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We know this day was amount : Cruiseis dead — at least as a robotaxi companionship . General Motorscompleted its learning of GM Cruise Holdings LLC ; Cruise is now a wholly owned subsidiary of GM .
The issue is a50 % reduction in stave — that ’s about 1,000 the great unwashed . The next footstep is to integrate the remaining employee into the fold of GM , where they ’ll act on improve the automaker ’s advance driver - assistance organization .
Among my many questions about this is whether GM will successfully keep back the remain talent , most of whom I have been told are engineers . And will that fresh talent translate into an better advanced equipment driver - aid system , mark as Super Cruise , and finally personal autonomous vehicles ?
I ’m not convinced that gain endowment — who were inspired by and loyal to Cruise ’s now leave Centennial State - founder and CEO Kyle Vogt — is a good friction match . But hey , I ’ve been incorrect before .
Over the years , I ’ve spoken to lots of Cruise engineers , and every time I would walk off thinking , “ Well , there ’s a true worshiper . ” I have n’t met every Cruise employee , but the ones I have exuded a belief in the autonomous vehicle military mission and seemed thrilled to be work recollective time of day to achieve it .
For any current and former Cruisers out there , reach out . I would bed to talk about the former Clarence Shepard Day Jr. with you . e-mail me atkirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com .
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A little bird
A few more lilliputian hoot came to us fromCruisein recent day . Much of the communicating centered on the impending layoffs , which I address above . But I thought this was an interesting nugget from source who shared how they thought — at least for a sentence — Cruise might restart its robotaxi surgical process .
One indicator was this tidbit from sources who told us that Cruise had been quick to implement a retrofitted detector result , internally referred to as Project Rhino , that would have solved for the October 2 incident by creating additional visibility and cognisance underneath the car . The “ incident ” is in reference to an event in 2023 when a pedestrian , who had initially been gain by a man - tug car , got stuck under and then dragged by one of the company ’s robotaxis .
Got a peak for us ? Email Kirsten Korosec atkirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com , Sean O’Kane atsean.okane@techcrunch.com , or Rebecca Bellan atrebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com . Or tick outthese instructionsto learn how to reach us via encrypted message apps or SecureDrop .
Deals!
Just a cluster of deals this week !
Applied Intuitionacquired EpiSys Science Inc. , a company that developed liberty software for national protection , including uncrewed aerial systems , surface war , nautical tracking , and engagement management command and control condition . Terms were not break . Applied Intuition is perhaps well known as anautonomous vehicle softwarecompany ; lately it has been pushing profoundly into defense .
GenLogs , a startup that evolve freight intelligence agency software , raised $ 14.6 millionin a Series A funding round direct by Venrock and HOF Capital . Steel Atlas , AutoTech Ventures , Venture 53 , TitletownTech , Plug and Play Ventures , and Heartland Ventures also participated in the circle . Presto , a inauguration that says it ’s build the Stripe of EV charging , invoke $ 15 millionin a seeded player round led by Union Square Ventures , the companionship only told TechCrunch . The round also include investment funds from Congruent Ventures , Jetstream , and Powerhouse Ventures .
Notable reads and other tidbits
ADAS
We coveredTeslaearnings in last hebdomad ’s edition but want toflag this clause by Sean O’Kane , which prompt us of all the promise Elon Musk has made around his Full Self - Driving software and his recent admittance that some of its vehicle will , in fact , need a computer hardware upgrade .
Autonomous vehicles
TheCalifornia Department of Motor Vehiclesreleased information that shows a50 % drop in self-reliant fomite test mil . Yes , the end of Cruise is partially responsible . But there are other factors at manoeuvre . Here ’s what else is going on .
Waabihas partnered with Volvo Autonomous Solutions to together with modernize anddeploy self-governing truck . monitor : Volvo also has a deal with Aurora .
Waymois nowshowing up on the Uber appin Austin . For now , this does n’t translate into a Waymo picking multitude up . But it will soon .
Electric vehicles, charging, & batteries
TheChicago Auto Showis under way , and while most — like theSubaru Forester Hybrid — are mild hybrids or interior combustion engine - power fomite , there were electron volt , too . Stellantisrevealed the all - electric2025 Jeep Wagoneer S Limited trimthat start at $ 66,995 and has an estimated orbit of 294 miles .
Scout Motors , the Volkswagen spinout that plans to produce all - galvanizing and range - extended electric trucks and SUVs , wassued by a chemical group of VW and Audi dealersin Florida over its plan to betray directly to consumer .
Ride-hailing and gig economy
Lyfthas partnered with AI startupAnthropictobuild an AI assistantthat palm initial intake for customer table service question for both riders and drivers .
Space and future of flight
This isan interesting featureon a startup calledCircularity Fuels , which will make diamond on its path to creating Es - fuels to power jet-propelled plane planes .
This week’s wheels
This hebdomad , we ’ll hear from TechCrunch newsman Rebecca Bellan and her time push back a2024 Kia Niro . ( Please mark that the pic above is of a 2025 model . )
I rented a 2024 Kia Niro over the weekend to force a couple time of day northerly of New York City .
It ’s a precious , zippy SUV , but I struggled in two areas necessitate for a road trip : battery life in winter and the location of the intensity button / knob .
It only take about an hour and a half of driving , or about 70 miles , for the battery to go from fully charged to half empty .
This kicked my anxiousness into appurtenance , as I was n’t indisputable where in the stick of Connecticut I ’d be able to receive a charger . I found one , in the remainder , a lone EVgo charger in a Planet Fitness parking lot . “ Marsha ” was publicize to charge at 50 kilowatt but ended up drip fertilize my shelling at a shocking pace of 17 kW. rent ’s just say , I ride in that parking lot for a while .
The volume push button or thickening was also conspicuously absent . This is my braggart favored peeve with software package - defined vehicle : the fixation with touch screens instead of tactile knobs that you may manipulate while you ’re drive so you do n’t have to take your eyes off the road . Neither I , nor any one of my passengers , were able-bodied to figure out how to adjust the mass without using the release on the roulette wheel .
I finally just googled “ Kia Niro volume ” and surely enough I found aReddit postthat I could have written myself . on the face of it , one must solicit the “ button ” above the orange fan to change out of climate control mode , and then one can employ the left temperature knob to alter the volume . Unbelievable .
What is “ This week ’s wheels ” ? It ’s a hazard to learn about the different transportation products we ’re testing , whether it ’s an galvanic or intercrossed motorcar , an einsteinium - bike or even a ride in an autonomous fomite .
