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OPPO F33 Pro Launching April 15 With 50MP Ultra-Wide Selfie Camera, New Design
	
The new OPPO F33 series is just around the corner, and the Chinese smartphone maker has shared a lot more about the upcoming phones ahead of its India launch on April 15, 2026. The headline features are the all-new ultrawide selfie camera and a more polished design. Here’s everything we know so far. 



New Cameras







Like the new iPhone 17, the highlight of the OPPO F33 Pro is its 50MP ultra-wide front camera with a 100° field of view. That’s significantly wider than what most phones in this segment offer, and OPPO says it can capture up to 30% more area in group selfies. To make that useful in real-world scenarios, the phone also includes an “AI Groupfie Expert” system. It can automatically switch to a wider 0.6x view when more people enter the frame and correct facial distortion for up to six faces at once.



On the back, the F33 series uses a 50MP main sensor paired with a 2MP depth sensor. While that setup isn’t groundbreaking on paper, one of the new features is AI Portrait Glow, which adjusts lighting in real time depending on the scene. It offers multiple lighting styles, including Natural, Rim, and Studio modes, to improve portraits in tricky lighting conditions. Another interesting addition is the Colorful Front Fill Light, which replaces the usual harsh white flash with softer, adjustable tones to make selfies look more natural, especially at night. The phone also introduces creative features like Popout, which lets users create layered photos with a sense of depth directly from the camera, and Dual-View Video



Redesigned Build







Beyond cameras, OPPO is also making noticeable changes to the design. The F33 Pro introduces a new “Starry Sea” camera module with a cleaner layout and a more prominent lens design. The phone uses a one-piece back panel made from a thicker composite material, which OPPO claims improves durability without adding the fragility of glass. It’s also using a CNC carving process to create a mix of glossy and matte finishes on the same surface.



The F33 Pro will be available in three finishes: Misty Forest, Starry Blue, and Passion Red, each with a slightly different texture and visual style. The device features a 6.57-inch flat display and weighs 194 grams, keeping things relatively slim and manageable.

#OPPO #F33 #Pro #Launching #April #50MP #UltraWide #Selfie #Camera #DesignOppo

OPPO F33 Pro Launching April 15 With 50MP Ultra-Wide Selfie Camera, New Design

The new OPPO F33 series is just around the corner, and the Chinese smartphone maker has shared a lot more about the upcoming phones ahead of its India launch on April 15, 2026. The headline features are the all-new ultrawide selfie camera and a more polished design. Here’s everything we know so far.

New Cameras

OPPO F33 Pro Launching April 15 With 50MP Ultra-Wide Selfie Camera, New Design
	
The new OPPO F33 series is just around the corner, and the Chinese smartphone maker has shared a lot more about the upcoming phones ahead of its India launch on April 15, 2026. The headline features are the all-new ultrawide selfie camera and a more polished design. Here’s everything we know so far. 



New Cameras







Like the new iPhone 17, the highlight of the OPPO F33 Pro is its 50MP ultra-wide front camera with a 100° field of view. That’s significantly wider than what most phones in this segment offer, and OPPO says it can capture up to 30% more area in group selfies. To make that useful in real-world scenarios, the phone also includes an “AI Groupfie Expert” system. It can automatically switch to a wider 0.6x view when more people enter the frame and correct facial distortion for up to six faces at once.



On the back, the F33 series uses a 50MP main sensor paired with a 2MP depth sensor. While that setup isn’t groundbreaking on paper, one of the new features is AI Portrait Glow, which adjusts lighting in real time depending on the scene. It offers multiple lighting styles, including Natural, Rim, and Studio modes, to improve portraits in tricky lighting conditions. Another interesting addition is the Colorful Front Fill Light, which replaces the usual harsh white flash with softer, adjustable tones to make selfies look more natural, especially at night. The phone also introduces creative features like Popout, which lets users create layered photos with a sense of depth directly from the camera, and Dual-View Video



Redesigned Build







Beyond cameras, OPPO is also making noticeable changes to the design. The F33 Pro introduces a new “Starry Sea” camera module with a cleaner layout and a more prominent lens design. The phone uses a one-piece back panel made from a thicker composite material, which OPPO claims improves durability without adding the fragility of glass. It’s also using a CNC carving process to create a mix of glossy and matte finishes on the same surface.



The F33 Pro will be available in three finishes: Misty Forest, Starry Blue, and Passion Red, each with a slightly different texture and visual style. The device features a 6.57-inch flat display and weighs 194 grams, keeping things relatively slim and manageable.

#OPPO #F33 #Pro #Launching #April #50MP #UltraWide #Selfie #Camera #DesignOppo

Like the new iPhone 17, the highlight of the OPPO F33 Pro is its 50MP ultra-wide front camera with a 100° field of view. That’s significantly wider than what most phones in this segment offer, and OPPO says it can capture up to 30% more area in group selfies. To make that useful in real-world scenarios, the phone also includes an “AI Groupfie Expert” system. It can automatically switch to a wider 0.6x view when more people enter the frame and correct facial distortion for up to six faces at once.

On the back, the F33 series uses a 50MP main sensor paired with a 2MP depth sensor. While that setup isn’t groundbreaking on paper, one of the new features is AI Portrait Glow, which adjusts lighting in real time depending on the scene. It offers multiple lighting styles, including Natural, Rim, and Studio modes, to improve portraits in tricky lighting conditions. Another interesting addition is the Colorful Front Fill Light, which replaces the usual harsh white flash with softer, adjustable tones to make selfies look more natural, especially at night. The phone also introduces creative features like Popout, which lets users create layered photos with a sense of depth directly from the camera, and Dual-View Video

Redesigned Build

People posing for a selfie with the F33 Pro

Beyond cameras, OPPO is also making noticeable changes to the design. The F33 Pro introduces a new “Starry Sea” camera module with a cleaner layout and a more prominent lens design. The phone uses a one-piece back panel made from a thicker composite material, which OPPO claims improves durability without adding the fragility of glass. It’s also using a CNC carving process to create a mix of glossy and matte finishes on the same surface.

The F33 Pro will be available in three finishes: Misty Forest, Starry Blue, and Passion Red, each with a slightly different texture and visual style. The device features a 6.57-inch flat display and weighs 194 grams, keeping things relatively slim and manageable.

#OPPO #F33 #Pro #Launching #April #50MP #UltraWide #Selfie #Camera #DesignOppo

The new OPPO F33 series is just around the corner, and the Chinese smartphone maker has shared a lot more about the upcoming phones ahead of its India launch on April 15, 2026. The headline features are the all-new ultrawide selfie camera and a more polished design. Here’s everything we know so far.

New Cameras

Like the new iPhone 17, the highlight of the OPPO F33 Pro is its 50MP ultra-wide front camera with a 100° field of view. That’s significantly wider than what most phones in this segment offer, and OPPO says it can capture up to 30% more area in group selfies. To make that useful in real-world scenarios, the phone also includes an “AI Groupfie Expert” system. It can automatically switch to a wider 0.6x view when more people enter the frame and correct facial distortion for up to six faces at once.

On the back, the F33 series uses a 50MP main sensor paired with a 2MP depth sensor. While that setup isn’t groundbreaking on paper, one of the new features is AI Portrait Glow, which adjusts lighting in real time depending on the scene. It offers multiple lighting styles, including Natural, Rim, and Studio modes, to improve portraits in tricky lighting conditions. Another interesting addition is the Colorful Front Fill Light, which replaces the usual harsh white flash with softer, adjustable tones to make selfies look more natural, especially at night. The phone also introduces creative features like Popout, which lets users create layered photos with a sense of depth directly from the camera, and Dual-View Video

Redesigned Build

People posing for a selfie with the F33 Pro

Beyond cameras, OPPO is also making noticeable changes to the design. The F33 Pro introduces a new “Starry Sea” camera module with a cleaner layout and a more prominent lens design. The phone uses a one-piece back panel made from a thicker composite material, which OPPO claims improves durability without adding the fragility of glass. It’s also using a CNC carving process to create a mix of glossy and matte finishes on the same surface.

