Rising EV startup star lands $100 million and Tesla gets federal funding moment

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Before we get to this week’s news, here’s one more transportation technology overview at CES 2025. As I mentioned last week, autonomous vehicle technology was everywhere. But there were other topics. Check it out here.

Now to the latest and greatest future of transportation technology news.

A little bird

No little birds this week, but I thought this was the best place to say goodbye The Hindenburg Studya short-selling firm that investigates whistleblower tips and uses its research to root out fraud in publicly traded companies. Nate Anderson, founder of Hindenburg Research posted a note The firm is closed on Wednesday.

In the worlds of transportation and climate technology, the Hindenburg is famous for exposure Nikola Motors, Lordstown Motorsand billionaire Gautam Adani of The Adani Group was charged in connection with the plan Paying more than $250 million in bribes to Indian officials in exchange for contracts for a 12-gigawatt solar power project.

Do you have a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.comAt Sean O’Kane sean.okane@techcrunch.comor Rebecca Bellan at rebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com. Or check it out these instructions to learn how to contact us via encrypted messaging apps or SecureDrop.

Deals!

Only a bunch of discounts this week! That’s the point here.

Caramelis a startup that helps car sellers and buyers complete the final stages of the transaction is obtained by eBay. Terms were not disclosed.

EV startup Evangelist It raised $100 million In a Series B round co-led by early Tesla investor Capricorn Investment Group and Leitmotif, a new US fund co-founded by Volkswagen’s former M&A chief. Also in the round were Tiger Global and mobility venture firm Maniv, both existing investors.

Sarla Aviation collected 10 million dollars In a fresh funding round led by Accel and including angel investors like Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal, Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath and Swiggy co-founder Sriharsha Majety.

Tesla won and lost in the latest round of federal funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Department of Transport Denied Tesla on its $97 million application for funding for a big rig recharge corridor from California to Texas. But Tesla was awarded a separate award along with three other industry partners 100 million dollars have been allocated Building electric truck charging stations in Illinois.

Shippeoa startup that develops real-time tracking software for all modes of transportation has raised $30 million in a funding round led by Toyota’s growth fund Woven Capital. Battery Ventures, Partech, NGP Capital, Bpifrance Digital Venture, LFX Venture Partners, Shift4Good and Yamaha Motor Ventures also participated.

Notable readings and other information

Autonomous vehicles

Aurora Innovation does suing federal safety regulators In a case that centers around the fairly common practice of placing physical warning triangles around parked semi trucks on highways. TL; DR: This could have far-reaching implications for self-driving truck companies operating in a regulatory environment designed around humans.

The US Department of Commerce Promulgated a final rule prohibiting the sale or importation of related vehicles from China and Russia for national security reasons. The rule would also ban Chinese ride-hailing companies such as WeRide and Pony AI testing self-driving cars on US roads.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration closed the investigation included Cruise and whether the company’s robo-taxi takes due care around pedestrians. The agency noted that the Cruise software was recalled and GM’s self-driving car subsidiary has since ceased operations.

Electric cars, charging and batteries

Bow boats Came to CES 2025 and the main reporter Sean O’Kane Took the Arc Sport boat for a joyride on Lake Mead. Here it is what was he thinking the startup’s newest offering.

Tesla revealed a the new-look Model Y Designed for China and other Asia Pacific markets, it marks the first major update for the SUV since its 2020 launch.

Sean DuffyThe candidate of President Donald Trump, who was elected as the head of the US Department of Transportation, believes that electric car owners pay to use the roads. As a reporter Rebecca Bellan explains that achieving this goal is not so easy.

This week’s tires

I had a chance to access a production prototype of it before the holidays 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz Pro S Plus. I plan to spend more time driving the production version soon, but for now, here are a few thoughts on this $69,595 all-electric minivan.

I’ve been waiting for this electric van since 2017 when Volkswagen introduced it as a concept. This rebuilt van had an almost impossible mission. It had to be instantly recognizable and hint at its iconic past while paving a new futuristic and EV path. And in many ways an ID card. Buzz does it. It’s eye-catching; people stopped me constantly. Practical yet fun. And while it’s more expensive than other minivans on the market, it’s not exactly ugly.

The version I tested was all-wheel drive with Metro Silver Metallic paint and a “copper” interior with leather seats. There’s a ton of space – truly cavernous – and beautiful details everywhere, giving it an elevated feel. Despite its length of 195.4 inches, it was easy to maneuver on busy city streets. Yes, it’s long!

It met my high expectations. But I am interested in his future. This car would be great as a kid and grocery hauler around town. I could see it being used in merchant fleets in an urban environment as well. But with a 91-kilowatt-hour battery capable of 234 miles of range, I wonder if it will live up to its past as a roadster.

Side note: In the last newsletter, I shared some information about my Zoox robotaxi rides. Here is mine write in full on me Zoox Experience in Las Vegas.

What is “Tires of the Week”? It’s a chance to learn about the different transportation products we test, whether it’s an electric or hybrid car, an e-bike or even a ride in an autonomous car.