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Welcome back to Mobility TechCrunch — your central hub for news and ideas about the future of transportation.
CEO of Stellantis Carlos Tavares and I covered a lot of ground in a wide-ranging interview that covered the company's previously revealed EV goals, the threat posed by Chinese automakers, its software deal with Amazon, and whether the Ramcharger and electric Dodge Charger They are still on their way (they are). Look out for more coverage next week, by the way.
You may be surprised to learn that Stellantis still intends to deploy autonomous commercial vans through a partnership with Waymo. Tavares said they are working to “deepen” the relationship; can Read more about that, 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 doubt could be resolved this summer. Stay tuned.
This week's news also includes articles about Uber's push towards India in issuance of travel tickets and deliveryconsolidation in shared micromobility, a second opportunity for Nicholas Missing Badger truck and more!
Come on!
a little bird
Here's an interesting one that brings together the real estate and high-end automotive sectors. In January, Mercedes Benz made its real estate debut in an alliance with Binghatti Properties. The two companies have partnered on a $1 billion development in Dubai that will include 150 apartments starting at $2.7 million each.
A little bird told us that Mercedes will announce another “Mercedes-Benz Places” development before the end of the month, this time in the United States. What is your assumption?
On the electric vehicle front, we heard about an interesting development with Cake, the Swedish electric motorcycle startup that filed for bankruptcy. While Cake moves forward in that process, a Florida man who owns a retail store called Emoto purchased all of the Cake Makka and Ösa motorcycles that had been shipped to the United States, as well as accessories and spare parts.
Verify our history It all started with a tip!
Do you have a suggestion for us? Email Kirsten Korosec in kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com either 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 applications.
Offer of the week
Just when you thought the micromobility industry couldn't consolidate any further, Cooltra acquired urban scooterthe Paris-based service known for its iconic white and blue electric mopeds that was placed into receivership by court order several months ago.
as a reporter Romain Dillet As he points out, micromobility startups thrived in Europe when interest rates were around 0%. However, the economic skies became very cloudy when interest rates rose, making it difficult to obtain rounds of financing and obtain the lines of credit necessary to purchase new vehicles. A wave of bankruptcies and mergers followed.
Cityscoot has raised at least $75 million since its founding in 2014. After failing to raise a new round of funding to keep the company afloat, it filed for bankruptcy and was later placed into receivership. Cooltra's bid, which was approved by the courts, primarily focuses on Cityscoot's assets, including its user base.
According to court documents, Cooltra will spend €400,000 ($430,000 at current exchange rates) to acquire Cityscoot and plans to spend around €1.5 million ($1.6 million) over the next two years to finance the merger.
Other offers that caught my attention…
haomo.aian autonomous driving startup backed by Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor, raised 100 million yuanor $14 million, in a Series B financing round led by Chengdu Wufa Private Equity Fund Management, an investment vehicle backed by the Chengdu government.
It's not a deal, but a name change! Autonomous Robotics Research Industries (RRAI), an autonomous vehicle company with a history of working with the Department of Defense, changed its name to Forterra.
Notable readings and other tidbits
autonomous vehicles
Uber eats plans launch a delivery service with cartken's sidewalk robots in Japan. The companies already have limited operations in Fairfax, Virginia and Miami.
Waymo Expansion plans for California have slowed. thanks to a delay in it California Public Utilities Commission. News of the pause caused some to consider this a major setback. While criticism and pressure around robotaxis regulations has increased, I don't think it's as damaging as some suggest. The CPUC said its decision to suspend the request for further review “is not uncommon.” For me, the most interesting thing was learning that Waymo had updated its app to include parts of San Mateo County that would unlock a route to San Francisco International Airport.
Electric vehicles, batteries and charging.
Bowelectric boating startup, revealed a new battery-powered wake sport boat called Bow sport.
The earnings illustrated, once again, that the appetite for high-priced luxury electric vehicles may not be as great as we thought. Lucid engines I said it only builds 9,000 electric vehicles in 2024, after once predicting it would ship 90,000; rivianthat is laying off 10% of workers to cut costs, said he hopes build 57,000 electric vehicles in 2024; and Mercedes will not meet its goal of having 50% of its sales electrified (including hybrids) by 2025. The new goal is now 2030.
Meanwhile, Ford Cutting prices on its all-electric 2023 Mustang Mach-E by up to $8,100 in an effort to shed inventory and compete with Tesla and its increasingly cheaper electric vehicles.
technology in the car
hive mappera mapping startup, is launching a new dash cam later this year that its co-founder believes will accelerate efforts to take market share from Google. Yes, Google!
This week's wheels
Image credits: Kirsten Korosec
I'm back in another Genesis, this time the G80 EV AWD. I've only been behind the wheel for a couple of days, but I already have a list of “likes” and “room for improvement.” The matte white model I drove is priced at $82,450.
Genesis fans might recognize the battery-electric G80 because it is nearly identical (with the exception of the powertrain and other related parts) to the gasoline-powered G80 3.5T Sport. Taking a vehicle designed for an internal combustion engine and transforming it into an electric vehicle involves making some compromises. The power and torque are there (two 136-kilowatt electric motors provide the equivalent of 182 horsepower each) and the finished look is convincing. But packing that 87.2 kilowatt-hour battery ended up taking up some trunk space. And no, there is no front trunk or frunk either.
This electric vehicle is quiet on the road, but tends to be a little noisy on rougher roads. The advanced driver assistance system is easy to use and includes adaptive cruise, which accelerates or brakes to maintain a selected following distance from the vehicle in front, as well as lane keeping “assist” (this will not drive you) and other security alert functions. as 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 dial that changes gears (see above).
Moving the dial illuminates different areas of the screen, which the user must click on when they have found what they are looking for. It works, but it's not exactly smooth or intuitive. Add a little glare from the sun and it can be difficult to see what's highlighted. I could have explained, 'Damn, I didn't want that!' several times during a recent trip.