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I’m back from vacation. What did I miss? Turns out quite a lot, including the end of the Uber Waymo partnership in Phoenix. Uber and Waymo still have robotaxi service partnerships in Atlanta and Austin. The question is not asBut when Will these similarities end? But that’s not the most intriguing question in my opinion. I’m much more intrigued by how these two companies will behave once the remaining partnerships end.
There’s already tension with Uber executives taking not-so-subtle shots at Waymo. I expect that once the partnerships end, these thinly veiled barbs will be replaced by more direct action. One battleground will be policy, particularly the markets that robotaxi companies are trying to gain entry into.
This week we saw another interesting development in the autonomous vehicle industry at the federal level. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration administrator Jonathan Morrison has issued a directive to autonomous vehicle developers, stating that it is unacceptable for their vehicles to interfere with first responders or law enforcement.
The Money Quote: “Let me be clear: the inability to detect and respond appropriately to such situations represents a functional inadequacy. Emergencies are not rare or extreme ‘edge cases.’ That’s why today NHTSA is issuing a call to action for AV developers and operators to immediately focus their resources on solving this problem.”
Morrison’s letter never names a robotaxi company, but it was sent to every AV developer listed on the Department of Transportation’s list. Permanent General Order. But it certainly seems like Morrison is turning the agency’s ire on Waymo.
A previous JS investigation found that Waymo — which operates the largest robotaxi fleet in the United States, with vehicles in cities including Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco — has had repeated encounters with first responders. And this week the supervisor from San Francisco Bilal Mahmood said he plans to submit a letter of inquiry to investigate how autonomous vehicles affected public transport and emergency services after a Fourth of July fireworks show that led to a massive gridlock. Local news media reported this Numerous Waymo robotaxis had to be towed after it ran out of power during the long traffic jam.
There is a heft to Morrison’s letter. But will there be substantive consequences for AV developers? It’s hard to say at this point. For now, NHTSA has required companies to present “solutions” to the agency by the end of the month.
Another news item from the FBI. Look at the new Regulatory plan for 2026 and unified agendawhich 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 autonomous vehicle companies Tesla And Zoowho develop vehicles without steering wheels, pedals or other features required for human-powered cars.
A little bird
Do you have a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my signal at kkorosec.07, or email Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com.
Offers!
Usually we focus on venture deals, but this week I wanted to highlight it Rivaans and the sale of 86.25 million shares of Class A common stock priced at $15.50 each (including an additional 11.25 million of additional shares that the underwriters have elected to purchase).
Overall, Rivian said this is to be expected Raising $1.32 billion in new capital. The increase comes at a notable time for the EV maker. The company began deliveries of its new R2 SUV last month and recently raised its 2026 sales forecast. The company said it now expects to deliver between 65,000 and 70,000 vehicles, after exceeding its own expectations in the second quarter thanks to robust quarter-over-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 scaling up production of the R2 – or any vehicle for that matter – isn’t cheap!
Other deals that caught my attention…
Prayer busa Los Angeles-based startup that built a digital marketplace where multiple dealers can bid on a car has 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 Yossi Levi of Guy car dealership also participated.
Lyft said it plans to acquire Serveo’s bike sharing company in Spain. Terms were not disclosed, but the taxi company said it is expected to close this year.
TaiSana British battery startup, has raised £4.65 million in a seed funding round co-led by Eos Advisory and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II. InnoEnergy, AFI Ventures, EverQuest Capital Partners, Exergon, Heartfelt Ventures, Adeline Arts & Science, Techmind, angel investor François Badelon and matched funding from Innovate UK also participated.
Notable reading and other tidbits
InsuranceAmericaa US insurance company, confirmed a data breach that 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 technologiesthe developer of electric vehicle take-off and landing, completed operational flights conducted under the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration’s new eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. The flights covered approximately 275 nautical miles and covered Virginia and Maryland.
Old followers of Tesla will remember the heady days back then Elon Musk fought several short sellers of the company’s stock. Musk is more polarizing than ever, and an exchange-traded fund maker has found a way to capitalize on that negative sentiment with two new anti-Elon exchange-traded funds.
GM Chevrolet brand built an all-American EV truck. Senior reporter Tim De Chant wonders: Why isn’t anyone buying it?
Manna Aerothe Ireland-based autonomous drone delivery startup is expanding in the United States with a factory and operations center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that it says will employ 1,000 people in the coming years.
Slate Car collaborated with Crayola to offer its EV truck and SUV customers vehicle wraps in five chalk colors. (Reminder: The standard Slate EV vehicle is not 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.)
One more thing…
JS podcast Construction mode just launched its third season and it’s a banger. Build Mode is hosted by Isabelle Johannessen, head of JS’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 is starting Forerunner of companies founder and managing partner Charles Hudsonwhich talks about what early stage founders need to know before starting their first institutional round.
Check it out: The New Rules for Early Stage Fundraising with Charles Hudson.
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