{"id":659411,"date":"2025-03-29T11:10:27","date_gmt":"2025-03-29T08:10:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/techcrunch-mobility-inside-the-rivian-skunkworks-program-and-trumps-gift-to-tesla\/"},"modified":"2025-03-29T11:10:27","modified_gmt":"2025-03-29T08:10:27","slug":"techcrunch-mobility-inside-the-rivian-skunkworks-program-and-trumps-gift-to-tesla","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/techcrunch-mobility-inside-the-rivian-skunkworks-program-and-trumps-gift-to-tesla\/","title":{"rendered":"TechCrunch Mobility: Inside the Rivian skunkworks program, and Trump\u2019s gift to Tesla"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a299d74a26ee\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a299d74a26ee\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/techcrunch-mobility-inside-the-rivian-skunkworks-program-and-trumps-gift-to-tesla\/#A_little_bird\" >A little bird<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/techcrunch-mobility-inside-the-rivian-skunkworks-program-and-trumps-gift-to-tesla\/#Deals\" >Deals!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/techcrunch-mobility-inside-the-rivian-skunkworks-program-and-trumps-gift-to-tesla\/#Notable_reads_and_other_tidbits\" >Notable reads and other tidbits<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/techcrunch-mobility-inside-the-rivian-skunkworks-program-and-trumps-gift-to-tesla\/#Autonomous_vehicles\" >Autonomous vehicles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/techcrunch-mobility-inside-the-rivian-skunkworks-program-and-trumps-gift-to-tesla\/#Electric_vehicles_charging_batteries\" >Electric vehicles, charging, &amp; batteries<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/techcrunch-mobility-inside-the-rivian-skunkworks-program-and-trumps-gift-to-tesla\/#In-car_tech\" >In-car tech<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<p id=\"speakable-summary\" class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Welcome back to <strong>TechCrunch Mobility<\/strong> \u2014 your central hub for <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free \u2014 just click TechCrunch Mobility!<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before we jump into the transportation news of the week, it\u2019s worth pointing you to a couple of articles that are focused on <strong>Elon Musk<\/strong>, the CEO and largest shareholder of Tesla and the founder of several other companies, including SpaceX and Neuralink.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You might recall an investigation the team here at TechCrunch published in February on the people in Elon Musk\u2019s DOGE universe. The article, which continues to be updated, focused on those working for the <strong>Department of Government Efficiency<\/strong>, an entity established via President Trump\u2019s executive order. A new report, by another team here at TechCrunch, focuses on the founders and VCs working with DOGE. Check it out!<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking of Musk, his close ally <strong>Trump<\/strong> has placed 25% tariffs on all cars imported to the United States, including those from Mexico and Canada. He\u2019s also placed a 25% tariff on certain parts used to build cars. As reporter Sean O\u2019Kane notes, it\u2019s a decision that will likely supercharge the cost of new and used cars, but it\u2019s also a gift to Tesla, the company run by Musk, his biggest financial supporter in the presidential election.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And finally, in other am-I-in-a-simulation news, <strong>Trevor Milton<\/strong>, the founder of bankrupt hydrogen trucking startup Nikola who was convicted of fraud, has been pardoned by Trump, the White House confirmed to TechCrunch. Tidbit: We waited for hours and hours before the White House would confirm.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">OK, onward with the rest of the news of the week.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-little-bird\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_little_bird\"><\/span>A little bird<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/blinky-cat-bird-green.gif?w=680\" alt=\"blinky cat bird green\" class=\"wp-image-1896211\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"wp-block-image__credits\"><strong>Image Credits:<\/strong>Bryce Durbin<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A little bird recently told us that<strong> Lucid<\/strong> is eyeing partnerships as a way to reach higher levels of autonomy, particularly with the new Gravity SUV. Could we see a partnership with Mobileye or some other unlikely automated driving <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> provider?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at <\/em><em>kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com<\/em><em> or my Signal at kkorosec.07, Sean O\u2019Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com, or Rebecca Bellan at rebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com.<\/em> <em>Or check out <\/em><em>these instructions<\/em><em> to learn how to contact us via encrypted messaging <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>s or SecureDrop.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-deals\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Deals\"><\/span>Deals!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"256\" src=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png?w=680\" alt=\"money the station\" class=\"wp-image-1896226\" srcset=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png 1024w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png?resize=150,38 150w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png?resize=300,75 300w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png?resize=768,192 768w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png?resize=680,170 680w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png?resize=430,108 430w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png?resize=720,180 720w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png?resize=900,225 900w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png?resize=800,200 800w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png?resize=668,167 668w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/money-the-station.png?resize=708,177 708w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"wp-block-image__credits\"><strong>Image Credits:<\/strong>Bryce Durbin<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Welp, here is a deal that is not transportation related, but very much deserves some attention.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>TechCrunch<\/strong> was acquired by private investment firm Regent. No financial terms were disclosed, but our soon-to-be previous owner Yahoo Holdings is maintaining a small share of ownership. The acquisition, which has yet to close, comes just a few days after Regent bought Foundry, the publisher home to tech publications like PCWorld, Macworld, InfoWorld, and CIO.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Other deals that got my attention \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>BetterFleet<\/strong>, the Michigan-based company that developed EV charging fleet management software, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globenewswire.com\/news-release\/2025\/03\/18\/3044615\/0\/en\/BetterFleet-Lands-15M-to-Accelerate-Global-Adoption-of-Breakthrough-AI-Enabled-EV-Charging-Management-for-Fleets.