Trucks | FoT: CA tailpipe rules, woonerfs, SparkCharge

FoT is the intelligence arm of Trucks Venture Capital 

Notable:

US Senate blocks California's tailpipe pollution rules in historic vote (link). Clawing back California's ability to set its own emission rules and due to its market size, have an impact the entire vehicle market, never seemed possible -- until now.

Inside United's command center at the overcrowded Newark Airport (link). 'Amid dire conditions at the airport, an airline operations crew has had to figure out how to get more than 600 flights a day to take off and land without incident.' Related: Newark's air traffic control crisis is about to become everybody's problem (link). Via Yoji. 'The FAA failed to invest in the data infrastructure required to support remote operations. To save money, the FAA elected not to build a new STARS server in Philadelphia to support the move. A new server alone would require tens of millions of dollars, as well as installation of new internet and power infrastructure. Instead, it elected to send a “mirror feed” of telemetry from the STARS servers at N90, traveling over 130 miles of commercial copper telecom lines, with fiber optics to follow by 2030.'

Wave goodbye to EV tax credits in the US: new 'Big Beautiful Bill' passes in House, heads to Senate (link). Buyers will likely have until Dec 31 to buy an EV and claim their $7500 tax credit.

Tesla's upcoming Austin robotaxi launch will be geofenced 'to the safest parts' (link). Via Marie N. Tesla used to make fun of highly structured ODD (until it didn’t), like kids making fun of having a Costco Executive Membership until they don’t.

Video: Tesla head of AI says the company is a few years behind Waymo (link). Video: someone playing GTA while driving a Cybertruck using FSD; 'I don't think it's a particularly hot take to say [this person] should be in prison' (link). Audio: Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi on the Nilay Patel podcast (link). Video: speedbump-shaped shovel (link). Video: this floating buoy mimics the real-time wave patterns of the Atlantic Ocean (link).

M&A / Deals / Changes:

EV battery charging startup SparkCharge raises $30M (link). Led by Monte's Fam.

LiDAR startup Luminar plans $200M convertible offering (link).

Egyptian used vehicle startup Sylndr raises $15.7M (link). Led by Development Partners International’s Nclude Fund.

Board & Executive Changes:

Lyft: Ariel Cohen resigns from board (link).

Einride: Robert Flack steps down as CEO; CFO Roozbah Charli to become CEO (link).

O'Reilly Automotive: Larry O’Reilly, Ms. Andrea Weiss leave board (link).

Curated Jobs:

Plastics Design Engineer at River in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India (link).

Chief of Office / Assistance Chief of Staff at Ottometric in Waltham, MA USA (link).

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

Hunting? View all 348 postings on the MobilityJobs job board (link).

New Stuff:

Skyryse's SkyOS system approved to enter for-credit flight testing with FAA (link).

Toyota's new Rav4 plug-in hybrid lets you 'fast charge' the battery (link).

Waymo gets permission from CPUC to expand to the South Bay in San Francisco and most of San Jose (link). Via Jake K.

AV trucking startup Gatik establishes Safety Advisory Council (link). Includes Mark Rosekind, Jack Van Steenburg, Jane Lappin, Eric Fuller, Carla Bello.

AV startup Nuro is testing in Dallas, Miami and San Diego (link).

State of Washington's new shared street laws allow for lower total miles per hour standards, aim to blend pedestrian, bike and vehicle traffic (link). Also known as a woonerf in The Netherlands.

Zoox issues second robotaxi software recall in a month following collision (link).

Porsche's Cayman and Boxster models likely ending their ICE era as next generation set to become EV only (link).

Patents & Patent Applications:

Ford's patent application shows simulated 'manual' gearshifter for EVs (link).

Statistics / Projections:

Dedicated cycling infrastructure increases women's cycling participation between 4% and 6% (link). Via David Z. / Cities Journal.

A ranking of which countries believe nature can have spirits (link). Via Pew Research Center. 'Moreover, the new survey shows that younger adults are at least as likely as older adults to hold these spiritual beliefs – unlike belief in God, which tends to be more common among older people, globally.'

BYD sales eclipsed Tesla in Europe for the first time in April of 2025, a 169% increase from the same period last year (link). Via Jato Dynamics / Bloomberg.

There are around 50 active EV makers in China, but only three are currently profitable: BYD, Seres, and Li Auto (link). Via Yahoo.

One month into its new speed camera system, San Francisco issues over 30,000 warnings to drivers (link). Via KTVU.

Thank you:

Thank you to Joshua Gold (link) and Robin Helmschrott (link) for offers of introductions to new founders, investors and friends over the last week.

Trucks portfolio companies mentioned in this issue:

Gatik (link), Ottometric (link), River (link), Skyryse (link). View the full portfolio of Trucks companies (link).

Freedom is the right to write the wrong words (P. Smith),

Reilly Brennan