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Before we get into this week's news, we have a further roundup of transportation technology at CES 2025. As I pointed out last week, self-driving car technology is everywhere. But there are other themes. Check it out here.
Now, let’s take a look at the latest and greatest future transportation technology news.
a little bird
No birdies this week, but I guess this is the perfect place to say goodbye Hindenburg Research Centerthe short-selling firm investigated whistleblower tips and used its own research to root out fraud at public companies. Hindenburg Research founder Nate Anderson made an announcement Wednesday that the company is closing.
In the fields of transportation and climate technology, Hindenburg is known for exposing Nikola Motors, Lordstown Motors and Adani Group billionaire Gautam Adani for allegedly bribing Indian officials in excess of $2.5 billion. Sued for $12 billion in exchange for contracts for 12 GW solar power project.
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discount!
There are still a ton of great deals this week! This is what stands out.
caramelA startup that helps car sellers and buyers complete the final steps of a transaction is being acquired eBay. Terms were not disclosed.
electric car start omen It raised $100 million in a Series B round co-led by Capricorn Investment Group, an early Tesla investor, and Leitmotif, a new American fund co-founded by Volkswagen's former head of mergers and acquisitions. Also participating in the round were Tiger Global and mobile venture capital firm Maniv, both existing investors.
Sara Air It has raised $10 million in a new round of funding led by Accel, with angel investors including Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal, Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath and Swiggy co-founder Sriharsha Majety.
Tesla The company is among the winners and losers in the latest round of federal funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The Department of Transportation rejected Tesla's request for $97 million to fund a massive charging corridor from California to Texas. But Tesla and three other industry partners ultimately secured a separate $100 million in funding to build electric truck charging stations in Illinois.
Hippeoa startup developing real-time tracking software across all modes of transportation, has raised $30 million in a funding round led by Toyota Growth Fund Woven Capital. Battery Ventures, Partech, NGP Capital, Bpifrance Digital Venture, LFX Venture Partners, Shift4Good and Yamaha Motor Ventures also participated.
Noteworthy Reads and Other Tidbits
self-driving cars
Aurora Innovation Federal safety regulators are being taken to court in a case that centers on the fairly common practice of placing physical warning triangles around parked semi-trucks on highways. TL;DR: This could have profound implications for autonomous trucking companies operating in a human-centric regulatory environment.
this U.S. Department of Commerce A final rule was announced banning the sale or import of connected cars from China and Russia due to national security concerns. The rule would also ban Chinese auto companies such as WeRide and Pony.ai from testing self-driving vehicles on U.S. roads.
this National Highway Traffic Safety Administration End investigation cruise and whether the company's robotaxis took appropriate caution around pedestrians. The agency noted that Cruise has issued a recall of its software and that General Motors' self-driving vehicle subsidiary has halted business operations.
Electric cars, charging and batteries
arc boat Coming to CES 2025, senior reporter Sean O'Kane Take a cruise on Lake Mead on an Arc Sport boat. Here’s what he had to say about the startup’s latest offering.
Tesla A new-look Model Y was released for China and other Asia-Pacific markets, marking the SUV's first major update since its launch in 2020.
Sean DuffyPresident-elect Donald Trump's nominee for U.S. Department of Transportation secretary believes electric vehicle owners should pay to use the roads. as a journalist Rebecca Belland Explain that achieving this goal will not be easy.
This week's wheel
Just before the holidays, I had the opportunity to get my hands on a production prototype of the product. 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz Pro S Plus. I plan to spend more time behind the wheel of the production version soon, but for now I have some thoughts on the $69,595 all-electric minibus.
I've been waiting for this electric minibus concept since Volkswagen unveiled it in 2017. This redesigned microbus takes on a near-impossible task. It had to be instantly recognizable and pay homage to its iconic past while blazing a new path towards futurism and electric mobility. In many ways, ID. That's what Bass did. It was noticeable; people kept blocking me. Both fun and practical. Even though it's more expensive than other minivans on the market, it's not completely outrageous.
The version I tested was all-wheel drive, finished in Metro Silver metallic paint with "Copper" interior trim and leatherette seats. There's tons of space here - literally huge - and there are beautiful details throughout that give it a sublime feel. Despite its length of 195.4 inches, it's easy to maneuver on tight city streets. Yes, that’s long!
It met a lot of my expectations. But I wonder about its future. This vehicle is perfect as a child and grocery hauler around town. I could see it being used on commercial fleets in urban environments as well. But with a 91-kilowatt-hour battery and an estimated range of 234 miles, I wonder if it will be the road-trip machine it once was?
Side note: In my last newsletter, I provided some tidbits about my Zoox robot taxi ride. Here is my full article about me Zokes Las Vegas experience.
What is "Wheel of the Week"? It's an opportunity to learn about the different transportation products we're testing, whether it's electric or hybrid cars, e-bikes, or even self-driving cars.