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This article 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 constructing a robotics firm known as Atoms. And, anticipate it, he’s on the precipice of buying Pronto, the autonomous automobile startup centered 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 could 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 virtually instantly and resulted in Waymo suing the ride-hailing firm for commerce secret theft.
Now, again to our unique 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, right here it’s.
This week, I’m in Austin for SXSW — the annual tech meets music meets movie, TV, and comedy pageant. Rivian, the headline sponsor of SXSW, used the occasion to share pricing and different specs of its R2. There may be nonetheless so much 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 centered on the long-promised $45,000 model and why it received’t be coming till 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 focused straight at its core market. SXSW attendees in Austin, who embody well-heeled tech and artistic 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 way extra approachable IMO than the a lot bigger and costly flagship R1 truck and SUV. The R2 additionally has a number of objects, together with a brand new working system, that’s extra highly effective and succesful than its expensive 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 person interface. For 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 following-gen R1 automobiles have 4 SoC and do many of the computing within the cloud.
Rivian’s head of software program, Wassym Bensaid, informed me this edge computing issues as a result of it permits the corporate to run giant language fashions regionally, which is able to 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 driving force shortly change the temperature, fan pace, and speaker quantity with out shifting their fingers or eyes over to the central display screen. Chief designer Jeff Hammoud informed 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.
Somewhat chook
Lucid Motors tried to make a splash at its investor day when it confirmed a robotaxi idea 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 will come after the midsize EVs debut.
The corporate later clarified to TechCrunch that there isn’t any lively improvement occurring and that the automobile is only a idea. Somewhat chook tells us the undertaking may be very new, having began solely within the final two to 3 months, a timeline that leaves us questioning how lengthy it could actually take for Lucid Motors to place one thing like this on the street.
Bought 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 situation! 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 Collection A funding spherical that was co-led by enterprise corporations 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 all over the 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 in the end stated, “In all probability not.”
I’ll have an extended story concerning the interview quickly, however one merchandise price mentioning is that Scaringe principally believes firms are fascinated with the way forward for industrial robotics all mistaken.
“There was a stunning emphasis on mimicking human biomechanics, or in some circumstances even going additional, making much more complicated mechatronics. I feel what’s missed in industrial [settings] and this is among the issues we actually see clearly, is the work occurs with the fingers,” Scaringe informed me. “So the fingers are very, essential. Every thing else, from a robotic system viewpoint, is to get the fingers to the proper place. And so the power for the robots to do actually complicated motions, like, let’s say, a again flip, that truly simply means the robotic has a whole lot of pointless complexity in it for the overwhelming majority of duties and understanding.”
Different offers that received 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 conversant in the matter informed TechCrunch. inDrive confirmed the acquisition however declined to reveal its monetary phrases.
Mirai Robotics, an Italy-based firm growing autonomous maritime programs, 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 automobiles?
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 could be mighty distracting and costly on this early stage of improvement.
Group14 has began manufacturing of silicon battery supplies 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 power 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 great misconduct and misuse of funds.
The Federal Aviation Administration OK’d eight pilot applications that may enable a handful of firms, together with Archer Aviation, Beta Applied sciences, Joby Aviation, and Wisk, to begin 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 delivery Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to Gravity SUV homeowners.
The Nationwide Transportation Security Board launched info that exhibits 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 impression.
Nuro, the Silicon Valley-based startup backed by Nvidia, Uber, and SoftBank, is testing its autonomous automobile expertise in Japan.
Slate Auto, the EV startup backed by Jeff Bezos, has a brand new CEO forward of its manufacturing launch. Former Amazon Market vp 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 rising robotaxi community. Motional’s self-driving Hyundai Ioniq 5 automobiles now present up on the Uber app in Las Vegas. These automobiles have human security displays within the automotive, for now.
Zoox had a few bulletins this week that present a roadmap of kinds 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 out there to hail on the ride-hailing app in Las Vegas later this yr. That Uber tie-up deserves an essential caveat, although. Zoox can’t deploy commercially till it will get an exemption from the Federal Motor Automobile 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 Site visitors Security Administration stated it could start taking public touch upon Zoox’s software for these exemptions. Zoox solely has an exemption to reveal its automobiles.
Yet one more factor …
The Chevrolet Bolt EV is coming again — a real EV deep lower. 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 develop into an increasing number of 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 again the Bolt.
