Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, the role AI is playing in it. To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! TechCrunch covered a couple of stories this week that illustrate the countervailing forces at play
Tesla’s fledgling “Robotaxi” network drove fewer miles for paying customers in the second quarter than in the first, according to a chart the company released Wednesday. The quarter-over-quarter decline runs counter to Tesla’s rhetoric and actions over the past year. Tesla has staked much of its future on the idea of a massive, low-cost, cash-generating
US regulators will begin developing new requirements for automakers to ensure drivers and passengers can exit their vehicles safely. The new rulemaking process, outlined in a regulatory filing and first reported by Bloomberg, follows a series of incidents, including some fatal, in which people were trapped inside cars with flush, electronically actuated door handles, like
Tesla no longer plans to reach “volume production” of three of its newest products (the Cybercab, the Tesla Semi and its Megapack 3 commercial energy storage solution) in 2026, according to a second-quarter shareholder letter released Wednesday. The company also removed language from its first-quarter letter about its Optimus robot reaching “volume production.” The company
Tesla has brought an unspecified number of its unattended Model Y SUVs to Orlando and Tampa, just one day before the company’s scheduled second-quarter earnings call. This is the third Florida city where Tesla is testing its fledgling robotaxi service, following a small launch in Miami a few weeks ago. The two new cities appear
Rumors that Elon Musk could combine Tesla and SpaceX are growing, and investors want answers. Shareholders turned to a Tesla investor online forum to submit questions to executives ahead of the company’s second-quarter earnings and clamor for more details on a rumored merger with SpaceX. “Will SpaceX merge with Tesla?” asked one retail investor, in