The F33 Pro will be available in three finishes: Misty Forest, Starry Blue, and Passion Red, each with a slightly different texture and visual style. The device features a 6.57-inch flat display and weighs 194 grams, keeping things relatively slim and manageable.

Source link
#OPPO #F33 #Pro #Launching #April #50MP #UltraWide #Selfie #Camera #Design

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Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid, LIVE Score UEFA Champions League: Quarterfinals first leg match updates <div id="content-body-70839471" itemprop="articleBody"><h4 class="sub_head">BAR vs ATM Live Score</h4><h4 class="sub_head">Lineups</h4><p><b>Barcelona:</b> Joan Garcia; Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, Joao Cancelo; Eric Garcia, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Marcu Rashford; Robert Lewandowski.</p><p><b>Atletico Madrid: </b>Juan Musso, Nahuel Molina, Robin Le Normand, David Hancko, Matteo Ruggeri, Giuliano Simeone, Marcos Llorente, Koke, Ademola Lookman, Antoine Griezmann, Julian Alvarez.</p><h4 class="sub_head">Live Streaming Info</h4><p>The Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid UCL 2025-26 quarterfinal first leg match will be telecast on the <i>Sony Sports Network</i>. The match will also be livestreamed on the <i>SonyLiv </i>app and website.</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 08, 2026</p></div> #Barcelona #Atletico #Madrid #LIVE #Score #UEFA #Champions #League #Quarterfinals #leg #match #updates

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Deadspin | Steph Curry steps up late to help Warriors survive Kings <div id=""><section id="0" class=" w-full"><div class="xl:container mx-0 !px-4 py-0 pb-4 !mx-0 !px-0"><img src="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28681530.jpg" srcset="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28681530.jpg" alt="NBA: Sacramento Kings at Golden State Warriors" class="w-full" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager"/><span class="text-0.8 leading-tight">Apr 7, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Devin Carter (22) drives to the basket against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) in the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images<!-- --> <!-- --> </span></div></section><section id="section-1"> <p>Stephen Curry capped his 17-point performance with a game-tying 3-pointer, then turned his own miss into an offensive rebound and assist on Brandin Podziemski’s go-ahead three as the Golden State Warriors outlasted the Sacramento Kings 110-105 on Tuesday night in San Francisco.</p> </section><section id="section-2"> <p>De’Anthony Melton had a game-high 21 points and Podziemski finished with 20 for the Warriors (37-42), who ended a four-game losing streak while resting Kristaps Porzingis on the first night of a four-games-in-six-days sequence.</p> </section><section id="section-3"> <p>Killian Hayes led a balanced attack with 18 points off the bench for the Kings (21-59), who dropped their second in a row.</p> </section><section id="section-4"> <p>Using a 13-0 run bridging the third and fourth quarters, the Kings erased a deficit which had been as large as 16 points, setting up a tight finish.</p> </section><section id="section-5"> <p>A 3-pointer by Doug McDermott broke a 101-all tie and gave the Kings one final lead with 2:53 to go before Curry countered immediately with his fourth 3-pointer of the night.</p> </section><section id="section-6"> <p>Curry then couldn’t connect on a potential go-ahead 3-pointer out of the right corner with 1:58 to go, but had the rebound bounce right back to him. Rather than take a 15-footer, he elected to pass to Podziemski above the top of the key, then watched the left-hander drill his fourth 3-pointer of the night for a lead Golden State never relinquished.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-7"> <p>Two free throws by Seth Curry and one by Melton secured the win.</p> </section> <section id="section-8"> <p>In the first of two meetings with their Northern California rival this week, the Warriors finished the half on a 28-16 run that opened a 66-53 halftime lead.</p> </section><section id="section-9"> <p>Melton had a pair of 3-pointers to get the ball rolling, but it was Curry who stole the show, drilling a 26- and 24-footer while being fouled, then completing a pair of four-point plays.</p> </section><section id="section-10"> <p>In just his second action since a 27-game absence due to a sore right knee, the Golden State star had 14 of his points in the half.</p> </section><section id="section-11"> <p>Charles Bassey produced a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double for the Warriors, while Pat Spencer also tallied 14 points and Gary Payton II 12. Draymond Green chipped in with a game-high seven assists.</p> </section><section id="section-12"> <p>Maxime Raynaud (17 points), McDermott (16), Precious Achiuwa (13), Nique Clifford (12) and Daeqwon Plowden (11) also scored in double figures for the Kings. Dylan Cardwell chipped in with a team-high nine rebounds and Devin Carter a team-high five assists for the visitors.</p> </section><section id="section-13"> <p>– Field Level Media</p> </section></div> #Deadspin #Steph #Curry #steps #late #Warriors #survive #Kings

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, how AI is playing a part. To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility!

I am back from vacation. What did I miss? Turns out, quite a lot — including the end of the Uber-Waymo partnership in Phoenix. Uber and Waymo still have robotaxi service partnerships in Atlanta and Austin. The question is not if, but when will these agreements end? But that isn’t the most intriguing question, in my opinion. I am far more intrigued by how these two companies will behave once the remaining partnerships end. 

There is already tension with Uber executives taking not-so-subtle shots at Waymo. I expect that once the partnerships end, these thinly veiled barbs will be replaced with more direct action. One battleground will be policy, specifically markets where robotaxi companies are angling to get access. 

This week, we saw another interesting development in the autonomous vehicle industry on the federal stage. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a directive to autonomous vehicle developers, stating that it is unacceptable for their vehicles to interfere with first responders or law enforcement.

The money quote: “Let me be clear: the inability to detect and appropriately respond to such situations represents a functional insufficiency. Emergency scenes are not rare or extreme ‘edge cases.’ As such, NHTSA is today issuing a call to action for AV developers and operators to immediately focus their resources on fixing this issue.”

Morrison’s letter never calls out any one robotaxi company and it was sent to every AV developer listed in the Department of Transportation’s Standing General Order. But it sure seems like Morrison is directing the agency’s ire at Waymo.

A previous TechCrunch investigation found that Waymo — which operates the largest robotaxi fleet in the United States, with vehicles in cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco — has had repeated run-ins with first responders. And just this week, San Francisco supervisor Bilal Mahmood said he plans to submit a letter of inquiry to examine how autonomous vehicles affected public transit services and emergency responders following a July 4 fireworks show that resulted in massive gridlock. Local news outlets reported that numerous Waymo robotaxis had to be towed after running out of power during the lengthy traffic jam.

Morrison’s letter has gravitas. But will there be substantive consequences for AV developers? It’s hard to tell at this point. For now, the NHTSA has demanded companies present the agency with “solutions” by the end of the month.

One more news item from the feds. Take a look at the new 2026 Regulatory Plan and Unified Agenda, which was updated last week. It contains a long list of proposed changes to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) requirements, which govern vehicle design and equipment requirements. These proposed changes could help autonomous vehicle companies like Tesla and Zoox, which are developing vehicles without steering wheels, pedals, or other features required on human-driven cars.

A little bird

TechCrunch Mobility: A robotaxi ultimatum | TechCrunch
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, how AI is playing a part. To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility!

I am back from vacation. What did I miss? Turns out, quite a lot — including the end of the Uber-Waymo partnership in Phoenix. Uber and Waymo still have robotaxi service partnerships in Atlanta and Austin. The question is not if, but when will these agreements end? But that isn’t the most intriguing question, in my opinion. I am far more intrigued by how these two companies will behave once the remaining partnerships end. 







There is already tension with Uber executives taking not-so-subtle shots at Waymo. I expect that once the partnerships end, these thinly veiled barbs will be replaced with more direct action. One battleground will be policy, specifically markets where robotaxi companies are angling to get access. 

