Trucks | FoT: Election impacts, Carvis, RepairPal

FoT is the intelligence arm of Trucks Venture Capital 

Notable:

A compendium of transportation perspectives for a second Trump administration: EV outlook for 2030 in US cut to 28% from 33% (link); a likely removal of EV purchase tax credits (link); more airline M&A (link); Trucking: negative for shipping and air cargo, positive for US warehousing, US auto logistics (link); Space and FAA recs (link); Rail: likely cuts to federal funding (link); podcast interview with former VW America CEO Hinrich Woebcken on impacts (link).

NHTSA warns Tesla that its social media posts falsely implied that its cars are robotaxis (link). Via David S. 'We believe that Tesla’s postings conflict with its stated messaging that the driver is to maintain continued control over the dynamic driving task.'

When BEV is not enough, the advent of 'EV plus' expanders: Chinese BEV-only brand Nio plans a hybrid (link). Xpeng announces its range-extender (link). Combine these w/ Scout's news from two weeks back and you have the rumblings of a trend. Now all we need is Tesla to announce an EREV with eleventy billion mile range.

NYT opinion: Doctors should have to report medically impaired drivers (link). Via Katie H. 'A similar legal duty already applies to doctors when it comes to communicable diseases. For example, doctors and lab technicians must report patients with active tuberculosis to state authorities, who can then force compulsory treatment. Patients don’t have a choice in the matter. As Justice Mathew Tobriner of the California Supreme Court wrote in a famous 1976 case requiring mental health professionals to warn individuals who are threatened by their patients with bodily harm, 'The protective privilege ends where the public peril begins.'

California updates AV test reporting requirements (link). Among the changes: new stoppage event reporting: 'AV operators will now be required to report incidents where AVs get stuck during operations.’

In New York, wind turbine blades take an entire day to move 100 miles (link). 'State Department of Transportation policies surrounding the transit of turbines, which are considered “super loads,” limit the hours and frequency the machinery can hit the road. Critically, the big rigs hauling the turbine parts must be escorted by state troopers working overtime. The rules often lead to absurd situations when troopers escorting a turbine reach the limit of their jurisdiction and must then stop and wait for troopers from the next jurisdiction to take over. The cargo must then be re-inspected.'

Audio: GM's Cetinok doubles down on company's decision to ditch CarPlay on Verge podcast (link). This was a bad decision, but they're in too deep now. Video: Zoox's robotaxi vehicle seen in SF (link). Via Carlton N. Video: catching waves by the roadside (link).

With auto repair and maintenance up 28% over the last 36 mo, this 'what does it cost' quiz stumped me every time (link).

M&A / Deals / Changes:

Auto service and maintenance startup RepairPal acquired by Yelp for $80M (link).

Intelligent repair / diagnostics startup Carvis AI raises $1.2M (link). Led by Trucks.

Lyft partners with May Mobility, Mobileye to bring AVs to its app (link). 'Lyft said it signed a deal with May Mobility to launch autonomous vehicles on the Lyft app starting in Atlanta in 2025.'

Chinese AV startup Deeproute raises $100M (link). Led by an unnamed Chinese OEM.

VTOL startup Beta raises $300M (link). Led by Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund.

Traffice managment public company Iteris taken private in $335M acquisition by Italy's Almaviva (link).

VTOL startup Archer gets 100-unit order from Japan Airlines and Sumitomo Corporation (link).

Board & Executive Changes:

BorgWarner: Frédéric Lissalde to retire, Joseph Fadool to become CEO and Chairman as of Feb 2025 (link).

Eaton: Andre Schulten joins board (link).

Freyr Battery: Daniel Barcelo named CEO, continues on board (link).

Ouster: Christina Correia, Stephen Skaggs join board (link).

SES AI: Brian Krzanich departs board (link).

Featured Jobs:

Software Engineer II, Motion Planning at Gatik in Mountain View, CA, USA (link).

Head of Global Supply Chain Management & Procurement at BasiGo in Nairobi, Kenya (link).

MobilityJobs is the No.1 job board for auto & transportation companies (link). If you are a startup you can use the job board for free standard listings — just enter 'Trucks' at checkout.

New Stuff:

Bingo launches its 'one battery, any system' approach (link).

Recreating your old car in VR to remember it forever (link).

Costco launches EV charging, in partnership with startup Electric Era (link).

The Rivian R2’s next-gen batteries will be made in the US by LG Energy (link).

Amazon gets FAA approval for its drone tests in Arizona (link).

Rally series WRC drops its hybrid powertrain rules (link). 'Increase in repair costs for hybrid units has triggered a move to abandon hybrid power.'

Patents & Patent Applications:

Ford's patent application shows direct printing of solid state batteries (link).

GM's patent application shows tandem, daisy-chained vehicle charging (link).

Statistics / Projections:

After peaking in the late 2000s, motorcycle sales haven't recovered (link). Via Bloomberg / US Bureau of Transportation. 'By 2021, sales had not reached even 1/2 of their 2007 peak; adjusted for population, they were just 3.5% higher than in 2009, the year after the crash.'

Global private jet carbon emissions were up 46% from 2019 to 2023 (link). Via AP / Sweden's Linnaeus University.

Thank you:

Thank you to Chris Bossi (link), Laura Engelland (link), Isaac Holeman (link), Michael Linse (link), Doug Parker (link) and Mike Pinelis (link) for offers of introductions to new founders, investors and friends over the last week.

Trucks portfolio companies mentioned in this issue:

BasiGo (link), Bingo (link), Carvis (link), Gatik (link), May Mobility (link). View the full portfolio of Trucks companies (link).

We are all born mad; some remain so (SBB),

Reilly Brennan