Topics
in style
AI
Amazon
Image Credits:Fisker
Apps
Biotech & Health
Climate
Image Credits:Fisker
Cloud Computing
Commerce
Crypto
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin
go-ahead
EVs
Fintech
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin
fundraise
contrivance
stake
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin
Government & Policy
Hardware
layoff
Media & Entertainment
Meta
Microsoft
Privacy
Robotics
Security
societal
Space
Startups
TikTok
transportation system
Venture
More from TechCrunch
Events
Startup Battlefield
StrictlyVC
newssheet
Podcasts
video
Partner Content
TechCrunch Brand Studio
Crunchboard
Contact Us
Welcome back toTechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news show and insight on the future of transportation . Sign up here for free — just clickTechCrunch Mobility !
I ’m back from holiday in Denmark and Germany , where I managed to hear just about every kind of transportation , from bikes to scooter , to drive on the Autobahn and taking the string . I even took some ferries . It ’s good to say Copenhagen ’s bike culture left me envious .
The TechCrunch team was officious as ever thanks to theTeslashareholder coming together , several funding deals and developments in the EV world . The biggie : Fiskerfiling forChapter 11 bankruptcy . Here ’s atimeline of eventsleading up to the failure filing as well as senior reporterSean O’Kane’spiece aboutwhy Fisker failed .
And in case you miss it , I also extremely recommend thisdeeply reported article(from belated May ) by O’Kane that break the numerous problems within Fisker .
A little bird
Got a wind for us ? Email Kirsten Korosec atkirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com , Sean O’Kane atsean.okane@techcrunch.comor Rebecca Bellan atrebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com . Or check outthese instructionsto learn how to touch us via encrypted message apps or SecureDrop .
Deals!
This hebdomad ’s biggest good deal comes from self - driving trucking startupWaabi . The company raised$200 millionin a round from existing investor Uber and Khosla Ventures , alongside a figure of strong strategic investor like Nvidia , Volvo Group VC , Porsche Automobil hold SE and more .
Waabi design to utilize the store to get to a full driverless commercial launch in 2025 , but that ’s not the only reason investor are so bullish on the youthful inauguration . Waabi ’s generative AI foundational modeling is adequate to of reason almost as a human would , without requiring reams of real - world information to prepare on , according to the inauguration ’s founder and CEO Raquel Urtasun . This makes the AI system more capital efficient and well-situated to descale to autonomous hauling and beyond .
Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
Urtasun said the AI ’s ability to vulgarize and develop chop-chop think of Waabi can blow up the tech to other applications , like robotaxis , humanoids or warehouse robotics .
Other deals that got my aid …
Bitsensingraised a$25 million Series Bto further develop its high - res radar technology for autonomous vehicle . investor include Korea Development Bank , HL Mando Corporation , Industrial Bank of Korea and Aju Capital .
LD Carbonraised $ 28 millionin a Series C round of drinks pass by Toyota ’s growth fund , Woven Capital , to march on the circular economic system by diverting used tires from landfills . The startup also shoot for to develop high - execution recycled car component , allot to a command sent to TechCrunch .
RBW EV , a London - based EV producer of raw , hand - crafted classic British sports car , raise £ 10 millionfrom Meson Capital Partners . The startup presently offers a Roadster good example with a start price of around $ 135,000 and plans to debut its GT model later this yr at a starting price of $ 151,000 .
Unigridraised$12 millionin a cycle lead by Transition VC and Ritz Venture Capital to make Na - ion batteries , which promise to be a meretricious , safe alternative that can complement lithium - ion batteries .
Notable reads and other tidbits
Autonomous vehicles
AUniversity of Central Floridastudy suggests that autonomous vehicles ( AVs ) are safer than humans in routine circumstance during daytime hour . But in other condition they struggle , according to theNew Scientist .
Californiasenator Dave CorteseshelvedhisSB 915 bill(which would give city more control over AV deployment ) after the Assembly committee proposed amendments that would effectively disinvest the bill of its original aim . The AV industry ascertain this as a win , but Cortese said he would eventually re-introduce it .
Project 3 Mobility , the Croatia - base autonomous fomite startup co - founded byMate Rimac , is set to make what it depict as a“major reveal”on June 26 . As a monitor , the company recently farm 100 million euro ( $ 107 million ) in a Series A round that include backing from TASARU Mobility Investments , a caller fully owned by Saudi Arabia ’s Public Investment Fund .
Electric vehicles, charging & batteries
Chinese automaker and battery makerBYDsigned an MoUwithAmpersand , an African EV Energy Department technical school fellowship , to decarburise Africa ’s commercial-grade motorbike transport system . The mass involves Ampersand purchase BYD ’s battery cells to build around 40,000 e - motorcycle by the ending of 2026 .
ChargePointisteaming upwith South Korea’sLG Electronicsto set up more EV charging stations in the U.S. As part of the mass , ChargePoint will allow for computer software to go LG ’s EV chargers , and LG will supply the computer hardware to bolster up ChargePoint ’s meshwork .
Revelhas hired a couple more former Tesla employee to leadership positions in its EV base team , the startup denote . This appear to be part of a growing trend from automakers and EV charging troupe to best up top natural endowment that Elon Musk appears to havefired on a whimsix week ago .
Ultiumworkers at GM ’s Lordstown , Ohio , battery cellphone plant havevoted to ratifya new declaration that will give yield workers $ 35 an time of day by October 2027 , as well as benefit and health and rubber protections .
Tesla
Teslaheld its shareholder meeting last Thursday trace anunprecedented societal media battlewaged by Musk and Tesla buff . It should surprise no one that investorsvoted to approveElon Musk ’s astronomical pay packet . They also voted in favor of reincorporating Tesla in Texas .
Now Tesla has begunfighting for sound recognitionof that shareholder voting . The car maker wrote to the Delaware jurist who , in January , ruled that Musk ’s remuneration packagewas unfairto say that the shareholder vote “ significantly bear on ” her opinion invalidate the earnings .
That ’s not the only legal battle Tesla got itself into over the past week . While some shareholders desire to give Musk everything he asked for , others are stand up to him . A group of shareholderssued Musk and the Tesla boardlast week , claiming that they breach fiduciary duties and unjustly enriched Musk by allowing the CEO to plunge xAI , which they say is a contend AI caller .
Misc.
Quick - commercestartups promising 15 - minute delivery rose and fell in U.S. cities . But in India , the sphere is growingalongside the country ’s rapid urbanisation . Will Native American quick - DoC startups , which are increasingly move into the due east - DoC market , be capable to find product - market fit and strong unit economic science where U.S. startup could n’t ?
This week’s wheels
What is “ This calendar week ’s wheels ” ? It ’s a chance to learn about the unlike fare products we ’re testing , whether it ’s an electric or hybrid car , an e - wheel or even a ride in an independent vehicle . In the coming weeks , we ’ll divvy up our views on theFiat 500e , a few e - bicycle , the2024 Nissan Ariya Empower+ , and more .
