Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for all things \u201cfuture of transportation.\u201d\u00a0To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free \u2014 just click TechCrunch Mobility<\/a>!<\/em><\/p>\n The year in transportation started with a couple of bankruptcies \u2014 Canoo<\/a> and Nikola<\/a> \u2014 and now it\u2019s ending with two more. Rad Power Bikes<\/strong> is coming to an end \u2014 or at least a bankruptcy. The electric bike company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection<\/a>, weeks after it warned employees that it could shut down without new funding. A spokesperson told TechCrunch the company will continue to operate while the bankruptcy case proceeds, and it\u2019s looking to sell the business within 45-60 days.<\/p>\n And then there is troubled lidar maker Luminar<\/strong>, which also filed for bankruptcy<\/a> this week. The Luminar bankruptcy does not seem like a let\u2019s-help-it-live-another-day type of situation.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Luminar filing, which occurred after months of layoffs<\/a>, executive departures, and a legal fight<\/a> with its largest customer, Volvo, notes the company plans to sell off the business. It has already reached a deal to sell its semiconductor subsidiary. While the company will continue to operate during the bankruptcy process to \u201cminimize disruptions\u201d for its suppliers and customers, Luminar will eventually cease to exist once it\u2019s completed, senior reporter Sean O\u2019Kane<\/strong> reported. Want to learn more? I recommend reading O\u2019Kane\u2019s piece that looks at how Luminar\u2019s doomed Volvo deal helped drag the company into bankruptcy<\/a>.<\/p>\n Even though the year was bookended by some failures, that doesn\u2019t mean 2025 wasn\u2019t filled with innovation and growth. The emerging robotaxi industry has indeed emerged<\/em>. With that I have noticed new kinds of autonomous vehicle-adjacent companies popping up, and I expect that to become a trend in 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n The scale of robotaxis was largely driven by Waymo\u2019s<\/strong> fast-paced growth, although Zoox<\/strong> and Tesla<\/strong> have also started to set up shop. This next year could be when we see these companies really squaring off in the same markets; it will also be the year when companies will face even greater scrutiny over safety and how robotaxis fit into daily life.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, EVs have had their struggles this year and automakers have struggled to adjust.<\/p>\n Techcrunch event<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSan Francisco<\/span> For instance, Ford<\/strong> is pivoting yet again. The company said this week it is ending production<\/a> of the fully-electric F-150 Lightning as part of a broader companywide shake-up that will put more emphasis on hybrids and gas-powered vehicles. As part of its shift, Ford is turning to the increasingly popular \u201cextended range electric vehicle\u201d version of the truck, which adds a gas generator that can recharge the battery pack to power the motors for over 700 miles. It\u2019s also getting into the energy storage business<\/a> \u2014 gotta do something with all those batteries \u2014 and says it is still committed to producing a midsized electric truck that will go on sale in 2027.\u00a0<\/p>\n But hey, the EV is not dead. And the promise of smaller, more affordable ones are looming in the near distance with the imminent launch of Rivian\u2019s<\/strong> R2 and Slate Auto\u2019s<\/strong> electric truck.\u00a0<\/p>\n Housekeeping note<\/strong>: This is the last newsletter of the year. The next time you hear from me, I will be in Las Vegas for the annual tech trade show known as CES<\/strong>. Going? Reach out.\u00a0<\/p>\n To everyone, thank you for reading, participating in the polls, and sending me emails (yes, even the critical ones). Your voice matters and I love hearing from you. See you in 2026!<\/p>\n Reporter Jagmeet Singh, who is based in India, always seems to have birds chirping in his ear about startup deals. The latest is Spinny<\/strong>, the Indian online marketplace for used cars.\u00a0<\/p>\n Spinny is raising around $160 million<\/a>, funds that will be used to acquire car services startup GoMechanic. TechCrunch learned the Series G round includes a mix of primary and secondary transactions and will value the 10-year-old startup at about $1.8 billion post-money.