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We’re just some days into a brand new Trump administration, and it’s already a firehose of govt orders, declarations, and even pardons. Just a few have crossed into the “future of transportation” world.
Now, first let’s be clear about govt orders. No matter who’s president, govt orders might be political theater and sometimes battle instantly with constitutional legislation. However they are often useful alerts into the priorities of the particular person sitting within the Oval Workplace.
For President Trump, it’s clear he isn’t a fan of EV incentives — of any type.
Among the many slew of govt orders he signed on the first day of his second time period, Trump ordered all companies to instantly pause disbursement of funds from the Inflation Discount Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Regulation. He particularly referred to as out funding for EV charging infrastructure from the Nationwide Electrical Automobile Infrastructure Method Program and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program. It must be famous that Tesla — led by Trump ally Elon Musk — has benefited from these applications.
We’ll be watching — and reporting on — how this performs out and which firms are most in danger.
A little bit fowl
Oh, Canoo! What you would have been. Canoo filed for Chapter 7 chapter and has ceased all operations. We’ll be following this because it winds by chapter courtroom.
Right here’s some element you may not know: Just a few months earlier than Canoo went kaput, the corporate shuttered its former headquarters in Los Angeles. Just a few little birds advised us that, within the months earlier than Canoo filed for chapter, a number of staff relocated from California to the corporate’s workplaces in Oklahoma and Texas — leaving them jobless in a brand new location.
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Offers!
Speak about locking in a deal on the eleventh hour.
Rivian and the Division of Power (DOE) finalized a $6.6 billion mortgage introduced in November just some days earlier than Trump’s inauguration. The corporate will use the mortgage to assist construct out its deliberate manufacturing facility in Georgia, east of Atlanta, with development starting in 2026. The primary R2 SUVs are scheduled to return off the road in 2028.
The mortgage comes from the Superior Expertise Autos Manufacturing (ATVM) program, a part of the DOE’s Mortgage Applications Workplace. ATVM is most well-known as this system that gave Tesla a $465 million lifeline in 2009.
Different offers that obtained my consideration …
Ati Motors, an Indian autonomous robotics startup, raised $20 million in an all-equity Collection B funding spherical co-led by Walden Catalyst Ventures and NGP Capital. It additionally featured present buyers, together with True Ventures, Exfinity Enterprise Companions, Athera Enterprise Companions, and Blume Ventures.
Lyteflo, a Canadian EV software program gross sales startup, raised $3 million in seed funding led by Diagram. Whitecap Enterprise Companions and Amplify Capital additionally participated.
Metafuels, a Swiss aviation gasoline startup, raised $9 million in a spherical led by Celsius Industries. Different new buyers embrace RockCreek, Fortescue Ventures, and Verve Ventures, with present backers Power Impression Companions and Contrarian Ventures additionally collaborating.
Second Power, an EV battery repurposing startup, raised $15 million in a Collection A spherical co-led by Amazon Local weather Pledge Fund and Voyager Ventures. In-Q-Tel (IQT), Model One Ventures, Overture Ventures, WovenEarth Ventures, Fika Ventures, MCJ, One Small Planet, and Local weather Capital additionally participated.
Netradyne, which offers fleet house owners with AI-enabled sprint cams that accumulate car information and video to enhance driver security, raised $90 million in a Collection D spherical at a pre-money valuation of $1.35 billion. The spherical was led by Point72 Non-public Investments with participation from Qualcomm Ventures and Pavilion Capital.
Voltpost, the lamppost EV charging firm, secured $2.6 million in grant funding from the U.S. Joint Workplace of Power and the Communities Taking Cost Accelerator to deploy 75 chargers throughout the tri-state area —New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut.
Notable reads and different tidbits
ADAS
The Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration’s Workplace of Defects Investigation “upgraded” its investigation into Ford’s hands-free superior driver-assistance system generally known as BlueCruise — a required step earlier than a recall might be issued.
Autonomous automobiles
Torc Robotics, the impartial subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, is closing its authentic testing location in Albuquerque and tech hub in Stuttgart whereas increasing elsewhere. The corporate is constructing out an autonomous truck hub within the Dallas-Forth Value space, particularly in the Hillwood AllianceTexas improvement. The corporate mentioned the Texas location will probably be a hub for autonomous testing, buyer freight pilots, and future commercialization slated for 2027.
Electrical automobiles, charging, & batteries
UBCO, the New Zealand-based electrical motorbike startup, has gone into receivership. The startup, which not too long ago signed a cope with Australia Publish to offer a brand new fleet of customized electrical motorbikes, has ceased all operations because of the lack of accessible funding.
In-car tech
The Federal Commerce Fee issued a proposed order to ban GM — and its subscription-based in-vehicle security and safety system generally known as OnStar — from promoting such information to client reporting companies for 5 years. The proposed order stems from allegations that GM collected, used, and offered drivers’ exact geolocation information and driving habits info from tens of millions of automobiles with out adequately notifying customers and acquiring their consent.
Two safety researchers (hackers) discovered a technique to remotely unlock, begin, and monitor tens of millions of Subarus. The Japanese automaker has since mounted the vulnerabilities.
House and way forward for flight
OK, area isn’t transportation actually. However I’ll sometimes embrace area tales of be aware as a result of there’s some overlap with the industries. For instance, the Federal Aviation Administration needed to “briefly” gradual and divert quite a lot of plane within the airspace close to Puerto Rico, the place particles was seen falling after SpaceX’s Starship exploded throughout a take a look at flight final Thursday.
In the meantime, in different air-related issues, Amazon paused testing of its supply drones following a crash involving two of its fashions.
This week’s wheels
Whereas I used to be operating round Las Vegas throughout CES 2025, I noticed a social media put up from Lucid. The EV maker was in Vegas and providing rides in its all-new Lucid Gravity SUV.
I spent about an hour with the Lucid Gravity SUV, which simply went into manufacturing final month. I’ve an extended overview coming within the subsequent few days, however right here’s a sneak peek: Lucid nails the inside. It’s roomy, it’s luxurious, and it has plenty of particulars that replicate the development of Lucid. The corporate, it appears, is maturing.
Right here is one other curious impression. After I stood exterior the car, it didn’t fairly really feel or appear to be an SUV. Nor did it really feel massive. And but, as quickly as I climbed inside this third-row EV, the spaciousness was exhausting to disregard. Extra to return!
What’s “This week’s wheels”? It’s an opportunity to be taught concerning the completely different transportation merchandise we’re testing, whether or not it’s an electrical or hybrid automobile, an e-bike, or perhaps a experience in an autonomous car.
