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Just a few days have passed since the start of a new Trump administration, and already we’re seeing a deluge of executive actions, policies, and even pardons. Some of these may have significant implications in the realm of transportation.
To clarify, executive orders can often serve more as political expressions than solid legislative actions and can sometimes clash with established constitutional laws. Nonetheless, they provide insights into the priorities of the individual in the Oval Office.
It’s evident that President Trump has little interest in promoting EV incentives—any kind of them.
On the first day of his second term, Trump signed a series of executive orders directing all government agencies to halt the disbursement of funds from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. He specifically highlighted the suspension of funding related to EV charging infrastructure, particularly from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program. Notably, Tesla, which is under the leadership of Trump’s associate Elon Musk, has reaped the benefits from these initiatives.
We’ll continue to monitor this situation closely and bring you updates on the companies most likely to be affected.
A little bird
Ah, Canoo! What potential you had. Unfortunately, Canoo has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and has ceased all operations. We’ll be keeping track of the developments as the case proceeds through bankruptcy court.
Here’s a tidbit you might not be aware of: shortly before Canoo’s downfall, the company shut down its Los Angeles headquarters. Several insiders have informed us that in the months leading up to the bankruptcy filing, numerous employees relocated from California to the company’s offices in Oklahoma and Texas, ultimately leaving them unemployed in unfamiliar territory.
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Deals!
Talk about clinching a deal at the last minute.
Rivian and the Department of Energy (DOE) secured a $6.6 billion loan that was first announced in November, just days before Trump’s inauguration. This funding will assist in the construction of Rivian’s planned factory in Georgia, situated east of Atlanta, with construction set to commence in 2026. The first R2 SUVs are anticipated to roll off the assembly line by 2028.
This loan is a part of the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) program, which is well-known for providing Tesla with a $465 million lifeline back in 2009.
Other transactions that caught my eye include:
Ati Motors, an Indian autonomous robotics startup, has raised $20 million in an all-equity Series B funding round, co-led by Walden Catalyst Ventures and NGP Capital, along with support from existing investors like True Ventures, Exfinity Venture Partners, Athera Venture Partners, and Blume Ventures.
Lyteflo, a Canadian EV software sales startup, obtained $3 million in seed funding led by Diagram, with contributions from Whitecap Venture Partners and Amplify Capital.
Metafuels, a Swiss aviation fuel startup, raised $9 million in a round led by Celsius Industries, with participation from new investors RockCreek, Fortescue Ventures, and Verve Ventures, as well as existing backers Energy Impact Partners and Contrarian Ventures.
Moment Energy, a startup focused on repurposing EV batteries, secured $15 million in a Series A funding round co-led by Amazon Climate Pledge Fund and Voyager Ventures. Other participants included In-Q-Tel (IQT), Version One Ventures, Overture Ventures, WovenEarth Ventures, Fika Ventures, MCJ, One Small Planet, and Climate Capital.
Netradyne, a company that offers AI-enabled dashcams for fleet management, has raised $90 million in a Series D funding round at a pre-money valuation of $1.35 billion. The round was led by Point72 Private Investments, with involvement from Qualcomm Ventures and Pavilion Capital.
Voltpost, a company focused on lamppost EV charging, has secured $2.6 million in grant funding from the U.S. Joint Office of Energy and the Communities Taking Charge Accelerator for the deployment of 75 chargers in the tri-state area — New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut.
Notable reads and other tidbits
ADAS
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation has “upgraded” its probe into Ford’s hands-free driver-assistance system, known as BlueCruise—an essential step prior to the issuance of a recall.
Autonomous vehicles
Torc Robotics, a subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, is shutting down its original testing site in Albuquerque and tech center in Stuttgart while expanding in other locations. The company is developing an autonomous truck hub in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, specifically in the Hillwood AllianceTexas development. They announced that the Texas location will serve as a center for autonomous testing, freight pilot programs, and future commercialization set for 2027.
Electric vehicles, charging, & batteries
UBCO, a New Zealand electric motorcycle startup, has entered receivership. The startup had recently secured a deal with Australia Post to supply a new fleet of customized electric motorbikes, but it has now halted all operations due to funding shortfalls.
In-car tech
The Federal Trade Commission has proposed an order to prevent GM—along with its subscription-based in-vehicle safety and security service known as OnStar—from selling consumer data to reporting agencies for a period of five years. This proposal follows allegations that GM collected, utilized, and sold precise geolocation and driving behavior data from millions of vehicles without obtaining proper consent from the drivers.
In a separate incident, two security researchers discovered a method to remotely access, start, and track millions of Subarus. Fortunately, Subaru has since resolved these vulnerabilities.
Space and future of flight
While it may not seem directly related to transportation, space stories occasionally warrant inclusion due to overlaps with the industry. For instance, the Federal Aviation Administration recently had to “briefly” halt and reroute several aircraft over Puerto Rico, as debris was spotted falling following the explosion of SpaceX’s Starship during its test flight last Thursday.
In other news related to the skies, Amazon has paused its drone delivery testing after a crash involving two of its models.
This week’s wheels
During my time in Las Vegas for CES 2025, I came across a social media update from Lucid. The electric vehicle manufacturer was offering rides in its brand-new Lucid Gravity SUV at the event.
I spent approximately an hour in the Lucid Gravity SUV, which just commenced production last month. An extensive review will be published soon, but here’s a preview: Lucid excels in its interior design. It’s spacious, luxurious, and incorporates many thoughtful elements that showcase the company’s evolution. It appears that Lucid is entering a new phase of growth.
One curious aspect I noted was that while standing outside the vehicle, it didn’t strike me as particularly SUV-like or even large. Nevertheless, once I entered this third-row EV, the generous space became immediately apparent. More details to follow!
What’s “This week’s wheels”? It’s a segment where we showcase different transportation products we’re testing, whether they be electric or hybrid vehicles, e-bikes, or even autonomous rides.
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