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Greetings to both regular and new subscribers, and welcome to The Station, a newsletter covering the current and developing methods for moving people and goods from one location to another.

Let’s begin.

Before we proceed, it’s worth noting the recent Tesla earnings report, which, as is typical, included a number of new commitments, product announcements, and projected schedules. Among these was a steering wheel inspired by the iconic Knight Rider television show, featured in the “Plaid” Model X.

This steering wheel, lacking traditional stalks, is not ideal (and I’ll state that directly). It has already drawn the scrutiny of federal safety authorities.

While these yokes are commonly found in racing vehicles, the steering ratios differ significantly between race cars and standard passenger vehicles.

I am not alone in considering this a questionable and potentially unsafe design.

Tim Stevens of CNET’s Roadshow, with extensive experience in the automotive industry, points out that a race car may require only 180 degrees of rotation to turn fully from one side to the other, whereas a typical passenger car requires 900 degrees of rotation for a complete turn.

This distinction is important because everyday driving often necessitates repositioning your hands on the steering wheel during maneuvers like U-turns. A circular steering wheel facilitates this easily, while this alternative shape can make the process awkward and increase the risk of errors.

It remains to be seen whether Tesla has modified the steering ratio. However, a higher steering ratio could introduce additional challenges. You can find Stevens’ full analysis here.

Lucid Motors responded by subtly criticizing Tesla with a tweet displaying an image of the Lucid Air steering wheel accompanied by the following message: “Experience control: The textured metal controls and capacitive touch sensors offer intuitive operation of #LucidAir DreamDrive ADAS features. It’s also visually appealing, as well.”

Alright, let’s move forward!

Feel free to reach out to me at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com with any thoughts, feedback, opinions, or suggestions. You can also send a direct message to me on Twitter — @kirstenkorosec.

Micromobbin’

Following a period of relative calm, there has been a surge of news within the micromobility sector. This increase in activity may be connected to the recent three-day Micromobility World event.

First, Spin has unveiled a three-wheeled scooter developed in collaboration with Segway-Ninebot and the software company Tortoise (the scooter is shown below). A key feature of this scooter is the addition of a third wheel, designed to enhance stability and ease of use – qualities that are crucial for micromobility companies seeking to broaden their customer base.

Known as the Spin S-200, this scooter also incorporates repositioning software that enables remote operators, even those located far away, to move vehicles from sidewalks into designated parking areas. Approximately 300 Spin S-200 scooters will undergo testing in Boise, Idaho, this spring. However, the company’s ambitions extend far beyond this initial trial. Spin intends to deploy remotely operated scooters in cities across North America and Europe in 2021.

In other news, Lime is expanding its service offerings to include electric mopeds. Lime CEO Wayne Ting previously indicated late last year that a “third mode” of transportation, beyond scooters and bikes, was planned for release in the first quarter of 2021.

This addition can be interpreted in different ways, depending on one’s outlook on Lime’s prospects. Is it a strategic move to satisfy investors and generate new income? Or is it a deliberate, long-term plan to dominate the landscape of urban transportation, catering to trips ranging from quick errands to longer journeys of up to five miles?

It appears this initiative has been in development for some time, but was postponed due to the impact of COVID.

Lime is planning to introduce up to 600 electric mopeds on its platform this spring in Washington, D.C. The company is also collaborating with city officials to pilot the mopeds in Paris. The mopeds will eventually become available in a “handful of cities” over the coming months.

Here’s another noteworthy development …

Voi Technology, a European micromobility provider, is seeking permission to operate in New York City. The company’s primary advantage? It has created an electric scooter capable of measuring air quality while navigating urban environments.

The Voiager 4 (V4) is engineered to help reduce traffic congestion and emissions, while also assisting cities in gathering data on environmental improvements, according to the company. This scooter, scheduled for release this spring, will also feature antimicrobial handlebars, audible alerts for pedestrians, and Near Field Communication technology allowing users to unlock it with a tap of their smartphone or smartwatch.

Deal of the Week

Sila Nanotechnologies secured $590 million in funding through traditional means – investments from institutional sources and venture capital firms. (Another special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, wasn’t selected as this week’s featured deal.)

Sila Nanotechnologies is a Silicon Valley-based company focused on battery materials, having dedicated nearly ten years to creating technology that increases energy density while reducing battery costs.

As battery demand continues to rise, automotive manufacturers are actively seeking advanced technologies to gain a competitive advantage. Sila Nano may provide the solution these automakers need. The company, established by a former Tesla employee, Gene Berdichevsky, has already established partnerships with Amperex Technology Limited, as well as BMW and Daimler. 

Valued at $3.3 billion following this funding round, Sila Nano intends to use the capital to add 100 employees this year and begin construction of a North American manufacturing facility. This facility will be capable of producing 100 gigawatt-hours of silicon-based anode material, a key component in batteries for both smartphones and electric vehicles. Sila Nano anticipates starting production at the plant in 2024, with materials appearing in electric vehicles by 2025, though the factory’s location remains undisclosed.

The Series F funding round was spearheaded by Coatue, with substantial contributions from funds and accounts managed by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. Existing investors, including 8VC, Bessemer Venture Partners, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, and Sutter Hill Ventures, also participated.

Other deals that caught my attention …

AUTO1, a German-based used car marketplace, has set its initial public offering share price between €32 and €38, aiming to raise a minimum of €1.5 billion ($1.83 billion), as reported by Reuters.