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">raised $15 million<\/a> in a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Series<\/a> A funding round led by Aligned Climate Capital, Ecosystem Integrity Fund (EIF), and Remarkable Ventures Climate (RVC).<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The Bot Company<\/strong>, the robotics startup founded by former Cruise co-founder and CEO <strong>Kyle Vogt<\/strong>, has raised $150 million in a round led by Greenoaks, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/technology\/former-cruise-ceo-vogts-robotics-startup-valued-2-billion-new-funding-sources-2025-03-21\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Reuters<\/a> reported, citing unnamed sources.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>DeCharge<\/strong>, an EV charging infrastructure startup, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DeCharge__\/status\/1905257602289930515\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">raised $2.5 million<\/a> in a round led by Lemniscap. Other investors include Colosseum, Daedalus Angels, EV3 Labs, Echo Fundraiser Chainyoda Jedis, and Levitate Labs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Fleetio<\/strong>, a vehicle fleet software management company, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2025-03-25\/fleetio-to-acquire-auto-integrate-in-1-5-billion-fleet-deal?srnd=phx-deals&amp;embedded-checkout=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">raised $450 million<\/a> in a round co-led by Elephant VC and Goldman Sachs Alternatives. The funds will be used to finance the purchase of maintenance-authorization platform Auto Integrate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Manna<\/strong>, the Dublin-based drone delivery company, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.ie\/business\/technology\/manna-drone-delivery-firm-raises-30m-bringing-total-to-60m\/a1161974177.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">raised $30 million<\/a> in a round led by Tapestry VC and Molten Ventures. Coca-Cola and Dynama Venture also participated.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-notable-reads-and-other-tidbits\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Notable_reads_and_other_tidbits\"><\/span>Notable reads and other tidbits<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"257\" src=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png?w=680\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1926823\" srcset=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png 1024w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png?resize=150,38 150w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png?resize=300,75 300w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png?resize=768,193 768w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png?resize=680,171 680w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png?resize=430,108 430w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png?resize=720,181 720w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png?resize=900,226 900w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png?resize=800,201 800w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png?resize=668,168 668w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/the-station-ride-hailing1.png?resize=708,178 708w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"wp-block-image__credits\"><strong>Image Credits:<\/strong>Bryce Durbin<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-autonomous-vehicles\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Autonomous_vehicles\"><\/span>Autonomous vehicles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Waymo<\/strong> will begin offering robotaxi rides in Washington, D.C., via the Waymo One app in 2026. There is an important catch: Before Waymo can launch commercially, the company will have to up its lobbying <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a> in the capital, where autonomous vehicle permits still require a human behind the wheel, according to reporter Rebecca Bellan.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-electric-vehicles-charging-amp-batteries\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Electric_vehicles_charging_batteries\"><\/span>Electric vehicles, charging, &amp; batteries<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>BYD<\/strong>\u2019s breakthrough EV-charging announcement last week prompted reporter Tim De Chant to find out more. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Cadillac<\/strong> debuted another EV: the Optiq SUV. Contributor Emme Hall got a chance to drive the Optiq and the new Escalade IQ. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Revel<\/strong>, the Brooklyn-based electric vehicle charging infrastructure startup, launched its first fast-charging station in San Francisco.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Rivian<\/strong> operated a skunkworks program for years focused on electric micromobility, founder and CEO <strong>RJ Scaringe<\/strong> told TechCrunch. Now, Rivian is spinning out the startup \u2014 known as Also \u2014 with $105 million in funding from Eclipse Ventures. Rivian has a minority stake in Also and Scaringe will serve on its board. Chris Yu, Rivian\u2019s VP of future programs, will be its president.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-i-n-car-tech\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"In-car_tech\"><\/span><strong>I<\/strong>n-car tech<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Waze has removed Google Assistant from iOS due to ongoing issues. The company plans to introduce an \u201cenhanced voice interaction solution\u201d sometime in the near future as a replacement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/category\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Technology<\/a><\/span> category.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/03\/28\/techcrunch-mobility-inside-the-rivian-skunkworks-program-and-trumps-gift-to-tesla\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility \u2014 your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free \u2014 just click TechCrunch Mobility! Before we jump into the transportation news of the week, it\u2019s worth pointing you to a couple of articles that are focused on Elon Musk, the CEO&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":659412,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/TechCrunch-Disrupt-Haje-Kamps-536.jpg?resize=1200,800","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[39394,152845,152623,73295,27002],"class_list":["post-659411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-elon-musk","tag-rivian","tag-techcrunch-mobility","tag-transportation","tag-trump"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/659411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=659411"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/659411\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/659412"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=659411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=659411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=659411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}