This week, we saw another interesting development in the autonomous vehicle industry on the federal stage. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a directive to autonomous vehicle developers, stating that it is unacceptable for their vehicles to interfere with first responders or law enforcement.

The money quote: “Let me be clear: the inability to detect and appropriately respond to such situations represents a functional insufficiency. Emergency scenes are not rare or extreme ‘edge cases.’ As such, NHTSA is today issuing a call to action for AV developers and operators to immediately focus their resources on fixing this issue.”

Morrison’s letter never calls out any one robotaxi company and it was sent to every AV developer listed in the Department of Transportation’s Standing General Order. But it sure seems like Morrison is directing the agency’s ire at Waymo.

A previous TechCrunch investigation found that Waymo — which operates the largest robotaxi fleet in the United States, with vehicles in cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco — has had repeated run-ins with first responders. And just this week, San Francisco supervisor Bilal Mahmood said he plans to submit a letter of inquiry to examine how autonomous vehicles affected public transit services and emergency responders following a July 4 fireworks show that resulted in massive gridlock. Local news outlets reported that numerous Waymo robotaxis had to be towed after running out of power during the lengthy traffic jam.


Morrison’s letter has gravitas. But will there be substantive consequences for AV developers? It’s hard to tell at this point. For now, the NHTSA has demanded companies present the agency with “solutions” by the end of the month.

One more news item from the feds. Take a look at the new 2026 Regulatory Plan and Unified Agenda, which was updated last week. It contains a long list of proposed changes to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) requirements, which govern vehicle design and equipment requirements. These proposed changes could help autonomous vehicle companies like Tesla and Zoox, which are developing vehicles without steering wheels, pedals, or other features required on human-driven cars.

A little bird

Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my Signal at kkorosec.07, or email Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com.

Deals!

Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

We usually focus on venture deals, but this week I wanted to highlight Rivian and the sale of 86.25 million Class A common shares priced at .50 each (that includes an added 11.25 million in additional shares that underwriters opted to buy).







In all, Rivian said it expects to raise .32 billion in new capital. The raise comes at a notable time for the EV maker. The company started delivering its new R2 SUV last month and recently raised its sales forecast for 2026. The company said it now expects to deliver between 65,000 and 70,000 vehicles after outperforming its own expectations in the second quarter due to robust growth quarter-over-quarter in EDV and R1, coupled with the introduction of R2 deliveries. 

The company didn’t explain the reason for the raise. But as a reminder, Rivian is not yet profitable and scaling up production of the R2 — or any vehicle for that matter — isn’t cheap!

Other deals that got my attention …

Bidbus, a Los Angeles-based startup that built a digital marketplace where multiple dealers can bid on a car, raised  million in a Series A funding round led by Ibex Investors. Mucker Capital, FJ Labs, Motley Fool Ventures, Data Point Capital, Walter Ventures, and the Car Dealership Guy’s Yossi Levi also participated.

Lyft said it plans to acquire Serveo’s bike-share business in Spain. Terms weren’t disclosed, but the ride-hailing company said it is expected to close this year.

TaiSan, a U.K. battery startup, raised £4.65 million in a seed funding round co-led by Eos Advisory and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II. InnoEnergy, AFI Ventures, EverQuest Capital Partners, Exergon, Heartfelt Ventures, Adeline Arts & Science, Techmind, angel investor François Badelon, and matched funding from Innovate UK also participated.

Notable reads and other tidbits

Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

AssuranceAmerica, a U.S. insurance provider, confirmed a data breach that affected the personal information and driver’s license numbers of 6.9 million people, making it the largest known spill of Americans’ driver’s license information this year.

Beta Technologies, the electric vehicle takeoff and landing developer, completed operational flights conducted under the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration’s new eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. The flights covered about 275 nautical miles covering Virginia and Maryland. 







Longtime followers of Tesla will remember the heady days when Elon Musk battled various short sellers of the company’s stock. Musk is more polarizing than ever, and one exchange-traded fund creator has found a way to tap into that negative sentiment with two new anti-Elon exchange-traded funds. 

GM brand Chevrolet built an all-American EV truck. Senior reporter Tim De Chant asks, Why is nobody buying it? 

Manna Aero, the Ireland-based autonomous drone delivery startup, is scaling up in the United States with a factory and operations center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that it says will employ 1,000 in the next few years. 

Slate Auto teamed up with Crayola to offer its EV truck and SUV customers vehicle wraps in five crayon colors. (Reminder: The basic Slate EV vehicle isn’t painted. Instead, it comes in a gray composite material that can be customized with a vehicle wrap. The company has hundreds of options to choose from.)

One more thing …

TechCrunch podcast Build Mode just launched its third season, and it’s a banger. Build Mode is hosted by Isabelle Johannessen, who heads TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield program. Unlike Equity — the TC podcast I co-host along with Anthony Ha and Sean O’Kane — Build Mode is designed to help early-stage founders. 

The new season kicks off with Precursor Ventures founder and managing partner Charles Hudson, who talks about what early-stage founders need to know before raising their first institutional round.

Check it out: The new rules of early-stage fundraising with Charles Hudson.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.#TechCrunch #Mobility #robotaxi #ultimatum #TechCrunchElon Musk,Uber,Waymo,Rivian,robotaxi,techcrunch mobility
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my Signal at kkorosec.07, or email Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com.

Deals!

money the station
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

We usually focus on venture deals, but this week I wanted to highlight Rivian and the sale of 86.25 million Class A common shares priced at $15.50 each (that includes an added 11.25 million in additional shares that underwriters opted to buy).

In all, Rivian said it expects to raise $1.32 billion in new capital. The raise comes at a notable time for the EV maker. The company started delivering its new R2 SUV last month and recently raised its sales forecast for 2026. The company said it now expects to deliver between 65,000 and 70,000 vehicles after outperforming its own expectations in the second quarter due to robust growth quarter-over-quarter in EDV and R1, coupled with the introduction of R2 deliveries. 

The company didn’t explain the reason for the raise. But as a reminder, Rivian is not yet profitable and scaling up production of the R2 — or any vehicle for that matter — isn’t cheap!

Other deals that got my attention …

Bidbus, a Los Angeles-based startup that built a digital marketplace where multiple dealers can bid on a car, raised $15 million in a Series A funding round led by Ibex Investors. Mucker Capital, FJ Labs, Motley Fool Ventures, Data Point Capital, Walter Ventures, and the Car Dealership Guy’s Yossi Levi also participated.

Lyft said it plans to acquire Serveo’s bike-share business in Spain. Terms weren’t disclosed, but the ride-hailing company said it is expected to close this year.

TaiSan, a U.K. battery startup, raised £4.65 million in a seed funding round co-led by Eos Advisory and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II. InnoEnergy, AFI Ventures, EverQuest Capital Partners, Exergon, Heartfelt Ventures, Adeline Arts & Science, Techmind, angel investor François Badelon, and matched funding from Innovate UK also participated.

Notable reads and other tidbits

Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

AssuranceAmerica, a U.S. insurance provider, confirmed a data breach that affected the personal information and driver’s license numbers of 6.9 million people, making it the largest known spill of Americans’ driver’s license information this year.

Beta Technologies, the electric vehicle takeoff and landing developer, completed operational flights conducted under the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration’s new eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. The flights covered about 275 nautical miles covering Virginia and Maryland. 

Longtime followers of Tesla will remember the heady days when Elon Musk battled various short sellers of the company’s stock. Musk is more polarizing than ever, and one exchange-traded fund creator has found a way to tap into that negative sentiment with two new anti-Elon exchange-traded funds

GM brand Chevrolet built an all-American EV truck. Senior reporter Tim De Chant asks, Why is nobody buying it

Manna Aero, the Ireland-based autonomous drone delivery startup, is scaling up in the United States with a factory and operations center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that it says will employ 1,000 in the next few years. 

