We’re back from Austin, having concluded what I think was truly our best Urban Autonomy Summit yet. For those who haven’t been to ATX lately, it’s a bit mind-boggling just how all-in on AVs the city has gone. Without exaggeration, it felt like every other vehicle in the urban core was a Waymo, Avride, Zoox or bright gold Cybercab. And while our event’s conversations got deep into the details on robotaxi and autonomous truck scaling, I was most struck by my conversation with Rachel Castignoli, the city’s head regulator for autonomous vehicles.
In general, Austin has taken a very “can do” approach to governmental approvals, and you see this in everything from how long it takes to pull power from its city-owned utility, to how quickly they approve new housing permits, to how they’re trying to constructively work with AV operators, as they seek ensure that deployments help further the city’s own equity and transportation safety goals.
You can dive into that conversation on our YouTube channel. And for a full breakdown of the day’s conversations, do check out Harry’s coverage over at The Driverless Digest. Or better yet, enjoy our recordings from all three panel conversations:
Building the AV Ecosystem
Hub City: Robotaxis’ Electric Infrastructure
From Long Haul to Last Mile: AVs Take on New Form Factors
HOT INDUSTRY NEWS & GOSSIP
Cue the Randy Newman music… In the Valley, LA Metro has officially broken ground on the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project, serving a dense mix of apartments and offices, nowhere near downtown (polycentrism FTW!) The line between “streetcar” and “light rail” is always a blurry one, but I don’t love that this train has zero grade separations, meaning travel time improvements, as compared to dedicated bus lanes, are slim. Despite that, construction costs still work out to a whopping $113k per foot, thanks in part to having to reroute a major sewer line and other underground utilities. The line intersects with the G Line (see photo) and two commuter rail lines; once the Sepulveda Pass line is also built, this section will likely be the first corridor in the country with newly constructed four-track local and express service in nearly three-quarters of a century. And down in the South Bay, infrastructure improvements will allow for more frequent K Line service and transportation upgrades around Inglewood.
For sale: Cybercab, never worn: Tesla execs are saying that the Cybercab, its gold, two-seater robotaxi, will be sold to consumers by year’s end. Owners — TBD whether those are meant to be individuals or large fleet operators — can then perhaps put the cars to work on Tesla’s ridehailing network. The company hasn’t released details of the model’s economics, and the vehicle is still being investigated by the NHTSA to ensure it meets safety standards. Speaking of “self-driving” Teslas, one just hit a highway patrol office because the human in the driver’s seat was sleeping while using FSD. (I’ve literally had Tesla employees brag to me that they engage in this exact same behavior — don’t fucking do this!)
Quer conversar sobre startups do mobilidade? Join our fund, MobilityVC, as we convene our latest MobilityCafe in Lisbon, on Thursday the 29th. Whether you’re a local, or also in town for Fleet Europe, our get-togethers are always a great group of investors and entrepreneurs driving the mobility and automotive sectors forward. Apply to attend — space is limited.
Carsharing is hard: Kia just launched a new carsharing operation, making its eye-catching PV5 electric van available in the suburbs of Seoul. Vehicles feature teleoperations, powered by SUM and Mobiops, with remote drivers delivering the vans to app users.
Speaking of AV fleet ownership… Oro Mobility, the AV fleet owner and maintainer majority owned by Hertz, just raised $80M from Cohen Private Ventures, Certares Opportunities and Knighthead Capital Management. One thing that’s a bit fun about the AV space is how many variables — who owns the fleets, who maintains the fleets, who controls the land where the fleets stage, etc — are still very much undecided.
Basically building a subway to Shenzhen… Hong Kong’s MTR is making a $5B bet on a neighborhood that barely exists: it will borrow heavily to build 17 kilometers of rail through the planned Northern Metropolis, then wait years for nearby property developments to pay off. The gamble reverses MTR’s famously successful “rail-plus-property” formula — instead opting for tracks now, profits later — just as high interest rates, a shaky housing market and a history of cost overruns threaten to turn Hong Kong’s grand new tech and housing hub into an expensive leap of faith.
What’s in the box? Mapbox just launched a number of slick new integrations, putting their highly customized maps into new and divergent screens. For BMW, Neue Klasse vehicles will feature 3D live maps with ADAS integration, while DoorDash consumers and couriers alike can tap into improved routing and navigation.
Roll back, zip forward: Walmart is doubling down on Zipline, while Zipline is going all-in on Charlotte, NC. The Bentonville Big Boxer and the drone deliverer are deepening their partnership, serving seven additional North Carolina stores, en route to covering 270+ locations by late 2027. Read my earlier deep dive on why drone cos are so big on Charlotte.
Modern Delivery, quick hits: Avride launches delivery bots on Wonder in Jersey City, Hoboken, Arlington County and Philly. DoorDash maps “crash out” spots. Regional grocer Big Y launches Instacart kiosks. Olo looks to challenge delivery fees with new consumer-facing app. Knight-Swift sees Q3 profit surge. Container dwell time inches upward at Ports of LA/LB. Shipt adds Sally Beauty. Toyota hits new hydrogen truck fueling milestones.
Events to attend: Our friends at LACI BATWorks are hosting the Climate Scaling Summit, Nov. 9th in Brooklyn, NY. RSVP for free. Point One to host Fuse, a physical AI summit, Nov. 19th in San Francisco. RSVP with FUSEJB30% to save 30%.
A few good links: Even arrests won’t stop LA activists from painting “illegal” crosswalks. 307-mile NorCal rail trail sparks consternation amongst regional tribes. Paris plops down €200M in new cycling improvements. Mancunians get their hands on Uber + Pony AI AVs. Mana Battery raises $10.2M for anode-free, sodium-ion batteries. With new EVs competitively priced and old battery health not well known, China’s used EVs see residual values plummet. Lyft ups driver fuel rewards. With $5B in new debt funding, Waymo looks to quadruple fleet. Gridwise releases Q2 AV Impact Report. Cannondale closing CT HQ as owner Pon Holdings consolidates US ops in California. Boston contemplates congestion pricing. Manila looks to privatize MRT line. Restaurants have positive spillover effects on nearby retailers. CAHSR finalizes EIR for LA to OC segment, likely removing intermediate stops. Explore the growth (and plans) for the expansion of India’s metros, proving you don’t need to be China to build tons of new infrastructure. For sale: two trolley stations in the Cleveland suburbs. GreenPower, Nikola accused of defrauding CA Clean Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project. You win some, you lose some: LA breaks ground on BRT / enhanced bus lanes on Vermont Blvd, while the LAX APM is seemingly delayed yet again due to nasty-looking “blast instance” damage on its tracks.
See you next week!
- Jonah Bliss & The Curbivore Crew