Testing the Robotaxi Uber-Waymo, Rivian goes with hands and Travis Kalanick a Fomo

Welcome back to Techcrunch mobility – Your central center for news and ideas on the future of transport. Sign up here for free – just click Techcrunch mobility!

For regular Techcrunch Mobility readers, you may wonder: “Why did this newsletter land in my reception box on Friday?” People, we are going to bring you a more complete overview of the news of the week.

I spent the last week in Sxsw, the annual technology, cinema, comedy and music festival in Austin. I recommend Browse our blog live To make up for all transport, AI, social media, creators’ economics – essentially technology – news that occurred during the conference.

I have seen Austin evolve over the years with good and bad results. The protected cycle paths were a positive development, which I appreciated while I was riding a few scooters with lime and two bike bikes in the city. Austin also becomes a hub for the activity of autonomous vehicles with Avride based there, Zoox Testing on Public Roads and Waymo launching a commercial rootaxi service.

I was fortunate to be paired with two Robotaxis Waymo – all driving can be occurred via the Uber application, so it’s never a guarantee. I also had a coordinated match thanks to Waymo. As I wrote earlier this week, it is absolutely wild that Waymo and Uber work together. Here is why.

Oh, and here is what I Discovered in my waymo-uber robotaxi ride. Tip: some User interface updates.

A little bird

Do you have a tip for us? Send an email to Kirsten Korosec to kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my signal in Kkorosec.07, Sean O’kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.comor Rebecca Bellan at rebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com. Or discover These instructions To learn how to contact us via encrypted or securedrop messaging applications.

Offers!

The main journalist Sean O’kane has deeply plunged into a new venture capital company called Leitmotif This is quietly lots of transactions in the last 16 months. The company, which has financed around 20 startups, is largely focused on decarbonization with a wallet that includes EV companies, spaces of space and battery, and four nuclear fusion startups.

This is not the interesting part. Here is what is: all the money in its fund came from the Volkswagen group. Discover the full story On the reasons why the German automobile giant hired $ 300 million in the first leitmotif fund.

Other offers that caught my attention …

Carpool logisticsa vehicle logistics platform, lifted $ 12 million In a series, a round of funding led by Wakecrest Growth Partners, with the participation of Carmax, the founders of Impel Devin Daly and Michael Quigley and the veteran of the automotive industry David Metter.

Daqus EnergyA startup working on battery materials, lifted $ 6 million In a seed lap led by Morningside with the participation of anonymous individual investors.

NirvanaAn AI-based insurance platform that uses real-time driving telematics and 20 billion miles of truck driving data to build and manage insurance policies for truckers, lifted $ 80 million In a series C financing series led by the General Catalyst. Lightspeed Venture Partners and Valor Equity Partners have also participated. The investment values ​​the Nirvana at 830 million post-money dollars.

Steering wheel bankrupt In Sweden, Europe’s last blow to create a battery manufacturing juggernaut that could compete with Chinese giants.

Notable readings and other songs

ADAS

Rivian deployed a hands -free version From its driver’s assistance system for driving on the highway, which the founder and CEO RJ Scarenge discussed on stage in Sxsw in Austin. The new hands -free feature puts Rivian in competition with Ford and GM, which have similar hands -free systems that control management, acceleration and braking under certain conditions and locations.

Autonomous vehicles

Face associated with the startup of AI Yaak for Develop lerobot – A collection of open AI models, data games and tools to help build real world robotics systems – with a training set to allow robots and cars to navigate independently in city environments.

Partner General of VC Reilly Brennan trucks had an interesting column, Do not confuse the ruin with the ruin.

Travis Kalanickthe former CEO of Uber, thinks that the decision of the company Abandon your autonomous driving program was a mistake. Reminder: Uber ATG burned money when he was Sold in Aurora in 2020.

Waymo continue to expand – this time in Silicon Valley. And this expansion came with Hundreds of parking tickets.

Electric vehicles, loads and batteries

THE Mint 400 The off -road race has put two electric vehicles – an R1T Rivian truck and a concept of off -road truck Chevrolet Silverado EV ZR2 – testified.

RAD power lost its CEO and has won a new In a few days.

President Donald Trump said he would label violence against Tesla dealerships domestic terrorism – still another sign of his deep support for Elon Musk. As a journalist Sean O’kane Note: “Tesla Takevers” broke out around the world among Tesla dealers while people protest against what they consider as a hostile takeover of the federal government by Musk (who is CEO of Tesla and his greatest shareholder) and his sound Government Department of Effectiveness. Some of the demonstrations have led to graffiti on the Tesla panels, charging stations set fire, even the Molotov cocktails thrown into the lot of a dealer.

This week’s wheels

This week, I tried two electric bikes from the Austin base Mod bikes. I will focus on his new one, the Groovewhich Launched earlier this week.

I spent 24 hours with the GrooveAn electric bike with a look and a feeling of a swollen beach cruiser. The groove existed before, but the Mod bikes stopped it. Now it is back and has been updated everywhere, including the frame, the battery, the torque sensor, the smart display and the engine.

The bicycle itself is sporty and polished with a lot of thoughtful details that make the Price of $ 1,999 seems to be a flight. The design is reflected with easy -to -read and easy -to -operate commands and an integrated bicycle lock that is carefully retreating to the frame.

The groove is an accelerator and pedal bike, and I found it easy to switch between the different modes. I rarely counted on the accelerator alone because the assistance provided a lot of punch. The bicycle has a 275 pound payload capacity and reaches a top speed of 28 miles per hour. The groove has 50 miles of reach; However, there is a double battery option that does it up to 100 miles.

A note, however: wow, this bike is tired. And although it is usually a good thing, people should give themselves a little time to adapt to its weight.

I also tested Mod ConnectThis allows users to twin wirelessly a Ultra-Smart Lumos helmet to synchronize and control the indicators directly from the bike. The connected bicycle helmet made me feel much more visible for drivers while I was sailing in the lively streets of downtown Austin.

What is “Wheels this week”? It is a chance to discover the different transport products that we test, whether it is an electric or hybrid car, an electric bike or even driving in an autonomous vehicle.