Slate Auto teamed up with Crayola to offer its EV truck and SUV customers vehicle wraps in five crayon colors. (Reminder: The basic Slate EV vehicle isn’t painted. Instead, it comes in a gray composite material that can be customized with a vehicle wrap. The company has hundreds of options to choose from.)

One more thing …

TechCrunch podcast Build Mode just launched its third season, and it’s a banger. Build Mode is hosted by Isabelle Johannessen, who heads TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield program. Unlike Equity — the TC podcast I co-host along with Anthony Ha and Sean O’Kane — Build Mode is designed to help early-stage founders. 

The new season kicks off with Precursor Ventures founder and managing partner Charles Hudson, who talks about what early-stage founders need to know before raising their first institutional round.

Check it out: The new rules of early-stage fundraising with Charles Hudson.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

#TechCrunch #Mobility #robotaxi #ultimatum #TechCrunchElon Musk,Uber,Waymo,Rivian,robotaxi,techcrunch mobility">TechCrunch Mobility: A robotaxi ultimatum | TechCrunch
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, how AI is playing a part. To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility!

I am back from vacation. What did I miss? Turns out, quite a lot — including the end of the Uber-Waymo partnership in Phoenix. Uber and Waymo still have robotaxi service partnerships in Atlanta and Austin. The question is not if, but when will these agreements end? But that isn’t the most intriguing question, in my opinion. I am far more intrigued by how these two companies will behave once the remaining partnerships end. 







There is already tension with Uber executives taking not-so-subtle shots at Waymo. I expect that once the partnerships end, these thinly veiled barbs will be replaced with more direct action. One battleground will be policy, specifically markets where robotaxi companies are angling to get access. 

This week, we saw another interesting development in the autonomous vehicle industry on the federal stage. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a directive to autonomous vehicle developers, stating that it is unacceptable for their vehicles to interfere with first responders or law enforcement.

The money quote: “Let me be clear: the inability to detect and appropriately respond to such situations represents a functional insufficiency. Emergency scenes are not rare or extreme ‘edge cases.’ As such, NHTSA is today issuing a call to action for AV developers and operators to immediately focus their resources on fixing this issue.”

Morrison’s letter never calls out any one robotaxi company and it was sent to every AV developer listed in the Department of Transportation’s Standing General Order. But it sure seems like Morrison is directing the agency’s ire at Waymo.

A previous TechCrunch investigation found that Waymo — which operates the largest robotaxi fleet in the United States, with vehicles in cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco — has had repeated run-ins with first responders. And just this week, San Francisco supervisor Bilal Mahmood said he plans to submit a letter of inquiry to examine how autonomous vehicles affected public transit services and emergency responders following a July 4 fireworks show that resulted in massive gridlock. Local news outlets reported that numerous Waymo robotaxis had to be towed after running out of power during the lengthy traffic jam.


Morrison’s letter has gravitas. But will there be substantive consequences for AV developers? It’s hard to tell at this point. For now, the NHTSA has demanded companies present the agency with “solutions” by the end of the month.

One more news item from the feds. Take a look at the new 2026 Regulatory Plan and Unified Agenda, which was updated last week. It contains a long list of proposed changes to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) requirements, which govern vehicle design and equipment requirements. These proposed changes could help autonomous vehicle companies like Tesla and Zoox, which are developing vehicles without steering wheels, pedals, or other features required on human-driven cars.

A little bird

Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my Signal at kkorosec.07, or email Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com.

Deals!

Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

We usually focus on venture deals, but this week I wanted to highlight Rivian and the sale of 86.25 million Class A common shares priced at .50 each (that includes an added 11.25 million in additional shares that underwriters opted to buy).







In all, Rivian said it expects to raise .32 billion in new capital. The raise comes at a notable time for the EV maker. The company started delivering its new R2 SUV last month and recently raised its sales forecast for 2026. The company said it now expects to deliver between 65,000 and 70,000 vehicles after outperforming its own expectations in the second quarter due to robust growth quarter-over-quarter in EDV and R1, coupled with the introduction of R2 deliveries. 

The company didn’t explain the reason for the raise. But as a reminder, Rivian is not yet profitable and scaling up production of the R2 — or any vehicle for that matter — isn’t cheap!

Other deals that got my attention …

Bidbus, a Los Angeles-based startup that built a digital marketplace where multiple dealers can bid on a car, raised  million in a Series A funding round led by Ibex Investors. Mucker Capital, FJ Labs, Motley Fool Ventures, Data Point Capital, Walter Ventures, and the Car Dealership Guy’s Yossi Levi also participated.

Lyft said it plans to acquire Serveo’s bike-share business in Spain. Terms weren’t disclosed, but the ride-hailing company said it is expected to close this year.

TaiSan, a U.K. battery startup, raised £4.65 million in a seed funding round co-led by Eos Advisory and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II. InnoEnergy, AFI Ventures, EverQuest Capital Partners, Exergon, Heartfelt Ventures, Adeline Arts & Science, Techmind, angel investor François Badelon, and matched funding from Innovate UK also participated.

Notable reads and other tidbits

Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

AssuranceAmerica, a U.S. insurance provider, confirmed a data breach that affected the personal information and driver’s license numbers of 6.9 million people, making it the largest known spill of Americans’ driver’s license information this year.

Beta Technologies, the electric vehicle takeoff and landing developer, completed operational flights conducted under the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration’s new eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. The flights covered about 275 nautical miles covering Virginia and Maryland. 







Longtime followers of Tesla will remember the heady days when Elon Musk battled various short sellers of the company’s stock. Musk is more polarizing than ever, and one exchange-traded fund creator has found a way to tap into that negative sentiment with two new anti-Elon exchange-traded funds. 

GM brand Chevrolet built an all-American EV truck. Senior reporter Tim De Chant asks, Why is nobody buying it? 

Manna Aero, the Ireland-based autonomous drone delivery startup, is scaling up in the United States with a factory and operations center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that it says will employ 1,000 in the next few years. 

Slate Auto teamed up with Crayola to offer its EV truck and SUV customers vehicle wraps in five crayon colors. (Reminder: The basic Slate EV vehicle isn’t painted. Instead, it comes in a gray composite material that can be customized with a vehicle wrap. The company has hundreds of options to choose from.)

One more thing …

TechCrunch podcast Build Mode just launched its third season, and it’s a banger. Build Mode is hosted by Isabelle Johannessen, who heads TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield program. Unlike Equity — the TC podcast I co-host along with Anthony Ha and Sean O’Kane — Build Mode is designed to help early-stage founders. 

The new season kicks off with Precursor Ventures founder and managing partner Charles Hudson, who talks about what early-stage founders need to know before raising their first institutional round.

Check it out: The new rules of early-stage fundraising with Charles Hudson.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.#TechCrunch #Mobility #robotaxi #ultimatum #TechCrunchElon Musk,Uber,Waymo,Rivian,robotaxi,techcrunch mobility

TechCrunch Mobility!

I am back from vacation. What did I miss? Turns out, quite a lot — including the end of the Uber-Waymo partnership in Phoenix. Uber and Waymo still have robotaxi service partnerships in Atlanta and Austin. The question is not if, but when will these agreements end? But that isn’t the most intriguing question, in my opinion. I am far more intrigued by how these two companies will behave once the remaining partnerships end. 

There is already tension with Uber executives taking not-so-subtle shots at Waymo. I expect that once the partnerships end, these thinly veiled barbs will be replaced with more direct action. One battleground will be policy, specifically markets where robotaxi companies are angling to get access. 

This week, we saw another interesting development in the autonomous vehicle industry on the federal stage. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a directive to autonomous vehicle developers, stating that it is unacceptable for their vehicles to interfere with first responders or law enforcement.

The money quote: “Let me be clear: the inability to detect and appropriately respond to such situations represents a functional insufficiency. Emergency scenes are not rare or extreme ‘edge cases.’ As such, NHTSA is today issuing a call to action for AV developers and operators to immediately focus their resources on fixing this issue.”

