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This text was wrapped and able to go after which Travis Kalanick introduced me again to 2016 by making an eyebrow-raising announcement.
Uber’s co-founder and former CEO who resigned in 2017 after a string of controversies is again and building a robotics company known as Atoms. And, watch for it, he’s on the precipice of buying Pronto, the autonomous automobile startup targeted on industrial and mining websites that was created by his former Uber colleague, Anthony Levandowski. Kalanick revealed he’s already the “largest investor” in Pronto.
That may be a lot to digest and the ultimate signal that, sure, we actually are again in 2016. For individuals who could not keep in mind, 2016 was a hyped yr for AVs. Uber acquired Levandowski’s startup Otto — a deal that went sideways nearly instantly and resulted in Waymo suing the ride-hailing firm for commerce secret theft.
Now, again to our authentic programming.
Simply final week I waxed on about Rivian and the EV maker’s bid to make the upcoming R2 SUV one of many quickest automobile launches in historical past. ICYMI, here it is.
This week, I’m in Austin for SXSW — the annual tech meets music meets movie, TV, and comedy competition. Rivian, the headline sponsor of SXSW, used the occasion to share pricing and different specs of its R2. There may be nonetheless rather a lot to unpack and I’m nonetheless interviewing of us as I write this (together with CEO RJ Scaringe later at the moment), however here’s what we all know.
Techcrunch occasion
San Francisco, CA
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October 13-15, 2026
The efficiency launch version, which would be the first model of R2 on the road, will begin at $57,990. My preliminary article digs into what you get for that worth. And senior reporter Sean O’Kane targeted on the long-promised $45,000 model and why it gained’t be coming until late 2027.
My time at SXSW with the Rivian of us has begun to disclose a few of their R2 technique. The corporate is leaning closely into experiential advertising and marketing focused instantly at its core market. SXSW attendees in Austin, who embrace well-heeled tech and inventive of us from throughout world, are about as shut as you will get to a Rivian buyer archetype.
However will it work? The EV itself is much extra approachable IMO than the a lot bigger and costly flagship R1 truck and SUV. The R2 additionally has a couple of gadgets, together with a brand new working system, that’s extra highly effective and succesful than its dear peer. The working system software program, which admittedly I haven’t examined at size, is a standout enchancment from the R1 by way of computing and consumer interface. As an example, the R2 has one SoC (system on chip) that runs the infotainment and handles 200 TOPS (tera operations per second) of computing on the sting. The subsequent-gen R1 automobiles have 4 SoC and do many of the computing within the cloud.
Rivian’s head of software program, Wassym Bensaid, advised me this edge computing issues as a result of it permits the corporate to run giant language fashions regionally, which can present a lot decrease latency and higher efficiency.
One other huge change that I’ll briefly point out are the “halo wheels” on the steering wheel, that are pictured above. These wheels give haptic suggestions and let the motive force rapidly change the temperature, fan velocity, and speaker quantity with out transferring their fingers or eyes over to the central display screen. Chief designer Jeff Hammoud advised me this addressed among the largest requests from prospects with out including a bunch of buttons. Notably, software program permits the corporate so as to add extra functionality to those halo wheels over time.
A bit of chicken
Lucid Motors tried to make a splash at its investor day when it confirmed a robotaxi concept designed to be constructed on the corporate’s “midsize” EV platform. Interim CEO Marc Winterhoff sounded declarative onstage, saying the corporate is “engaged on a devoted Lucid Robotaxi” that might come after the midsize EVs debut.
The corporate later clarified to TechCrunch that there isn’t a lively growth taking place and that the automobile is only a idea. A bit of chicken tells us the venture could be very new, having began solely within the final two to a few months, a timeline that leaves us questioning how lengthy it might actually take for Lucid Motors to place one thing like this on the street.
Received a tip for us? Electronic mail Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my Sign at kkorosec.07, or electronic mail Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com.
Offers!
I suppose that is the Rivian difficulty! As a result of the corporate has spun ANOTHER startup and raised a bunch of cash to scale it up. I’m referring to Thoughts Robotics, an industrial robotics lab, and its $500 million Series A funding round that was co-led by enterprise companies Accel and Andreessen Horowitz.
As Sean O’Kane wrote, the financing follows a $115 million seed spherical that was led by Eclipse (this VC actually appears to be in every single place these days) in late 2025. Thoughts Robotics is now valued at round $2 billion.
Robotics was a spotlight of a few of Rivian’s programming at SXSW, together with a panel with engineer and YouTuber Mark Rober and Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe. I interviewed Scaringe on the sidelines of the occasion and requested him about Thoughts Robotics and what was behind the trouble. I additionally requested if he plans to spin out any extra firms. Let’s simply say there was a really lengthy pause earlier than he finally mentioned, “Most likely not.”
