TechCrunch Mobility: The battle over robotaxi rules
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, how AI is playing a part.
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Tesla spins up robotaxi pilots in Orlando and Tampa ahead of Q2 earnings
The company didn’t say how many are in each city and has taken a far more cautious approach to scaling the network than CEO Elon Musk had promised.
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Einride bets $38M on EV charging as it scales electric trucking
The acquisition — Einride’s first as a publicly traded company — will expand its EV-charging ecosystem as it works to scale its electric trucking business.
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Bucking EV slowdown, Sila raises $300M to expand battery materials factory
Sila’s fresh $300 million round will help it make enough of its silicon-carbon anode material to power more than 100,000 EVs.
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Apps | Social | Transportation
WhatsApp adds Apple CarPlay and Android Auto upgrades, iPad sign-ups, and more
WhatsApp on Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will let users hear and reply to messages, make calls, view their call history, and access favorite contacts hands-free and right from their car’s screen.
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AI | Transportation | Venture
Travis Kalanick’s robotics company raises $1.7B, led by a16z
Uber is also investing in Travis Kalanick’s company Atoms, which has made gauzy claims about using industrial AI to modernize the world.
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Tesla spending skyrockets as Cybercab, Semi, Megapack production timeline slips
Tesla’s 26% boost in revenue wasn’t enough to offset rising operating expenses and capital expenditures as it pushes to launch a new generation of products.
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Ford bets on Apple for its next-generation of EVs
Ford is the first automaker to use a new set of developer tools that will let it embed Apple Maps navigation and mapping directly into its vehicles’ infotainment systems.
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Tesla’s robotaxis are moving in reverse
The number of paid robotaxi miles traveled fell 36% in the second quarter, despite expanding to new cities, according to Tesla’s own figures.
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Tesla’s door handles may spur new US safety rules
The new rule-making process follows a series of incidents, including fatal ones, in which people have become stuck inside cars.
