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welcome back TechCrunch Mobility – Your central hub for news and insight on the future of transport. This week’s news includes a BMW security breach Shock from a federal agency over anti-Tesla statement that exposed sensitive information super bowl commercials And a new federal investigation fiskar,
But first, a few words about my recent trip to Detroit, where I met some ford Officials need to figure out what they’re focusing on for 2024 and beyond.
it’s safe to say Chinese EV Vehicle Manufacturers And Tesla are at the top of the mind; And in the opinion of Ford executives, low-cost EVs and cutting-edge software are the best way to thwart those threats. of the company EV Skunkworks ProjectWho has recently been accused of doing this work.
Ford CFO john lawler There was no mincing words during an interview at the company’s headquarters.
“We have to assume that eventually they’ll be here,” Lawler said. “China has been looking for its global champion for decades. They couldn’t get there by conventional gas vehicle; “They saw the writing on the wall as early as 2010 that electricity was the way to go and since then they have subsidized and focused on that.”
Lawler said Chinese automakers are now competitive. Now armed with production capacity and “brilliant” designs, China is pressing into other areas.
“This is not a small stakes game; It’s long,” Lawler said. “So everyone’s thinking about the next few years, they’re thinking about the next 25, 30 years. They’re not going to care about what’s happening right now. Keep building your footprint and building your brand, keep building your technology and innovatively developing your vehicles, and ultimately, there will be no stopping it.
China and Tesla aren’t the only ones of concern raising their collective gray matter. Ford CEO jim farley The company also intends to bring $2 billion in cost savings back into its industrial system. A big part of that is improving the quality of new vehicles – which is directly tied to warranty costs – and that was the point he made in a recent interview at Wolfe Research’s Global Auto and Auto Tech conference in New York. Emphasized during.
let’s go!
a little bird
A little bird pointed us to a recent filing faraday future Which caught our attention. For those unfamiliar, Faraday Future is an EV startup that went public in 2021 through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company. At one time, Faraday Future was as much a hustle as a startup. But years of internal drama, a revolving door of executives and federal investigations have left the company hanging at the end of its financial thread.
Now it looks like the company is in danger is losing its LA headquarters, The company’s landlord filed a lawsuit seeking to take possession of the commercial space after Faraday Future failed to pay rent. The current bill is close to $1 million.
Got a tip for us? E-mail Kirsten Korosec But [email protected] Or sean o’keane [email protected], If you prefer to remain anonymous, Click here to contact usIncluding SecureDrop (instructions here) and various encrypted messaging apps.
deal of the week
No deal of the week! Instead, here’s a list of the deals that caught my attention.
celadineA hydrogen fuel cell startup, Raised $4.5 million The seed round was co-led by Maniev and Dynamo Ventures, with lead participation from EPS Ventures.
RevelThe Brooklyn-based startup, initially known for its fleet of rentable blue electric mopeds, is reportedly looking to raise $200 million in equity, Bloomberg reported, the company shut it down shared moped business in November and is now trying to build an electric ride-hailing and EV fast-charging business.
wander throughA Kenyan EV startup, has raised $24 million The Series A round, which includes a loan commitment of up to $10 million from the US International Development Finance Corporation. Africa-focused climate tech VC fund, Equator led the round, with At One Ventures, TES Ventures, Renew Capital, The World We Want, and One Small Planet also participating.
Skylo TechnologiesThe provider of direct-to-device satellite connectivity services, raised $37 million co-led by Intel Capital and Innovation Endeavors and joined by BMW i Ventures, Samsung Catalyst Fund, Seraphim Space and Next47.
velosisA startup developing sustainable aviation fuels has raised $40 million from Carbon Direct Capital, LightRock, GenZero and Kibo Investments.
Notable readings and other news
ADAS
GM Expanding access to Super Cruise, allowing drivers to use advanced driver-assistance systems hands-free 750,000 miles of roads In the United States and Canada. The expansion will nearly double the automaker’s Super Cruise network by 2025 and include rural and smaller highways.
