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Fifteen years ago, I started writing about a little EV startup that was trying to survive even as others failed in the clean tech boom-and-bust cycle. Back then Tesla had captured the interest of some celebrities and EV enthusiasts — but it was a small circle.
A lot has changed since then, including the profile of its largest shareholder and CEO, Elon Musk. His companies, which include SpaceX, Tesla, X, xAI, Neuralink, and The Boring Company, have multiplied. And he’s using it to find talent to support the Department of Government Efficiency, an entity established via President Trump’s executive order.
I recently put my institutional knowledge to work — covering Musk over all these years, you learn a few things — and teamed up with several TechCrunch editors and reporters. Our task was not just to identify the people working at DOGE, but also to help readers understand their connection to Musk’s universe.
This is a living document — and one we will regularly update as we continue our reporting. Have a tip about DOGE, its workers, or other related topics? Reach out to me at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my Signal at kkorosec.07.
A little bird
Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com, Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com, or Rebecca Bellan at rebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com. Or check out these instructions to learn how to contact us via encrypted messaging apps or SecureDrop.
Deals!
This week’s deals were dimmed by a partnership that ended before it ever really started, a shutdown, a bankruptcy, and one dead IPO.
First up, beleaguered hydrogen-electric truck maker Nikola has finally filed for bankruptcy after failing to raise enough funds to continue operations or find a buyer. It’s been a yearslong battle for the company after it suffered a series of scandals surrounding its founder and former CEO Trevor Milton, who was convicted of securities and wire fraud after making exaggerated claims about the company’s electric truck technology. We all remember that infamous marketing video, right?
Meanwhile, peer-to-peer car-sharing startups had a chaotic week.
Getaround, a San Francisco startup and VC darling turned publicly traded SPAC, shut down its U.S. operations one year after cutting 30% of its North American workforce as part of a restructuring. Getaround said it’s now focused on its European business where it operates in six countries, including Norway, Spain, France, Germany, Belgium, and Austria.
The craziest part of this shutdown was how the company managed it. The board made the decision on February 7 but didn’t alert owners and renters about the closure until February 12. Oh, and their insurance coverage would expire by the end of the day.
Then there was Turo, which has called off its long-awaited IPO. The company publicly filed in January 2022 for an initial public offering, but IPO conditions changed soon afterward. Still, it seemed like Turo might finally IPO in 2025 — until it didn’t.
Other deals that got my attention …
Aurora last week entered into an agreement to sell up to $500 million in stock at an “at-the-market” offering. Aurora said in its Q4 2024 earnings report that it has enough cash to get through initial commercialization in April, but this agreement sets it up to raise cash quickly in the future should it need the funds to scale and get to cash-flow positive.
Fetii, a group ride-share app based in Austin, raised a $7.35 million seed round led by Mark Cuban, with participation from Y Combinator, Goodwater Capital, and others.
The $60 billion mega-merger between Honda and Nissan died. And per Reuters’ sources, pride is partially to blame.
One Equity Partners, a private equity firm, is acquiring Wheeler Fleet Solutions, an aftermarket parts distribution company. Terms were not disclosed.
Saronic, a military drone-boat maker, has raised $600 million in funding at a $4 billion valuation. General Catalyst led the round into the less than three-year-old company.
Notable reads and other tidbits
Autonomous vehicles
Avride’s autonomous sidewalk delivery robots are now delivering orders for Uber Eats customers in Jersey City.
Waymo looks like it might launch a membership program. Some Los Angeles customers got a survey invite that asked them which types of memberships they’d be most likely to choose. When asked, Waymo said it regularly conducts research and experiments to figure out what features, promotions, and experiences riders might like but didn’t share anything else.
Serve Robotics has launched its delivery bots in Miami. The company also expanded its existing partnership with Shake Shack and added another with Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza, so customers in Miami ordering from those restaurants on Uber Eats might have their food delivered by a bot.
Electric vehicles, charging, & batteries
Elon Musk’s political activities — namely his involvement in the Department of Government Efficiency — have turned some consumers against Tesla. Senior reporter Sean O’Kane connected with two people who organized the Tesla Takeover movement, which led to protests at Tesla showrooms in dozens of U.S. cities.
Blue Whale Materials, a lithium-ion battery recycling company, has partnered with Call2Recycle to advance domestic battery recycling and meet the need for domestically sourced battery materials.
Future of flight
Beta Technologies has flown somewhat more under the radar than its competition in the electric aviation industry, but the startup has been quietly growing the business and collecting more piloted flight hours than anyone else under the leadership of its tattooed, enigmatic founder and CEO, Kyle Clark, writes senior reporter Rebecca Bellan.
The Trump administration fired hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration employees who maintain critical air traffic control infrastructure. The firings come as Elon Musk’s SpaceX has been tapped to help create a new air traffic control system.
Micromobility
Lime reported its second consecutive year of being free cash flow positive. The scooter and bike-share company also said its adjusted EBITDA exceeded $140 million for 2024, up from $94 million in 2023. These results are unaudited, so take them with a grain of salt.
Ride-hailing and gig economy
Uber filed a lawsuit against DoorDash, accusing the delivery outfit of stifling competition by intimidating restaurant owners into exclusive deals.
This week’s wheels
We’re back with another edition of This Week’s Wheels, this time with the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5, which ranges in price between $43,975 and $59,575, depending on the trim.
Contributor Emme Hall spent some time behind the wheel of this refreshed all-electric compact SUV and found a lot to love. But there is one literal shortfall, at least for the time being. This EV is equipped with Tesla’s North American Charging Standard port, but Hall discovered that the charging port location didn’t match up with the Tesla Supercharger cord. It simply didn’t reach.
That meant she would need to wait for another Tesla to vacate its space and use that charging cable, essentially taking up two spaces, or use the in-car navigation to find a CCS-equipped charging station and use the adapter that comes with the car.
Not great. But here is what was great — the 2025 model year comes in a new XRT trim that includes a one-inch lift and 29-inch Continental CrossContact ATR tires for better performance in the dirt and over gravel. And this 2025 model year, which also received a few tech upgrades, is still poised on the pavement with well-balanced handling and a comfortable ride.
What is “This week’s wheels”? It’s a chance to learn about the different transportation products we’re testing, whether it’s an electric or hybrid car, an e-bike, or even a ride in an autonomous vehicle.
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