Mobility Industry Update: Carma Sues Uber, Tesla Faces Sales Challenges, and Autonomous Delivery Robots Launch in Texas

This edition of TechCrunch Mobility covers several significant developments in the transportation and mobility sector. Carma Technology, founded by Sean O’Sullivan in 2007, has filed a complex patent infringement lawsuit against Uber, alleging violations of five patents related to ride-sharing matching systems. Legal experts note that Carma’s extensive and interconnected patent portfolio will make the case particularly challenging for Uber to defend.

The newsletter also highlights the emergence of Bedrock Robotics, a stealth startup led by Boris Sofman, formerly of Waymo and Anki, which is developing autonomous retrofit kits for heavy machinery.

In the world of autonomous vehicles, Rivr is piloting a stair-climbing, dog-like delivery robot in Austin, Texas, in partnership with Veho, aiming to address the last-mile delivery challenge. Meanwhile, TuSimple (now CreateAI) has come under scrutiny for allegedly transferring sensitive autonomous vehicle data to a Beijing-owned firm, despite prior commitments to the U.S. government. Zoox, another autonomous vehicle company, issued its second voluntary software recall in a month after a minor collision involving one of its robotaxis in San Francisco.

Tesla is experiencing difficulties with its Cybertruck, as unsold units accumulate and resale values drop by up to 45%. Additionally, Tesla’s sales in Europe and the UK have nearly halved. The newsletter also reports that Amazon has ended its partnership with Stellantis for in-car software, with Stellantis now shifting to an Android-based system. Several startups in logistics, fleet management, and EV grid integration have announced new funding rounds, reflecting ongoing innovation and investment in the sector.