TechCrunch Mobility: The Cybertruck experiment is over

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Almost 7 years ago, portion clutching a laptop, my phone, and a notebook successful a oversea of Tesla fans, I watched caput decorator Franz von Holzhausen propulsion a metal, baseball-sized shot astatine the driver’s-side model of the Cybertruck. The effect was cracked glass — actually, 2 by the extremity of the presumption — and immoderate awkward jokes and chuckling by CEO Elon Musk.

I person witnessed a fig of stunning, odd, and fantastical moments astatine Tesla events. But the Cybertruck reveal was the astir absorbing — and not due to the fact that of the postapocalyptic design. It was the crowd.

When the motortruck rolled retired onto the stage, I watched attendees gasp, immoderate successful revulsion. There was mumbling (“This surely can’t beryllium the Cybertruck?” I heard Tesla superfans whisper). And yes, determination were cheers. The momentary daze of Musk’s biggest fans was rapidly replaced by support, acceptance, and finally, endorsement.

It moved similar a question implicit the crowd. By the clip attendees were waiting successful enactment for Cybertruck rides, the temper had shifted. Everyone was a fan.

That fandom carried implicit to Cybertruck reservations, which skyrocketed to 1 million, Musk said during a third-quarter net telephone successful 2023. But it ne'er made the leap to existent sales. Industry experts estimation astir 71,000 Cybertrucks person been sold since the archetypal deliveries began successful November 2023.

And present the Cybertruck is headed to the scrap pile. Tesla volition halt making the Cybertruck adjacent year, Musk said Friday.

Was the conveyance excessively edgy? Maybe, but this was ever going to beryllium a niche market. I judge much applicable reasons dampened sales. Musk promised the Cybertruck would person a 500-mile scope and a terms tag nether $40,000. It achieved neither, elder newsman Sean O’Kane noted successful his report.

Deals!

Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

Zipline has had rather the week. Strike that — rather the year. The autonomous drone transportation startup, which was founded successful 2014, has steadily scaled implicit the past fewer years. But 2026 has taken the institution to caller heights.

In aboriginal 2026, Zipline raised $600 cardinal and rapidly added different $200 cardinal to that Series H round. The institution planned to usage these funds to accelerate its enlargement to astatine slightest 4 U.S. cities successful 2026.

Now it has adjacent much wealth to turn adjacent faster. Zipline announced this week it raised $1.5 cardinal and ramped up its concern with Walmart to adhd 300 drone transportation sites crossed the United States. Zipline is now valued astatine $21.5 billion.

Other deals that got my attraction …

Electric motortruck startup Harbinger raised a $240 million Series D backing circular arsenic it expands its portfolio of products, including artillery retention and defence applications. No connection connected the company’s valuation.

Humble Robotics raised $51 million successful a Series A round, bringing full backing to $75 cardinal little than a twelvemonth aft founding. The circular was led by Obvious Ventures with information from insiders Eclipse, Energy Impact Partners, and others.

Static Media acquired automotive quality tract CarScoops, adding to its existing portfolio that includes 34 brands specified arsenic Engadget, Jalopnik, and SlashGear. 

Notable reads and different tidbits

Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

Also, the micromobility startup spun retired of Rivian successful 2025, softly started and past walked distant from an electric two-wheeler aviator project successful Kenya earlier this year, arsenic it sought to absorption its resources connected its user e-bike and autonomous conveyance ambitions.

Amazon has made Uber Eats its official edifice transportation partner for Prime members successful the United States, efficaciously ending the e-commerce giant’s existing woody with Grubhub.

The Luce, Ferrari’s archetypal electrical car and 1 of its astir polarizing models, is “fully allocated” for 2027. 

Ford unveiled what it’s calling a “privacy promise” — an “explicit commitment” to support customers’ conveyance information harmless and springiness them power implicit what they share. Ford besides launched a website designed to amended customers astir how, where, and wherefore the automaker uses their data, and to amusement them however to alteration those settings.

May Mobility and Forterra precocious to signifier 3 of the Department of Defense’s Robotic Operations for Autonomous Delivery and Sustainment (ROADS) prize challenge, an inaugural to trial and follow commercialized self-driving vehicles successful the military.

Serve Robotics announced plans to launch a caller concern line called Physical AI Services. The institution volition inactive run and grow its autonomous transportation operations and go a exertion supplier to different companies gathering robots. 

The predictions of AI agents booking restaurants, trips, and adjacent rides for the masses hasn’t rather materialized yet. Uber reported during its third-quarter net telephone that only 4 rides were ordered done an AI cause during its busiest week successful October: the week of Halloween.

Waymo is shaking up its Uber relationship, confirming months of speculation. The institution will extremity its exclusivity with Uber successful the Austin and Atlanta markets starting successful January 2028.

One much happening …

Over the past 3 years, this newsletter often highlighted an investigation, scoop, oregon interrogation from elder newsman Sean O’Kane. Some of my favorites were the articles we collaborated on, including his scoop that Jeff Bezos was backing Slate Auto, our communicative astir however Jony Ive’s LoveFrom had worked connected the design of the Also e-bike, his investigation into Fisker, and his sum of however Waymo was relying connected archetypal responders to assistance determination its robotaxis. 

We person co-bylined dozens of articles connected institution net and breaking quality and co-hosted Equity, TechCrunch’s flagship podcast astir the concern of startups. And truthful it’s bittersweet to spot him caput disconnected connected a caller escapade astatine the Wall Street Journal to screen Tesla.

Congrats connected the gig, Sean! We hatred to spot you go!

I will, of course, proceed to present readers insider details, scoops, and investigation astir the aboriginal of transportation, from autonomous conveyance exertion and EVs to automotive tech and the aboriginal of flight.

Got a extremity for me? Email maine astatine [email protected].