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Over the 13 years reporting on Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, I’ve watched the rise, fall, close to misses, and rise once more of the corporate and its billionaire chief. Musk, identified for his willingness to take dangers, has admitted how shut the corporate got here to submitting for chapter earlier than turning it throughout.
It was that “us versus them” storyline that helped flip Musk into a logo of innovation.
His political alignment with President Trump, and extra importantly, his actions because the unofficial chief of the Division of Authorities Effectivity, has modified public notion of Musk. Nevertheless it’s Tesla that’s taking the largest hit, together with a drop in Q1 gross sales, world Tesla Takedown protests, and a falling inventory value. And automakers, which have lengthy trailed Tesla in EV gross sales, are benefiting from this opening by providing candy trade-in offers and different incentives.
Senior reporter Rebecca Bellan has documented the moments over the previous a number of months which have affected Tesla. Her article can be periodically up to date, so you should definitely verify again.
Can Tesla rebound? The current tariffs introduced by Trump might assist Tesla since its automobiles — and plenty of of its elements — are made right here in the US. It nonetheless won’t be sufficient safety to cease the bleeding. And tariffs will doubtless damage Tesla’s energy-storage enterprise.
The chaos surrounding the tariffs carried out by Trump will linger. We’re simply beginning to see how automakers are reacting and adjusting. Some, like Ford, try to get forward and supply reductions to spice up gross sales within the brief time period. And Volkswagen has informed dealerships it plans to add an import payment to the value of imported vehicles bought in the US, per The New York Occasions.
A bit of chicken
A bit of chicken informed us that whereas Tesla positively seems poised to launch a robotaxi service in Austin this summer time, the automaker’s outreach to town has been slim. Others like Waymo and Cruise (again when Cruise was a factor) have tried to get off on the appropriate foot by connecting with as many metropolis stakeholders as doable earlier than launching.
Some authorities officers additionally shared security considerations round Tesla’s model of autonomy. They fear Tesla’s vehicles may need a extra restricted consciousness of environment since they solely depend on cameras, quite than lidar and radar, for notion.
Bought a tip for us? Electronic mail Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my Sign at kkorosec.07, Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com, or Rebecca Bellan at rebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com. Or take a look at these directions to learn to contact us by way of encrypted messaging apps or SecureDrop.
Offers!
All quiet on the deal entrance this week. Nonetheless, there have been a couple of price noting.
EVident Battery, a Massachusetts-based superior battery inspection tech startup, raised $3.2 million in a seed funding spherical led by Ibex Buyers. Nationwide Ventures, Automotive Ventures, and Avesta Fund additionally joined.
Fourier, the hydrogen startup, raised $18.5 million in a Collection A spherical led by Common Catalyst and Paramark Ventures. Different taking part buyers embody Airbus Ventures, Borusan Ventures, GSBackers, MCJ Collective, and Constructive Ventures.
Windrose Expertise, an EV maker based mostly in Belgium and with Chinese language roots, plans to file for an IPO within the U.S. to $400 million, The New York Occasions reported.
Notable reads and different tidbits
Autonomous automobiles
TechCrunch reporter Maxwell Zeff interviewed San Francisco mayor Daniel Lurie, and autonomous automobiles do come up. Try the video right here.
Uber has partnered with Dubai’s Highway and Transport Authority in a deal that paves the way in which for the corporate to function AVs within the United Arab Emirates metropolis. Uber doesn’t have its personal AVs, so it can depend on partnerships. Its first in Dubai can be with Chinese language firm WeRide.
Talking of WeRide, the AV firm has obtained a driverless public street testing and working allow in France.
Electrical automobiles, charging, & batteries
Harbinger, a medium-duty EV producer, formally began manufacturing and has manufactured its first 100 salable models, the corporate informed TechCrunch. It’s a notable milestone for the California-based startup, which was based in 2021. These automobiles can be headed to a number of clients, together with RV large Thor Industries.
In the meantime, Harbinger has additionally inserted itself into the chapter proceedings of EV startup Canoo. Harbinger filed an objection to the sale of Canoo’s property to its CEO, doubtlessly throwing a wrench into the 2-month-old chapter case.
Rivian delivered simply 8,640 automobiles within the first three months of 2025, the corporate’s worst quarterly mark for the reason that finish of 2022. The corporate says it nonetheless expects to ship between 46,000 and 51,000 EVs by the top of 2025.
Redwood Supplies, the battery supplies and recycling startup based by former Tesla CTO JB Straubel, opened a analysis and growth heart in San Francisco. The 15,000-square-foot facility positioned within the metropolis’s Design District is provided with lab area to assist engineers who will ultimately work on each level of the battery ecosystem, from chemical engineering and cathode science to software program and electrical engineering.
