the world’s third-largest carmaker. The intrigue across the potential deal turned much more fascinating 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 General Motors Ventures and Catalus Capital, with participation from Samsung Venture Investment Corporation, Top Material, and present traders, together with Fortistar Capital and WindSail Capital Group.
Orqa, a Croatian developer of superior autonomous drone methods, raised 5.8 million euros ($6 million) in a seed spherical led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation from Radius Capital, Decisive Point, and present investor Day One Capital.
Slip Robotics raised $28 million in a Series B funding spherical led by DCVC and noticed participation from present traders Eve Atlas, Tech Square Ventures, Hyde Park Venture Partners, Overline, and Pathbreaker Ventures. James Hardiman of DCVC has joined the board.
Vaeridion, a German aviation startup creating an electrical plane for short-haul industrial flights, raised a €14 million Series A funding spherical led by World Fund, with participation from Project A Ventures, Vsquared Ventures, Andreas Kupke, Schwarz Holding, and InnovationQuarter.
Zingbus, the Indian intercity bus service, raised $9 million from BP Ventures in a Series A funding spherical.
Notable reads and different tidbits
Autonomous automobiles
Waymo continues to step into the areas the place its earlier rivals had 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 “street journey.” History lesson: Cruise was planning on working in Japan in 2026 by means of a partnership with Honda.
Waymo could also be dominating, however its robotaxis nonetheless have challenges. One lately received caught in a roundabout.
Reuters received its arms on a doc from the Trump transition crew 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 flexibility to research and regulate the protection of automobiles with automated-driving methods simply as extra automation involves public roads.
Drama at TuSimple continues. This time, co-founder and former CEO Xiaodi Hou is pushing shareholders to vary the board and change it with new members who would assist 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 crew. Prior to Tesla, Zheng was at Apple for 9 years.
Electric automobiles, charging, & batteries
Canoo is hurting for money. The EV startup has idled its manufacturing unit and furloughed staff because it seeks emergency funding.
The Environmental Protection Agency (nonetheless below the Biden administration) will enable California to ban most gross sales of latest gas- and diesel-powered vehicles and light-weight vans beginning in 2035. Keep in thoughts, 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 Model S. But this seems to be a little bit of a shell recreation, as Tesla additionally elevated the worth of the Model 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 Cast, and SiriusXM (with a subscription).
Other 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 rivals’ entry to its taxi app.
Alphabet’s Wing is increasing its partnership with DoorDash to carry drone supply to clients within the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
This week’s wheels
TechCrunch reporter Rebecca Bellan frolicked within the 2025 Lucid Air Pure — twice! You can learn the entire evaluation right here. But for individuals who need the gist, right here it’s.
The 2025 Lucid Air Pure is dreamy, attractive, and opulent — and has some first rate tech besides — although it’s the least expensive trim within the EV maker’s present lineup. As Bellan wrote, “I felt fancy and discerning driving round, however in an understated means — as if I had been sporting designer sweatpants.” I suppose which means the Lucid Air Pure is the equal of pricy athleisure.
Still, did that translate into worth? Bellan says sure, however provided that Lucid continues to enhance its software program by means of over-the-air updates.
As somebody who has pushed the Lucid Air just a few occasions, I used to be happy to study that a few of my greatest complaints, just like the car ping-ponging when the lane-centering function is engaged, have been resolved.
What is “This week’s wheels”? It’s an opportunity to study in regards to the completely different transportation merchandise we’re testing, whether or not it’s an electrical or hybrid automotive, an e-bike or perhaps a experience in an autonomous car. Future automobiles embody the next-gen Rivian R1S and the Volkswagen ID Buzz. Stay tuned.
