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In the ever-accelerating world of autonomous driving, scarcely a day passes without Waymo unveiling yet another ambitious expansion plan. The company’s geographic reach continues to extend across the United States, touching major metropolitan areas such as Detroit, Las Vegas, Nashville, San Diego, and Washington, D.C. — each representing a rapidly approaching opportunity for citizens to hail a ride in one of Waymo’s self-driving robotaxis. Yet, as I have previously emphasized in this very newsletter, there is a different and, arguably, far more consequential form of “expansion” underway — one not defined by map coordinates, but by the complexity of the driving environment these autonomous systems must master.
That expansion, of course, takes place on the freeways — the vast networks of asphalt and concrete that bind together sprawling metropolitan regions. After years of relentless experimentation, testing, and technological refinement, Waymo’s commercial robotaxi service has successfully transitioned to include freeway operations across critical markets such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. This new capability represents not merely a convenience upgrade, but a foundational milestone in the maturation of Waymo’s technology and its commercial trajectory.
The significance of this step cannot be overstated. Freeways function as the arterial system of modern metro regions — the channels through which daily commuters navigate vast distances, linking suburbs with downtown cores. For Waymo, mastering these high-speed corridors offers an exponential boost in service efficiency and regional coverage. Indeed, by incorporating freeway routes, the company has expanded its operational territory in the Bay Area to approximately 260 square miles, now encompassing both the innovation-dense Silicon Valley and the urban landscape of San Francisco itself.
Operational improvements naturally follow. Autonomous rides that traverse freeways can select faster, more direct routes, with Waymo noting that travel times may be reduced by as much as half under optimal conditions. This dramatic increase in efficiency is not only essential for customer satisfaction but also for the economic viability of large-scale robotaxi deployments. Moreover, freeway usage unlocks critical logistical pathways — for example, enabling point-to-point rides to and from San Francisco International Airport, a high-demand destination that Waymo is currently testing within its developing service zones.
Looking forward, this much-anticipated expansion will coincide with the TechCrunch Mobility event in San Francisco, scheduled for October 13–15, 2026. The convergence of these developments will underscore how infrastructural mastery — particularly freeway competence — could act as the true catalyst for the next commercial leap in autonomous ride services.
Reaching the airport via freeway represents what many consider the ultimate validation of Waymo’s autonomous capabilities — a technical and operational “unlock” that could dramatically increase both consumer appeal and functional scalability. However, as promising as these advances appear, the lingering question remains whether this momentum will translate into sustained profitability. Without visibility into the company’s internal financials, one can only speculate. What seems certain is that the convenience of seamless airport transfers will attract travelers en masse, yet popularity alone does not guarantee favorable balance sheets. Demand must meet disciplined economics — a challenge familiar to all mobility startups pursuing massive-scale operations.
Beyond the headline feature, this edition brings a wealth of other industry intelligence. Readers can explore updates on Einride’s high-profile SPAC merger bid, funding movements involving companies such as Harbinger and Teradar, Via’s first quarterly performance report since going public, and the troubling possibility of an impending closure for Rad Power Bikes. And yes, be sure to scroll further for the results of our latest Tesla poll, capturing readers’ outlook on Elon Musk’s most ambitious production goals.
Turning to corporate transitions, whispers within the industry suggest imminent leadership changes at Lucid Motors. Nearly nine months have elapsed since the sudden resignation of CEO Peter Rawlinson, an event that left the electric luxury automaker temporarily adrift without a permanent chief executive. Now, several informed sources indicate that Lucid has identified a promising external candidate for the top role — unsurprising given that, as reported in August, both the company and its executive search partners had cast an exceptionally wide net, even engaging in cold outreach efforts. Should this appointment materialize, interim leader Marc Winterhoff is expected to resume his prior position as Chief Operating Officer, restoring the company’s original leadership structure.
Readers with insider information or tips are invited to reach out directly to reporters Kirsten Korosec or Sean O’Kane via the provided email or secure channels — a reminder that the pulse of innovation is often first detected through community collaboration.
