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I came back from vacation. What did I miss? It turns out quite a bit, including the ending. Uber-Waymo Partnership in Phoenix. Uber and Waymo still have a robotaxi service partnership in Atlanta and Austin. The question is not like that. ifbut when Will this contract end? But I think that’s not the most interesting question. I’m much more interested to see how these two companies will behave after the remainder of their partnership ends.
There’s already tension about Uber executives seizing a not-so-subtle opportunity at Waymo. I expect that once the partnership ends, these thinly veiled barbs will be replaced by more direct action. One battleground will be policy, particularly the markets where robotaxi companies are trying to gain access.
This week we saw another exciting development in the self-driving car industry on the federal stage. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration manager Jonathan Morrison It has issued guidance to self-driving car developers saying it is unacceptable for self-driving cars to interfere with emergency responders or law enforcement.
Don Quote: “Let me be clear: the inability to detect and respond appropriately to such situations represents a functional deficiency. Emergencies are neither rare nor extreme ‘edge cases.’ That is why NHTSA is issuing a message today asking AV developers and operators to immediately focus their resources on addressing this issue.”
Morrison’s letter never mentioned a single robotaxi company and was sent to all AV developers listed in the Department for Transport’s general order. But Morrison appears to be directing the agency’s anger toward Waymo.
A previous TechCrunch investigation found that Waymo, which operates the largest robotaxi fleet in the U.S., using vehicles in cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco, has repeatedly clashed with first responders. And just this week, the San Francisco supervisor Bilal Mahmoud He said he plans to submit an inquiry to examine how self-driving cars have affected public transport services and emergency responders following the Fourth of July fireworks display that caused massive traffic disruptions. Local media reported that many of the Waymo robotaxi had to be towed away due to a lack of power due to long traffic jams.
Morrison’s letters have gravitas. But are there any practical consequences for AV developers? It’s hard to say at the moment. NHTSA now requires companies to submit “solutions” to the agency by the end of the month.
Here’s another news item from the federal government. Take a look at our new 2026 Regulatory Plan and Integrated Agenda, updated last week. It contains a long list of proposed changes to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) requirements that govern vehicle design and equipment requirements. These proposed changes could benefit self-driving car companies such as: tesla and ZooxWe’re developing vehicles that don’t have steering wheels, pedals, or other features needed in human-driven cars.
dickey
Do you have any tips? Email Kirsten Korosec. kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com Or send my Signal to kkorosec.07 or email Sean O’Kane. sean.okane@techcrunch.com.
Special price!
We usually focus on venture deals, but this week we wanted to highlight them. rivian and sold 86.25 million shares of Class A common stock for $15.50 per share (including an additional 11.25 million shares the underwriters elected to purchase).
In total, Rivian said it expects to raise $1.32 billion in new capital. The raise comes at a notable time for the EV maker. The company began rolling out its new R2 SUV last month and recently raised its 2026 sales forecast. The company said it expects to deliver between 65,000 and 70,000 vehicles after surpassing its own expectations in the second quarter due to strong quarterly growth in EDVs and R1s, along with the introduction of R2 deliveries.
The company did not explain the reason for the increase. However, Rivian is not yet profitable, and scaling up production of the R2 or any of its vehicles is not cheap!
Other deals that caught my attention…
Bid Busa Los Angeles-based startup that has built a digital marketplace where multiple dealers can bid on cars, 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 Car Dealership Guy’s Yossi Levi also participated.
lift It said it plans to acquire Serveo’s bike-sharing business in Spain. Terms of use were not disclosed, but the ride-hailing company said it expected to close this year.
TaiSanUK battery startup has raised £4.65 million in a seed funding round co-led by Eos Advisory and Midlands Engine Investment Fund II. Matching funding from InnoEnergy, AFI Ventures, EverQuest Capital Partners, Exergon, Heartfelt Ventures, Adeline Arts & Science, Techmind, angel investor François Badelon and Innovate UK also participated.
Notable Reads and Other Useful Information
AssuranceAmericaThe US insurer has confirmed a data breach affecting the personal information and driver’s license numbers of 6.9 million people, making it the largest breach of US driver’s license data this year.
beta technologya developer of electric vehicle takeoff and landings, has completed an operational flight conducted under the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration’s new eVTOL integration pilot program. The flight covered approximately 275 nautical miles, including stops in Virginia and Maryland.
long time followers tesla I will remember that time. Elon Musk Fought against various short sellers of the company’s stock. Musk is more polarizing than ever, and one exchange-traded fund founder has found a way to capitalize on that negative sentiment with two new anti-Elon exchange-traded funds.
GM The brand Chevrolet has created the EV truck for all of America. Senior Reporter Tim De Chant asks, “Why isn’t anyone buying it?”
meet aeroan autonomous drone delivery startup based in Ireland, is expanding its footprint in the U.S. with a factory and operations center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and says it plans to hire 1,000 people in the next few years.
slate auto team up with Crayola We offer vehicle wraps in five different crayon colors for our EV truck and SUV customers. (Reminder: The base Slate EV vehicle is unpainted. Instead, it comes in a gray composite material that can be customized with a vehicle wrap. The company has hundreds of options to choose from.)
One more thing…
TechCrunch Podcast building mode We just started the third season and it’s awesome. 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.
A new season begins precursor venture Founder and Managing Partner charles hudsonHe talks about what early-stage founders need to know before raising their first institutional investment.
Check out: The New Rules of Early Stage Fundraising with Charles Hudson.
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