Welcome again to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for all issues “way forward for transportation.” To get this in your inbox, join right here totally free — simply click on TechCrunch Mobility!
It’s been a minute, people! As you would possibly recall, the e-newsletter took just a little vacation break. We’re again and effectively into 2026. And quite a bit has occurred for the reason that final version.
I spent the primary week of the 12 months on the Shopper Electronics Present in Las Vegas. And whereas I wrote about this final January, it’s value repeating: U.S. automakers have left the constructing.
What has stuffed the void within the Las Vegas Conference Middle? Autonomous car tech corporations (Zoox, Tensor Auto, Tier IV, and Waymo, which rebranded its Zeekr RT, to call a number of), Chinese language automakers like Geely and GWM, software program and automotive chip corporations, and a great deal of what Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang calls “bodily AI.”
The time period, which is typically referred to as “embodied AI,” describes using AI outdoors the digital world and into the true, physics-based one. AI fashions, mixed with sensors, cameras, and the motorized controls, enable that bodily factor — humanoid robotic, drone, autonomous forklift, robotaxi — to detect and perceive what’s on this actual atmosphere and make selections to function inside it. And it was far and wide from agriculture and robotics to autonomous automobiles and drones, industrial manufacturing, and wearables.
Hyundai had one of many busiest and largest reveals with a near-constant line wrapped across the entrance. The Korean automaker wasn’t exhibiting automobiles. Nope, it was robots of varied kinds, together with the Atlas humanoid robotic, courtesy of its subsidiary Boston Dynamics. There have been additionally improvements which have come out of Hyundai Motor Group Robotics LAB, together with a robotic that prices electrical autonomous automobiles, and a four-wheel electrical platform referred to as the Cellular Eccentric Droid (MobEd) that’s going into manufacturing this 12 months. It appears everybody was embracing and showcasing robotics, significantly humanoids.
The hype round humanoids, particularly, and bodily AI, on the whole, was palpable. I requested Mobileye co-founder and president Amnon Shashua about this as a result of his firm simply purchased his humanoid robotics startup for $900 million: “What do you say when individuals inform you humanoid robots are all hype?”
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“The web was additionally a hype, keep in mind in 2000, the disaster of the web,” Shashua stated. “It didn’t imply that [the] web isn’t an actual factor. Hype signifies that corporations are overvalued for a sure time period, after which they crash. It doesn’t imply that the area isn’t actual. I consider that the area of humanoids is actual.”
Just a few notable tales from CES:
Nvidia launches Alpamayo, open AI fashions that enable autonomous automobiles to ‘suppose like a human’
That is Uber’s new robotaxi from Lucid and Nuro
Mobileye acquires humanoid robotic startup Mentee Robotics for $900M
Now onto the opposite non-CES and newer information …
A bit of chook
President Trump made feedback this week at a Detroit Financial Membership assembly about welcoming Chinese language automakers into america that didn’t sit effectively with many within the auto trade, in response to insiders I’ve spoken to. Particularly, I’ve been informed the Alliance for Automotive Innovation (the trade lobbying group) is “freaking out,” one DC insider informed me.
“In the event that they need to are available in and construct a plant and rent you and rent your mates and your neighbors, that’s nice, I really like that,” Trump stated, according to reporters in attendance. “Let China are available in, let Japan are available in.”
A few notes. Japanese corporations like Toyota are already very a lot in america. The larger hurdle, past protests from inside the boardrooms of U.S. automakers, is present legislation. In 2025, the U.S. Division of Commerce’s Bureau of Business and Safety issued a rule that restricts the import and sale of sure related automobiles and associated {hardware} and software program linked to China or Russia. This basically bans the sale of Chinese language automobiles within the nation.
Avery Ash, who’s CEO of SAFE, a nonpartisan group targeted on securing U.S. power, essential supplies, and provide chains, weighed in concerning the risks of permitting Chinese language automakers to promote their automobiles in america. Aspect notice: Ash was on my podcast, the Autonocast, which touches on a few of this topic.
“Welcoming Chinese language automakers to construct automobiles right here within the U.S. will reverse these hard-won accomplishments and put Individuals in danger,” he said. ”We’ve seen this technique backfire in Europe and elsewhere — it might have probably catastrophic impacts on our automotive trade, have ripple results on our whole protection industrial base, and make each American much less safe.”
In the meantime, Canada is opening the door to Chinese language automakers. Canadian prime minister Mark Carney introduced his nation will slash its 100% import tax on Chinese language EVs to simply 6.1%, Sean O’Kane studies.
”Received a tip for us to share within the Little Chicken part? Electronic mail Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my Sign at kkorosec.07, or e mail Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com.
Offers!
Finances service Allegiant agreed to purchase rival Solar Nation Airways for about $1.5 billion in cash and stock.
Dealerware, which sells software program providers to automotive OEMs and retailers, was acquired by a gaggle of buyers led by Wavecrest Development Companions and Radian Capital. Automotive Ventures and automotive trade executives David Metter and Devin Daly additionally participated. The phrases weren’t disclosed.
Lengthy-distance bus and prepare supplier Flix acquired the majority share of European airport transfer-platform Flibco. Luxembourg firm SLG will retain some possession stake in Flibco. Phrases weren’t disclosed.
JetZero, the Lengthy Seashore, California, startup creating a midsized triangular plane designed to avoid wasting on gas, raised $175 million in a Sequence B spherical led by B Capital, Bloomberg reported.
Joby Aviation, an organization creating electrical air taxis, reached an agreement to purchase a 700,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Dayton, Ohio, to assist its plans to double manufacturing to 4 plane per thirty days in 2027.
Luminar has reached a deal to promote its lidar enterprise to an organization referred to as Quantum Computing Inc. for simply $22 million. If that appears low, you’re proper. Luminar’s valuation peaked in 2021 at $11 billion.
Notable reads and different tidbits
Bluspark World, a New York-based delivery and provide chain software program firm, didn’t understand its platform was weak and open to anybody on the web. Right here’s how a safety researcher (and TechCrunch) bought it fastened.
The Federal Commerce Fee finalized an order that bans Normal Motors and its OnStar telematics service from sharing sure client information with client reporting companies. Learn the total story on what which means.
InDrive, the corporate that began as a ride-hailing platform that lets customers set the worth, is diversifying and beginning to execute on its “tremendous app” technique. Which means extra in-app promoting throughout its high 20 markets and increasing grocery supply to Pakistan. Learn the total story right here.
Motional, the bulk Hyundai-owned autonomous car firm, has rebooted. When Motional paused its operations final 12 months, I wasn’t certain it was going to outlive. Different AV corporations with large backers have seen their funding disappear in a blink, so it was actually believable. However the firm is right here and with a brand new AI-first strategy. Earlier than you roll your eyes at that time period, take a learn of my article, which features a demo experience and an interview with CEO Laura Main. Then be happy to hit my inbox along with your ideas.
New York governor Kathy Hochul plans to introduce laws that might successfully legalize robotaxis within the state aside from New York Metropolis. No particulars on this but; I’ve been informed it should all be revealed in her govt price range proposal subsequent week. What we do know is the proposal is designed to develop the state’s present AV pilot program to permit for “the restricted deployment of business for-hire autonomous passenger automobiles outdoors New York Metropolis.” My article delves deeper into what she shared and provides an replace on Waymo’s NYC allow.
Tesla is ditching the one-time charge choice for its Full Self-driving (Supervised) software program and can now promote entry to the function by a month-to-month subscription.
On-demand drone supply firm Wing is bringing its service to a different 150 Walmart shops as a part of an expanded partnership with the retailer.