Meanwhile, the autonomous vehicle investment scene remains dynamic and, to some extent, daring. The Swedish electric and self-driving freight company Einride has announced its intent to go public through a merger with Legato Merger Corp., a special-purpose acquisition vehicle. This comes just weeks after raising $100 million in private capital, underscoring investor appetite for scalable, software-driven logistics solutions. The merger values Einride at $1.8 billion, recognizing both its tangible revenues and its near-term growth potential — characteristics not always present in other mobility firms that have taken the SPAC route. Presently, Einride’s revenue is primarily derived from its software-as-a-service logistics platform and a fleet of roughly 200 heavy-duty electric trucks operated for major clients such as Heineken and PepsiCo, while its distinctive autonomous pod trucks continue limited pilot testing. The transaction is projected to close in the first half of 2026, after which Einride’s ticker will debut on the New York Stock Exchange.
A host of other capital movements further illuminate investor sentiment across the mobility landscape. Forterra, a company focused on developing autonomous technologies for defense, secured a substantial $238 million through a combined equity and debt round, with Moore Strategic Ventures and Crescent Cove leading respective portions. Rapid-delivery pioneer Gopuff brought in another $250 million, though this came at a significantly reduced valuation of $8.5 billion compared with its 2021 peak, as per Bloomberg reports. In Los Angeles, electric truck manufacturer Harbinger gathered $160 million in Series C funding co-led by FedEx — which also placed an order for 53 of Harbinger’s advanced truck chassis as part of the partnership.
Across the Atlantic, Octopus Electric Vehicles significantly expanded its financing capacity through a monumental £2 billion ($2.6 billion) credit line from a consortium of lenders including Lloyds Banking Group, Morgan Stanley, and Credit Agricole. In Boston, sensor startup Teradar closed a $150 million Series B round anchored by investors such as Lockheed Martin’s venture arm and Capricorn Investment Group, focusing on next-generation solid-state sensing technologies. Upway, a Paris-based e-bike refurbishment company, continued its climb with $60 million in new funding from A.P. Moller and others — pushing its cumulative total past $125 million. Finally, Germany’s Vay raised $60 million from Singapore’s Grab to advance its remote vehicle piloting business model, potentially unlocking an additional $350 million contingent upon milestone achievements in the first operational year.
Turning to noteworthy developments and emerging themes, Ford is broadening its BlueCruise hands-free driving system to European highways, marking another milestone in advanced driver assistance technology. Joby Aviation successfully completed a test flight for its turbine-electric hybrid VTOL demonstrator aimed at defense applications. Lyft’s strategic partnership with Curb promises new connectivity between ride-hailing platforms and licensed taxi fleets in major cities. Yet not all mobility headlines inspire optimism: internal communications viewed by TechCrunch indicate that Rad Power Bikes faces potential shutdown early next year absent new funding or acquisition.
Elsewhere in the EV space, Tesla may finally consider integrating Apple CarPlay into its interface — though many debate the necessity — even as its energy storage division navigates an expanded recall of Powerwall 2 units following reported fire incidents. Elon Musk’s other ventures also drew scrutiny: The Boring Company is reportedly under investigation after a safety training exercise in Las Vegas exposed firefighters to hazardous tunneling chemicals. Meanwhile, Toyota has commenced production at its new $13.9 billion battery facility in North Carolina — its first such plant located outside Japan — while also pledging an additional $10 billion in U.S. investments over the next five years.
On the global ridesharing front, Uber has quietly initiated pilot testing of in-app video recording for drivers across India, while rolling out premium seasonal offerings like “Uber Ski,” which allows pre-scheduled transport to over 40 elite mountain destinations in North America and Europe. As for Via, the newly public transit-tech company has released its inaugural quarterly earnings, revealing a $36.9 million loss — a 73% increase year-over-year — alongside an 11% revenue rise to $713 million, signaling both growing demand and persistent scalability challenges.
Finally, in last week’s interactive poll, we asked readers which among Tesla’s long-term product milestones — as delineated in Elon Musk’s trillion-dollar compensation plan — they believed would be achieved by 2035. The results revealed a near tie: 34.7% of respondents foresee Tesla meeting its 20 million vehicle delivery goal, whereas 32% remain skeptical that any of the projected targets will be realized. Far fewer expressed confidence in the feasibility of one million robots, ten million Full Self-Driving subscriptions, or one million active robotaxis within the decade. For those wishing to make their voices heard in future polls, subscribing to the TechCrunch Mobility newsletter ensures continued participation in these thought-provoking discussions about the evolving state of technological mobility.
Sourse: https://techcrunch.com/2025/11/16/techcrunch-mobility-the-robotaxi-expansion-that-really-matters/
