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If you like EVs or sports cars, you’ve definitely seen the fuss end. Ferrari’s The first pure electric vehicle, Luce. Reaction to the five-seat EV designed by Apple veterans has been swift and fierce. Jony Ive The price is closer to $650,000.
Ferrari fans expressed horror, critics compared it to the much cheaper Nissan Leaf, memes were created and even one car designer (Lucid’s Derek Jenkins) threw some shade.
As the debate over the Ferrari Luce heated up the Internet, senior reporter Sean O’Kane had a different question. Who is Luce for?
To understand his complete analysis, you must read the entire story. But I think the most important question is whether the Luce is for existing Ferrari owners. After all, Ferrari owners often own more than one Ferrari. Of the 14,000 people who bought a Ferrari last year, more than 80% already own one of the cars, O’Kane says.
According to Ferrari, there is a demand for EVs. Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna claims Luce is already taking orders from existing and new customers. Assuming demand exceeds the number of Luce EVs the automaker plans to build, the next question is who will Ferrari choose? (IYKYK)
Ferrari can be proven. Do you remember the Ferrari Purosangue, which received a lot of criticism when it was launched a few years ago? That SUV is now considered a success. Sometimes it doesn’t matter whether a product is hated or not. Ferrari doesn’t need universal approval. You need enough buyers.
Let’s move from EV to AV.
new texas The law allows Department of Motor Vehicles agencies to exercise more control over autonomous vehicle testing and deployment in the state. Companies must now obtain AV licenses from the state and the data will be public. After spending some time using AV tracking tools, here’s what I found:
waymo It is by far the leader with 577 registered AVs, followed closely by others. Avride 317, only To 47, tesla with 42. Self-driving truck company Aurora, Because AI, Kodiak AIand guarantee You can also find: (You can read my story for more details.)
Fleet size is just one metric, and it doesn’t always translate into who has the most victories. After all, many of these companies never launched commercial service in the state.
I’m much more interested in the complaint handling capabilities of this new tool, which are also public records. To date, we have not received any complaints against the companies listed above.
Special price!
A new single asset fund managed by have capital Acquired a stake in a European electric scooter operator. ride skills. Goldman Sachs Alternatives is the lead investor.
Harley Davidson’s Electric motorcycle spinoff Live Wire Acquisition of electric off-road startup dust moto. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Matternetan autonomous drone delivery company, raised $33 million in a private offering and completed a reverse merger with Los Altos Ventures Corp.
revelIt will merge with Volterra, an electric vehicle charging company that closed its ride-hailing business in August last year. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the combined business will operate under the Voltera brand and be led by Revel CEO Frank Reig, Bloomberg reported.
distinctThe Financial Times reports that the German drone manufacturer is in talks to raise at least 300 million euros ($350 million) in funding, which could boost its valuation to 2.5 billion euros.
Bolara Motorsport Groupa motorsports and performance-focused holding company, has acquired Lynx Motor Works, an Austin, Texas-based company that creates reinvented, limited-production classic cars.
Above Roada Milan-based group adventure travel startup, has raised $58 million in a Series C round. Airbnb. The funding brings the company’s total capital to approximately $100 million and will fund WeRoad’s expansion into the United States, starting with Austin.
Notable Reads and Other Useful Information
american airlines It plans to install Starlink on more than 500 narrow-body aircraft starting early next year, making it the latest airline to select SpaceX devices for its in-flight Wi-Fi services. The deal provides a financial boost to Starlink, a satellite communications network and the only SpaceX division that generates meaningful revenue.
rivian Rivian says it will begin deliveries of its new R2 SUV on June 9. Meanwhile, Rivian is under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over how the EV maker services its vehicles’ rear suspension components.
slate auto will announce pricing and begin taking non-refundable pre-orders for the low-cost electric vehicle on June 24th. Delivery is expected to occur later this year.
volvo cars The Swedish automaker, majority-owned by China’s Geely Holding, has received specification approval from the Commerce Department to allow it to continue importing and selling vehicles in the United States. The bill, finalized in January 2025, effectively bans virtually all Chinese vehicles from the U.S. market as part of a crackdown on connected car technology linked to China.
waymo has begun providing access to its newest robotaxi to select riders in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco. This robotaxi is an all-electric minivan-like vehicle designed to keep costs low and handle the use and abuse of hundreds of thousands of riders. I had the opportunity to ride in the vehicle, a minivan modified by Zeekr called Ojai (pronounced Oh-hai). Stay tuned for the full review coming this weekend. Here’s a teaser: Robotaxis has long suffered from problems with magic. To solve this problem, Ojai Robotaxi is launched.
One more thing…
It’s poll time! Maybe you secretly like the Ferrari Luce and just don’t want to be trolled. Maybe you hate it. We asked our newsletter readers to share their thoughts.
Sign up for the Mobility newsletter to take the survey!
And now one more thing, this time for real. Last week I asked my newsletter readers, “Will SpaceX and Tesla merge?” Here’s how they answered: More than 51% selected “Yes, within 2 years.” 34% chose “never.” 14.5% selected ‘Yes, this year’. This means that more than 65% believe a merger is inevitable.
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