Trucks | FoT: AirGarage, Also, Firefly

Trucks | Future of Transportation for 2025.07.14
FoT is the intelligence arm of Trucks Venture Capital

Notable:

How best to regulate AVs? A balanced view from safety expert Dr Phil Koopman (link). 'A four-layer process based on existing regulatory and legal mechanisms will let us implement increasingly more effective safety guardrails as the technology matures, without stifling innovation. The layers are: (1) regulatory recalls, (2) tort liability reform, (3) regulatory rulemaking, and (4) product liability reform.'

Technology shifts allow for new types of leadership: BYD will cover the repair bill if its self-parking car dings another vehicle (link).

If Tesla is planning on launching robotaxis in California soon (link), they haven't yet applied for necessary permits (link). 'If Tesla intends to conduct driverless testing, or to deploy autonomous technology, it must apply for the requisite permits. To date, Tesla has not applied for either a driverless testing permit or a deployment permit.' On the other hand, the clearest sign that Tesla is going to launch in your town is likely that it hasn't applied for permits.

Should AVs be allowed to speed? (link). Waymo and Tesla take two different approaches.

Why can't Americans buy the world’s best electric car? Michael Dunne's warning call for Americans wondering how the Chinese have moved so fast (link). 'While most major carmakers source many important parts from outside suppliers, BYD makes almost all of its key components in-house, including batteries, semiconductors, motors and tablet screens, which saves costs and enhances quality control. It developed its cars’ operating software, has stakes in mines and mining companies that produce the minerals for its batteries and transports its vehicles around the world aboard its fleet of specially designed car-carrier ships.'

Rental car companies are using cameras to track damage, and consumers aren't happy (link). 'When they returned the car in Atlanta, they inspected it and saw no damage. A Hertz employee inspected the vehicle upon its return as well, they said, and did not flag any damage. But once the couple had passed through airport security, they received a notification via the Hertz app that its automated system had detected a dent in the passenger-side front door. They were charged $195...Ms. Rogers said the charge was inexplicable. 'It could have been a shadow,' she said in a phone interview. 'We were pulling it up on the app, and we’re like, ‘This is so bananas.' This seems to be taking the worst part of Turo and injecting it into the traditional rental car business.

Why did VW's new EV bus flop? High costs, low range (link). 'Designing and building cars in Germany for the U.S. comes with problems beyond just high costs. After less than a year on the U.S. market, the ID.Buzz has already been subject to two recall notices, both for glaring design oversights.'

During a parts shortage, Delta takes engines out of new planes in Europe to feed US demand (link). 'Delta Air Lines Inc. has been cannibalizing new Airbus SE jets in Europe by stripping off their engines and using them to get grounded planes in the US back into service, as it seeks to overcome a shortage and avoid aircraft import tariffs.'

Short-seller Grizzly Research publishes their report on Chinese AV firm Pony (link).

Video: drone-shot tracking Alaska's infamous July 4 vehicle launches (link). Via Weans. Video: Middle East Camry drift simulator (link). Via TO. Video: walking tour and CEO interview with Slate EV in Michigan (link). Video: asking Perplexity to pass your online traffic test (link). Audio: Magna CEO Swamy Kotagiri on the WSJ podcast (link). Video: siren bikes (link). Video: inside Auriga Space's electromagnetic launch system (link). Video: Uber and Wayve CEO discuss autonomy (link). Video: big cloud burnouts on the Volvo wagon (link). Video: Actor Adrien Brody as a Porsche intern (link). Via Diego.

Novelist Elmore Leonard's original copywriting for Hurst shifter advertisements (link). Via Emily D.

M&A / Deals / Changes:

Rocket maker Firefly Aerospace files for IPO (link).

Parking software startup AirGarage raises $23M (link). Led by Headline.

Rivian's micromobility spinoff Also raises $200M (link). Led by Greenoaks Capital. From an FoT reader: '$1B micromobility valuations are a time capsule back to 2019.'

German EV charging startup Cariqa raises $4.6M (link). Led by Anthemis.

Auto salvage startup APFusion raises $60M (link). Led by I2BF Global Ventures.

Retail ecommerce startup Ekho raises $17M (link). Led by JPMorgan Payments.

German vehicle exchange startup Caronsale raises $81M (link). Led by Northzone.

Vehicle repair startup ServiceUp raises $55M (link). Led by PeakSpan Capital.

Volkswagen ADMT chooses Hivemapper Bee for crowdsourced map data (link).

Volkswagen to close jointly-owned China plant (link). Dunne says: 'Look for GM and Nissan to follow suit soon.'

Board & Executive Changes:

Archer Aviation: Mark Mesler departs as CFO (link).

ChargePoint: Rebecca Chavez resigns as Chief Legal Officer (link).

Curated Jobs:

Electrical Engineer – Satellite Systems at Xona Space Systems in Burlingame, CA, USA (link).

Director of Business Development at Skyryse in El Segundo, CA USA or remote (link).

Staff Software Engineer at Veecle in Berlin, Germany (link).

Hiring? Post a job (link). If you're a startup, use code 'Trucks' for free standard listings.

Hunting? View all 447 postings on the MobilityJobs job board (link).

New Stuff:

May Mobility launches its ride-hailing API (link).

Inside Belmont's beautiful new train for the UK (link). 'A Michelin-starred chef, round-the-clock wellness suite, and just 18 cabins – all aboard… if you’ve got $15,000.'

Harley-Davidson's Livewire EV division unveils two Grom-sized mini EV bikes (link). Hopefully priced at or below a Honda Grom (around $3k).

Honda's new motorized chair, the Uni-One, to launch later this year (link).

X's AI division Grok will likely launch in Tesla vehicles in the coming week (link). What that means exactly is less clear.

Waymo introduces teen accounts (age 14-17) for Phoenix market (link).

Patents & Patent Applications:

Ford's patent application shows vehicles leaving assembly line and going through shake-down testing without drivers (link).

Waymo's patent application shows LiDAR-to-LiDAR communications (link).

Statistics / Projections:

Only 35% of US car consumers actively pay for connected vehicle features, the largest % globally (link). Via S&P Mobility. 'Once consumers experience connected car services, they are generally satisfied and likely to recommend them to others. That said, consumers have shown declining satisfaction levels in nearly all connected car services categories over the past two to three years. The top three services with the highest satisfaction levels are Navigation, Personalization and Infotainment while the Safety & Security category consistently shows the lowest satisfaction levels.'

All the cars losing their $7500 US tax credit in September (link).

Airline carriers make around 1% margins from their flights, the rest comes from financing and fees (link). Via Sherwood / BoTS.

Dealers report that used EV sales are on fire: topping 100,000 for the first time in the second quarter (link). Via WSJ / Cox Automotive. 'Last year, the average used EV cost around $30,900, in line with the average used gas car, even though a new EV sells for $17,300 more than a comparable gas model on average.'

Thank you:

Thank you to Jack Fecteau (link), Valery Magidson (link) and Michael Plasencia (link) for offers of introductions to new founders, investors and friends over the last week.

Trucks portfolio companies mentioned in this issue:

May Mobility (link), Skyryse (link), Veecle (link), Xona Space Systems (link). View the full portfolio of Trucks companies (link).

Reality is only a term, based on values and well worn principles, whereas the dream goes on forever (Ian Curties),

Reilly Brennan