Techcrunch Mobility: Tesla Robotaxi Rorschach and Redwood big RDWOOD

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Less than a week ago, Robotaxis Tesla started And giving horseback riding to Austin’s guest clients. As I and Okan wrote this week, the driver is the first big test for CEO Elon Musk’s belief that it is possible to publish entirely independent vehicles using only cameras and AI from one side-a approach that differs from other players in space, such as Waymo.

By all standards (including Tesla’s), this is the first range limited. The operating area of ​​South Austin covers the fleet of vehicles less than 20, and there is still a safety “screen” sitting in the front passenger seat.

This does not mean a defeated reaction. Social media has provided a wave of video and personal accounts – from cyclists and spectators – from robotaxis grinding around Austin. In many cases, vehicles seemed to violate traffic laws such as moving across double yellow lines in the next traffic corridor and hitting brakes in the middle of the intersections.

Videos Federal safety organizations to reach Tesla Request information about publishing.

Tesla Robotaxi’s reaction – more specifically, provided social videos – a useful view of the company’s polarization. When Okan mocked Lee on the last day, “It is like a rorschach test.”

The Robotaxi from Tesla is either evidence of the company’s promises and the broken musk on automatic driving, or the beginning of the end for Waymo, Uber and Lyft.

Here’s what is close to the truth: one week in, we have a lot of noise and a very little sign.

Let’s get into the rest of the news.

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Against the background of a series of executives over the past year, we hear that Tesla plans another round of demobilization throughout the company this month. Last year, CEO Elon Musk spent a policy, which reached its climax with a dramatic exit from his duties as Doug President. Now ready to bring inclined energy and burning to its own organization and the team’s team in Tesla, with artists low on the cutting block, according to one source connected to the company.

Meanwhile, Tesla pushes forward the production of Cybercab. One of the sources indicated that he was created an environment of sugar in the square that caused some employees to leave the company.

Do you have advice to us? Email Kirsten Korosec in [email protected] Or a sign at Kkorosec.07, Sean Okan in [email protected]Or Rebecca Billan in [email protected]. Or achieve These instructions To learn how to contact us via encryptive correspondence applications or secretrop.

Deals!

Give me the news course this week, feelings 2016. Take this deal that involves Uber Participant founder and former CEO Travis Calnik.

It is said that Kalnik Work with investors To buy the US arm for the Independent Chinese Vehicle Company, Uber may help achieve this.

This is an interesting step. In 2017, Kalanick was pressed for resignation due to reports that it has strengthened a culture of toxic work with sexual harassment, among other complaints. His resignation came a year after the purchase of Uber Auto, a self -driving truck company in which Anthony Lewandowski (CEO Bruno AI) participated, Lior Ron (Uber Farid CEO), and Don Bernett (founder of Kodiak Robotat), former Delonai (former NVIDIA, former, and Deldor Square). This deal, which was absorbed in what became Uber ATG, was controversial from the beginning and eventually led to Waymo to steal commercial secrets.

Fast-FO-Fo-EIGHTS: WAYMO and Uber exchanged friendly work conditions, and Kalanick is still wondering, “What if?” The founder was very noisy in saying that Uber would have his own fleet that would achieve himself if he was still responsible.

Then there is a pony, which has operations in the United States at risk due to national security rules. The company has prepared to sell its arm in the United States at least 2022.

Other deals worth indicated …

Emerging materialsStarting a new starting to develop cathode materials to reduce the cost of LFP batteries, A collection of $ 2.3 million On a seed tour led by SOSV. The New Jersey Innovation Evergreen Fund and UM6P Fund also participated.

Raphe MphibrIndian drone start, Baccalanciously $ 100 million In a tour of all property B. led by General Catalyst.

Promise readings and other tales

Adas

the The National Traffic Safety Administration on highways sender Ford A Long list of questions About the hands -free driver assistance system, as part of the investigation that began more than a year ago after two fatal accidents involved in the program.

Independent vehicles

There was a time when startups AV tried to avoid talking about a distance as a way to support their technology without a driver. Now companies are talking about it. Take a self -driving truck company Kodiak Robotics and FiStart driving from a distance from Berlin. The two companies, which I announced a partnership This week, they have been working together since last year.

And emo and Uber I officially entered another market. Companies, which launched the “Waymo On Uber” service in Austin earlier this year, is now working in a 65 square miles of Atlanta.

Moreover, Uber eats Robex connecting robots launched In Atlanta with Robotics serviceSpinout Uber, which was public last year.

The result: The momentum appears to be built for all three companies. Uber turns into an independent technology connector (it has 18 AV partnerships worldwide). Waymo is the pioneer of the Robotaxi market. Paid -paid robotics provides a wage every week through five main cities. As ATLANTA joins that list and expansion in its current markets, this number definitely exceeded 300,000 marks. Atlanta Marx serves the fourth commercial city because it expands its range to 2000 robots on the sidewalks by the end of 2025.

Electric cars, batteries and shipping

Redwood materials It is a launch Energy storage work This will take advantage of thousands of EV batteries that she collected from her work to recycle batteries to provide energy to companies. And I started – what? Artificial Intelligence Data Centers.

Rural It has been demobilized 140 employees Before launching the most affordable SUVs in 2026. The manufacturing team was the most difficult.

Timing‘s According to what he stated, an executive director of sales I got the shoe from Elon Musk. Omead Affshar was one of the closest close associates of Musk who this week was publishing on X about “The Historic Day of Tesla” when the company launched its robots in Austin.

Car technology

There was a moment around 2017 when Intel It seems ready to become a dominant player in cars. The company acquired Mobileye, and its VC arm was investing millions in the sector. It was part of the conversation of the future of transport. Now Intel says Goodbye to the architectural engineering of cars -Including the design of its AI’s improved chip-for-vehicle system for production by the end of 2025-and the layoff of most of its employees as part of a wider restructuring.