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welcome back TechCrunch Mobile — A central hub for news and insights about the future of transportation.
Before we get into the debate over startups and tech, I want to talk about some of the action on the Hill—namely, Capitol Hill.this Biden administration Two new (and separate) proposed standards released – adopted Department of Energy (Department of Energy) and Environmental Protection Agency — This will affect American automakers, and ultimately you. While both regulations were softened to appease the auto industry, car dealers and unions, they also set far stricter standards than before.
The U.S. Department of Energy issues a more modest “petroleum equivalence factor” for scoring electric vehicles based on the government’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. The original proposal would have made it difficult for automakers to meet CAFE standards, which would have meant billions of dollars in fines. (E&E has a great explanation.)
At the same time, the EPA released exhaust standards for model years 2027 through 2032 and for light trucks, which will impose stricter requirements on automakers but give them more flexibility to meet the proposed rules with a variety of powertrains. In other words, the standards are technology-agnostic and can be met without converting the entire fleet to battery electric. It is also far less stringent than the original proposal, which called for electric vehicle sales to account for 67% of the total U.S. passenger car market by 2032.
What does this mean for electric vehicle startups?Not much has changed since Rivian, Tesla and Lucid made all-electric vehicles that meet CO’s clean-car standards2 By the 2032 model year, the limit is 85 grams per mile (50 percent less than the 2026 model year standard). This has real consequences for traditional automakers, which invest billions of dollars developing, building and selling electric vehicles but profit from internal combustion engine vehicles. If there’s a clear winner here, it’s probably the plug-in hybrid.
This week’s news also includes news about Rivian Partnering with electric boat startup Tesla candelaongoing financial impact Fiskera startup trying to solve the unstable world of extended warranties, and more!
let’s go!
a little bird
Last month, a little bird told us CravenA company that began developing autonomous delivery technology in 2018 has been struggling to find new investment and was once on the verge of bankruptcy. The company was looking for buyers for its hardware and software IP and AV assets, and was even recruiting employees, its co-founders said at the time (in an email seen by TechCrunch).
Co-founder and CEO Sander Sebastian Agour said Craven is still hanging on. He declined to provide too many details, but said the company had received funding and “has entered into an exclusive agreement to merge with a U.S. electric vehicle company.” The agreement is expected to be completed in early June.
At the same time, the company had to cut some costs and laid off about 17 employees.
Any tips for us?e-mail Kirsten Korosek Send an email to kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or Sean O’Kane Sean.okane@techcrunch.com. If you wish to remain anonymous, Click here to contact uswhich includes SecureDrop (Description here) and various encrypted messaging applications.
Trades of the week
Uber It seems to be everywhere, so it might surprise you that the company just made its first investment in an African startup. This is a big deal.
Moffis an African mobile fintech company that provides vehicle financing to drivers on ride-hailing and delivery apps, and has raised $100 million in a Series B round led by Uber. Sovereign wealth fund Mubadala, Dubai-based The Latest Ventures, AfricInvest, Palm Drive Capital, Triatlum Advisors and Future Africa also participated in the round. Moove is currently valued at $750 million.
Why is Uber interested in Moove? Uber is Moove’s largest auto financing and vehicle supply partner. Moove has made electric vehicles an important part of its business strategy, which is consistent with Uber’s commitment to achieve a completely zero-emission fleet by 2040.
Other deals that caught my eye this week…
amberIt is a Bay Area startup founded in early 2023. It has just launched an aftermarket Tesla extended warranty product. It is co-led by Era and Primer Sazze, with Alcove Fund, Virta Ventures, Global Millennial Capital and Root & Shoot Ventures. Raised $3.18 million in seed round funding led by .
candelaThe electric boat maker has raised $25 million in a round led by Groupe Beneteau, with participation from EQT Ventures, Ocean Zero LLC and Kan Dela AB.
Pelikan MobileIt is a French start-up that develops fleet management software for commercial electric vehicles. It has raised 4 million euros ($4.4 million) in seed round financing from Pale Blue Dot, Frst, Seedcamp and other companies.
star has invested an undisclosed amount in SteerLight, a French startup developing low-cost lidar designed for advanced driver assistance systems.In a separate non-auto related deal, the automaker bought 8.3 million shares Archer Air in stock. Stellantis said this showed confidence in Archer’s plans to begin bringing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to market in 2025.
