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Tiny week, shorter newsletter. For all the US readers, I hope you had a nice Labor Day.
Before we get into specifics, here’s a clever solution that combines robotics, mobility, and accessibility. Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials has unveiled a robotic wheelchair with gigantic, deformable wheels that can handle rocks, stairs, and other obstacles. Check it out.
And now some other news.
Little bird
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ZeptoThe 3-year-old Indian delivery and e-commerce startup has raised $1 billion in the last 90 days, TechCrunch has learned exclusively. This confirms our earlier report that the startup is finalizing a $340 million funding round led by General Catalyst. Other investors include Nexus Venture Partners, Lightspeed, Avra, YC Continuity, Contrary, and StepStone Group.
A few other noteworthy transactions…
E Dada UAE-based company that manufactures two-wheeled electric vehicles in Dubai, $15 million raised in the financing round.
Oxylus EnergyA startup spun out of a Yale chemistry lab last year is working to improve the production of so-called green methanol. Now it has capital. The startup has raised $4.5 million in a seed round led by Toyota Ventures and Azolla Ventures, with participation from Earth Foundry and Connecticut Innovations. TechCrunch Reporter Tim Singing examines why its founders believe they can aid airlines and shipping companies achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
WeMoba SaaS company dedicated to fleet management and telematics on the Iberian Peninsula, was acquired by Alerce for an undisclosed amount.
Vital readings and other curiosities
ADAS
Woman who allegedly killed two people using hands-free driver assistance system Ford BlueCruise was charged with murder under the influence of alcohol.
Autonomous vehicles
Tesla plans to showcase its robotaxi at an event at Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.’s studio in the Los Angeles area, Bloomberg reportedA hacker known as greentheonly sent an email with the following query: pretty good insight on social media X. He noted that Tesla has begun extensive data collection in the “WB Studio” 4 area. This suggests Tesla may be pre-mapping the area ahead of the October 10 event.
Electric Vehicles, Charging and Batteries
Tesla deleted all blog posts from before 2019 (the headline is for all the 1984 fans). Those blog posts are a digital history of the company, covering everything from CEO Elon Musk’s original master plan to the first fatal Autopilot crash in the Model S to its claims about its electric vehicle capabilities. Neither the company nor Musk has explained why.
The future of flight
Archer Aviation he said it 402 test flights performed so far this year. The company said it is increasing flight test operations ahead of flight tests with the FAA.
Rides on demand and car sharing
Lyft is keeping its micromobility business afloat, but it comes at a cost. The company is restructuring its operations and laying off about 1% of its workforce (Lyft had about 2,945 employees at the end of 2023). The company expects to incur restructuring costs of $34 million to $46 million. The large change, aside from the integrated unit and a up-to-date name, is the end of dockless rides. Dock or go bankrupt!
Uber announced a strategic plan to double its operations in South Korea, posing a direct challenge to market leader Kakao Mobility, a ride-hailing company majority-owned by South Korean technology and messaging giant Kakao.
Take a loanThe startup that brought teleoperation to car sharing in Berlin and Las Vegas is expanding its business into commercial and business-to-business services, building on recent deals with carmaker Peugeot and car sharing company Poppy. Thomas von der Oheco-founder and CEO of Vay, told me that the startup plans to announce several delivery partnerships soon, including with companies involved in trucking, lightweight commercial vehicles and last-mile delivery.
A note on the world of diminutive startups: Some of the technology behind Vay’s remote-controlled Kia Niro vehicles comes from Polysync Technologies, a now-defunct Portland startup I discovered a long time ago, an event involving racing cars at Thunderhill Raceway in 2016.
This week’s wheels
I spent a few days in 2024 Chevrolet Equinox Electric 2LTand I’m ecstatic to report that the software worked! And no, that’s not sarcasm; last year, GM I recently experienced what an employee described to me as the “moment of the century” when the Chevrolet Blazer EV was launched and it turned out to be riddled with faulty software that caused car reporter stuck.
The 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 2LT, which has front-wheel drive and an 85-kilowatt-hour battery that provides an estimated 319 miles of range, has a suggested retail price of $45,995 (including destination charge). My version also included an advanced hands-free driver-assistance system known as Super Cruise.
I was skeptical after my Blazer EV experience, which left me feeling a bit meh. The Equinox EV is not a Blazer. It’s just a better EV — and yes, even without Apple CarPlay. There were a few extra steps to make sure you get the same digital experience that CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone screen mirroring products provide. And that might put some people off. But once I checked all the controls and flipped all the right switches, I had a polished experience.
One odd thing to note: The Super Cruise system initiated automatic lane changes on the highway, but on my second day behind the wheel (and on the same stretch of highway), I had to change lanes manually.