National Transportation Safety Board ordered Dawn Project to the organization stop using its seal It then appeared in a Super Bowl ad calling on consumers to boycott Tesla.
autonomous vehicle
cruise Name steve knowerAn autonomous vehicle industry veteran who has held top security roles at Kodiak, Locomation, Aurora, and Uber’s now-defunct self-driving division. First “chief Security Officer.” My Opinion: This is a position Cruz should have gotten years ago. Meanwhile, Cruz lost another key employee. Carl Jenkins, Cruise’s head of hardware, resigned From the company.
may mobility 40 people were fired from their jobsOr about 13% of its employees.
san francisco giants are swapping cruise robotaxi uniform patch For a less controversial ad that advertises another GM brand, Chevrolet.
waymo Voluntarily missed the software It powers its robotaxi fleet after two vehicles crashed into the same towed pickup truck in Phoenix, Arizona in December. This is the company’s first recall. As reporter Sean O’Kane notes, this recall comes at a time when self-driving cars are facing intense scrutiny after a series of high-profile accidents and controversies, including this week when In San Francisco a mob of people rioted, vandalized and set a waymo robotaxi on fire,
Electric vehicles, charging and batteries
EVS 2023 was extremely hot – but December data shows sales are slowing, Automotive News reported, According to data from S&P Global Mobility, new EV registrations in 2023 are expected to increase by 52% compared to last year. EVs now account for 7.7% of the US light vehicle market, up from 5.7% a year ago.
Lucid Motors dropped the price Its luxury Air sedan has increased by thousands of dollars. Lucid also got attention National Highway Traffic Safety Administration This week. Regulators launched an investigation clear meaning Windshield defroster recalled since January, saying it’s “related” to the company’s over-the-air update solution doesn’t go far enough To fix the problem. Is NHTSA starting to push back against OTAs?
NHTSA Second investigation launched into EV startup fiskarAfter the agency received four complaints about the Ocean SUV vehicle moving unexpectedly, including an injury. The fixer also received a non-compliance notice New York Stock Exchange Because its stock has closed below $1 for the last 30 days, According to a regulatory filing,
stellarThe parent company of brands like Jeep and Chrysler announced that it will acquire Tesla North American charging standard (NACS). Stellantis is the last major Western automaker to announce compatibility with NACS.
ride-hailing and ride sharing
hopskipdriveYoung ride-share startup hits two new keys California emissions standards In 2023, the company believes that a milestone will strengthen the case for children and teens to rely more on shared passenger vehicles to get them to and from school.
this week’s wheels
Image Credit: Kirsten Korosec
During my short trip to Michigan, I used 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E To drive to various meetings in Dearborn and Detroit. (The press car came courtesy of Ford.)
my primary interest was in bluecruz, Hands-free active driver assistance system. I had plenty of time to test it, thanks to several trips of 20 to 30 miles, most of which were on highways. I was testing the BlueCruise 1.3 version, which accelerates or brakes to maintain a selected distance from the vehicle in front, keeping the vehicle centered in the lane and steering. When the driver presses the turn signal, the vehicle will change lanes. It will also suggest passing when traffic is slow.
what i liked: Engaging BlueCruise is simple and straightforward when the system is taking over the driving. Passing is crisp and vehicles don’t ping pong within lanes, which is common in other systems. One odd criticism I have is that the word “Ready” in the instrument cluster just below the BlueCruise illuminates in green when it is on (see photo). That “Ready” has nothing to do with BlueCruise and is intended to tell an EV driver that their vehicle is ready to go. I’m sure drivers will get used to it, but I can also see it causing some confusion.
A feature I liked: I can handle the steering and the BlueCruise will stay put. I know this is frowned upon in some circles because the driver can become confused. However, I hate how often I accidentally turn off other systems like Tesla’s Autopilot by turning the steering wheel just a little too much.
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