{"id":662516,"date":"2025-04-13T16:10:17","date_gmt":"2025-04-13T13:10:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/techcrunch-mobility-jeff-bezos-backs-a-secretive-ev-startup-and-lucid-snaps-up-nikolas-assets\/"},"modified":"2025-04-13T16:10:17","modified_gmt":"2025-04-13T13:10:17","slug":"techcrunch-mobility-jeff-bezos-backs-a-secretive-ev-startup-and-lucid-snaps-up-nikolas-assets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/techcrunch-mobility-jeff-bezos-backs-a-secretive-ev-startup-and-lucid-snaps-up-nikolas-assets\/","title":{"rendered":"TechCrunch Mobility: Jeff Bezos backs a secretive EV startup and Lucid snaps up Nikola\u2019s assets\u00a0"},"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-6a27d528e0dad\" 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-6a27d528e0dad\" 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-jeff-bezos-backs-a-secretive-ev-startup-and-lucid-snaps-up-nikolas-assets\/#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-jeff-bezos-backs-a-secretive-ev-startup-and-lucid-snaps-up-nikolas-assets\/#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-jeff-bezos-backs-a-secretive-ev-startup-and-lucid-snaps-up-nikolas-assets\/#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-jeff-bezos-backs-a-secretive-ev-startup-and-lucid-snaps-up-nikolas-assets\/#ADAS\" >ADAS<\/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-jeff-bezos-backs-a-secretive-ev-startup-and-lucid-snaps-up-nikolas-assets\/#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-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/techcrunch-mobility-jeff-bezos-backs-a-secretive-ev-startup-and-lucid-snaps-up-nikolas-assets\/#Electric_vehicles_charging_batteries\" >Electric vehicles, charging, &amp; batteries<\/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\">Tariffs, tariffs, tariffs. If there is one certainty in this uncertain moment, it\u2019s this: U.S. tariff policy is likely to change again. As of Friday morning, there is a 90-day pause on \u201creciprocal\u201d tariffs placed on most countries. However, 10% base tariffs remain and President Trump has ratcheted up tariffs against China to about 145%.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives slashed his price targets for <strong><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>le <\/strong>and <strong>Tesla<\/strong> because tariffs threaten to disrupt both businesses.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, they\u2019re hardly the only U.S. companies expected to feel the pain \u2014 and then decide whether to pass that along to customers. The pause on higher tariffs placed on goods imported from Mexico and Canada provides relief to the transportation sector. However, the sector, particularly any EV companies using LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries, are highly exposed thanks to the outsized tariffs placed on China imports.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019ll be following the tariffs issue closely, the effects of which won\u2019t bear out for months.\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 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\">Nearly a year ago, a little bird gave us a tip that sparked a months-long hunt for more information about a secretive EV startup called <strong>Slate Auto<\/strong>. And boy, did we discover a lot. Senior reporter <strong>Sean O\u2019Kane<\/strong> has all of the details in this story, including that Jeff Bezos is backing the company, along with other high-profile backers like\u00a0Mark Walter, the controlling owner of the LA Dodgers and CEO of Guggenheim Partners, and Thomas Tull, who is a lead investor of Re:Build Manufacturing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But there is so much more, including Slate\u2019s origin story and its business model, as well as a second story that confirms a recent spy shot of its first product, an EV pickup truck.\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 apps 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 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, I have to admit I did not see this deal coming. I\u2019m talking about <strong>Lucid Motors<\/strong> buying up some of <strong>Nikola<\/strong>\u2019s assets out of bankruptcy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, Nikola founder and former CEO Trevor Milton, who was convicted of securities fraud and recently pardoned by President Trump, wanted those assets. Milton was met with a frosty reception. But Lucid was the winner, after committing around $30 million in cash and non-cash considerations in exchange for the factory, Nikola\u2019s lease on its Phoenix headquarters, and \u201ccertain machinery, equipment and inventory,\u201d according to a filing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Other deals that got my attention \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Ayan Capital<\/strong>, which provides halal vehicle financing serving private hire and business drivers seeking halal alternatives to purchasing low-carbon emission cars, raised \u00a325 million ($32.6 million) in <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/news\/ayan-capital-secures-25m-expand-125625599.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sharia-compliant financing<\/a> from institutional debt provider Partners for Growth.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nowos<\/strong>, a European lithium-ion battery repair and maintenance startup, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/zagdaily.com\/trends\/nowos-secures-e6-million-to-scale-battery-repair-across-europe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">raised \u20ac6 million<\/a> in a round led by impact venture fund Shift4Good, with participation from Dutch investors Fair Capital Impact Fund and Goeie Grutten Impact Fund. An additional \u20ac3 million in debt financing is currently being raised.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nuro<\/strong>, the California-based autonomous vehicle startup, secured $106 million 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> E round. The raise, which was a down round, brings Nuro\u2019s total funding raised to $2.2 billion and its valuation to $6 billion. That\u2019s a drop from the $8.6 billion post-money valuation Nuro secured after its $600 million Series D in 2021. Backers in this round are mostly existing institutional investors, including T. Rowe Price Associates, Fidelity Management &amp; Research Company, Tiger Global Management, Greylock Partners, and XN LP \u2014 as well as strategic partners.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Parallel Systems<\/strong>, which is developing autonomous, electric freight <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a>, raised a $38 million Series B round led by Anthos Capital with participation from Collaborative Fund, Congruent Ventures, and Riot Ventures, among others.<\/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 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-adas\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"ADAS\"><\/span>ADAS<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Elon Musk<\/strong>\u2019s Department of Government Efficiency has made cuts at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that \u201cdisproportionately affected\u201d employees working on vehicle automation safety.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nissan <\/strong>plans to use automated driving software developed by <strong>Wayve<\/strong> to beef up its advanced driver-assistance system starting in 2027.<\/p>\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> is preparing to use data from its robotaxis, including video from interior cameras tied to rider identities, to train generative AI models, according to an unreleased version of its privacy policy found by researcher Jane Manchun Wong.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, a Waymo robotaxi in Santa Monica caused a traffic jam at a Chick-fil-A after getting stuck at the entrance of the drive-through.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Zoox<\/strong> is deploying a small fleet of retrofitted test vehicles on the streets of Los Angeles.<\/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>Canoo<\/strong> CEO <strong>Anthony Aquila<\/strong> can buy the bankrupt EV startup\u2019s assets, a judge ruled this week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Elon Musk<\/strong>\u2019s political activities, which have fueled global Tesla Takedown protests, are affecting the company\u2019s sales. Used Tesla listings have skyrocketed. And other brands, which still lag far behind Tesla in total sales, are seeing an uptick. For instance, <strong>Polestar<\/strong> sales jumped in Q1 on discounts like its \u201cTesla conquest\u201d bonus.\u00a0<\/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\/04\/11\/techcrunch-mobility-jeff-bezos-backs-a-secretive-ev-startup-and-lucid-snaps-up-nikolas-assets\/\" 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! Tariffs, tariffs, tariffs. If there is one certainty in this uncertain moment, it\u2019s this: U.S. tariff policy is likely to change again. As of Friday morning, there&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":662517,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/bezos-slate-lede-image.jpg?resize=1200,800","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[39394,71631,152623,73295,152624],"class_list":["post-662516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-elon-musk","tag-jeff-bezos","tag-techcrunch-mobility","tag-transportation","tag-waymo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/662516","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=662516"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/662516\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/662517"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=662516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=662516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=662516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}