Welcome back. There is a lot of future of transportation news to keep track of, so let’s jump in. It is comeback week, and not just because of my return. The biennial IAA Mobility conference in Munich featured a purposeful effort among German automakers to show the world they can still offer compelling, technologically advanced, and affordable vehicles. The subtext of the splashy event was a clear message: they are not out of the race.
Volkswagen Group, Mercedes, and BMW all showcased numerous new vehicles, including electric ones. Executives made their battle cries; VW Group’s Oliver Blume struck a bullish tone in interviews and laid out the company’s plan to be competitive in China, particularly with EVs, a category where VW has lagged.
But the competition is also on the home front. Chinese automakers have been pushing into Europe, and consumers have responded. German automakers are hoping their latest products will preserve and even grow market share. These include a new all-electric Mercedes GLC, the BMW iX3 with its four “superbrain” computers, and the Volkswagen ID Polo and ID Cross concepts. They have work to do, as Chinese companies like BYD almost doubled their market share in Europe over the past year.
One other IAA news item of note: Rimac Technology, the tech and parts unit of Rimac Group, has developed solid-state battery packs it says will be available by late 2027. These batteries apparently pack in the energy and can be charged from 10% to 80% in under 10 minutes.
Hyundai appears to still be committed to Motional, according to new investment information. Hyundai and Aptiv had created the Motional joint venture with an agreement to invest $4 billion. Aptiv backed out in early 2024, leaving Hyundai to invest its own money, find other partners, or shutter the program. Hyundai opted to invest $1 billion, which included buying out Aptiv’s stake.
Now it appears Hyundai is investing more into Motional in two tranches. The first is about $452 million being dispersed this year. The second comes next year. Hyundai declined to respond to questions about the funding. This silence is typical for large corporations, though it might also be because Hyundai is working with Waymo.
In other hiring news, there are two new hires at General Motors. Sony Mohapatra, the former senior manager of AI compute platforms at Cruise, has landed as director of AI and machine learning engineering at GM. Paul Menson, who was the senior staff account manager of Megapack at Tesla, is now director of energy storage systems business development at GM.
Via, the transit software startup, has made its IPO debut. The company, known for its Citymapper mobile navigation app, sold 10.7 million shares for $46 per share. In all, Via raised $492.9 million at a $3.7 billion valuation, slightly above its 2023 valuation.
Other deals that got attention include Arc Boats, which signed a $160 million contract with Curtin Maritime for new hybrid-electric tugs. LeydenJar, a battery materials startup, raised €13 million. Standard Fleet, a fleet management software company, raised $13 million in a Series A round.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced a new pilot program that will let electric vertical takeoff and landing startups test some operations before full regulatory certification.
Hyundai’s electric air taxi startup Supernal has paused work on its aircraft program after a rocky few months that saw staff cuts and the departure of its CEO and CTO.
InDrive, the startup known for its bidding-based ride-hailing model, wants to be a global super app and is targeting expansion.
Jaguar Land Rover said a cyberattack brought vehicle assembly lines to a standstill.
Lyft and May Mobility have launched a robotaxi service in Atlanta.
Nevada’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened an investigation after a Boring Company employee sustained a crushing injury working on a tunnel in Las Vegas. Work has stopped at the site.
Tesla has the proper permit to begin testing autonomous vehicle technology on public roads in Nevada. Securing a testing permit in the state is straightforward. Tesla will still need to complete the self-certification process and get separate approval to operate a commercial ride-hailing service.
Uber and Chinese autonomous vehicle startup Momenta plan to start testing robotaxis in Munich starting in 2026.
The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Uber, accusing the ride-hailing company of violating federal law by discriminating against people with physical disabilities.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 is coming up in San Francisco. The event will include high-profile folks from the transportation world, such as Wayve co-founder and CEO Alex Kendall, Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana, and Flexport founder and CEO Ryan Petersen.