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receive back toTechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and brainwave on the future of transportation . Sign up here for barren — just clickTechCrunch Mobility !
Hey all , I ’m back after a trip that mostly involved get around on my own two feet . But one minuscule , perhaps passably obvious observation from my sentence in Tanzania : Two - wheelers and three - wheelers known as bajaji rule the road . And while most are powered by fossil fuels , I did spot some electric - powered three - Sir Mortimer Wheeler , include ace made byTRI .
In other news show , TechCrunch Disrupt 2024kicks off Monday at the Moscone Center in San Francisco . Please reach out if you will be there ; I would screw to meet you . There will be load of investors and startup founders in attending , plus a number of transportation - relate result . Do n’t miss our interviews withGMCEO and chairmanMary Barra , Rivianchief software officerWassym Bensaid , andZooxco - founder and CTOJesse Levinson .
A little bird
contract a point for us ? Email Kirsten Korosec atkirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com , Sean O’Kane atsean.okane@techcrunch.comor Rebecca Bellan atrebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com . Or tally outthese instructionsto determine how to reach us via encrypted message apps or SecureDrop .
Deals!
Adden Energy , a strong - commonwealth battery startup that spun out of Harvard , raise $ 15 millionin serial A funding lead by At One Ventures . Primavera Capital Group , Rhapsody Venture Partners , and MassVentures also participated .
Beacon AI , a startup developing an AI co - pilot for flight decks , raised $ 15 millionin a Series A support round led by Costanoa Ventures with participation from Scout Ventures . Sam Altman and JetBlue Ventures also participated .
Frontier Airlinesis looking into earn a renew bid for Spirit Airlines , the WSJ reported , citing anon. sources .
Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
Fluid Truckrecently put down off 30 % of its staff , filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protective cover , and notice a potential buyer to take on the business , pending court approval , allot to failure filings and selective information from a former employee .
Nevoya , a inauguration that has billed itself as the “ first zero - emissions engineering and trucking political program ” in the U.S.,raised $ 3 millionin a seed round conduct by Third Sphere and RedBlue Capital , with Necessary Ventures , Ciri Ventures , and Never Lift get along on board as well .
Pony . AI , the Toyota - backed autonomous fomite company , joined the lean of Chinese house going public on the U.S. stock food market after a multi - yearban from Beijingon offshore capital raising . Here arefour takeaway from its IPO filing .
Universal Fuel Technologies , a sustainable fuel aviation inauguration base in Silicon Valley , raised $ 3 millionin a seed round lead by TO VC . Alchemist Accelerator , Claire Technologies , and World Star Aviation also joined the unit of ammunition .
Notable reads and other tidbits
TheNational Highway Traffic Safety Administrationopened a newfangled investigationintoTesla ’s “ Full Self - Driving ( Supervised ) ” software after four reported crashes in low - visibility berth — including one where a pedestrian was killed .
AJ.D. Power2024U.S. Mobility Confidence Index ( MCI ) Studyfound small gains of consumer confidence in fully automated self - labour vehicles . The index musical score for consumer automated fomite ( AV ) facility increase 2 pointedness to 39 ( on a 100 - head scale ) , which is where it was in 2022 . caution : Overall confidence continue blue .
RememberWayve , the buzzy U.K. self - drive startup that raised $ 1 billion to begin with this twelvemonth ? It ’s jumped the pool and istesting its techin San Francisco . It also opened an office in Silicon Valley .
Amazonis afford Prime members a 10 cent per gallondiscount on gasat thousands of stations across the U.S. and plans to undulate out a standardized program for EV driver next year .
TechCrunchglobal finagle editor Matt Rosoff spend a workweek in theChevrolet Equinox EV .
Teslareleased its Q3 earnings , and there were a few takeaways worth mark , beyond the straight revenue ( $ 25.2 billion ) and profit ( $ 2.2 billion ) . For representative , the Cybertruck , which has been a polarizing fomite , still managed to become thethird bestselling EVin the United States .
Also , the company ’s energy business sector continue to exposit ; Supercharger stations continue to grow ( 20 % YoY ) , but at a slower pace than in previous quarter ; and CEO Elon Musk noted that Tesla employees in the Bay Area have been able to hail autonomously engage Tesla vehicles via a prototype ride - herald app . One thing to note , though : Safety driver are behind the wheel .
I am highly doubting of the timeline that Musk laid out , but for the phonograph recording he said the company will “ have driverless Teslasdoing paid rides next twelvemonth , sometime next year ” in California and Texas .
“ I intend , I ’d be shock if we do n’t get approved next year , but it ’s just not something we totally ascertain . But I think we will get approval next year in California and Texas , and towards the remnant of the area will branch out beyond California , Texas , ” Musk said during the wage call .
TheFederal Aviation Administrationpublished a rulingthat clears the path for galvanic vertical takeoff and landing place aircraft to share U.S. air space with aeroplane and helicopters . This is a self-aggrandising win for the industriousness and specifically for startups like Joby and Archer .
Wisk Aerosigned a memoranda of apprehension ( MoU ) withAirservices Australia , a government - owned administration that provides air dealings management and associated service in Australia . The MoU lay the foundation for incorporating safe , autonomous air taxi travel into Australia ’s airspace , according to the two company .
Lyftis working on a “ serve animal opt - in feature ” for passengers .
This week’s wheels
Yup , nothing this hebdomad , as I was traveling . But we do have a few EVs and Es - bikes in the queue , include more time in the next - genRivian R1S.
What is “ This week ’s wheels ” ? It ’s a chance to learn about the unlike transportation products we ’re testing , whether it ’s an electric or intercrossed car , an e - bicycle , or even a ride in an autonomous fomite .