What you need to know

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Ford hypes ‘Model T moment’ for EVs: CEO Jim Farley tells shareholders that on Aug. 11 the automaker will announce plans to build a "breakthrough electric vehicle” as well as an entirely new EV strategy to deliver smaller, cheaper cars capable of competing with Chinese brands on quality and pricing. Farley says it will be an inflection point comparable to the company’s 1908 unveiling of the Model T. We’ll see…

Jury (partially) blames Tesla: A federal jury in Miami finds Tesla partially at fault in a fatal 2019 Florida crash involving its Autopilot system and orders the company to pay $329 million in total damages. It’s important to keep in mind that, while Tesla was almost certainly inaccurately marketing the capabilities of its driver assistance programs for years, its robotaxis in Austin, Tex. appear to be operating pretty well. So it’s not clear that this judgment about a crash from six years ago will have a major effect on its autonomous ambitions going forward.

An important clarification on Tesla’s “robotaxi” service: After it was reported that Tesla would be expanding its autonomous ride-hailing service into San Francisco, the California Public Utilities Commission put out a statement clarifying that the company was not authorized to deploy robotaxis in the Golden State. Tesla has nevertheless launched a ride-hailing service operated by human drivers in San Francisco, although it does not appear interested in specifying that in its marketing.

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Joby buys Blade: eVTOL startup Joby Aviation will acquire Blade Air Mobility, the New York-based helicopter ride-sharing company, for $125 million. The acquisition offers Joby access to Blade’s network 12 urban air terminals and existing customer base (over 50,000 passengers carried in 2024), potentially accelerating Joby’s plans to launch electric air taxi services.

…meanwhile: Joby and defense contractor L3Harris Technologies announce a collaboration to develop a new class of gas‑turbine hybrid VTOL aircraft—capable of both piloted and fully autonomous operations—for defense missions such as counter-drone operation and electronic warfare. Flight testing is slated to begin this fall, with operational demonstrations expected in 2026.

AIR soars in Series A: Israeli eVTOL startup AIR raises $23 million in Series A funding to scale production of its piloted and uncrewed aircraft — supporting a U.S. expansion and increasing deliveries of its cargo and AIR ONE personal eVTOL models. The investment builds on more than 2,500 preorders and aligns with U.S. policy momentum around eVTOL development and the FAA’s updated MOSAIC certification rules.

Another Boring tunnel: Elon Musk’s Boring Company proposes building a 10-mile underground tunnel in Nashville to connect the airport and the convention center, similar to the one it operates in Las Vegas. The project, which will be entirely privately-funded, has been enthusiastically embraced by Gov. Bill Lee and the state’s GOP leadership but has prompted concerns from the mostly Democratic local leadership in Nashville, who say they have not been able to ask questions about the potential environmental impacts. Although Boring tunnels are often described as “transit tunnels,” they are essentially just new roads transporting people in cars.

Court strikes down Ontario’s anti-bike campaign: A court rules that Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s effort to eliminate bike lanes in Toronto jeopardizes “the right to life and security of the person” and is therefore unconstitutional. It’s a win for the city of Toronto, which has made major progress in recent years in building out protected bike infrastructure. The bike lanes have drawn the ire of many of the car commuters who are the foundation of Ford’s suburban political base. Ford has claimed that bike lanes are largely unused, but one the streets he targeted actually has higher bicycle traffic than car traffic.

Waymo takes on Dallas with Avis: The Alphabet-owned robotaxi service announces it will partner with rental giant Avis to manage its fleet in Dallas, where it plans to begin operating next year.

Voi profits at scale: Swedish micromobility firm Voi has dramatically expanded its operations across Europe over the past year while increasing profitability. Fleet size grew 33%, rides rose 55% and vehicle-level profit margins rose 0.9%.

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Riyadh: the most exciting new frontier of mobility

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You read that right. At first glance, Saudi Arabia’s dusty desert capital is defined by its sprawling urban landscapes, heavy traffic, and its seemingly endless freeways and overpasses. Yet, it is precisely against this backdrop of congestion and rapid expansion that Riyadh is fast becoming the epicenter of the global mobility revolution. Despite the current gridlock and sometimes unsightly sprawl, the capital of the world’s largest oil exporter is poised to transform itself into a true post-oil city of the future—one that will redefine how the world moves, connects, and envisions urban life.

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What we’re reading

Nepal goes electric: The New York Times looks at how the small Himalayan country has transformed its auto market in favor of EVs, which now account for 76% of new passenger vehicle sales. Nepal, which has a major hydroelectric industry, sees EVs as a big opportunity to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels.

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CoMotion's mobility goodness brought to you by:

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

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