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I recently attended the SXSW festival in Austin, where I had the opportunity to experience the latest advancements in transportation, AI, and other tech-related fields. You can catch up on all the news and highlights from the conference by scrolling through our live blog.

During my time in Austin, I noticed significant improvements in the city’s infrastructure, including the addition of protected bike lanes. I was able to explore the city on a few Lime scooters and two Mod Bikes e-bikes, which was a great way to experience the local transportation options. Austin is also becoming a hub for autonomous vehicle activity, with companies like Avride, Zoox, and Waymo testing their technology on public roads.

I was fortunate enough to take a ride in a Waymo robotaxi, which was a unique experience. As I mentioned earlier, it’s surprising to see Waymo and Uber collaborating on this project. You can read more about the backstory here. I also discovered some updates to the user interface during my ride, which you can learn more about here.

Tips and Insights

If you have any tips or insights to share, you can reach out to us at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or sean.okane@techcrunch.com. We’re always looking for new information and perspectives to share with our readers. You can also check out our guide on how to contact us via encrypted messaging apps or SecureDrop.

Recent Deals and Funding

Our senior reporter, Sean O’Kane, took a closer look at Leitmotif, a venture firm that has been quietly making deals for the past 16 months. The firm focuses on decarbonization and has funded around 20 startups, including EV companies, space and battery plays, and four nuclear fusion startups. What’s interesting is that all the money in its fund came from the Volkswagen Group. You can read the full story here.

Other notable deals include Carpool Logistics raising $12 million in a Series A funding round, Daqus Energy raising $6 million in a seed round, and Nirvana raising $80 million in a Series C round. Meanwhile, Northvolt filed for bankruptcy in Sweden, dealing a blow to Europe’s efforts to create a battery-manufacturing giant.

Notable Reads and Other Tidbits

ADAS

Rivian launched a hands-free version of its driver-assistance system for highway driving, which was showcased at SXSW. The new feature puts Rivian in competition with Ford and GM, which have similar hands-free systems.

Autonomous Vehicles

Hugging Face partnered with AI startup Yaak to expand its LeRobot platform with a training set for self-driving machines. Meanwhile, Travis Kalanick expressed regret over Uber’s decision to abandon its autonomous driving program.

Waymo continued its expansion, launching its robotaxi service in Silicon Valley. However, the company faced issues with parking tickets, receiving nearly 600 tickets in San Francisco alone.

Electric Vehicles, Charging, & Batteries

The Mint 400 off-road race featured two EVs, a Rivian R1T truck and a Chevrolet Silverado EV ZR2 off-road race truck concept, which were put to the test. Rad Power lost its CEO and gained a new one in a matter of days.

President Donald Trump stated that he would label violence against Tesla dealerships as domestic terrorism, showing his support for Elon Musk. However, it’s worth noting that “Tesla Takeovers” have been taking place globally, with some protests turning violent.

This Week’s Wheels

This week, I had the chance to test two e-bikes from Mod Bikes, including the newly launched Groove. The Groove is an all-electric step-through bike with a sleek design and impressive features, including a souped-up beach cruiser look and feel. The bike has a payload capacity of 275 pounds and reaches a top speed of 28 miles per hour, with a range of 50 miles (or 100 miles with the dual-battery option).

I found the bike to be sporty and polished, with thoughtful details that make the $1,999 price point seem reasonable. The design is user-friendly, with easy-to-read and easy-to-operate controls and an integrated bike lock that folds neatly on the frame. However, it’s worth noting that the bike is quite heavy, so it may take some time to get used to.

I also tested Mod Connect, which allows users to wirelessly pair a Lumos ultra-smart helmet to sync and control turn signals directly from the bike. The connected bike helmet made me feel more visible to drivers as I navigated the busy streets of downtown Austin.

This week’s wheels is a segment where we share our experiences with various transportation products, whether it’s an electric or hybrid car, an e-bike, or even a ride in an autonomous vehicle. We hope you find it informative and helpful in your own transportation journey.