TechCrunch Mobility: bankruptcy takes two | TechCrunch

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The transportation year started with a pair of bankruptcies – Canoo and Nikola – and now ends with two more. Rad Power bikes is coming to an end – or at least bankruptcy. The electric bicycle company has filed for bankruptcy protection, weeks after warning employees it could close without new financing. A spokesperson told TechCrunch that the company will continue to operate while the bankruptcy case is ongoing, and that the company aims to sell the business within 45 to 60 days.

And then there’s the troubled lidar maker shinewhich also filed for bankruptcy this week. Luminar’s bankruptcy doesn’t seem like a “let’s live to see another day” type situation.

The Luminar filing, which came after months of layoffs, departures of top executives and a legal battle with its largest customer, Volvo, shows that the company plans to sell the business. It has already reached a deal to sell its semiconductor subsidiary. While the company will continue to operate during the bankruptcy process to “minimize disruptions to its suppliers and customers,” Luminar will ultimately cease to exist once it is completed, says senior reporter Sean O’Kane reported. Would you like to know more? I recommend reading O’Kane’s piece detailing how Luminar’s doomed Volvo deal helped push the company into bankruptcy.

Even though the year ended with some failures, that doesn’t mean 2025 wasn’t filled with innovation and growth. The emerging robotaxi industry has indeed done just that arose. With that, I see new types of autonomous vehicle-adjacent companies emerging, and I expect this to become a trend in 2026.

The scale of robotaxis was largely determined by Waymos although there is rapid growth Zoo And Tesla have also started setting up a store. Next year we could see these companies really entering the same markets; it will also be the year in which companies will pay even more attention to safety and the way robotaxis fits into everyday life.

Meanwhile, EVs have had their problems this year and automakers have struggled to adapt.

For example, Ford running again. The company said this week it is ending production of the all-electric F-150 Lightning as part of a broader company-wide shake-up that will put more emphasis on hybrids and gas-powered vehicles. As part of its move, Ford is targeting the increasingly popular “extended-range electric vehicle version” of the truck, which adds a gas generator that can charge the battery pack to power the motors for more than 700 miles. The company is also getting into energy storage – we need to do something with all those batteries – and says it’s still committed to producing a mid-size electric truck that will hit the market in 2027.

Anyway, the EV is not dead. And the promise of smaller, more affordable units looms close behind with the impending launch of Rivians R2 and Slate Cars electric truck.

Housekeeping note: This is the last newsletter of the year. The next time you hear from me, I’ll be in Las Vegas for the annual technology trade show known as CES. To go? Reach out.

To everyone: thanks for reading, participating in the polls, and sending emails (yes, even the critical ones). Your voice matters and I want to hear from you. See you in 2026!

A little bird

Reporter Jagmeet Singh, who lives in India, always seems to have birds chirping in his ear about startup deals. The newest one is Spider-likethe Indian online marketplace for used cars.

Spinny is raising about $160 million, money that will be used to acquire GoMechanic, a car services startup. TechCrunch has learned that the Series G round will include a mix of primary and secondary transactions and will value the 10-year-old startup post-money at approximately $1.8 billion.

Do you have a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my signal at kkorosec.07, or email Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com.

Offers!

Bootsetter And Get My Boattwo companies using Airbnb-like business models for boats, agreed to merge.

Cowboy is back – sort of. The Brussels e-bike startup has done that acquired by ReBirth Group Holding, a company that owns Gitane, Peugeot and Solex. The e-bike startup had its buzzy moments, but eventually ran into trouble, including a frame recall. The terms were not disclosed, but apparently they include €15 million ($17.6 million) from existing shareholders.

Nirvana Insurancean insurance technology startup focused on freight transportation, $100 million raised in a Series D financing round led by Valor Equity Partners. Lightspeed and General Catalyst also joined. Former TC reporter Mary Ann Azevedo had the scoop on the new valuation, which now stands at $1.5 billion.

Notable reading and other tidbits

Redwood launched a new patented Battery collection bin designed to encourage consumers to recycle batteries. Launching in San Francisco, the system will safely store, package and monitor hundreds of batteries and battery-containing devices.

Rivaans has added the brand’s ‘Universal Hands-Free’ driving via a software update to its second-generation R1 EVs (I’m not sure I’m a fan of that term ‘universal hands-free’, by the way). This upgrade allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel on 3.5 million miles of roads in the US and Canada (as long as there are visible painted lines). Also in case you missed it this weekend, senior reporter Sean O’Kane took us inside Rivian’s bet on AI-powered self-driving.

Securing America’s future energy has a new CEO. Avery AshSAFE’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Special Initiatives, will become the organization’s next CEO.

Slate Carthe electric truck startup backed by Jeff Bezos said it has collected more than 150,000 refundable reservations for its low-cost EV due in late 2026.

Sterling Anderson has been working at GM six months and already people are talking about him take over as CEO once Maria Barra is retiring. My take: Anderson has big tasks ahead of him, so let’s all wait and see before assuming he’ll get that top spot. GM chairman Mark Reuss is also in the wings.

Tesla has removed its human safety monitors from its robotaxis in Austin. The robotaxi service is limited with a fleet size in the dozens. Still, it is a milestone. And for those wondering, the California Department of Motor Vehicles told me this week that Tesla has not applied for a driverless testing permit. The company is only licensed to test autonomous vehicle technology with a human safety operator behind the wheel.

Meanwhile, Tesla is facing a difficult situation in California. Here’s the gist: An administrative law judge agreed in the case brought by California’s Department of Motor Vehicles, ruling that Tesla engaged in deceptive marketing that gave customers a false impression of the capabilities of its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving driver assistance software. The DMV sought to suspend Tesla’s sales and production licenses in the state for 30 days as punishment for its action, and a judge agreed.

Oh, but wait. The DMV suspended the order and is giving Tesla 60 days to comply. That gives Tesla two options if it wants to keep those licenses: drop the Autopilot name or send software to its cars that makes them autonomous.

One more thing…

Some of you may not know that I also co-host Equitya podcast from TechCrunch about the business operations of startups. I generally co-host our Friday show, which offers commentary and analysis on the week’s news.

Every now and then I interview a founder or VC for the Wednesday show. My latest is an interview with Jiten Behlpartner at Eclipse Ventures and former Chief Growth Officer at Rivian, who thinks we’re entering an era of major reindustrialization in the US – an era in which factories run on AI-powered robots, not cheap foreign labor. Watch the episode here.