Uber invests $100M in former CEO Kalanick's Atoms; Tesla robotaxi miles drop 36% in Q2
Uber has invested $100 million in Travis Kalanick's holding company Atoms, while Tesla's paid robotaxi miles fell by 36% in the second quarter. Aurora launched second-generation driverless trucks, and an IIHS study found Waymo's robotaxis have 68% lower crash rates than human drivers.
Travis Kalanick, former Uber CEO, raised $1.7 billion for his holding company Atoms from Andreessen Horowitz, Bain Capital, Fifth Wall, and Uber. Ben Horowitz will join the board. Uber invested $100 million six months ago. Atoms plans to focus on industrial AI and physical automation for mining and transport, prioritizing Pronto.
Tesla’s Q2 earnings reveal a 36% decline in paid robotaxi miles: from 1.1 million miles in Q1 to 700,000 miles in Q2. Tesla backed off previous promises for volume production of Cybercab, Tesla Semi, and Megapack 3 in 2026. Musk stated that Cybercab needs specific data collected with steering wheels and pedals, indicating misalignment with existing fleet data. Net income fell 5% year over year, CapEx doubled, and free cash flow turned negative.
Aurora launched second-generation driverless trucks featuring smaller hardware, improved sensor-cleaning systems, and extended-range lidar built for a million-mile service life. The initial fleet will serve the Dallas-to-Houston route, reaching 200 trucks by year-end. The trucks have no human observers.
An IIHS study found Waymo’s robotaxis had a 68% lower crash involvement rate than human drivers for police-reportable crashes. The study also noted that data collection for Level 4 vehicles needs improvement for more timely safety evaluations.
Other deals: Einride acquired Flipturn for $38 million in stock; IBM bought HRL Laboratories; Sila raised $300 million to expand its battery materials factory. Ford will integrate Apple Maps into EVs starting in 2027. Mobileye CEO Shashua is stepping down. NHTSA is considering requirements for safe vehicle exit. Rivian is suing the U.S. government for a tariff refund. Two Volkswagen engineers were charged with securities fraud. Waymo is discussing ending its contract with Uber. WhatsApp introduced new Apple CarPlay features.
