Waymo limits robotaxi rides for protests, then expands — now eyes New York City
Waymo paused its robotaxi service nationwide on June 13 ahead of “No Kings” protests against Donald Trump. The move cut paid rides from the country’s largest commercial robotaxi operator, which handles 250,000 rides weekly.
Soon after, Waymo announced an 80-square-mile service expansion across Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, and Silicon Valley. 
Now, the company is applying to test autonomous vehicles in New York City. Don’t expect driverless testing yet—state law changes are required for fully driverless rides. Lobbying efforts are expected to heat up.
Applied Intuition raised $600M in Series F, hitting a $15 billion valuation
Software startup Applied Intuition helps companies and governments build autonomous vehicle tech with simulation tools and data management.
The new round was co-led by BlackRock-managed funds and Kleiner Perkins. Other investors: Qatar Investment Authority, Abu Dhabi Investment Council, Greycroft, and more. Existing investors like General Catalyst and Mary Meeker’s Bond fund participated.
The $600M round doubles its valuation from $6B just one year ago.
Other funding moves:
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Archer Aviation raised $850M more in a direct offering, pushing liquidity to roughly $2B. This follows a White House executive order to speed U.S. eVTOL programs.
- Southern California aerospace startup Senra Systems pulled in $25M led by Figma CEO Dylan Field and prominent VCs including Andreessen Horowitz and Founders Fund.
Micromobility is back in focus
Voi, Bird, and Dott/Tier CEOs shared new insights at the Micromobility Europe event in Brussels.
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Shared micromobility went from nuisance to key public transport in cities like Paris with multi-year contracts.
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North America is roughly 18-24 months behind Europe in public acceptance.
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Survivors like Bird aim for profitability within 12-18 months.
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Voi is using large language models to turn user feedback into actionable real-time insights.
- All CEOs want cities to enforce scooter caps, rider behavior, and build protected bike lanes.
Micromobility news flashes:
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Honda launched the Fastport eQuad, an all-electric last-mile delivery vehicle bike-lane legal with speeds capped at 12 mph.
- VanMoof returned with its first e-bike since bankruptcy.
Autonomous vehicles and EV updates
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Zoox opened its first production plant aiming to build 10,000 robotaxis yearly.
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Tesla teamed with Electrify Expo for full-weekend EV test drives, a shift from its usual direct sales tactics.
- Zoomcar, India’s car-sharing platform, disclosed a data breach affecting 8.4 million users.
Future of flight takes off at Paris Air Show
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U.S. DOT Secretary Sean Duffy announced the FAA and four international regulators will collaborate on an advanced air mobility roadmap.
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Archer Aviation unveiled its Midnight aircraft and hosted international delegations.
- Beta Technologies’ Alia became the first electric plane to fly at the event.
Kirsten Korosec, Sean O’Kane, and Rebecca Bellan contributed reporting. For tips, contact [email protected] or signal at kkorosec.07.
