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Over the 13 years reporting on Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, I have watched the rise, fall, near misses, and rise again of the company and its billionaire leader. Musk, known for his willingness to take risks, has admitted how close the company came to filing for bankruptcy before turning it all around.
It was that “us versus them” storyline that helped turn Musk into a symbol of innovation.
His political alignment with President Trump, and more importantly, his activities as the unofficial leader of the Department of Government Efficiency, has changed public perception of Musk. But it’s Tesla that is taking the biggest hit, including a drop in Q1 sales, global Tesla Takedown protests, and a falling stock price. And automakers, which have long trailed Tesla in EV sales, are taking advantage of this opening by offering sweet trade-in deals and other incentives.
Senior reporter Rebecca Bellan has documented the moments over the past several months that have affected Tesla. Her article will be periodically updated, so be sure to check back.
Can Tesla rebound? The recent tariffs announced by Trump could help Tesla since its vehicles — and many of its components — are made here in the United States. It still might not be enough protection to stop the bleeding. And tariffs will likely hurt Tesla’s energy-storage business.
The chaos surrounding the tariffs implemented by Trump will linger. We’re just starting to see how automakers are reacting and adjusting. Some, like Ford, are trying to get ahead and provide discounts to boost sales in the short term. And Volkswagen has told dealerships it plans to add an import fee to the price of imported cars sold in the United States, per The New York Times.
A little bird
A little bird told us that while Tesla definitely appears poised to launch a robotaxi service in Austin this summer, the automaker’s outreach to the city has been slim. Others like Waymo and Cruise (back when Cruise was a thing) have tried to get off on the right foot by connecting with as many city stakeholders as possible before launching.
Some government officials also shared safety concerns around Tesla’s brand of autonomy. They worry Tesla’s cars might have a more limited awareness of surroundings since they only rely on cameras, rather than lidar and radar, for perception.
Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my Signal at kkorosec.07, 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!
All quiet on the deal front this week. Still, there were a few worth noting.
EVident Battery, a Massachusetts-based advanced battery inspection tech startup, raised $3.2 million in a seed funding round led by Ibex Investors. Nationwide Ventures, Automotive Ventures, and Avesta Fund also joined.
Fourier, the hydrogen startup, raised $18.5 million in a Series A round led by General Catalyst and Paramark Ventures. Other participating investors include Airbus Ventures, Borusan Ventures, GSBackers, MCJ Collective, and Positive Ventures.
Windrose Technology, an EV maker based in Belgium and with Chinese roots, plans to file for an IPO in the U.S. to $400 million, The New York Times reported.
Notable reads and other tidbits
Autonomous vehicles
TechCrunch reporter Maxwell Zeff interviewed San Francisco mayor Daniel Lurie, and autonomous vehicles do come up. Check out the video here.
Uber has partnered with Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority in a deal that paves the way for the company to operate AVs in the United Arab Emirates city. Uber doesn’t have its own AVs, so it will rely on partnerships. Its first in Dubai will be with Chinese company WeRide.
Speaking of WeRide, the AV company has obtained a driverless public road testing and operating permit in France.
Electric vehicles, charging, & batteries
Harbinger, a medium-duty EV manufacturer, officially started production and has manufactured its first 100 salable units, the company told TechCrunch. It’s a notable milestone for the California-based startup, which was founded in 2021. Those vehicles will be headed to several customers, including RV giant Thor Industries.
Meanwhile, Harbinger has also inserted itself into the bankruptcy proceedings of EV startup Canoo. Harbinger filed an objection to the sale of Canoo’s assets to its CEO, potentially throwing a wrench into the 2-month-old bankruptcy case.
Rivian delivered just 8,640 vehicles in the first three months of 2025, the company’s worst quarterly mark since the end of 2022. The company says it still expects to deliver between 46,000 and 51,000 EVs by the end of 2025.
Redwood Materials, the battery materials and recycling startup founded by former Tesla CTO JB Straubel, opened a research and development center in San Francisco. The 15,000-square-foot facility located in the city’s Design District is equipped with lab space to support engineers who will eventually work on every point of the battery ecosystem, from chemical engineering and cathode science to software and electrical engineering.
