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Recently, several articles have been highlighted, focusing on Elon Musk, the CEO and primary shareholder of Tesla, as well as the founder of ventures like SpaceX and Neuralink. An ongoing investigation by the TechCrunch team since February examines individuals linked to Elon Musk’s DOGE universe, specifically those involved with the Department of Government Efficiency, which was established under an executive order by President Trump. A new report further explores the founders and venture capitalists associated with DOGE.
In related news, President Trump, who is closely aligned with Musk, has imposed 25% tariffs on all cars imported to the United States, including those from Mexico and Canada, along with specific auto parts. According to reporter Sean O’Kane, this decision could increase the cost of new and used cars, though it may benefit Tesla, the company led by Musk, Trump’s major financial supporter during the presidential election.
Furthermore, the White House confirmed that Trevor Milton, founder of the bankrupt hydrogen trucking startup Nikola and convicted of fraud, has been pardoned by Trump. TechCrunch waited an extended period for confirmation from the White House regarding this development.
A tip has suggested that Lucid seeks partnerships to enhance its vehicle autonomy, particularly in the new Gravity SUV, potentially involving collaboration with Mobileye or another automated driving technology provider.
TechCrunch itself has been acquired by the private investment firm, Regent, with Yahoo Holdings retaining a minority stake. This acquisition follows Regent’s purchase of Foundry, known for tech publications like PCWorld and Macworld. The financial details have not been disclosed.
In other deal news, BetterFleet, specializing in EV charging fleet management software, secured $15 million in a Series A funding round. The Bot Company, a robotics startup founded by former Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt, raised $150 million, while DeCharge, an EV charging infrastructure company, obtained $2.5 million. Fleetio raised $450 million to fund its acquisition of Auto Integrate. Manna, a drone delivery company, raised $30 million.
Regarding autonomous vehicles, Waymo plans to launch a robotaxi service in Washington, D.C., in 2026, contingent upon changes in local regulations that currently mandate a human driver for autonomous vehicles.
In the electric vehicles sector, BYD announced a significant advancement in EV charging technology. Cadillac introduced the Optiq SUV, and Revel opened its first fast-charging station in San Francisco. Rivian, under CEO RJ Scaringe, spun out a new micromobility startup named Also with $105 million in funding.
In the realm of in-car technology, Waze removed Google Assistant from iOS due to persistent issues and plans to introduce an improved voice interaction solution shortly.
