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It was one other wild week on the planet of transportation, notably within the EV startup and automatic driving industries. Sure, Cruise acquired our consideration by asserting a return of kinds. But there’s much more to examine, together with Indian ride-hailing large Ola exiting the U.Ok., Australia and New Zealand; a characteristic on a New York–primarily based startup that desires to convey curbside EV charging to lampposts; Uber Eats launching a TikTok-like video characteristic; and contract producer Magna piloting humanoid robots developed by Sanctuary AI.
Oh, another factor — reporter Rebecca Bellan is again! I do know readers missed her, so present her a bit of affection by sending her some suggestions at rebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com.
Let’s go!
Just a little chook
Founders, buyers, engineers, coverage wonks and others inform us issues. And we’re right here to cross alongside the verifiable data that these little birds have shared with us.
Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com, Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com or Rebecca Bellan at rebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com. If you favor to stay nameless, click on right here to contact us, which incorporates SecureDrop (directions right here) and varied encrypted messaging apps.
Deal of the week
Just a bunch of offers this week!
Basemark, a Finnish firm that developed AR and pc imaginative and prescient software program utilized by automakers, raised €22 million ($23.6 million) in a Series B spherical led by ETF Partners. Other backers embrace Finnish Industry Investment, Constructor Capital, Business Finland, the European Innovation Council and personal buyers.
Bumper, an automotive fintech startup sector, raised £2 million in a Series B extension spherical that included backing from Suzuki Global Ventures and Marubeni Ventures.
Carrar, an Israeli startup that gives battery modules and thermal administration programs for EVs, raised $5.three million in a Series A spherical that included new buyers Salida B.V., OurCrowd, and NextGear, in addition to present backers Gentherm, NextLeap Ventures, Dive Digital and others.
Exoes, a French-based startup that developed battery cooling expertise for EVs, raised €35 million ($37.5 million) from BpiFrance and Meridiam Green Impact Growth Fund.
HysetCo SAS, a startup that rents hydrogen-powered EVs to taxi drivers in Paris, raised almost €200 million ($218 million) in a spherical led by Hy24. Raise Impact and Eiffel Investment Group additionally participated.
Yoshi Mobility, a Nashville-based startup that developed an app to supply drivers preventative upkeep, digital car inspections and electrical car charging, raised $26 million in a Series C spherical led by General Motors Ventures. Bridgestone Americas, Universal Motors Agencies and Shikra Limited additionally participated.
Notable reads and different tidbits
ADAS
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) mentioned the motive force of a Ford Mustang Mach-E who crashed right into a stationary automobile in Texas in February was utilizing the hands-free driver-assistance system referred to as BlueCruise. This is the primary identified fatality ensuing from a crash involving using BlueCruise. The NTSB announcement got here a day after the security board introduced it’s probing a second deadly crash close to Philadelphia the place Ford’s driver-assistance system might have been energetic.
Autonomous automobiles
GM’s self-driving automobile subsidiary Cruise is again. Sort of. The firm is redeploying robotaxis, however not in its dwelling metropolis of San Francisco. Instead, Cruise is establishing store in Phoenix and all of its autonomous automobiles will likely be pushed manually by workers. Here’s the odd half: Cruise says it is going to be creating maps and gathering highway data in Phoenix, a metropolis the place it has had a presence (and has pushed autonomously) since not less than 2020….