I’ll have an extended story in regards to the interview quickly, however one merchandise value mentioning is that Scaringe mainly believes firms are fascinated with the way forward for industrial robotics all flawed.
“There was a shocking emphasis on mimicking human biomechanics, or in some instances even going additional, making much more advanced mechatronics. I believe what’s missed in industrial [settings] and this is likely one of the issues we actually see clearly, is the work occurs with the fingers,” Scaringe advised me. “So the fingers are very, crucial. Every part else, from a robotic system viewpoint, is to get the fingers to the suitable place. And so the flexibility for the robots to do actually advanced motions, like, let’s say, a again flip, that really simply means the robotic has loads of pointless complexity in it for the overwhelming majority of duties and understanding.”
Different offers that acquired my consideration this week …
World ride-hailing firm inDrive acquired Pakistan-based quick-commerce startup Krave Mart. The all-stock deal acquired approval from the Competitors Fee of Pakistan, permitting the businesses to proceed with the transaction, two sources aware of the matter advised TechCrunch. inDrive confirmed the acquisition however declined to reveal its monetary phrases.
Mirai Robotics, an Italy-based firm creating autonomous maritime techniques, raised $4.2 million from Primo Capital, Techshop, and 40Jemz Ventures.
Surf Air placed an order for 25 of Beta Applied sciences’ all-electric ALIA plane and bought choices for as much as 75 extra.
Notable reads and different tidbits
Bryan Reimer, an MIT analysis scientist who was lately on my Autonocast podcast, poses an attention-grabbing query in a column revealed this month: Are automated automobiles headed for a similar political divide as electrical vehicles?
Archer Aviation responded to a lawsuit with its personal counterclaims that rival Joby Aviation allegedly defrauded the U.S. authorities and its rivals by falsely presenting itself as an American-made firm. The electrical air sector is getting litigious, which may be mighty distracting and costly on this early stage of growth.
Group14 has began manufacturing of silicon battery materials at its BAM-3 manufacturing facility in South Korea. The manufacturing facility is able to producing as much as 2,000 metric tons yearly, sufficient for 10 gigawatt-hours of vitality storage, or about 100,000 long-range EVs.
Hayden AI, a startup primarily based in San Francisco, has sued its co-founder and former CEO over allegations of significant misconduct and misuse of funds.
The Federal Aviation Administration OK’d eight pilot programs that may enable a handful of firms, together with Archer Aviation, Beta Applied sciences, Joby Aviation, and Wisk, to start out widespread electrical plane testing as early as this summer time. The three-year program will span 26 states!
Harbinger, a Los Angeles-based EV startup, revealed its second automobile: a smaller, medium-duty work truck.
Lucid Motors is transport Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to Gravity SUV homeowners.
The Nationwide Transportation Security Board launched data that reveals two drivers concerned in deadly crashes in 2024 whereas utilizing Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free driving system have been possible distracted within the moments earlier than influence.
Nuro, the Silicon Valley-based startup backed by Nvidia, Uber, and SoftBank, is testing its autonomous vehicle technology in Japan.
Slate Auto, the EV startup backed by Jeff Bezos, has a new CEO forward of its manufacturing launch. Former Amazon Market vice chairman Peter Faricy now leads the corporate, whereas former CEO Christine Barman is now president of automobiles.
Tesla is now an formally licensed utility in the UK.
Wayve is teaming up with Uber and Nissan to launch a robotaxi service in Tokyo, with a pilot scheduled for late 2026.
Uber added Hyundai-owned Motional to its growing robotaxi network. Motional’s self-driving Hyundai Ioniq 5 automobiles now present up on the Uber app in Las Vegas. These automobiles have human security screens within the automobile, for now.
Zoox had a few bulletins this week that present a roadmap of types of the place the Amazon-owned firm desires to go. The corporate has began to map the streets of Dallas and Phoenix, step one earlier than testing its autonomous automobiles within the Solar Belt cities.
Additionally it is partnering with Uber and can make its robotaxis accessible to hail on the ride-hailing app in Las Vegas later this yr. That Uber tie-up deserves an necessary caveat, although. Zoox can’t deploy commercially till it will get an exemption from the Federal Motor Car Security Requirements for its custom-built robotaxis, which don’t have a steering wheel or different conventional controls. That course of has began. The Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration mentioned it might start taking public touch upon Zoox’s utility for these exemptions. Zoox solely has an exemption to show its automobiles.
Yet another factor …
The Chevrolet Bolt EV is coming again — a real EV deep reduce. And senior reporter Tim De Chant went to a company-sponsored press drive and got here again with an attention-grabbing concept that I’ve turn out to be increasingly fixated on as an EV gross sales ploy. The Chevy Bolt is the McRib of the automotive world. Want I say extra? De Chant additionally dug into the economics of GM bringing back the Bolt.
