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receive back toTechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation . Sign up here for spare — just clickTechCrunch Mobility !
Before we move into the news of this week , we have one more roundup of transportation system tech at CES 2025 . As I noted last week , autonomous fomite technical school was everywhere . But there were other themes , too . arrest it out here .
Now , on to the later and enceinte future of transportation technical school news show .
A little bird
No little bird this week , but figured this was the best blank space to call farewell toHindenburg Research , the short - seller house that investigated tips from whistle blower and used its own enquiry to rootle out humbug in publicly swop companies . Hindenburg Research founder Nate Andersonposted a noteWednesday that the firm is shutting down .
In the transport and climate technical school worldly concern , Hindenburg is famous for exposingNikola Motors , Lordstown Motors , and billionaire Gautam Adani of The Adani Group , who wasindicted over an alleged schemeto salary more than $ 250 million in bribes to Indian officials in exchange for contract to a 12 - gigawatt solar power project .
Got a tip for us ? Email Kirsten Korosec atkirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com , Sean O’Kane atsean.okane@techcrunch.com , or Rebecca Bellan atrebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com . Or check outthese instructionsto learn how to touch us via encrypted messaging apps or SecureDrop .
Deals!
Just a bunch of deals this week ! Here ’s what stood out .
Caramel , a startup that helps car sellers and vendee complete the final steps of the dealing , isbeing acquiredbyeBay . price were not disclosed .
Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
EV startupHarbingerraised $ 100 millionin a Series B daily round atomic number 27 - lead by early Tesla investor Capricorn Investment Group and Leitmotif , a new U.S. store conscientious objector - found by the former M&A head for Volkswagen . Also joining the round of drinks were Tiger Global and mobility venture house Maniv , both of which were live investors .
Sarla Aviationraised $ 10 millionin a refreshful funding unit of ammunition led by Accel and include angel investor such as Flipkart carbon monoxide - founder Binny Bansal , Zerodha co - founding father Nikhil Kamath , and Swiggy carbon monoxide gas - beginner Sriharsha Majety .
Teslawas a victor and a loser in the latest round of federal financial backing for galvanizing - vehicle lodge infrastructure . The Department of Transportationsnubbed Teslaon its software for $ 97 million to fund a bragging - articulated lorry charge corridor from California to Texas . But Tesla , along with three other industry partners , ended up being awarded a separate$100 million in fundingto ramp up electric truck institutionalize station across Illinois .
Shippeo , a startup that developed material - meter trailing software across all modes of transport , raised $ 30 million in a backing circle led by Toyota ’s growth fund Woven Capital . Battery Ventures , Partech , NGP Capital , Bpifrance Digital Venture , LFX Venture Partners , Shift4Good , and Yamaha Motor Ventures also participated .
Notable reads and other tidbits
Autonomous vehicles
Aurora Innovationistaking federal safety regulators to courtin a subject that revolve about around the rather commonplace practice of localise forcible word of advice trilateral around semi trucks stopped along main road . TL;DR : This could have far - contact implications for ego - driving truck companies operating in a regulatory environment design around humans .
TheU.S. Department of Commerceannounced a last rule that would blackball the sales event or import of connected vehicles from China and Russia due to national security system concerns . The pattern would also bar Chinese car companies , such as WeRide and Pony AI , fromtesting ego - push back carson U.S. roads .
TheNational Highway Traffic Safety Administrationclosed its investigationintoCruiseand whether the company ’s robotaxis exercised appropriate circumspection around pedestrians . The agency note that Cruise had issued a recall on its software and that the ego - driving vehicle subordinate of GM had since ceased business operations .
Electric vehicles, charging, & batteries
Arc Boatscame to CES 2025 , and senior reporterSean O’Kanetook its Arc Sport gravy holder for a joy drive on Lake Mead . Here’swhat he thoughtof the startup ’s New offer .
Teslarevealed anew - look Model Ymeant for the Taiwanese and other Asian Pacific marketplace , check off the first major update to the SUV since its launch in 2020 .
Sean Duffy , President - elect Donald Trump ’s nominee to head up the U.S. Department of Transportation , remember owners of galvanizing vehicle shouldpay to utilize roads . As reporterRebecca Bellanexplains , achieving that destination is n’t so easy .
This week’s wheels
aright before the holidays , I had a chance to get into a production prototype of the2025 Volkswagen ID . Buzz Pro S Plus . I plan to spend more time drive the production reading soon , but for now here are a few thoughts on this all - electric minibus that was priced at $ 69,595 .
I ’ve been waiting for this electric minibus since 2017 when it was presented by Volkswagen as a concept . This reimagined microbus had a cheeseparing - unsufferable delegation . It had to be instantly recognizable and give a nod to its iconic past times while paving a new futurist and EV route frontward . And in many slipway , the ID . Buzz does that . It ’s eye - catching ; people stopped me constantly . It ’s fun while being practical . And although it ’s more expensive than other minivan on the market , it ’s not whole outrageous .
The variation I tested was all - cycle drive , with the Metro Silver Metallic paint and “ copper ” inner with leatherette seating area . There is a net ton of space — really cavernous — and squeamish details throughout , commit it an sublime feeling . It was easy to maneuver on tight metropolis streets , despite its 195.4 - in length . Which yeah , that ’s long !
It foregather a lot of my first moment . But I question about its futurity . This fomite would be expectant as a child and grocery hauler around townspeople . I could see it being used in commercial fleet in urban environments as well . But with a 91 kilowatt - hour battery that gets an estimated 234 miles of kitchen range , I wonder if it will know up to its past tense as a roadtrippin ’ machine ?
Side note : In the last newssheet , I offer up a few choice morsel on my Zoox robotaxi drive . Here ’s myfull write - upon myZooxexperience in Las Vegas .
What is “ This week ’s wheels ” ? It ’s a chance to learn about the unlike transportation product we ’re prove , whether it ’s an electric or hybrid cable car , an e - wheel , or even a ride in an self-governing fomite .
