Techcrunch Mobility: Gambit Tesla’s Ride-Hail

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CEO of Tesla Elon Musk In what one might describe an optimal position. It has pushed hard to make shareholders look at Tesla as Amnesty International and Robots, not the EVS maker. However, the company’s most obvious products, which generate the largest part of its revenues, are their electric cars.

Yes, Tesla EVS is developed, especially when it comes to the structure and programs of the basic vehicle. Its driver assistance system known as the full driving can be supervised, which can be used in highways and city streets and requires hands on the wheel, and the driver is ready to take over responsibility, among the most capable of the market today. But for musk, the final clarification of AI and Robotics is self -driving cars and robots. Today, neither of them is on any scope.

Tesla was the first noticeable step towards this goal in June when she launched a limited robotics service in Austin, Texas. These brand robots, which have been invited to customers can deport through the application, contain a Tesla employee sitting in the front passenger seat. But it is still far from the Musk’s original vision of the “general solution” that would allow the Tesla owner to earn money by renting his car as the Robotaxi service.

The clock beats and needs musk to show more progress – or at least upcoming launch operations to maintain the content of the anti -share shareholders. This is why Tesla begins this maneuvering in California.

Earlier this month, Musk indicated that Tesla will launch a robotye service in the Gulf region “In a month or two” Organizational approvals are the basic hanging.

The problem? Tesla has not even applied for permits that would allow her to run the Robotaxi service. On Friday morning, I reviewed with California DMV, which organizes a driver without a driver, and Tesla has not yet applied for the necessary permits. (A spokesman officially told me that DMV met Tesla to discuss the company’s plans to test independent vehicles in the state.)

Therefore, instead, Tesla launched horseback service in the Gulf region. And yes, users continue to contact this robotax.

To be clear, while people – including Mousse’s brother and member of the Board of Directors of Tesla Kemal Mousse – It may indicate this as a robotyThey do not lead independently. (And if so, this will be a violation of the current regulations. Not independent driving in any way, shape or shape. You can read a A conversation explanation here This will take you through all the different permits that Tesla needs.

This launch in riding has a lot of people wondering, what gives? My answer: optics.

birdie

The last gossip between some small birds indicates that National Auto Traders Association Its efforts focus on the VW Group Spinout collection searchlight EV plans for direct sales. The Agency Industry Group has opposed the direct sales model before. But unlike the direct sales of Tesla, Rivian and Lucid, the Scout is linked to the Legacy manufacturer with a long merchant network.

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].

Deals!

Think about returning to the fall of 2023. Flexport has taken the attention of the Silicon Valley, partly due to Fallout with the founder of Ryan Petersen with Executive Director Dave Clark, obedient And because of it Gain the caravanUnicorn, the previous shipping that has just been closed.

Here is an update. Flexport now has He sold the caravan platform to Dat shipping and analyzes. The conditions have not been revealed, although the company said it has achieved “a huge return on investing for Flexport”. Axios’ Dan Primack indicates that “the tremendous return” is a suitable description.

Flexport never revealed what I paid for Convoy technology, although reporting at that time put the number $ 16 million – a small part of the previous evaluation of UNICORN of $ 3.8 billion. Primak stated this week that Flexport sold the caravan platform For $ 250 million.

Other deals caught my attention this week …

airAnd it is an emerging company based in Israel, developing Evtols, Rapid 23 million dollars In a series of financing from the series A, led by Entrée Capital, with the participation of Dr. Shmuel Harlab, the early investor in Mobiley.

LG InnotekThey are the components and materials of the LG Group in South Korea, they are Investing up to 50 million dollars in EvaObtaining a share of about 6 % in the American company Lidar. This investment is part of a broader manufacturing partnership between the two companies and Marks Aeva in consumer electronics, robots and industrial automation.

Promise readings and other tales

Aurora Some of the remarkable progress participated in its Q2 profit report. The auto -governing company has three self -driving trucks operating commercially between Dallas and Houston, as it records more than 20,000 miles without a driver by the end of June. It is a driver without driver trucks on a 15 -hour road from its station in Fort Worth, Texas, to a new station in Phoenix and operating at night. CEO Chris Ormmson He told me what it is Next in his list.

Elon Musk Tunnel drilling company Boring company Plans Building a 10 miles “episode” This will link the center of Nashville and the conference and airport center. Important side notes: This will be funded by the boring company and its private partners, which have not been called. This is the beginning of a general process of evaluating roads, which means that work will not start immediately.

Ford You plan to detect more information about the upcoming low -cost electric cars at an event in Kentucky on August 11. As the first reporter notes Sean Okan, the company Talking a very big game.

Judy flight An agreement with the defense contractor signed L3Harris Technologies “Explore opportunities” for Developing a new plane category In particular, a hybrid plane for landing and landing (VTOL), which can fly independently-for defense applications. VTOL Gase Hybrid will be based on the current Joby S4 aircraft platform. This is not a contract itself. But he determines the progress in Jobi’s attempt to go to the market in the defense and consumer sectors.

while Uber Continue the partnership with every separate complex company under the sun, Lift She tries to hold her own deals. Lift said it will Add autonomous shutters By the Austrian manufacturer Betler Group To its network in late 2026. The shuttle will be published in partnership with American cities and airports.

And emo Plans Robotaxi service launch Next year in Dallas, this time is partnership with AVIS budget collection To manage its fleet of independent vehicles. In other Waymo events, two robots were crashed into each other in one of the company’s groups in Phoenix this week, proving that the company’s rapid expansion in new cities does not mean that all errors have been eliminated. Wimo says he is investigating the case.

Chinat AV company Fire He received an independent leadership permit from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The company has similar permits in China, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, France and the United States.

Last thing

And emo CO-CEO Takedra It will join The stage of disruption For a large-scale conversation on the current case of AVS- and where the industry is transferred from here. Techcrunch crashes 2025 It will be held 27 to October 29 in Moscow West in San Francisco.