<\/p>\n Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at\u00a0<\/em>kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com<\/em><\/a>\u00a0or my Signal at kkorosec.07, or email Sean O\u2019Kane at\u00a0<\/em>sean.okane@techcrunch.com<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n Boatsetter<\/strong> and GetMyBoat<\/strong>, two companies that operate Airbnb-type business models for boats, agreed to merge<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cowboy<\/strong> is back \u2014 sort of. The Brussels e-bike startup has been acquired<\/a> by ReBirth Group Holding, a company that owns Gitane, Peugeot, and Solex. The e-bike startup had its buzzy moments but ultimately ran into problems, including a frame recall. The terms weren\u2019t disclosed, but apparently it includes \u20ac15 million ($17.6 million) from existing shareholders.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nirvana Insurance<\/strong>, an insurance tech startup focused on trucking, raised $100 million<\/a> in a Series D funding round led by Valor Equity Partners. Lightspeed and General Catalyst also joined. Former TC reporter Mary Ann Azevedo had the scoop on the new valuation, which is now $1.5 billion.<\/p>\n Redwood<\/strong> <\/strong>launched a newly patented Battery Collection Bin<\/a> designed to encourage consumers to recycle batteries. The system, which will launch in San Francisco, safely stores, packages, and monitors hundreds of batteries and battery-containing devices.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rivian<\/strong> has added its branded \u201cUniversal Hands-Free\u201d driving via a software update<\/a> to its second-generation R1 EVs (not sure I am a fan of that term \u201cuniversal hands-free,\u201d btw). This upgrade will allow drivers to take their hands off the wheel on 3.5 million miles of roads in the U.S. and Canada (so long as there are visible painted lines). Also in case you missed it over the weekend, senior reporter Sean O\u2019Kane took us inside Rivian\u2019s bet on AI-powered self-driving<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Securing America\u2019s Future Energy<\/strong> has a new CEO. Avery Ash<\/strong>, SAFE\u2019s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Special Initiatives, will become the organization\u2019s next CEO.<\/p>\n Slate Auto<\/strong>, the electric truck startup backed by Jeff Bezos, said it has collected more than 150,000 refundable reservations<\/a> for its low-cost EV due out at the end of 2026.<\/p>\n Sterling Anderson<\/strong> has been on the job at GM<\/strong> for six months and there is already chatter about him taking over as CEO<\/a> once Mary Barra<\/strong> retires. My take: Anderson has big tasks ahead, so let\u2019s all take a beat before assuming he\u2019ll get that top post. GM president Mark Reuss<\/strong> is also in the wings.\u00a0<\/p>\n Tesla<\/strong> has pulled its human safety monitors out of its robotaxis<\/a> in Austin. The robotaxi service is limited with a fleet size numbering in the dozens. Still, it is a milestone. And for those wondering, the California Department of Motor Vehicles told me this week that Tesla has not applied for a driverless testing permit. The company only holds a permit to test autonomous vehicle technology with a human safety operator located behind the wheel.\u00a0<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Tesla is facing a tricky situation in California. Here\u2019s the gist: An administrative law judge agreed with the case initiated by California\u2019s Department of Motor Vehicles and ruled Tesla engaged in deceptive marketing<\/a> that gave customers a false impression of the capabilities of its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving driver-assistance software. The DMV wanted to suspend Tesla\u2019s sales and manufacturing licenses in the state for 30 days as a penalty for its action, and a judge has agreed.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ah, but wait. The DMV stayed the order and is giving Tesla 60 days to comply. That gives Tesla two options if it wants to keep those licenses: drop the Autopilot name or ship software to its cars that make them autonomous.<\/p>\n Some of you might not know that I am also co-host of Equity<\/strong>, a TechCrunch\u2019s podcast about the business of startups. I generally co-host our Friday show, which offers commentary and analysis on the news of the week.\u00a0<\/p>\n Every now and then I interview a founder or VC for the Wednesday show. My latest is an interview with Jiten Behl<\/a>, partner at Eclipse Ventures and former chief growth officer at Rivian, who thinks we\u2019re entering an era of major reindustrialization in the U.S. \u2014 one where factories run on AI-powered robots, not cheap overseas labor.\u00a0 Check out the episode here.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOctober 13-15, 2026<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\nA little bird<\/h2>\n
Deals!<\/h2>\n
![\"money](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png?w=680\")
Notable reads and other tidbits<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png?w=680\")
One more thing \u2026<\/h2>\n