Morrison’s letter never calls out any one robotaxi company and it was sent to every AV developer listed in the Department of Transportation’s Standing General Order. But it sure seems like Morrison is directing the agency’s ire at Waymo.

A previous TechCrunch investigation found that Waymo — which operates the largest robotaxi fleet in the United States, with vehicles in cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco — has had repeated run-ins with first responders. And just this week, San Francisco supervisor Bilal Mahmood said he plans to submit a letter of inquiry to examine how autonomous vehicles affected public transit services and emergency responders following a July 4 fireworks show that resulted in massive gridlock. Local news outlets reported that numerous Waymo robotaxis had to be towed after running out of power during the lengthy traffic jam.

Morrison’s letter has gravitas. But will there be substantive consequences for AV developers? It’s hard to tell at this point. For now, the NHTSA has demanded companies present the agency with “solutions” by the end of the month.

One more news item from the feds. Take a look at the new 2026 Regulatory Plan and Unified Agenda, which was updated last week. It contains a long list of proposed changes to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) requirements, which govern vehicle design and equipment requirements. These proposed changes could help autonomous vehicle companies like Tesla and Zoox, which are developing vehicles without steering wheels, pedals, or other features required on human-driven cars.

A little bird

TechCrunch Mobility: A robotaxi ultimatum | TechCrunch
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, how AI is playing a part. To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility!

I am back from vacation. What did I miss? Turns out, quite a lot — including the end of the Uber-Waymo partnership in Phoenix. Uber and Waymo still have robotaxi service partnerships in Atlanta and Austin. The question is not if, but when will these agreements end? But that isn’t the most intriguing question, in my opinion. I am far more intrigued by how these two companies will behave once the remaining partnerships end. 







There is already tension with Uber executives taking not-so-subtle shots at Waymo. I expect that once the partnerships end, these thinly veiled barbs will be replaced with more direct action. One battleground will be policy, specifically markets where robotaxi companies are angling to get access. 

This week, we saw another interesting development in the autonomous vehicle industry on the federal stage. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a directive to autonomous vehicle developers, stating that it is unacceptable for their vehicles to interfere with first responders or law enforcement.

The money quote: “Let me be clear: the inability to detect and appropriately respond to such situations represents a functional insufficiency. Emergency scenes are not rare or extreme ‘edge cases.’ As such, NHTSA is today issuing a call to action for AV developers and operators to immediately focus their resources on fixing this issue.”

Morrison’s letter never calls out any one robotaxi company and it was sent to every AV developer listed in the Department of Transportation’s Standing General Order. But it sure seems like Morrison is directing the agency’s ire at Waymo.

A previous TechCrunch investigation found that Waymo — which operates the largest robotaxi fleet in the United States, with vehicles in cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco — has had repeated run-ins with first responders. And just this week, San Francisco supervisor Bilal Mahmood said he plans to submit a letter of inquiry to examine how autonomous vehicles affected public transit services and emergency responders following a July 4 fireworks show that resulted in massive gridlock. Local news outlets reported that numerous Waymo robotaxis had to be towed after running out of power during the lengthy traffic jam.


Morrison’s letter has gravitas. But will there be substantive consequences for AV developers? It’s hard to tell at this point. For now, the NHTSA has demanded companies present the agency with “solutions” by the end of the month.

One more news item from the feds. Take a look at the new 2026 Regulatory Plan and Unified Agenda, which was updated last week. It contains a long list of proposed changes to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) requirements, which govern vehicle design and equipment requirements. These proposed changes could help autonomous vehicle companies like Tesla and Zoox, which are developing vehicles without steering wheels, pedals, or other features required on human-driven cars.

A little bird

Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my Signal at kkorosec.07, or email Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com.

Deals!

Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

We usually focus on venture deals, but this week I wanted to highlight Rivian and the sale of 86.25 million Class A common shares priced at .50 each (that includes an added 11.25 million in additional shares that underwriters opted to buy).







In all, Rivian said it expects to raise .32 billion in new capital. The raise comes at a notable time for the EV maker. The company started delivering its new R2 SUV last month and recently raised its sales forecast for 2026. The company said it now expects to deliver between 65,000 and 70,000 vehicles after outperforming its own expectations in the second quarter due to robust growth quarter-over-quarter in EDV and R1, coupled with the introduction of R2 deliveries. 

The company didn’t explain the reason for the raise. But as a reminder, Rivian is not yet profitable and scaling up production of the R2 — or any vehicle for that matter — isn’t cheap!

Other deals that got my attention …

Bidbus, a Los Angeles-based startup that built a digital marketplace where multiple dealers can bid on a car, raised  million in a Series A funding round led by Ibex Investors. Mucker Capital, FJ Labs, Motley Fool Ventures, Data Point Capital, Walter Ventures, and the Car Dealership Guy’s Yossi Levi also participated.

Lyft said it plans to acquire Serveo’s bike-share business in Spain. Terms weren’t disclosed, but the ride-hailing company said it is expected to close this year.

TaiSan, a U.K. battery startup, raised £4.65 million in a seed funding round co-led by Eos Advisory and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II. InnoEnergy, AFI Ventures, EverQuest Capital Partners, Exergon, Heartfelt Ventures, Adeline Arts & Science, Techmind, angel investor François Badelon, and matched funding from Innovate UK also participated.

Notable reads and other tidbits

Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

AssuranceAmerica, a U.S. insurance provider, confirmed a data breach that affected the personal information and driver’s license numbers of 6.9 million people, making it the largest known spill of Americans’ driver’s license information this year.

Beta Technologies, the electric vehicle takeoff and landing developer, completed operational flights conducted under the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration’s new eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. The flights covered about 275 nautical miles covering Virginia and Maryland. 







Longtime followers of Tesla will remember the heady days when Elon Musk battled various short sellers of the company’s stock. Musk is more polarizing than ever, and one exchange-traded fund creator has found a way to tap into that negative sentiment with two new anti-Elon exchange-traded funds. 

GM brand Chevrolet built an all-American EV truck. Senior reporter Tim De Chant asks, Why is nobody buying it? 

Manna Aero, the Ireland-based autonomous drone delivery startup, is scaling up in the United States with a factory and operations center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that it says will employ 1,000 in the next few years. 

Slate Auto teamed up with Crayola to offer its EV truck and SUV customers vehicle wraps in five crayon colors. (Reminder: The basic Slate EV vehicle isn’t painted. Instead, it comes in a gray composite material that can be customized with a vehicle wrap. The company has hundreds of options to choose from.)

One more thing …

TechCrunch podcast Build Mode just launched its third season, and it’s a banger. Build Mode is hosted by Isabelle Johannessen, who heads TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield program. Unlike Equity — the TC podcast I co-host along with Anthony Ha and Sean O’Kane — Build Mode is designed to help early-stage founders. 

The new season kicks off with Precursor Ventures founder and managing partner Charles Hudson, who talks about what early-stage founders need to know before raising their first institutional round.

Check it out: The new rules of early-stage fundraising with Charles Hudson.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.#TechCrunch #Mobility #robotaxi #ultimatum #TechCrunchElon Musk,Uber,Waymo,Rivian,robotaxi,techcrunch mobility
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my Signal at kkorosec.07, or email Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com.

Deals!

money the station
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

We usually focus on venture deals, but this week I wanted to highlight Rivian and the sale of 86.25 million Class A common shares priced at $15.50 each (that includes an added 11.25 million in additional shares that underwriters opted to buy).

In all, Rivian said it expects to raise $1.32 billion in new capital. The raise comes at a notable time for the EV maker. The company started delivering its new R2 SUV last month and recently raised its sales forecast for 2026. The company said it now expects to deliver between 65,000 and 70,000 vehicles after outperforming its own expectations in the second quarter due to robust growth quarter-over-quarter in EDV and R1, coupled with the introduction of R2 deliveries. 

