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Before we jump into the transportation news of the week, it’s worth pointing you to a couple of articles that are focused on Elon Musk, the CEO and largest shareholder of Tesla and the founder of several other companies, including SpaceX and Neuralink.
You might recall an investigation the team here at TechCrunch published in February on the people in Elon Musk’s DOGE universe. The article, which continues to be updated, focused on those working for the Department of Government Efficiency, an entity established via President Trump’s executive order. A new report, by another team here at TechCrunch, focuses on the founders and VCs working with DOGE. Check it out!
Speaking of Musk, his close ally Trump has placed 25% tariffs on all cars imported to the United States, including those from Mexico and Canada. He’s also placed a 25% tariff on certain parts used to build cars. As reporter Sean O’Kane notes, it’s a decision that will likely supercharge the cost of new and used cars, but it’s also a gift to Tesla, the company run by Musk, his biggest financial supporter in the presidential election.
And finally, in other am-I-in-a-simulation news, Trevor Milton, the founder of bankrupt hydrogen trucking startup Nikola who was convicted of fraud, has been pardoned by Trump, the White House confirmed to TechCrunch. Tidbit: We waited for hours and hours before the White House would confirm.
OK, onward with the rest of the news of the week.
A little bird
A little bird recently told us that Lucid is eyeing partnerships as a way to reach higher levels of autonomy, particularly with the new Gravity SUV. Could we see a partnership with Mobileye or some other unlikely automated driving technology provider?
Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at [email protected] or my Signal at kkorosec.07, Sean O’Kane at [email protected], or Rebecca Bellan at [email protected]. Or check out these instructions to learn how to contact us via encrypted messaging apps or SecureDrop.
Deals!
Welp, here is a deal that is not transportation related, but very much deserves some attention.
TechCrunch was acquired by private investment firm Regent. No financial terms were disclosed, but our soon-to-be previous owner Yahoo Holdings is maintaining a small share of ownership. The acquisition, which has yet to close, comes just a few days after Regent bought Foundry, the publisher home to tech publications like PCWorld, Macworld, InfoWorld, and CIO.
Other deals that got my attention …
BetterFleet, the Michigan-based company that developed EV charging fleet management software, raised $15 million in a Series A funding round led by Aligned Climate Capital, Ecosystem Integrity Fund (EIF), and Remarkable Ventures Climate (RVC).
The Bot Company, the robotics startup founded by former Cruise co-founder and CEO Kyle Vogt, has raised $150 million in a round led by Greenoaks, Reuters reported, citing unnamed sources.
DeCharge, an EV charging infrastructure startup, raised $2.5 million in a round led by Lemniscap. Other investors include Colosseum, Daedalus Angels, EV3 Labs, Echo Fundraiser Chainyoda Jedis, and Levitate Labs.
Fleetio, a vehicle fleet software management company, raised $450 million in a round co-led by Elephant VC and Goldman Sachs Alternatives. The funds will be used to finance the purchase of maintenance-authorization platform Auto Integrate.
Manna, the Dublin-based drone delivery company, raised $30 million in a round led by Tapestry VC and Molten Ventures. Coca-Cola and Dynama Venture also participated.
Notable reads and other tidbits
Autonomous vehicles
Waymo will begin offering robotaxi rides in Washington, D.C., via the Waymo One app in 2026. There is an important catch: Before Waymo can launch commercially, the company will have to up its lobbying game in the capital, where autonomous vehicle permits still require a human behind the wheel, according to reporter Rebecca Bellan.
Electric vehicles, charging, & batteries
BYD’s breakthrough EV-charging announcement last week prompted reporter Tim De Chant to find out more.
Cadillac debuted another EV: the Optiq SUV. Contributor Emme Hall got a chance to drive the Optiq and the new Escalade IQ.
Revel, the Brooklyn-based electric vehicle charging infrastructure startup, launched its first fast-charging station in San Francisco.
Rivian operated a skunkworks program for years focused on electric micromobility, founder and CEO RJ Scaringe told TechCrunch. Now, Rivian is spinning out the startup — known as Also — with $105 million in funding from Eclipse Ventures. Rivian has a minority stake in Also and Scaringe will serve on its board. Chris Yu, Rivian’s VP of future programs, will be its president.
In-car tech
Waze has removed Google Assistant from iOS due to ongoing issues. The company plans to introduce an “enhanced voice interaction solution” sometime in the near future as a replacement.
