Introduction to TechCrunch Mobility
Welcome to TechCrunch Mobility, your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Today, we’re discussing Aurora Innovation and its recent achievement in launching the U.S.’ first fully autonomous commercial trucking service.
Aurora Innovation’s Achievement
Aurora had been promising to launch its service in April this year, after pushing back its original 2024 debut. With just minutes to spare, Aurora pulled off the win. The company says it has run over 1,200 miles of freight this week between Dallas and Houston with launch customers Hirschbach Motor Lines and Uber Freight. That’s with a single truck, for now. Aurora plans to build up to “tens of self-driving trucks” and expand to El Paso and Phoenix by the end of 2025 as it continues to run more freight for customers with its fleet of supervised autonomous trucks.
Industry Impact
This is a huge step for Aurora, and for the industry. However, with Trump’s tariffs grinding many shipments to a halt, it’s unclear whether Aurora is well-positioned to seize the moment, or if prolonged delays could threaten its survival.
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Recent Deals
AeroVironment, a drone maker, has completed its acquisition of space and defense engineering company BlueHalo. The $4.1 billion all-stock deal will see the merged companies become a new kind of defense tech called AV that can build tech across all warfighting domains: air, land, sea, space, and cyber. True Anomaly, a defense-focused aerospace startup, raised $260 million in a Series C round led by VC firm Accel.
Notable Reads and Other Tidbits
Autonomous Vehicles
May Mobility is the latest to join Uber’s roster of autonomous vehicle collaborators. The two announced plans to deploy May’s autonomous vehicles on the Uber platform by the end of 2025, starting in Arlington, Texas. Momenta, the Chinese AV startup, is also working with Uber to launch Momenta robotaxis on the Uber platform starting in Europe in 2026. Waymo and Toyota are exploring a deal that could one day lead to a new self-driving vehicle designed for ride-hailing and possibly even personal autonomous vehicles.
Electric Vehicles, Charging, & Batteries
Canoo’s bankruptcy proceedings are still ongoing, and a mysterious London investor has asked the judge to stop the sale of the EV startup’s assets to its CEO. Rivian is sitting pretty on a stockpile of batteries for its trucks, SUVs, and commercial vans that it built up before and after Donald Trump’s election. Slate Auto, the buzzy new Jeff Bezos-backed EV startup, is eyeing a printing plant located in Warsaw, Indiana, as the future place where it’ll produce its cheap electric truck.
Miscellaneous
Ford has shut down its FNV4 software architecture initiative, a project it had once thought of as critical to compete with EV leaders like Tesla. Joby Aviation transitioned its eVTOL from horizontal to vertical flight for the first time with a pilot on board. This is a necessary step as the company works toward FAA certification.
Ride-hailing and Delivery
DoorDash wants a California judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Uber that accuses the delivery company of stifling competition by intimidating restaurant owners into exclusive deals. DoorDash said the lawsuit was nothing but a scare tactic from Uber to avoid “real competition.”
Conclusion
In conclusion, the future of transportation is rapidly evolving, with companies like Aurora Innovation, AeroVironment, and True Anomaly making significant strides in autonomous vehicles, defense technology, and aerospace. However, the industry also faces challenges, such as Trump’s tariffs and intense competition. As the industry continues to grow and develop, it will be interesting to see how companies adapt and innovate to meet the changing landscape.
