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President - elect Trumphas wasted little clip pick storage locker members , including advert former Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffyas the next escritoire of transportation . If Duffy ’s appointment is confirmed by the Senate , the new secretary will superintend an annual budget of about $ 107 billion , not to mention a all-embracing orbit of issues that will touch the tech creation , include fuel efficiency standards , advanced driver assist technologies , and autonomous vehicle .
I took a look at his legislative record and there ’s nothing really related to to transport , save for a broadside touch on to logging vehicles . That makes it difficult to predict precisely what his priorities will be . Stay tuned .
Two more fun thing . During an installment of TechCrunch ’s Equity , Salesforce co - father and CEOMarc Beniofftalked about some ofhis favorite widget . And you hazard it , car and trucks — many of which are EVs — were on top .
And this is not quite transportation - related , so forgive me . Tesla’sOptimus bot has a raw Quaker : Kim Kardashian .
Before we jump into the news , one housework point : We will not have an edition of TechCrunch Mobility next Thursday due to the Thanksgiving holiday . For all my U.S.-based proofreader — plus those afield who observe the vacation — stay safe out there on those roads . I know what I will be commit thanks to this vacation : good health and the ability to do what I get laid , which include writing this very newssheet .
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acquire 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 check how to adjoin us via encrypted messaging apps or SecureDrop .
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Deals!
Last month , Pony AIjoined the list of Chinese firms going public on the U.S. stock marketplace after a multiyearban from Beijingon offshore capital letter raising . Now we know what Pony AI is direct for .
Pony AI wants to raise around $ 260 million , up from its late target of around $ 224 million , Sean O’Kane reported . To meet the goal , Pony will sell as many as 20 million American repository portion .
That ’s still down from the much high target of $ 425 million , which Pony was aiming for earlier this year before its board approved a step-down of its minimum evaluation from around $ 8 billion to $ 4 billion .
Other deals that let my attention …
Ample , the San Francisco - based EV battery - swop party , raised $ 25 millionfrom new investor Mitsubishi Corporation .
Class8 , a Toronto - establish truckage fleet operations startup previously called FleetOps , raise $ 22 millionin a Series A round pass by Xplorer Capital . New investor Commerce Ventures and returning angel Inspired Capital and Resolute Ventures also joined .
Ecolectro , which makes H - producing electrolyzers , leaven $ 10.5 millionin a Series A round conduct by the Toyota Ventures climate fund with involvement from Cornell University , New Climate Ventures , Starshot Capital , and Techstars .
ePlane , an Indian - based startup developing galvanising erect takeoff and landing place aircraft , raised $ 14 millionin a Series B rung conscientious objector - conduct by Speciale Invest and Antares Ventures . The all - equity round also admit participation from Micelio Mobility , Naval Ravikant , Java Capital , Samarthya Investment Advisors , Redstart ( from Naukri ) , and Anicut . The round has appreciate the inauguration at $ 46 million station - money — over 2x its previous $ 21 million valuation .
Flipturn , a New York - based inauguration that developed software to aid fleet make do their EV charging , raise $ 11 millionin a Series A stave conduce by CRV with participation from Accel .
Notable reads and other tidbits
Cruiseadmitted to submitting a simulated reportwith the goal of influencing a federal investigation into a safety equipment incident last year . The GM subsidiary agree to pay a $ 500,000 condemnable amercement as part of a deferred criminal prosecution understanding .
May Mobilityis starting totest driverless shuttles(self - driving Toyota Sienna minivans ) in Ann Arbor .
Nurostartedrolling out a test fleetof its driverless , passenger - less R3 vehicle across the Bay Area and Houston , two months afterchanging its business sector strategyto certify its Ab technical school to automakers and mobility provider . The reason ? Show likely customers what they ’ve got .
Xiaodi Hou , the cobalt - laminitis and former CEO of ego - driving trucking startupTuSimple , has exhort a California district court toissue a temporary restraining orderto stop the company from transferring its continue U.S. assets to China . This competitiveness is getting messy .
Hyundairevealed the new Ioniq 9 , a three - row SUV that is wait to issue forth to the U.S. in the saltation of 2025.Read morefrom contributorEmme Hallabout this Modern EV and its numerous feature article .
Remember the Ram Ramcharger ? WellStellantishasreleased young detailsabout STLA Frame , the underlying vehicle platform that the Ram Ramcharger will finally be work up on . TL;DR : This is designed to be a multi - energy platform , which mean it can be the base for an intimate combustion , hybrid , battery - electric , or even gas - draw out vehicle like the Ram Ramcharger .
The$7,500 EV taxation creditis onTrump’schopping block .
Fordagreed to ante up a$165 million penaltyto Union regulators after moving too tardily to recall vehicles with faulty rearview tv camera .
General Motorshascut another 1,000 jobsin the U.S. , none of which were hourly workers . AndFordsaid it willslash another 4,000 jobsin Europe in a cost - cutting scheme as the emergence rate for EVs has slowed .
Rivian ’s head of communications , Sarah O’Brien , who once held a similar role atTesla , has left the EV maker . She hasjoined LoveFrom , the creative collective founded by Apple ’s former master design officer Jony I ve .
Meanwhile , Volkswagenhas tapped former Rivian execKjell Grunertorun its U.S. stage business .
This week’s wheels
What is “ This calendar week ’s steering wheel ” ? It ’s a chance to learn about the different transportation ware we ’re testing , whether it ’s an electric or hybrid car , an einsteinium - cycle , or even a ride in an autonomous vehicle . Future vehicle let in theLucid Air , more time in the next - genRivian R1S , and theVolkswagen ID Buzz . Stay tune up .
