The accelerator pedal is positioned on the floor in self-driving cars

TechCrunch Mobility: Your Weekly Transportation Update

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Robotaxi Rollouts Accelerate

This week brought a fresh batch of news about autonomous taxis making their debut or planning launches in various cities.

Here's a quick overview:

• Waymo has begun piloting its self-driving vehicles, accompanied by safety drivers, in Philadelphia. The company is also gathering data through manual driving in Baltimore, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh.
• Uber and Avride have introduced a robotaxi service in Dallas, initially with human safety operators behind the wheel.
• The California DMV has updated its regulations, paving the way for companies to test and eventually operate autonomous trucks on the state's highways.

While the expansion of self-driving technology is gaining momentum, it raises important questions about whether this rapid pace is justified.

Challenges and Controversies in Autonomous Vehicles

As driverless vehicles become more common in urban areas, scrutiny and concerns have grown. Recent events highlight these issues:

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has requested additional details from Waymo regarding its autonomous system after reports surfaced that its robotaxis illegally passed school buses in Austin 19 times this year. The agency is already investigating Waymo's behavior around school buses.
• In a tragic incident, a Waymo robotaxi struck and killed KitKat, a well-known bodega cat, on October 27. The company is facing increased criticism, especially after surveillance footage emerged showing a woman attempting to rescue the cat moments before the vehicle drove off.

Insider Updates: Lucid Motors

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin

Significant shifts are underway at Lucid Motors, according to industry insiders.

The company has recently seen the departure of several high-ranking leaders, including former CEO and CTO Peter Rawlinson and, most recently, chief designer Eric Bach. As Lucid ramps up production of its Gravity SUV, it has filled some of these roles through a mix of internal promotions and external hires.

But the changes don't stop there. Sources report that several senior managers from the software and electrical divisions, including two directors with roughly a decade at Lucid, were let go this week.

Deal Highlights

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin

Beta Technologies, a Vermont-based electric aircraft manufacturer that recently went public, is building a promising supplier business. The company secured an agreement to provide electric pusher motors to Eve Air Mobility, an air taxi operator. This partnership could be worth up to $1 billion over the next decade, though the full value is not guaranteed. Investors responded positively, with Beta’s stock rising 8% after the announcement. Meanwhile, Beta continues to pursue FAA certification for its electric aircraft.

In its latest earnings report, Beta revealed that third-quarter revenue more than doubled year-over-year to $8.9 million. However, net losses also increased significantly, reaching $452 million—a fivefold jump from the previous year.

Other Noteworthy Deals

• Autolane, a Palo Alto startup developing traffic management systems for autonomous vehicles, raised $7.4 million in a round led by Draper Associates and Hyperplane.
• Element Fleet Management acquired Car IQ, a San Francisco-based connected vehicle payments company, for $80 million, according to sources. Earlier, Element Fleet Management bought Autofleet, a fleet optimization software startup, for $110 million in 2024.
• ExploMar, a Chinese company specializing in electric propulsion for boats, secured $10 million in Series A funding from private equity and a listed company, with continued support from DCM Ventures.
• Heven AeroTech, a developer of hydrogen-powered drones, raised $100 million in Series B funding led by IonQ, boosting its valuation above $1 billion. Texas Venture Partners also participated.
• Wayve, a UK-based autonomous driving startup backed by Microsoft, Nvidia, and SoftBank, acquired German firm Quality Match, which specializes in data analysis for AI training in automated driving. Terms were not disclosed.

Industry News and Insights

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin

• Amazon is reportedly considering ending its partnership with the U.S. Postal Service to establish its own nationwide delivery network.
• Tesla has updated its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software, allowing drivers to send texts while driving—a practice that remains illegal in most states.
• Grand Theft Auto Online has introduced fictional robotaxis from a company called “KnoWay,” seemingly designed to cause chaos in the game.
• Nvidia unveiled Alpamayo-R1, an open-source vision-language model aimed at advancing autonomous driving research.
• Reporter Anna Heim offers an inside perspective on a drone delivery collaboration in Finland.

Policy Shifts: Fuel Economy Standards

The Trump administration has announced plans to lower fuel efficiency requirements for new cars and light trucks in the U.S., claiming it will make vehicles more affordable. However, this could lead to higher fuel costs for consumers.

The proposed changes would reduce fleet-wide fuel economy to 34.5 miles per gallon for 2031 model-year vehicles, down from the 50.4 mpg standard set by the Biden administration. In 2024, automakers exceeded the required 30.1 mpg average, achieving 35.4 mpg according to CAFE data.

Quick Poll: The Future of Robotaxis

Before Thanksgiving, we asked Mobility newsletter readers when they expect robotaxis to become mainstream and significantly change transportation habits. Nearly half (47.2%) predicted this shift would happen before 2030, with the next largest group choosing the 2030s. Few believe 2026 will mark the tipping point.

Want to weigh in? Subscribe to the Mobility newsletter and join our next poll!