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I’m back from vacation. What did I miss? It turns out, there are many – including the end of Uber-Waymo in partnership with Phoenix. Uber and Waymo also have ride-hailing partnerships in Atlanta and Austin. There is no question ifbut when will these deals end? But that’s not the most interesting question, in my opinion. I really wonder how these two companies will behave when the remaining relationship is over.
There’s already been some controversy over Uber executives taking candid shots at Waymo. I expect that once the relationship is over, these thinly veiled barbs will be replaced by direct action. One battleground will be policy, especially the markets where robotaxi companies are trying to gain access.
This week, we saw another interesting development in the private sector vehicle industry. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration the administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a directive to autonomous vehicle developers, saying it was unacceptable for their vehicles to interfere with first responders or the law.
Budget: “Let me be clear: the inability to recognize and respond appropriately to such situations is indicative of inefficiency. Therefore, NHTSA today is issuing a request that AV developers and operators immediately focus their resources on correcting this issue.”
Morrison’s letter never names a single robot company and is addressed to all AV developers listed in the Department of Transportation’s Standing General Order. But Morrison appears to be directing the organization’s ire at Waymo.
A previous TechCrunch investigation found that Waymo — which operates the largest fleet of robots in the United States, with vehicles in cities like Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco — has had repeated run-ins with first responders. And this week, the manager of San Francisco Bilal Mahmood he said he plans to submit a letter of inquiry to examine how private vehicles interfered with public transport and emergency services following the 4th of July fireworks that led to the massive shutdown. Local media reported that dozens of Waymo robots had to be towed after losing power during long traffic jams.
Morrison’s book has gravitas. But will there be major consequences for AV developers? It’s hard to say yet. In the meantime, NHTSA required the companies to present the agency with “solutions” by the end of the month.
Another news item from the feds. Check out the New 2026 Regulatory Plan and Consolidated Agenda, updated last week. It contains a long list of proposed changes to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), which govern vehicle design and mechanical requirements. These proposed changes could help private car companies such as Tesla again Zooxwhich develop vehicles without steering wheels, pedals, or other features required for human-driven vehicles.
A small bird
Got a tip? Email Kirsten Korosec at [email protected] or my Signal at kkorosec.07, or email Sean O’Kane at [email protected].
Deals!
Usually we focus on business deals, but this week I wanted to highlight Rivian and the sale of 86.25 million Class A common shares priced at $15.50 each (that includes an additional 11.25 million in additional shares that the underwriters elected to purchase).
In total, Rivian said it expects to raise $1.32 billion in new capital. The promotion comes at a significant time for the EV maker. The company started delivering its new R2 SUV last month and recently raised its sales forecast for 2026. The company said it now expects to deliver between 65,000 and 70,000 vehicles after beating expectations in the second quarter due to strong quarter-over-quarter growth in the EDV and R1, which coincided with the launch of the R2.
The company did not explain the reason for the increase. But as a reminder, Rivian hasn’t made a profit and ramping up production of the R2 – or any car for that matter – isn’t cheap!
Some deals caught my attention…
Bidbusa Los Angeles-based startup that creates a digital marketplace where multiple sellers can bid on a car, has raised $15 million in a Series A funding round led by Ibex Investors. Mucker Capital, FJ Labs, Motley Fool Ventures, Data Point Capital, Walter Ventures, and Yossi Levi of Car Dealership Guy also participated.
Lyft said it plans to acquire Serveo’s bike-sharing business in Spain. Terms have not been disclosed, but the ride-hailing company said it is expected to close this year.
TaiSanUK battery startup, has raised £4.65 million in a seed funding round led by Eos Advisory and Midlands Engine Investment Fund II. InnoEnergy, AFI Ventures, EverQuest Capital Partners, Exergon, Heartfelt Ventures, Adeline Arts & Science, Techmind, angel investor François Badelon, and co-funder Innovate UK also participated.
Notable readings and other stories
AssuranceAmericaa US insurance provider, has confirmed a data breach that affected the personal information and driver’s license numbers of 6.9 million people, making it the largest publicized spill of Americans’ driver’s license information this year.
Beta Technologieselectric vehicle takeoff and landing developer, completed operational flights conducted under the new eVTOL Integration Pilot program of the US Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration. The flights covered 275 nautical miles between Virginia and Maryland.
Longtime fans Tesla you will remember the hard days there Elon Musk fought various short sellers of the company’s stock. Musk is more divisive than ever, and the creator of one exchange-traded fund has found a way to tap into that pessimism with two new exchange-traded funds with Elon.
GM The Chevrolet brand builds an all-American EV truck. Senior reporter Tim De Chant asks, Why isn’t anyone buying it?
Mana Aeroan independent drone delivery startup based in Ireland, is expanding into the United States with an industrial and operations center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which it says will employ 1,000 in the next few years.
Slate Auto he met Crayola to offer its EV truck and SUV customer vehicles that wrap in five crayon colors. (Reminder: The base Slate EV car isn’t painted. Instead, it comes in a gray composite material that can be customized with a car wrap. The company has hundreds of options to choose from.)
One thing…
The TechCrunch podcast Build Mode just launched its third season, and it’s a banger. Build Mode is hosted by Isabelle Johannessen, who leads TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield program. Unlike Equity – the TC podcast I co-host with Anthony Ha and Sean O’Kane – Build Mode is designed to help early stage founders.
The new season starts with Precursor Ventures founder and managing partner Charles Hudsonwhich talks about what early stage founders should know before raising their first institutional round.
Check it out: The new rules of early fundraising with Charles Hudson.
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