The company didn’t explain the reason for the raise. But as a reminder, Rivian is not yet profitable and scaling up production of the R2 — or any vehicle for that matter — isn’t cheap!

Other deals that got my attention …

Bidbus, a Los Angeles-based startup that built a digital marketplace where multiple dealers can bid on a car, raised $15 million in a Series A funding round led by Ibex Investors. Mucker Capital, FJ Labs, Motley Fool Ventures, Data Point Capital, Walter Ventures, and the Car Dealership Guy’s Yossi Levi also participated.

Lyft said it plans to acquire Serveo’s bike-share business in Spain. Terms weren’t disclosed, but the ride-hailing company said it is expected to close this year.

TaiSan, a U.K. battery startup, raised £4.65 million in a seed funding round co-led by Eos Advisory and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II. InnoEnergy, AFI Ventures, EverQuest Capital Partners, Exergon, Heartfelt Ventures, Adeline Arts & Science, Techmind, angel investor François Badelon, and matched funding from Innovate UK also participated.

Notable reads and other tidbits

Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

AssuranceAmerica, a U.S. insurance provider, confirmed a data breach that affected the personal information and driver’s license numbers of 6.9 million people, making it the largest known spill of Americans’ driver’s license information this year.

Beta Technologies, the electric vehicle takeoff and landing developer, completed operational flights conducted under the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration’s new eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. The flights covered about 275 nautical miles covering Virginia and Maryland. 

Longtime followers of Tesla will remember the heady days when Elon Musk battled various short sellers of the company’s stock. Musk is more polarizing than ever, and one exchange-traded fund creator has found a way to tap into that negative sentiment with two new anti-Elon exchange-traded funds

GM brand Chevrolet built an all-American EV truck. Senior reporter Tim De Chant asks, Why is nobody buying it

Manna Aero, the Ireland-based autonomous drone delivery startup, is scaling up in the United States with a factory and operations center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that it says will employ 1,000 in the next few years. 

Slate Auto teamed up with Crayola to offer its EV truck and SUV customers vehicle wraps in five crayon colors. (Reminder: The basic Slate EV vehicle isn’t painted. Instead, it comes in a gray composite material that can be customized with a vehicle wrap. The company has hundreds of options to choose from.)

One more thing …

TechCrunch podcast Build Mode just launched its third season, and it’s a banger. Build Mode is hosted by Isabelle Johannessen, who heads TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield program. Unlike Equity — the TC podcast I co-host along with Anthony Ha and Sean O’Kane — Build Mode is designed to help early-stage founders. 

The new season kicks off with Precursor Ventures founder and managing partner Charles Hudson, who talks about what early-stage founders need to know before raising their first institutional round.

Check it out: The new rules of early-stage fundraising with Charles Hudson.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

#TechCrunch #Mobility #robotaxi #ultimatum #TechCrunchElon Musk,Uber,Waymo,Rivian,robotaxi,techcrunch mobility">TechCrunch Mobility: A robotaxi ultimatum | TechCrunch

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, how AI is playing a part. To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility!

I am back from vacation. What did I miss? Turns out, quite a lot — including the end of the Uber-Waymo partnership in Phoenix. Uber and Waymo still have robotaxi service partnerships in Atlanta and Austin. The question is not if, but when will these agreements end? But that isn’t the most intriguing question, in my opinion. I am far more intrigued by how these two companies will behave once the remaining partnerships end. 

There is already tension with Uber executives taking not-so-subtle shots at Waymo. I expect that once the partnerships end, these thinly veiled barbs will be replaced with more direct action. One battleground will be policy, specifically markets where robotaxi companies are angling to get access. 

This week, we saw another interesting development in the autonomous vehicle industry on the federal stage. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a directive to autonomous vehicle developers, stating that it is unacceptable for their vehicles to interfere with first responders or law enforcement.

The money quote: “Let me be clear: the inability to detect and appropriately respond to such situations represents a functional insufficiency. Emergency scenes are not rare or extreme ‘edge cases.’ As such, NHTSA is today issuing a call to action for AV developers and operators to immediately focus their resources on fixing this issue.”

Morrison’s letter never calls out any one robotaxi company and it was sent to every AV developer listed in the Department of Transportation’s Standing General Order. But it sure seems like Morrison is directing the agency’s ire at Waymo.

A previous TechCrunch investigation found that Waymo — which operates the largest robotaxi fleet in the United States, with vehicles in cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco — has had repeated run-ins with first responders. And just this week, San Francisco supervisor Bilal Mahmood said he plans to submit a letter of inquiry to examine how autonomous vehicles affected public transit services and emergency responders following a July 4 fireworks show that resulted in massive gridlock. Local news outlets reported that numerous Waymo robotaxis had to be towed after running out of power during the lengthy traffic jam.

Morrison’s letter has gravitas. But will there be substantive consequences for AV developers? It’s hard to tell at this point. For now, the NHTSA has demanded companies present the agency with “solutions” by the end of the month.

One more news item from the feds. Take a look at the new 2026 Regulatory Plan and Unified Agenda, which was updated last week. It contains a long list of proposed changes to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) requirements, which govern vehicle design and equipment requirements. These proposed changes could help autonomous vehicle companies like Tesla and Zoox, which are developing vehicles without steering wheels, pedals, or other features required on human-driven cars.

A little bird

TechCrunch Mobility: A robotaxi ultimatum | TechCrunch
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, how AI is playing a part. To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility!

I am back from vacation. What did I miss? Turns out, quite a lot — including the end of the Uber-Waymo partnership in Phoenix. Uber and Waymo still have robotaxi service partnerships in Atlanta and Austin. The question is not if, but when will these agreements end? But that isn’t the most intriguing question, in my opinion. I am far more intrigued by how these two companies will behave once the remaining partnerships end. 







There is already tension with Uber executives taking not-so-subtle shots at Waymo. I expect that once the partnerships end, these thinly veiled barbs will be replaced with more direct action. One battleground will be policy, specifically markets where robotaxi companies are angling to get access. 

This week, we saw another interesting development in the autonomous vehicle industry on the federal stage. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a directive to autonomous vehicle developers, stating that it is unacceptable for their vehicles to interfere with first responders or law enforcement.

The money quote: “Let me be clear: the inability to detect and appropriately respond to such situations represents a functional insufficiency. Emergency scenes are not rare or extreme ‘edge cases.’ As such, NHTSA is today issuing a call to action for AV developers and operators to immediately focus their resources on fixing this issue.”

Morrison’s letter never calls out any one robotaxi company and it was sent to every AV developer listed in the Department of Transportation’s Standing General Order. But it sure seems like Morrison is directing the agency’s ire at Waymo.

A previous TechCrunch investigation found that Waymo — which operates the largest robotaxi fleet in the United States, with vehicles in cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco — has had repeated run-ins with first responders. And just this week, San Francisco supervisor Bilal Mahmood said he plans to submit a letter of inquiry to examine how autonomous vehicles affected public transit services and emergency responders following a July 4 fireworks show that resulted in massive gridlock. Local news outlets reported that numerous Waymo robotaxis had to be towed after running out of power during the lengthy traffic jam.


Morrison’s letter has gravitas. But will there be substantive consequences for AV developers? It’s hard to tell at this point. For now, the NHTSA has demanded companies present the agency with “solutions” by the end of the month.

One more news item from the feds. Take a look at the new 2026 Regulatory Plan and Unified Agenda, which was updated last week. It contains a long list of proposed changes to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) requirements, which govern vehicle design and equipment requirements. These proposed changes could help autonomous vehicle companies like Tesla and Zoox, which are developing vehicles without steering wheels, pedals, or other features required on human-driven cars.

A little bird

Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my Signal at kkorosec.07, or email Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com.

Deals!

Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

We usually focus on venture deals, but this week I wanted to highlight Rivian and the sale of 86.25 million Class A common shares priced at .50 each (that includes an added 11.25 million in additional shares that underwriters opted to buy).







In all, Rivian said it expects to raise .32 billion in new capital. The raise comes at a notable time for the EV maker. The company started delivering its new R2 SUV last month and recently raised its sales forecast for 2026. The company said it now expects to deliver between 65,000 and 70,000 vehicles after outperforming its own expectations in the second quarter due to robust growth quarter-over-quarter in EDV and R1, coupled with the introduction of R2 deliveries. 

The company didn’t explain the reason for the raise. But as a reminder, Rivian is not yet profitable and scaling up production of the R2 — or any vehicle for that matter — isn’t cheap!

Other deals that got my attention …

Bidbus, a Los Angeles-based startup that built a digital marketplace where multiple dealers can bid on a car, raised  million in a Series A funding round led by Ibex Investors. Mucker Capital, FJ Labs, Motley Fool Ventures, Data Point Capital, Walter Ventures, and the Car Dealership Guy’s Yossi Levi also participated.

Lyft said it plans to acquire Serveo’s bike-share business in Spain. Terms weren’t disclosed, but the ride-hailing company said it is expected to close this year.

TaiSan, a U.K. battery startup, raised £4.65 million in a seed funding round co-led by Eos Advisory and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II. InnoEnergy, AFI Ventures, EverQuest Capital Partners, Exergon, Heartfelt Ventures, Adeline Arts & Science, Techmind, angel investor François Badelon, and matched funding from Innovate UK also participated.

Notable reads and other tidbits

Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

AssuranceAmerica, a U.S. insurance provider, confirmed a data breach that affected the personal information and driver’s license numbers of 6.9 million people, making it the largest known spill of Americans’ driver’s license information this year.

Beta Technologies, the electric vehicle takeoff and landing developer, completed operational flights conducted under the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration’s new eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. The flights covered about 275 nautical miles covering Virginia and Maryland. 







Longtime followers of Tesla will remember the heady days when Elon Musk battled various short sellers of the company’s stock. Musk is more polarizing than ever, and one exchange-traded fund creator has found a way to tap into that negative sentiment with two new anti-Elon exchange-traded funds. 

GM brand Chevrolet built an all-American EV truck. Senior reporter Tim De Chant asks, Why is nobody buying it? 

Manna Aero, the Ireland-based autonomous drone delivery startup, is scaling up in the United States with a factory and operations center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that it says will employ 1,000 in the next few years. 

Slate Auto teamed up with Crayola to offer its EV truck and SUV customers vehicle wraps in five crayon colors. (Reminder: The basic Slate EV vehicle isn’t painted. Instead, it comes in a gray composite material that can be customized with a vehicle wrap. The company has hundreds of options to choose from.)

One more thing …

TechCrunch podcast Build Mode just launched its third season, and it’s a banger. Build Mode is hosted by Isabelle Johannessen, who heads TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield program. Unlike Equity — the TC podcast I co-host along with Anthony Ha and Sean O’Kane — Build Mode is designed to help early-stage founders. 

The new season kicks off with Precursor Ventures founder and managing partner Charles Hudson, who talks about what early-stage founders need to know before raising their first institutional round.

Check it out: The new rules of early-stage fundraising with Charles Hudson.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.#TechCrunch #Mobility #robotaxi #ultimatum #TechCrunchElon Musk,Uber,Waymo,Rivian,robotaxi,techcrunch mobility
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my Signal at kkorosec.07, or email Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com.

Deals!

money the station
Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

We usually focus on venture deals, but this week I wanted to highlight Rivian and the sale of 86.25 million Class A common shares priced at $15.50 each (that includes an added 11.25 million in additional shares that underwriters opted to buy).

In all, Rivian said it expects to raise $1.32 billion in new capital. The raise comes at a notable time for the EV maker. The company started delivering its new R2 SUV last month and recently raised its sales forecast for 2026. The company said it now expects to deliver between 65,000 and 70,000 vehicles after outperforming its own expectations in the second quarter due to robust growth quarter-over-quarter in EDV and R1, coupled with the introduction of R2 deliveries. 

The company didn’t explain the reason for the raise. But as a reminder, Rivian is not yet profitable and scaling up production of the R2 — or any vehicle for that matter — isn’t cheap!

Other deals that got my attention …

Bidbus, a Los Angeles-based startup that built a digital marketplace where multiple dealers can bid on a car, raised $15 million in a Series A funding round led by Ibex Investors. Mucker Capital, FJ Labs, Motley Fool Ventures, Data Point Capital, Walter Ventures, and the Car Dealership Guy’s Yossi Levi also participated.

Lyft said it plans to acquire Serveo’s bike-share business in Spain. Terms weren’t disclosed, but the ride-hailing company said it is expected to close this year.

TaiSan, a U.K. battery startup, raised £4.65 million in a seed funding round co-led by Eos Advisory and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II. InnoEnergy, AFI Ventures, EverQuest Capital Partners, Exergon, Heartfelt Ventures, Adeline Arts & Science, Techmind, angel investor François Badelon, and matched funding from Innovate UK also participated.

Notable reads and other tidbits

Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

AssuranceAmerica, a U.S. insurance provider, confirmed a data breach that affected the personal information and driver’s license numbers of 6.9 million people, making it the largest known spill of Americans’ driver’s license information this year.

Beta Technologies, the electric vehicle takeoff and landing developer, completed operational flights conducted under the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration’s new eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. The flights covered about 275 nautical miles covering Virginia and Maryland. 

Longtime followers of Tesla will remember the heady days when Elon Musk battled various short sellers of the company’s stock. Musk is more polarizing than ever, and one exchange-traded fund creator has found a way to tap into that negative sentiment with two new anti-Elon exchange-traded funds

GM brand Chevrolet built an all-American EV truck. Senior reporter Tim De Chant asks, Why is nobody buying it

Manna Aero, the Ireland-based autonomous drone delivery startup, is scaling up in the United States with a factory and operations center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that it says will employ 1,000 in the next few years. 

Slate Auto teamed up with Crayola to offer its EV truck and SUV customers vehicle wraps in five crayon colors. (Reminder: The basic Slate EV vehicle isn’t painted. Instead, it comes in a gray composite material that can be customized with a vehicle wrap. The company has hundreds of options to choose from.)

One more thing …

TechCrunch podcast Build Mode just launched its third season, and it’s a banger. Build Mode is hosted by Isabelle Johannessen, who heads TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield program. Unlike Equity — the TC podcast I co-host along with Anthony Ha and Sean O’Kane — Build Mode is designed to help early-stage founders. 

The new season kicks off with Precursor Ventures founder and managing partner Charles Hudson, who talks about what early-stage founders need to know before raising their first institutional round.

Check it out: The new rules of early-stage fundraising with Charles Hudson.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

#TechCrunch #Mobility #robotaxi #ultimatum #TechCrunchElon Musk,Uber,Waymo,Rivian,robotaxi,techcrunch mobility
Noise REP Band Features and Specifications
Noise REP Band Launched in India With Health Insights and No Subscription
	
Noise has added another device to its range of wearables with the launch of the REP Band, its first product in the screenless wearables category. The device provides comprehensive health tracking and insights through the NoiseFit app, with no subscription fees. Pre-bookings can be made for Rs. 9,999, and the device claims up to 10 days of battery life.



Noise REP Band Features and Specifications







The Noise REP Band is designed for those who want health-monitoring features on their wearable device without being distracted by a display screen. The screenless technology makes the wearable device look minimalist, and the stainless steel body makes it very durable. The device weighs only 27g; thus, it is very light to wear for extended periods. Its woven band, one-handed clasp, 10-day battery life, and 5ATM water resistance make it perfect for everyday use.



