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Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and information about the future of transport.
Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares and I covered a lot of ground in a wide-ranging interview that covered the company’s previously disclosed EV goals, the threat posed by Chinese automakers, its deal with Amazon for software, and whether the Ramcharger and electric Dodge Charger are still in the works. good way (is ). Watch for more coverage this coming week, btw.
You might be surprised to learn that Stellantis still plans to develop commercial autonomous trucks through a partnership with Waymo. Tavares said they are working to “deepen” the relationship. you can read more about it here. Of course, as he spoke, I wondered if this was wishful thinking or an attempt to show that the company was still part of the autonomous vehicle conversation? Any of my doubts could be cleared up by this summer. Stay tuned.
This week’s news also includes articles about of Uber boost in india in travel ticketing and delivery, consolidation in shared micromobility, a second chance for of Nikolas inactive Badger truck and more!
Let’s go!
A little bird
Here is an interest that combines real estate and high-end cars. Back in January, Mercedes-Benz made her real estate debut in a tie with Binghatti properties. The two companies have partnered on a $1 billion development in Dubai that will include 150 apartments from $2.7 million a pop.
A little bird told us that Mercedes will announce another one “Mercedes-Benz Places” development before the end of the month — this time in the United States. What’s your guess?
On the EV front, we’ve heard of an interesting development Cake, the Swedish e-bike startup that entered bankruptcy protection. While Cake is in the process, a man from Florida, who owns a retail store called Emoto, bought all the Cake Makka and Ösa motorcycles that had been shipped to the state, as well as accessories and parts.
Check out our story that all started with a tip!
Do you have a tip for us? e-mail Kirsten Korosech at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or Sean O’Kane sean.okane@techcrunch.com. If you prefer to remain anonymous, click here to contact uswhich includes SecureDrop (instructions here) and various encrypted messaging apps.
Offer of the week
Just when I thought the micromobility industry couldn’t get any more entrenched, Cooltra acquired Cityscootthe Paris-based service, known for its iconic white and blue electric mopeds, was hit with a court order several months ago.
As a reporter Romain Dillet It is noted that micromobility startups flourished in Europe when interest rates hovered around 0%. However, the financial skies became much cloudier when interest rates rose, making it harder to raise financing rounds and secure the debt facilities needed to acquire new vehicles. A wave of bankruptcies and mergers followed.
Cityscoot has raised at least $75 million since its founding in 2014. After failing to secure a new round of funding to keep the company afloat, it filed for bankruptcy and was later placed under court order. Cooltra’s bid, which was approved by the courts, mainly focuses on Cityscoot’s assets, including its user base.
According to court documents, Cooltra is spending 400,000 euros ($430,000 at today’s exchange rate) to acquire Cityscoot and plans to spend about 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million) over the next two years to finance the merger.
Other offers that caught my eye…
Haomo.aia self-driving startup backed by Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor has raised 100 million yuan, or $14 million, in a Series B funding round led by Chengdu Wufa Private Equity Fund Management, an investment vehicle backed by the government of Chengdu.
Not a deal, but a name change! Autonomous Robotic Research Industries (RRAI), an autonomous vehicle company with a history of working with the Department of Defense, has changed its name to Forterra.
Notable reads and other items
Autonomous vehicles
Uber Eats plans to start a delivery service with by Cartken sidewalk robots in Japan. The companies already have limited operations in Fairfax, Virginia and Miami.
Waymo’s Expansion plans for California have been slowed thanks to a delay in the California Public Service Commission. The news of the hiatus had some viewing it as a major setback. While the criticism and pressure around regulatory robotax has grown, I don’t think it’s as damaging as some suggest. The CPUC said its decision to suspend the application for further review is “not unusual.” To me the most interesting tidbit was that Waymo had updated their app to include parts of San Mateo County that would unlock a route to San Francisco International Airport.
Electric vehicles, batteries & charging
Bowthe electric boat startup, has unveiled a new battery-powered wake sports boat called the Arc Sport.
The earnings showed—once again—that the appetite for high-priced luxury EVs may not be as strong as we thought. Lucid Motors said it built only 9,000 EVs in 2024 after once forecasting it would ship 90,000. Rivianwhich is laying off 10% of workers to cut costs, said it expects to build 57,000 electric vehicles in 2024. and Mercedes it won’t reach its goal of electrifying 50% of sales (including hybrids) by 2025. The new goal is now 2030.
In the meantime, Passage cut prices on its 2023 all-electric Mustang Mach-E by $8,100 in an effort to get rid of inventory and compete with Tesla and its increasingly cheap EVs.
Car technology
Hivemapper, a mapping startup, is launching a new dashcam later this year that its co-founder believes will accelerate efforts to wrest market share from Google. Yes, Google!
This week’s wheels
Image credits: Kirsten Korosec
I’m back on another Genesis, this time the G80 EV AWD. I’ve only had a few days behind the wheel, but I already have a list of ‘likes’ and ‘room for improvement’. The matte white model I drove is listed at $82,450.
Genesis fans may recognize the battery-electric G80 as it’s nearly identical (with the exception of the powertrain and other related bits) to the gas-powered G80 3.5T Sport. Taking a vehicle designed for an internal combustion engine and reworking it into an EV means some compromises. The power and torque are there – two 136-kilowatt electric motors deliver the equivalent of 182bhp each – and the final look is exciting. But squeezing the 87.2-kilowatt-hour battery ended up taking some space out of the trunk. And no, there is neither a front trunk nor a trunk.
This EV is quiet on the highway, but tends to be a little noisy on rougher roads. The advanced driver assistance system is simple to use and includes adaptive cruise, which accelerates or brakes to maintain a selected distance from the vehicle in front, as well as lane-keeping “assist” (it won’t steer for you) and other safety warning features like a blind spot warning.
Image credits: Kirsten Korosec
So far, I’ve found interacting with the infotainment system frustrating at times, particularly using the large chrome dial on the center console that’s too close to the other gear shifter (see above).
Moving the selector lights up different areas on the screen, which the user is supposed to click on when they find what they want. It works, but it’s not exactly smooth or intuitive. Add in some glare from the sun and it can be hard to see what’s highlighted. I might have explained “Damn, I didn’t mean that!” sometimes while on a recent drive.