Noteworthy Reads and Other Tidbits
application
apple sued this week U.S. Department of Justice Suspected of monopolistic behavior. Here’s the explainer and all we’ve covered so far.The lawsuit includes a section on the car’s smartphone projection feature, called Apple CarPlay. “Apple has told automakers that the next generation of Apple CarPlay will take over all screens, sensors and gauges in the car, forcing users to experience an iPhone-centric driving experience if they choose,” the U.S. government claims in the lawsuit. ” Use any feature provided by CarPlay. ” Some have even speculated that this could explain why GM ditched Apple CarPlay altogether.
We’re a little skeptical. For one, automakers can choose which screen Apple CarPlay projects to, much like rival Android Auto does. Automakers still have their own underlying native software, which increasingly comes from Google, by the way.
Electric vehicles, charging and batteries
cowboy An all-road e-bike has been launched to attract riders outside European city centres.
Fisher-Price Financial conditions are deteriorating rapidly. The company said it had just $121 million in cash and cash equivalents as of March 15, of which $32 million was restricted or unavailable for immediate use. The company has suspended production of its electric Ocean SUV for six weeks as it seeks a cash infusion.
India Here’s a jaw-dropping statistic. According to TechCruncher Manish Singh, the number of new startups in India’s electric two-wheeler market has surged from 54 in 2021 to more than 150, driven by government incentives to promote clean vehicles and cut oil imports.
Rivian Customers can now request adapters to connect to Tesla’s vast network of North American Superchargers, making it the second automaker after Ford to do so.
Steve Burnsthe ousted founder, chairman and CEO of bankrupt electric vehicle startup Lordstown Motor Companyhas reached a settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for misleading investors about demand for the company’s flagship all-electric Endurance pickup truck.
TechCrunch Contributor Amy Hall took it away 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV – a hydrogen fuel cell-powered version of the popular crossover – gets its first spin, and a look at why the automaker would launch a car in a place with almost no infrastructure. Oh, and she discovered that the car was kind of a plug-in hybrid.
flight
door panel Expanding partnership with Alphabet wing Bringing its autonomous drone delivery pilot to the United States. Quite limited at the moment; select customers in Christiansburg, Virginia will be able to order qualifying menu items from their local Wendy’s.
Joby AirA startup developing electric air taxis says it will deliver two aircraft to MacDill Air Force Base in 2025 as part of the eVTOL company’s AFWERX Agility Prime contract with the U.S. Air Force.
this U.S. Department of Transportation The first industry-wide review of the data security and privacy policies of the largest U.S. airlines is planned. The agency said it would examine whether the U.S. airline giant appropriately protects its customers’ personal information and whether airlines “unfairly or deceptively exploit that data or share it with third parties.”
in-car technology
Nvidia The annual GTC Developer Conference was held last week.You can keep up with all our GTC coverage, including some surprises from the co-founder and CEO, here Jensen Huang’s keynote. Automotive News highlights how companies such as Cerence, SoundHound and Wayve are using Nvidia’s computing architecture to design user interfaces that incorporate generative AI into cars.
This week’s wheel
Image Source: Kirsten Korosek
I spent some time on 2024 Subaru Salterais a battery-electric crossover that is part of a joint program with Toyota to experience the changes or improvements that have been made since the car was launched last year. And something changed!
The most obvious is the steering wheel, which is no longer round and now more square, a change made based on consumer feedback. You’ll notice that the instrument cluster is actually located above the steering wheel, which takes some getting used to. New shapes help improve visibility.
Once I connected the Subaru Solterra app to the vehicle, two other things were worth noting: The infotainment experience was decent. There are some issues, there’s no intuitive and easy way to swipe or click to move between Apple CarPlay and the native software system. It’s not my best car software experience, but it’s not my worst either.
In terms of advanced driver assistance, Subaru has added Traffic Jam Assist, which provides hands-free steering in low-speed traffic jams at speeds up to 25 mph. This is a super specific use case that many motorists may never need due to speed restrictions. Thanks to Phoenix traffic, I was able to test it out. Lane change assist is another new feature that will automatically change lanes if the driver presses the indicator light, but I found it difficult to understand exactly when to use it. (This feature is only available from 55 to 85 mph.)
