Monarch Tractor preps for layoffs and warns employees it may ‘shut down’
The memo that went out Thursday, which TechCrunch obtained, says the “timing” of the company’s pivot away from tractor manufacturing puts it at risk.
autonomous vehicles
Monarch Tractor sued over tractors that were ‘unable to operate autonomously’
Burks Tractor, a dealership located in Idaho, has sued Monarch for breach of contract and allegedly violating its warranty because the California-based startup’s tractors were “unable to operate autonomously.” The dealership also says the 10 tractors it purchased “continue to experience significant problems,” and calls them “defective.”
Waymo removes safety drivers in Miami ahead of 2026 launch
Waymo said it will do the same in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando in the coming weeks — the latest steps in the company’s continued expansion across the U.S.
Zoox to begin offering robotaxi rides to public in San Francisco
This is not a large-scale public launch, nor a commercial one. But it brings the Amazon-owned company one step closer to competing with Waymo.
Teradar raises $150M for a sensor it says beats lidar and radar
Teradar’s sensor uses the terahertz part of the electromagnetic spectrum, and combines the best traits of radar and lidar sensors without some of the drawbacks.
Glīd is building an autonomous shortcut to move freight from road to rail — catch it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
Damoa pinpointed the problem: the complex, multi-step process moving a container from a ship to a freight train. He founded Glīd Technologies to try and solve it.
Waymo’s co-CEO on the challenge of scaling robotaxis safely
Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana believes the robotaxi company can increase road safety by reaching scale.
Waymo co-CEO on robotaxi vandalism: ‘We’re not standing for it’
Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana opened up at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 about the vandalism of its cars and how the company pushes back on government surveillance requests.
Robotaxi companies must do more to prove safety, Waymo co-CEO says
Waymo co-CEO Takedra Mawakana urged rival autonomous vehicle companies to be more transparent about their safety data during an interview at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. She said that companies removing human drivers from vehicles have a responsibility to prove their technology makes roads safer.
GM to introduce eyes-off, hands-off driving system in 2028
GM said Cruise’s technology stack, including its AI models trained on five million driverless miles and simulation framework, feed directly into the automaker’s next-generation driver assistance and autonomy programs.