In partnership with

Wow, y’all aren’t exactly bullish on EV sales in the U.S. once the federal tax credit expires. For those wondering what I am referring to: I included a poll in the last edition of TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for news, analysis, and scoops around the future of transportation.

The question was: “What's your prediction for EV sales over the next two quarters after the EV tax credit expires?” And about 60% of you predicted a steep decline. 

I don’t totally disagree, although I do think some automakers will try to pass along the $7,500 federal tax credit through other price reductions for at least one quarter. Automakers with fresh EV models slated for late 2025 and 2026 may be better positioned than competitors. However, tariffs are also bound to shrink margins. 

Meanwhile, there is another speed bump emerging in the EV industry in the United States as automakers transition over to Tesla’s North American Charging Standard.

Yeah, I’m talking about dongles, aka EV charging adapters.

Senior climate reporter Tim De Chant, who is a longtime EV owner himself, explains how some folks may soon have a trunk or frunk load of charging adapters.

Take GM. The automaker began selling an adapter nearly a year ago to allow existing electric vehicles to use the North American Charging Standard plugs at Tesla Supercharger stalls. EV owners rejoiced in their newfound freedom.

Now GM has announced three more adapters. The additional adapters, which help GM customers access EV chargers with different charging rates and standards, is a win for flexibility, but at the cost of simplicity. It’s entirely possible that two-EV households could own four different adapters. Check out the full article here. 

One important housekeeping note: TechCrunch Mobility will NOT land in your inboxes next week. I know, I know. You’ll miss me. Same here. But I will be back the following week.

🚗

Interested in advertising on Mobility? Contact [email protected] to discuss.

🚗

Burned out by the news? There’s a better way.

Outrage headlines. Never-ending feeds. Everyone shouting, no one listening.

Keeping up with political news today can feel more like emotional labor than staying informed. That’s why Tangle exists.

Tangle is an independent, nonpartisan newsletter that covers one major political story each day. It breaks down the facts, shows how the left, right, and center are talking about it, and adds clear, honest analysis — without the spin, hysteria, or bias.

No sides to pick. Just clear, honest analysis from an independent source — all in under 10 minutes a day.

More than 400,000 readers — no matter their politics — trust Tangle to get the full picture and stay informed without getting burnt out.

If you’re tired of feeling overwhelmed by the news — but still want to understand what’s really happening — give Tangle a try.

Start reading for free today.

Notable reads and other tidbits

Aurora Innovation said it will integrate its self-driving trucking platform into McLeod Software's transportation management system. The upshot: Mutual customers would be able to manage autonomous shipments with McLeod's TMS software and that could help boost adoption.

The Boring Company is finally testing Full Self-Driving (Supervised), the advanced driver-assistance system created by Tesla, in the tunnels that connect Las Vegas’ Convention Center to a few nearby hotels.

The last vestige of bankrupt Fisker Inc. is gone. Henrik Fisker, the founder of failed EV startup Fisker Inc., and his wife, Geeta, quietly wound down a private charitable foundation. 

Kodiak Robotics hired Surajit Datta as chief financial officer. Datta previously was VP of finance at SentinelOne. Remember that Kodiak will soon be a publicly traded company, which it will accomplish by merging with a special purpose acquisition company. 

Tesla could have avoided that $242.5 million Autopilot verdict, filings show. Speaking of that trial, The Washington Post reports that a hacker helped retrieve critical crash data that was missing.

And speaking of data, a security researcher found over a thousand publicly exposed hobby servers run by Tesla vehicle owners that are spilling sensitive data about their vehicles, including their granular location histories. Stay safe, people!

Just days before Labor Day, California lawmakers have reached an agreement with app-based companies Lyft and Uber that will give drivers a path to unionization. 

Uncaged Innovations, a biomaterials startup, is working with Hyundai’s Cradle division to refine its plant-based artificial leather material for automotive use. It even smells like leather — or can be made with other signature scents. 

Waymo co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov posted on X a video of one of his company’s robotaxis navigating through the giant dust storm — known as a haboob — in Phoenix. Also, Waymo now has more than 2,000 robotaxis in its commercial fleet, the company told me. More than 800 are in the San Francisco Bay Area, 500 in Los Angeles, 400 in Phoenix, 100 in Austin, and “dozens” in Atlanta — its newest market.

One more thing …

The Autonocast, a podcast I co-host with Alex Roy and Ed Niedermeyer, has a new episode out. And it’s worth a listen, especially if you’re interested in the intersection of boats, autonomy, and planes. In the episode, Roy and I interview Billy Thalheimer, co-founder and CEO of Regent.