Trucks | FoT: Kodiak, Wayve, Eco-Movement

Trucks | Future of Transportation for 2025.09.22
FoT is the intelligence arm of Trucks Venture Capital 

Notable:

Waymo wins testing permit at San Francisco airport (link). A few more steps to go but this is the entry point. AV fleets getting into airports is a missile attack for ridehailing (in some cities up to 30% of ridehailing revenue is just airport pick up / drop off). The unexpected nugget I am hearing is that taxi commissions actually hate Waymo less than they hate Uber and Lyft. For now.

AV trucking startup Bot Auto shows driverless validation run in Texas (link). The big thing w/ Bot Auto is how much they've done with very little financing. They've only raised something in the 8 figures to get to fully driver-out trucking routes.

Unpacking China's decades long plan for battery dominance (link). 'Strategic miscalculations have characterized the West’s response to China’s rising dominance. Myersdorf highlights a naïve belief in the West that if we bet on solid state batteries, then we can beat China.'

Are EVs just simply too fast? (link). 'When an entry-level Volvo can get to 60 mph quicker than a Porsche 911, and in the same time as a Ferrari, electric car makers need a reset.'

Possible preview of Rivian's upcoming ebike design (link).

Video: the flautist making the best truck simulator sounds (link). Video: supercar bosses drive each other's cars (link). Video: big baja air (link). Via Diego.

M&A / Deals / Changes:

Kodiak raises $145M PIPE investment from Ares Acquisition en route to public listing (link).

UK AV startup Wayve raises $500M from NVIDIA (link).

EV charging data startup Eco-Movement acquired by Dow Jones (link).

Singapore used car retail startup Carro raises $60M (link). Led by Cool Japan Fund.

Oneworld Alliance, Breakthrough Energy Ventures launch $150M fund focused on sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) (link).

EV charging startup Weavegrid raises strategic round from LG (link).

EV charging real estate startup EV Realty raises $75M (link).

Lyft and Waymo partner on 2026 Nashville AV launch (link).

Board & Executive Changes:

Magna: Phil Fracassa named CFO (link).

Harley-Davidson: Dan Nova, Matt Reintjes join board; succeed Sara Levinson, Tom Linebarger (link).

US Senate confirms Morrison as new NHTSA chief (link).

Arrow Electronics: Sean Kerins resigns as CEO and from board; William Austen appointed interim- CEO, continues on board (link).

Curated Jobs:

Senior Manager, Manufacturing at Aperia Technologies in Hayward, CA USA (link).

Customer Experience Manager at Treehouse in Chicago, IL USA (link).

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

Hunting? View all 455 postings on the MobilityJobs job board (link).

New Stuff:

Indian EV startup River launches 8 year extended warranty for its scooters (link).

House Committee Advances AM Radio Bill (link). 'The AM radio bill (H.R. 979) proposes the secretary of transportation mandate that AM radio be made free and easily accessible to consumers in all new vehicles, including electric models.'

Print-out drone spotting guide (link). Via Steve B. 'As robotic birds will become commonplace in the near future, we should be prepared to identify them.' Printable PDF version (link).

A data dump of Waymo's rider-only data shows massive safety progress (link). Slotkin: 'The intersection breakthrough: Waymo has essentially solved intersection crashes, with 95% fewer injury incidents than human drivers in the same locations. That’s transforming the deadliest driving scenario' (link). Via JSx.

Cyber attack on Jaguar Land Rover halts all manufacturing output (link). 'Three weeks later, the carmaker is still incapacitated, unable to produce at any of its factories across the UK, Slovakia, Brazil and India (although a Chinese joint venture is thought to be operating).'

Patents & Patent Applications:

GM's patent application shows road condition mapping and sensing using suspension action (link).

Statistics / Projections:

There are now more vehicles priced above $100,000 in the US than below $30,000 (link). Via CNBC / Cox Automotive.

By 2030, vehicles with a plug will make up 80% of vehicles in China, 60% in Europe, 30% in US (link). Via BCG.

Thank you:

Thank you to Sunil Daluvoy (link), Will Fung (link), Paul Lienert (link), Chris Stallman (link), Marius Swart (link), Andrew Tan (link) and Jason Townsend (link) for offers of introductions to new founders, investors and friends over the last week.

Trucks portfolio companies mentioned in this issue:

Aperia Technologies (link), River (link), Treehouse (link). View the full portfolio of Trucks companies (link).

Take the Underground to Dragonham East,

Reilly Brennan