The wearable continuously tracks key health metrics, including heart rate, blood oxygen, stress, sleep, respiratory rate, recovery score, and VO2 Max. However, instead of providing raw numbers, the NoiseFit app transforms the information above into AI-driven daily health insights. Since these insights do not require a subscription, users can access all app features at no additional cost.



Noise has also considered tracking accuracy. The optical sensor has been tuned for different skin tones to deliver accurate readings. The 6-axis motion sensor detects any movement, including running, walking, cycling, rowing, and elliptical training. The REP Band can connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth on Android and iOS. It can also connect via Bluetooth to Android and iOS smartphones.



Noise REP Band Price in India, Availability



The Noise REP Band is available for pre-booking in India at an introductory price of Rs. 9,999. Users can pick the REP Band in Vivid Orange, Navy Blue, Classic Black, or Sand Beige. Buyers can reserve the wearable through the Noise website, Amazon, and Flipkart. The company has not yet confirmed its regular pricing or sale date.

#Noise #REP #Band #Launched #India #Health #Insights #SubscriptionNoise

The Noise REP Band is designed for those who want health-monitoring features on their wearable device without being distracted by a display screen. The screenless technology makes the wearable device look minimalist, and the stainless steel body makes it very durable. The device weighs only 27g; thus, it is very light to wear for extended periods. Its woven band, one-handed clasp, 10-day battery life, and 5ATM water resistance make it perfect for everyday use.

The wearable continuously tracks key health metrics, including heart rate, blood oxygen, stress, sleep, respiratory rate, recovery score, and VO2 Max. However, instead of providing raw numbers, the NoiseFit app transforms the information above into AI-driven daily health insights. Since these insights do not require a subscription, users can access all app features at no additional cost.

Noise has also considered tracking accuracy. The optical sensor has been tuned for different skin tones to deliver accurate readings. The 6-axis motion sensor detects any movement, including running, walking, cycling, rowing, and elliptical training. The REP Band can connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth on Android and iOS. It can also connect via Bluetooth to Android and iOS smartphones.

Noise REP Band Price in India, Availability

The Noise REP Band is available for pre-booking in India at an introductory price of Rs. 9,999. Users can pick the REP Band in Vivid Orange, Navy Blue, Classic Black, or Sand Beige. Buyers can reserve the wearable through the Noise website, Amazon, and Flipkart. The company has not yet confirmed its regular pricing or sale date.

#Noise #REP #Band #Launched #India #Health #Insights #SubscriptionNoise">Noise REP Band Launched in India With Health Insights and No Subscription
	
Noise has added another device to its range of wearables with the launch of the REP Band, its first product in the screenless wearables category. The device provides comprehensive health tracking and insights through the NoiseFit app, with no subscription fees. Pre-bookings can be made for Rs. 9,999, and the device claims up to 10 days of battery life.



Noise REP Band Features and Specifications







The Noise REP Band is designed for those who want health-monitoring features on their wearable device without being distracted by a display screen. The screenless technology makes the wearable device look minimalist, and the stainless steel body makes it very durable. The device weighs only 27g; thus, it is very light to wear for extended periods. Its woven band, one-handed clasp, 10-day battery life, and 5ATM water resistance make it perfect for everyday use.



The wearable continuously tracks key health metrics, including heart rate, blood oxygen, stress, sleep, respiratory rate, recovery score, and VO2 Max. However, instead of providing raw numbers, the NoiseFit app transforms the information above into AI-driven daily health insights. Since these insights do not require a subscription, users can access all app features at no additional cost.



Noise has also considered tracking accuracy. The optical sensor has been tuned for different skin tones to deliver accurate readings. The 6-axis motion sensor detects any movement, including running, walking, cycling, rowing, and elliptical training. The REP Band can connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth on Android and iOS. It can also connect via Bluetooth to Android and iOS smartphones.



Noise REP Band Price in India, Availability



The Noise REP Band is available for pre-booking in India at an introductory price of Rs. 9,999. Users can pick the REP Band in Vivid Orange, Navy Blue, Classic Black, or Sand Beige. Buyers can reserve the wearable through the Noise website, Amazon, and Flipkart. The company has not yet confirmed its regular pricing or sale date.

#Noise #REP #Band #Launched #India #Health #Insights #SubscriptionNoise

Noise website, Amazon, and Flipkart. The company has not yet confirmed its regular pricing or sale date.

#Noise #REP #Band #Launched #India #Health #Insights #SubscriptionNoise">Noise REP Band Launched in India With Health Insights and No Subscription

Noise has added another device to its range of wearables with the launch of the REP Band, its first product in the screenless wearables category. The device provides comprehensive health tracking and insights through the NoiseFit app, with no subscription fees. Pre-bookings can be made for Rs. 9,999, and the device claims up to 10 days of battery life.

Noise REP Band Features and Specifications

Noise REP Band Launched in India With Health Insights and No Subscription
	
Noise has added another device to its range of wearables with the launch of the REP Band, its first product in the screenless wearables category. The device provides comprehensive health tracking and insights through the NoiseFit app, with no subscription fees. Pre-bookings can be made for Rs. 9,999, and the device claims up to 10 days of battery life.



Noise REP Band Features and Specifications







The Noise REP Band is designed for those who want health-monitoring features on their wearable device without being distracted by a display screen. The screenless technology makes the wearable device look minimalist, and the stainless steel body makes it very durable. The device weighs only 27g; thus, it is very light to wear for extended periods. Its woven band, one-handed clasp, 10-day battery life, and 5ATM water resistance make it perfect for everyday use.



The wearable continuously tracks key health metrics, including heart rate, blood oxygen, stress, sleep, respiratory rate, recovery score, and VO2 Max. However, instead of providing raw numbers, the NoiseFit app transforms the information above into AI-driven daily health insights. Since these insights do not require a subscription, users can access all app features at no additional cost.



Noise has also considered tracking accuracy. The optical sensor has been tuned for different skin tones to deliver accurate readings. The 6-axis motion sensor detects any movement, including running, walking, cycling, rowing, and elliptical training. The REP Band can connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth on Android and iOS. It can also connect via Bluetooth to Android and iOS smartphones.



Noise REP Band Price in India, Availability



The Noise REP Band is available for pre-booking in India at an introductory price of Rs. 9,999. Users can pick the REP Band in Vivid Orange, Navy Blue, Classic Black, or Sand Beige. Buyers can reserve the wearable through the Noise website, Amazon, and Flipkart. The company has not yet confirmed its regular pricing or sale date.

#Noise #REP #Band #Launched #India #Health #Insights #SubscriptionNoise

The Noise REP Band is designed for those who want health-monitoring features on their wearable device without being distracted by a display screen. The screenless technology makes the wearable device look minimalist, and the stainless steel body makes it very durable. The device weighs only 27g; thus, it is very light to wear for extended periods. Its woven band, one-handed clasp, 10-day battery life, and 5ATM water resistance make it perfect for everyday use.

The wearable continuously tracks key health metrics, including heart rate, blood oxygen, stress, sleep, respiratory rate, recovery score, and VO2 Max. However, instead of providing raw numbers, the NoiseFit app transforms the information above into AI-driven daily health insights. Since these insights do not require a subscription, users can access all app features at no additional cost.

Noise has also considered tracking accuracy. The optical sensor has been tuned for different skin tones to deliver accurate readings. The 6-axis motion sensor detects any movement, including running, walking, cycling, rowing, and elliptical training. The REP Band can connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth on Android and iOS. It can also connect via Bluetooth to Android and iOS smartphones.

Noise REP Band Price in India, Availability

The Noise REP Band is available for pre-booking in India at an introductory price of Rs. 9,999. Users can pick the REP Band in Vivid Orange, Navy Blue, Classic Black, or Sand Beige. Buyers can reserve the wearable through the Noise website, Amazon, and Flipkart. The company has not yet confirmed its regular pricing or sale date.

#Noise #REP #Band #Launched #India #Health #Insights #SubscriptionNoise

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