Revolutionary Robotic Wheelchair & $1 Billion in Startup Funding: Mobility News Recap

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your go-to source for news and insight into the evolving transportation landscape. Sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility!
We are in for a short week, and with that, a shorter newsletter. For our U.S.-based readers, I trust you had a delightful Labor Day.
Before diving into the latest updates, let’s highlight an exciting innovation that merges robotics, mobility, and accessibility. Korea’s Institute of Machinery and Materials unveiled a cutting-edge robotic wheelchair featuring large, deformable wheels capable of navigating rocks, stairs, and other challenging terrains. Check it out.
Now, let’s get into the news!
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#Recent Deals
Talk about hustle!
Zepto, the Indian delivery and e-commerce startup, has impressively raised $1 billion within the last 90 days, as confirmed by TechCrunch. This supports our earlier reports that Zepto was wrapping up a $340 million funding round led by General Catalyst, with participation from other backers including Nexus Venture Partners, Lightspeed, Avra, YC Continuity, Contrary, and StepStone Group.
Furthermore, here are a couple more notable funding achievements:
– **E Daddy**: Headquartered in the UAE, this company producing two-wheeler EVs based in Dubai secured $15 million in funding.
– **Oxylus Energy**: Recently spun out from a Yale chemistry lab, this startup focused on refining green methanol production has raised $4.5 million in a seed round led by Toyota Ventures and Azolla Ventures, with contributions from Earth Foundry and Connecticut Innovations. TechCrunch reporter Tim De Chant explores how the founders aim to assist airlines and shipping firms in achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
– **WeMob**: This fleet management and telematics SaaS company based in Iberia was acquired by Alerce for an undisclosed amount.
#Notable Reads and Tidbits
– **ADAS Incident**: A woman has been charged with DUI homicide after reportedly causing the deaths of two individuals while using Ford BlueCruise, a hands-free driver-assistance technology.
– **Tesla’s Upcoming Robotaxi**: Tesla is gearing up to showcase its robotaxi at an event in collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. in Los Angeles. Insights from hacker greentheonly suggest that extensive data collection is happening in the ‘WB Studio’ area ahead of the October 10 event.
– **Tesla Blog Deletion**: In an intriguing move, Tesla has deleted all blog content prior to 2019, which included crucial historical insights about the company from CEO Elon Musk’s original master plan to the first Autopilot fatality in a Model S. Neither Tesla nor Musk has clarified the reasoning behind this decision.
– **Archer Aviation**: This innovative company announced it has successfully completed 402 test flights this year while gearing up for upcoming approved flight testing with the FAA.
– **Lyft Restructures**: Lyft decided to retain its micromobility division but at the cost of significant restructuring, resulting in layoffs of roughly 1% of its workforce (amounting to around 2,945 employees by the close of 2023) and incurring estimated restructuring charges of $34 million to $46 million. This overhaul includes a new integrated unit and the discontinuation of dockless rides.
– **Uber’s Strategic Plans**: Uber is set to enhance its presence in South Korea, directly challenging local market leader Kakao Mobility, which is predominantly owned by tech giant Kakao.
– **Vay’s Expansion**: The Berlin and Las Vegas-based startup has introduced teleoperated car-sharing services and is branching into commercial solutions, supported by recent partnerships with Peugeot and Poppy.
#This Week’s Wheels
I had the opportunity to spend a few days with the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 2LT, and I’m pleased to share that everything functioned as intended! Unlike last year’s Chevrolet Blazer EV that had software issues, the Equinox EV, boasting a front-wheel drive system with an 85 kilowatt-hour battery, offers an estimated range of 319 miles with a retail price of $45,995 (including destination fees). My model came equipped with the Super Cruise advanced driver-assistance system.
While I was initially skeptical following my Blazer EV experience, the Equinox EV has proven to be a superior vehicle, even without Apple CarPlay. It did require some extra steps to replicate the digital experience provided by smartphone mirroring, which may deter some users. Nevertheless, after adjusting the necessary settings, the transition was seamless.
An interesting observation was that while Super Cruise automatically initiated lane changes on the highway, I had to manually switch lanes on a similar stretch during my second day of driving.
#What’s Next?
Stay tuned for insights into various transportation products in our upcoming features, whether that’s electric or hybrid vehicles, e-bikes, or rides in autonomous vehicles. Upcoming vehicles to explore include e-bikes alongside the GMC Sierra EV and the Chevrolet Equinox EV.