Faraday Future, the electric vehicle company that has faced numerous challenges during its existence, has secured funding through a merger with Property Solutions Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company. The resulting entity is valued at $3.4 billion. A quote from Jordan Vogel, chairman and co-CEO of Property Solutions, featured in a Bloomberg article, addressed a question I had.

“We have thoroughly investigated the company’s history and can confirm there are no hidden issues,” he stated. “We have dedicated a significant amount of time to this due diligence.”

Freewire Technologies, a company specializing in electric vehicle charging and power solutions, raised $50 million in a Series C funding round. Riverstone Holdings led the round, with participation from existing investors bp ventures, Energy Innovation Capital, TRIREC, and Alumni Ventures Group. The company plans to utilize these funds to increase production of its Boost Charger and accelerate its expansion into international markets.

Starship Technologies, a startup focused on autonomous delivery robots, has raised $17 million. Despite some difficulties, the company has expanded its robot fleet fivefold since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic across its European and North American operating areas. Starship now operates a fleet of 1,000 autonomous delivery robots.

Following publication, I learned of an additional development: Lex Bayer, the company’s CEO and a former sales executive from Airbnb who assumed the role in 2018, has departed from Starship. Ahti Heinla, Starship Technologies’ co-founder and CTO, is currently serving as interim CEO while the company searches for a permanent leader, according to a company spokesperson.

Wheels Up, a jet charter service, is reportedly in discussions to become a publicly traded company through a merger with special purpose acquisition company Aspirational Consumer Lifestyle Corp, as reported by Reuters.

Wingcopter, a German drone technology company, secured $22 million in a Series A funding round led by Silicon Valley venture capital firm Xplorer Capital, alongside German growth fund Futury Regio Growth. As noted by TechCrunch’s Darrell Etherington, the company has made significant progress since its founding in 2017. Over the past four years, Wingcopter has designed, constructed, and tested its heavy-lift cargo delivery drone, combining the benefits of vertical take-off and landing with the efficiency of fixed-wing aircraft for longer-distance flights.

Zadar Labs, an early-stage company developing high-resolution, low-cost imaging radars for autonomous systems, raised $5.6 million in seed funding. The round was led by Tim Kentley Klay – the same Tim Kentley Klay who co-founded Zoox, was later removed as CEO, and has since launched a new autonomous vehicle startup called HYPR. Additional investors include Leslie Ventures, Jeff Rothschild, Plug and Play, and Mentors Fund.

GM charts its EV future

General Motors isn’t the sole corporation to declare an intention to reach carbon neutrality by a future date. However, GM’s recent announcement stands apart from typical sustainability statements.

Frankly, I find it surprising that this news didn’t garner greater coverage, likely overshadowed by the events surrounding Robinhood and GameStop.

Essentially, GM has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2040, a target it intends to meet by eliminating emissions from both its products and worldwide operations, alongside utilizing carbon credits or carbon capture technologies to neutralize remaining emissions.

Furthermore, the company has pledged to manufacture exclusively electric vehicles by 2035 – a timeframe of only 14 years. Considering the automotive industry’s development cycles, this represents a remarkably short period, potentially encompassing just two or three complete vehicle redesigns.

During conversations with GM representatives, terms like “hope” and “aspire” were used. Nevertheless, when directly questioned, the company affirmed that this is a genuine objective.

Shifting away from a product lineup currently centered on internal combustion engine vehicles will require significant change, as a GM spokesperson explained to TechCrunch, emphasizing the importance of supporting employees throughout this evolution.

The term “transition” seems to understate the magnitude of the undertaking required to realize such an ambitious goal. While new electric vehicles are in development, and GM plans to invest $27 billion in electric and autonomous vehicle technology over the next five years – a 35% increase exceeding its investment in traditional gasoline and diesel engines – the company’s current offerings are predominantly powered by those conventional fuels.

It’s clear that GM presently operates as a manufacturer of gas and diesel vehicles.

The key questions remain: Will existing vehicle models be discontinued or converted to electric power? How rapidly can GM adapt its extensive manufacturing facilities to align with its “all-electric” vision? And how will its employees react to these changes?

Numerous uncertainties lie ahead, but I am confident in predicting that the coming decade will be a period of substantial transformation for GM.

AutoX’s next big move in China

I was considering AutoX’s current activities when their recent announcement came to my attention. This Chinese autonomous vehicle firm, which has simultaneously been refining and evaluating its technology within the United States, has launched its robotaxi trial program for public use in Shenzhen. These robotaxis are available for on-demand rides and operate without a human safety driver present.

This represents a significant achievement for both the company and the nation. AutoX has stated that this is the initial instance of the Chinese public being able to reserve a fully autonomous robotaxi service that doesn’t require a safety driver to be onboard. After completing registration, users can schedule rides via AutoNavi, the mapping and ride-hailing application belonging to Alibaba, which is also an investor in the startup.

You may remember that AutoX inaugurated an 80,000-square-foot Robotaxi Operations Center in Shanghai in April 2020, building on a 2019 agreement with local government officials to deploy 100 self-driving vehicles in the Jiading District. The vehicles utilized in this fleet were manufactured at a facility located approximately 93 miles from Shanghai.

The Shanghai operations center signaled a broadening of AutoX’s goals, which have continued to grow over the last year.

AutoX has now established a robotaxi operations center in Shenzhen to facilitate this latest driverless initiative. The company reports that this new facility incorporates more sophisticated capabilities than its earlier operations centers constructed in Shanghai.