Is America Getting Behind Air Taxis?

Dates to remember

• CoMotion LA ‘25 & CoMotion GLOBAL get half off your tickets now until Sep 22nd.
• Mobility Speed Chats: digital networking event on Oct 7th. Sign up for a chance to win a free CoMotion LA Ticket.
• CoMotion is moderating panel ‘Belgium-California Dialogue on Smart & Sustainable Cities’ at the Smart & Resilient Cities Forum on Oct 9th at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles.
• CoMotion INNOVATORS Program application window closes on Oct 15th.
• CoMotion LA Salon at LA Tech Week: ‘The Future of Mobility UX’ on Oct 15th to discuss the future of the mobility experience and LA's unique opportunities. Co-hosted by CoMotion and BMW Designworks.

Welcome to CoMotion NEWS, your weekly roundup of news and analysis of the mobility revolution. If this email was forwarded, you can sign up here for NEWS.

Tesla begins testing driverless cars in Nevada while another Musk venture, the Boring Company, halts its Vegas tunnel network after a serious workplace accident. Across the Atlantic, London’s Tube strike emptied subways and filled bike lanes, boats, and ride-hailing apps, though the union’s push for a shorter workweek remains unresolved. In the U.S., Uber faces a DOJ lawsuit over alleged discrimination against disabled riders, while the FAA is fast-tracking eVTOL pilots and Uber is dabbling in helicopters via Blade. California EV drivers are losing their carpool lane perks, Chile is betting big on green hydrogen trucks, and Arc Boats just scored a $160M deal to electrify tugboats at the Port of L.A. And for a wild card: Ethiopia, despite limited electricity access, is emerging as an unlikely EV pioneer.

What you need to know

Tesla begins autonomous testing in Nevada: The automaker is approved to test driverless cars in the state but is not yet offering rides.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s Boring Company has suspended construction of a tunnel to the Las Vegas Airport after a worker suffered a “crushing injury.” The tunnel is an extension of an existing 2.2 mile network of underground car tunnels, where people get driven by human-operated Teslas between the Las Vegas Convention Center and several nearby hotels and casinos.

Empty Tube, packed bike lanes: London Tube workers’ five-day strike prompted a major surge in every other form of transportation. Total trips on Lime scooters and e-bikes was up 58% on the first day of the strike, while Forest, another e-bike rental service, said use was up 300%. Ride-hailing company Bolt reported a 75% increase in trips. Meanwhile, Uber Boat added an extra shuttle between Canary Wharf and London Bridge to transport office workers on the Thames.

…what did the strike accomplish? Nothing concrete has yet changed as a result of the strike. The Tube workers union appears to have softened its demand for a 32-hour workweek, now saying they would like to see movement “towards” 32 hours. Transport of London, however, has previously indicated it will not budge from the current 35-hour workweek, arguing that even small reductions will prompt unacceptable spending increases. Will there be more strikes to come? Unclear.

At this inflection point in the American mobility ecosystem, the nation's decision makers are attending CoMotion LA ‘25, Nov. 12-13. Join them, along with cutting-edge companies, investors, and public sector partners as they discuss what's next.

Hurry, Super Early Bird sale ends Sep 22 at midnight.

DOJ sues Uber: The U.S. The Department of Justice sues the ride-hailing giant, accusing it of discriminating against people with disabilities. It alleges Uber drivers “routinely refuse” to serve those with disabilities, “including those who travel with service animals or those with stowaway wheel chairs.” The company vehemently denies the allegation, saying it “clear zero-tolerance policy for confirmed service denials.”

Chile boosts hydrogen vehicles: Companies involved in Chile’s massive copper mining industry are turning to green hydrogen to power heavy duty vehicles.

EVs out of the car pool lane: A program in California that gives EVs access to car pool lanes even when there weren’t multiple people in the car is ending on Oct. 1. The Clean Air Vehicle program, which nearly 1 million Californians participate in, has existed for more than 20 years but would require reauthorization from Congress and President Trump, neither of which are interested in doing so. Gov. Gavin Newsom is jumping on the attack, warning of an impending “Trump traffic jam.”

FAA launches eVTOL pilot program: The Federal Aviation Administration announces a pilot program to accelerate the adoption of air taxis. Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation are both taking part. The program will establish at least five projects where eVTOL companies can partner with local governments to provide some type of service, from passenger transportation to cargo delivery.

Helicopter rides through Uber: You’ll soon be able to book a helicopter ride through Uber. The helicopters will be provided by Blade Air Mobility, a New York-based helicopter and seaplane service that was recently acquired by Joby Aviation, the air taxi developer. Blade carried about 50,000 passengers last year in the New York metro area and southern Europe. It charged $195 for a flight from Manhattan to JFK airport.

Arc electrifies the Port of Los Angeles: Arc Boats, a Los Angeles startup, scores its first big break in commercial shipping — a $160 million contract with Curtin Maritime for eight hybrid-electric tugboats heading to L.A. by 2027. These workhorses are set to slash diesel emissions, swap out massive exhaust stacks for sleek battery systems (~6 MWh), and prove electric powertrains can hold their own in the dirty, torque-heavy tugboat world.

What does the future of LA mobility look like, where are the opportunities, and what barriers are in our way?

Join stakeholders from both the public and private sector to listen about and discuss the future of the mobility experience and LA's unique opportunities. Co-hosted by CoMotion and BMW Designworks, this conversation will touch upon autonomy, connectivity, urban planning, and digitization.

This event is a part of #LATechWeek—a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem.

What we’re reading

Ethiopia, the unlikely EV champion: The Guardian looks at the curious case of Ethiopia, which has banned the import of gas and diesel-powered cars even though only half the country lacks access to electricity. Nevertheless, the country is betting its transportation future on its substantial hydroelectric power, rather than on foreign fossil fuels.

CoMotion's mobility goodness brought to you by:

Jack Craver,
Editor, CoMotion NEWS
jcraver@comotionglobal.com

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