Navigate TechCrunch: Robotaxi Alarm

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I’m back from vacation. What did I miss? Turns out, a lot — including the ending Uber and Imo Partnership in Phoenix. Uber and Waymo still have robo-taxi service partnerships in Atlanta and Austin. The question is not like that ifbut when Will these agreements expire? But this is not the most interesting question, in my opinion. I’m more interested in how these two companies will fare once the remaining partnerships end.

There is already tension with Uber executives making sloppy decisions about Waymo. I expect that once the partnerships end, this harsh criticism will be replaced by more direct action. One of the battlegrounds will be politics, specifically the markets that robotaxi companies seek to reach.

This week we saw another interesting development in the autonomous vehicle industry on the federal stage. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration responsible Jonathan Morrison It issued guidance to developers of autonomous vehicles, stating that it is unacceptable for their vehicles to interfere with first responders or law enforcement.

Money Quote: “Let me be clear: The inability to detect and respond appropriately to such situations constitutes a functional deficiency. Emergency scenes are not rare or extreme situations.” As such, NHTSA today issues a call to action for AV developers and operators to immediately focus their resources on fixing this issue.

Morrison’s letter never singled out any one robotaxi company, and was sent to every AV developer on the Department for Transport’s list Permanent public order. But it certainly appears that Morrison is directing the agency’s ire toward Waymo.

precedent Investigation by TechCrunch It found that Waymo — which operates the largest fleet of robotaxis in the United States, with vehicles in cities like Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco — has had frequent encounters with first responders. And just this week, San Francisco Superintendent Bilal Mahmoud He said he plans to Submit a letter of inquiry To study how autonomous vehicles affected public transportation services and emergency responders after a July 4 fireworks display that led to severe congestion. Local media reported this Several Waymo robotaxis had to be recalled After running out of power during a long traffic jam.

Morrison’s speech is dangerous. But will there be material consequences for AV developers? It’s hard to say at this point. For now, NHTSA has required companies to submit “solutions” to the agency by the end of the month.

Another news from the feds. Take a look at what’s new Organizational plan and unified agenda for 2026which was updated last week. It contains a long list of proposed changes to the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), which govern vehicle design and equipment requirements. These proposed changes could help self-driving car companies like… Tesla and Zooxwhich is developing vehicles without steering wheels, pedals or other features required in human-driven cars.

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Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosek at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com Or my Signal at kkorosec.07, or email Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com.

Offers!

We usually focus on enterprise deals, but I wanted to highlight them this week Rivian and the sale of 86.25 million Class A common shares at a price of $15.50 per share (this includes an additional 11.25 million additional shares that the underwriters have elected to purchase).

Overall, Rivian said she expects that Raised $1.32 billion In the new capital. The increase comes at a notable time for the electric car maker. The company began delivering its new R2 SUV last month and more recently It raised its sales forecasts for 2026. The company said it now expects to deliver between 65,000 and 70,000 vehicles after performance exceeded its own expectations in the second quarter due to strong quarter-on-quarter growth in EDV and R1, coupled with the introduction of R2 deliveries.

The company did not explain the reason for the increase. But as a reminder, Rivian is not yet profitable, and increasing production of the R2 – or any vehicle for that matter – is not cheap!

Other deals that caught my attention…

Bedpussa Los Angeles-based startup that has built a digital marketplace where multiple dealers can place bids on a car, It raised $15 million In a Series A funding round led by Ibex Investors. Mucker Capital, FJ Labs, Motley Fool Ventures, Data Point Capital, Walter Ventures, and Car Dealership Guy’s Yossi Levi also participated.

Lyft She said she was planning to acquires Serveo’s bike sharing business in Spain. Terms were not disclosed, but the company said it is expected to close this year.

Taisan,start battery uk, It raised £4.65 million In a seed funding round co-led by Eos Advisory and Midlands Engine Investment Fund II. InnoEnergy, AFI Ventures, EverQuest Capital Partners, Exergon, Heartfelt Ventures, Adeline Arts & Sciences, Techmind, angel investor François Badillon, and matching funding from Innovate UK also participated.

Notable Readings and Other Stories

America’s warrantyAn American insurance company, confirmed A Data breach This affected the personal information and driver’s license numbers of 6.9 million people, making it the largest known leak of US driver’s license information this year.

Beta Technologiesdeveloped electric vehicle take-off and landing, has been completed Operational flights It was conducted under the US Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration’s new eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. The voyages covered approximately 275 nautical miles covering Virginia and Maryland.

Long time followers Tesla You will remember the heady days when Elon Musk Many short sellers fought back for the company’s shares. Musk is more polarized than ever, and one exchange-traded fund creator has found a way to capitalize on that negative sentiment with two new funds. Anti-Elon ETFs.

GM The Chevrolet brand has built an all-American EV truck. Senior correspondent Tim De Chant asks, Why no one buys it?

Mana Aeroan independent drone delivery startup based in Ireland Expansion In the United States, it has a factory and operations center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which it says will employ 1,000 people in the next few years.

Slate Auto cooperated with Crayola To offer its customers its EV trucks and SUVs Five colors for coloring. (Reminder: The base Slate EV isn’t painted. Instead, it comes in a gray composite material that can be customized with a vehicle wrap. The company has hundreds of options to choose from.)

Another thing…

TechCrunch Podcast Build mode It just released its third season, and it’s amazing. Build Mode is hosted by Isabelle Johannessen, who heads up TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield program. Unlike Equity — the TC podcast I co-host with Anthony Ha and Sean O’Kane — Build Mode is designed to help early-stage founders.

The new season begins with Precursor projects Founder and Managing Partner Charles Hudsonwhich talks about what early-stage founders need to know before raising their first seed round.

check it out: The New Rules of Early Stage Fundraising with Charles Hudson.