Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your go-to source for the latest news and insights on the transportation industry’s future. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter here to stay updated.

Before diving into this week’s transportation news, we’d like to bring to your attention a couple of articles featuring Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and founder of SpaceX and Neuralink, among other companies.

You might recall our February investigation into the individuals involved in Elon Musk’s DOGE universe. The article, which is continuously updated, focuses on those working for the Department of Government Efficiency, established via President Trump’s executive order. A new report by our team explores the founders and VCs collaborating with DOGE. Be sure to check it out!

Speaking of Musk, his close ally Trump has imposed a 25% tariff on all cars imported to the United States, including those from Mexico and Canada. Additionally, a 25% tariff has been placed on specific car parts. As reported by Sean O’Kane, this decision is likely to significantly increase the cost of new and used cars. However, it’s also a boon for Tesla, the company led by Musk, who is Trump’s largest financial backer in the presidential election.

In other news, Trevor Milton, the founder of bankrupt hydrogen trucking startup Nikola, who was convicted of fraud, has been pardoned by Trump, as confirmed by the White House to TechCrunch. Notably, we waited for several hours before receiving confirmation from the White House.

Now, let’s move on to the rest of the week’s news.

A little bird

A little bird recently shared with us that Lucid is exploring partnerships to achieve higher levels of autonomy, particularly with its new Gravity SUV. Could we see a collaboration with Mobileye or another unexpected automated driving technology provider?

Do you have 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. Alternatively, check out these instructions to learn how to contact us via encrypted messaging apps or SecureDrop.

Deals!

Here’s a deal that, while not directly related to transportation, is worth mentioning: TechCrunch has been acquired by private investment firm Regent. Although the financial terms were not disclosed, our soon-to-be former owner Yahoo Holdings will maintain a small stake in the company. The acquisition, which has yet to be finalized, comes shortly after Regent purchased Foundry, the publisher of tech publications like PCWorld, Macworld, InfoWorld, and CIO.

Other notable deals include:

BetterFleet, a Michigan-based company developing EV charging fleet management software, secured $15 million in a Series A funding round led by Aligned Climate Capital, Ecosystem Integrity Fund (EIF), and Remarkable Ventures Climate (RVC).

The Bot Company, a robotics startup founded by former Cruise co-founder and CEO Kyle Vogt, has raised $150 million in a round led by Greenoaks, according to Reuters, citing unnamed sources.

DeCharge, an EV charging infrastructure startup, raised $2.5 million in a round led by Lemniscap, with participation from other investors including Colosseum, Daedalus Angels, EV3 Labs, Echo Fundraiser Chainyoda Jedis, and Levitate Labs.

Fleetio, a vehicle fleet software management company, secured $450 million in a round co-led by Elephant VC and Goldman Sachs Alternatives, which will be used to finance the acquisition of maintenance-authorization platform Auto Integrate.

Manna, a Dublin-based drone delivery company, raised $30 million in a round led by Tapestry VC and Molten Ventures, with participation from Coca-Cola and Dynama Venture.

Notable reads and other tidbits

Autonomous vehicles

Waymo will launch its robotaxi service in Washington, D.C. via the Waymo One app in 2026. However, there’s a significant caveat: before Waymo can launch commercially, the company must enhance its lobbying efforts in the capital, where autonomous vehicle permits currently require a human driver, as reported by Rebecca Bellan.

Electric vehicles, charging, & batteries

BYD‘s recent breakthrough EV-charging announcement prompted Tim De Chant to delve deeper into the story.

Cadillac has unveiled another EV, the Optiq SUV. Emme Hall had the opportunity to test drive the Optiq and the new Escalade IQ.

Revel, a Brooklyn-based electric vehicle charging infrastructure startup, has launched its first fast-charging station in San Francisco.

Rivian operated a skunkworks program focused on electric micromobility for years, according to founder and CEO RJ Scaringe. Now, Rivian is spinning out the startup, known as Also, with $105 million in funding from Eclipse Ventures. Rivian holds a minority stake in Also, and Scaringe will serve on its board, with Chris Yu, Rivian’s VP of future programs, as its president.

In-car tech

Waze has removed Google Assistant from iOS due to ongoing issues, with plans to introduce an enhanced voice interaction solution in the near future as a replacement.