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Who could have predicted that General Motors would be the new home for Aurora co-founder and chief product officer, Sterling Anderson? Following his resignation from Aurora, Anderson is set to take on the role of chief product officer at GM. In this position, he will be responsible for overseeing the entire product line of GM’s gas-powered and electric vehicles, covering everything from hardware and software to services and user experience.
Although Anderson couldn’t reveal too much about his new role yet, he did mention that he wouldn’t have accepted the job if Aurora hadn’t launched its commercial self-driving truck service in Texas.
Moving on to other news, a surprising turn of events unfolded at Luminar, with founder Austin Russell seemingly pushed out as CEO and board chair. The situation surrounding his departure following an ethics inquiry from the board’s audit committee has left many questioning what led to this decision.
In the realm of deals, Aurora faced highs and lows recently, with Uber announcing plans to offer $1 billion in exchangeable senior notes, causing some volatility in Aurora’s stock value. On the other hand, AutoUnify, a startup born out of the Up.Labs-Porsche partnership, raised $5 million in seed funding for its innovative API platform.
Chinese battery manufacturer CATL is making waves with its ambitious IPO plan to raise nearly $4 billion in its Hong Kong listing, marking one of the largest listings globally in 2025. Additionally, The Boring Company, Elon Musk’s tunneling firm, is in talks with federal railroad regulators for a multibillion-dollar Amtrak project.
In the electric vehicle sector, General Motors’ new battery chemistry promises cost reductions and increased driving range, while Lucid’s Q1 filing sheds light on its sales numbers. Slate Auto has garnered over 100,000 reservations for its customizable electric pickup truck, and Toyota has revamped its all-electric vehicle lineup with a new naming strategy.
The gig economy is evolving, with Uber transitioning into a super app model akin to Amazon, offering a range of services beyond transportation. In the aviation space, lawmakers are revisiting the ban on supersonic flight over U.S. soil, potentially benefiting startups like Boom Supersonic. Vertical Aerospace is exploring opportunities in defense and logistics with its hybrid-electric aircraft variant.
On the in-car tech front, Apple’s new CarPlay Ultra is set to debut on Aston Martin vehicles, while Google’s generative AI, Gemini, will enhance the Android Auto experience for compatible cars.
Stay tuned for more updates and insights on the future of mobility right here on JS Mobility.
