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Welcome back toTechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation . Sign up here for free — just clickTechCrunch Mobility !
I do n’t know about you , but for me , the past few days have offered up even more evidence that our man is vulnerable to software bugs . Yep , I ’m talking about theCrowdStrike outage . Hopefully you were n’t trying to take flight home ( like I was ) this retiring weekend .
There was a destiny of other news program beyond theblue screen of deaththat airline , suppliers , health care centers and banks encountered . ( Side note : I ’m not sure the$10 Uber rust gift cardis the best style to apologize . ) And since it ’s now profit time of year , we have even more to write about . ( Ahem : Tesla , GM / CruiseandWaymo ! ) Of course , startups are also on our brain , and this calendar week we have a few deals worth note as well .
So , have ’s start in !
Oh , and I would be remiss not to mention a recent episode on my podcast , theAutonocast . Listen to this interesting chat withWayvefounder and CEOAlex Kendalland his U.K. startup ’s “ AI - first ” approach to autonomy .
A little bird
A small snort hint I pay closer attention toWaymoand the company ’s elaboration design in the San Francisco arena . Specifically , the sovereign vehicle company ’s efforts to gain access to the San Francisco International Airport .
Email exchanges between Waymo , SFO official and the urban center , cater via a Freedom of Information Act request , show the party restarted conversations around April with an eventual aim to get the required Trachinotus falcatus for pickup and drop - offs at the airport .
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Now , to be clear , this promises to be a farsighted operation . And this is just the beginning . access code to the airport involve a disjoined approval from the San Francisco Airport Commission .
Technically , permits can be issued at the airport ’s circumspection , allot to SFO spokesperson Doug Yakel . However , this will not be simple and may mirror the unconscious process SFO functionary croak through when Uber and Lyft first seek access more than a decade ago .
Waymo would need a ground transportation Trachinotus falcatus to operate at SFO , which has yet to be okay . “ give that this is a new mode of transportation , we would involve to make a new permission structure , similar to what we did 10 yr ago for companies like Uber and Lyft , ” Yakel wrote in response to questions . To say the whole story , clack here .
Got a tip 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 contact us via encrypted message apps or SecureDrop .
Deals!
Welp , here we are talking aboutWaymoagain . Earlier this hebdomad , parent company Alphabet disclosed it wasinvesting $ 5 billion into Waymo .
I ’ve heard hearsay from folks in the industry for calendar month now that Waymo was look for fresh investment — so the announcement was n’t too surprising .
But now that it has make it , I am come across by a few things . Alphabet shared very little about the investing except to report it as “ multi - yr ” and co - CEOTekedra Mawakananoted onsocial spiritualist web site Xthat it was “ up to ” $ 5 billion . These pieces of information indicate the funds are somehow gated and that Waymo will have to meet certain milepost to unlock them .
I was also surprised that external investors were not involved , as they have been in the yesteryear . The fundraising environment has n’t been promiscuous for Ab companies . A smattering of companionship , including Motional , Wayve and Stack , have levy considerable investment trust . But many others have struggle to lock down the cap needed .
My big query — beyond the term of the deal — is why did n’t others bring together in ?
Other deals that got my attention …
ACEL Power , a Vancouver , Canada - ground marine galvanic inauguration , raised $ 10 millionin a Series A financial backing round led by Abu Dhabi venture capital firm Tau Capital .
Chope , the Singapore - based dining reservation platform , wasacquired by Grabfor an undisclosed amount .
Monarch Tractorraised $ 133 millionin a Series C support unit of ammunition co - led by agri - food tech encroachment business firm Astanor and HH - CTBC Partnership L.P. , an affiliate fund of Foxconn . The new circular values the startup at more than $ 500 million and will serve it escape “ quite a challenging meter , ” CEO Praveen Penmetsa told TC older newsman Sean O’Kane .
ReliON , a Canadian EV base inauguration , raised CA$3 millionin funding led by Diagram Ventures . MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund ( IAF ) , AQC Capital , Anges Québec and Cycle Momentum also participated .
Saronic , a defense technical school ship’s company that makes sovereign aerofoil vessels , raised $ 175 millionin a Series B round led by Andreessen Horowitz . The company has a post - money evaluation of $ 1 billion . Other investors admit 8VC , Caffeinated Capital , Elad Gil , and NightDragon .
Notable reads and other tidbits
Autonomous vehicles
Cruiseisscrapping plans to establish the Origin — a role - built robotaxi with no steering wheel or pedals — and will instead use the next - generation Chevrolet Bolt in its operations . That news , which was shared in parent company GM ’s earnings account , evoke a spicy retort from Cruise ’s co - founder and now old-fashioned - CEOKyle Vogt , whoexpressed his disappointmentand said , “ GM repeatedly chance themselves with a 5 - 10 class head start , but then fumbles the ball , shuts thing down , and suffer the lead . ” GM president Mark Reusswasn’t amuse .
Elon Musksaid during the ship’s company ’s second - quarter profits call thatTeslawill nowshow off its robotaxiOctober 10 . ( If you recall , it was hold up . ) The Q2 call ( and earnings paper ) also revealed an interesting tension between Tesla ’s profit center — selling eV — and Musk ’s next stake , which today are only costing the company money . Musk , who called everything beyond self-direction “ randomness , ” is clearly focalise on the future .
Kodiak Roboticspassed anotherself - take truck milestone . beginner and CEO Don Burnette talked to TechCrunch about how his aha moment take to a breakthrough .
Vayu Robotics , co - ground byAnand Gopalan , the former CTO and CEO of lidar loss leader Velodyne , is work out tomake delivery robotscheaper and more scalable . Ditching LiDAR and embracing foundation models is a piece of that puzzle , Trusteeship Council editor Brian Heater report .
Waymohas start out testing anew robotaxi — built by Formosan electric automakerZeekr — on public roads in San Francisco .
Electric vehicles, charging & batteries
TechCrunch reporterRebecca Bellanhas been track battery factory projects since the Inflation Reduction Act was signed in August 2022 . Now , two year later , she has put up a comprehensive update on all of thebattery manufacturing plant task — and which one are now on hold .
Fordreported Q2 earningsand investors were none too happy with the results . Tl;dr : Ford fell short of Wall Street ’s earnings expectation . The ship’s company ’s traditional gas - powered vehicle business and its commercial building block are plugging along and driving lucre . Its EV business organisation unit , known as Ford E , is the money unsuccessful person . I listen in on the call and CEO Jim Farley still voice compulsive to bring a next - generation and more cost - effective EV to market . One standout quote :
“ We ’re focusing on very differentiated vehicles priced under $ 40,000 or even $ 30,000 and we ’re go to focus on two segments , work and adventure . ”
This week’s wheels
What is “ This week ’s rack ” ? It ’s a chance to learn about the unlike transportation products we ’re testing , whether it ’s an electric or hybrid elevator car , an e - bike or even a ride in an sovereign vehicle . In the add up weeks , we ’ll share our views on e - bikes made by Lectric and Pedego , the 2024 Fiat 500e , and a few other EVs that are come my manner in August .
