The Department of Transportation has paused funding for a $5 billion electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure program, a move that has sparked concerns about the Trump administration's commitment to sustainable energy. As reported by TechCrunch, this decision is more than just a setback for renewable energy projects; it also highlights the growing conflict between Elon Musk's politics and Tesla's goal of advancing sustainable energy. Tesla, which received $31 million in funding from the program, is the largest shareholder of Musk's car company.

In other news, Archer Aviation, a developer of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, has tweaked its mission to capture dual-use technology investment dollars. The company, which went public in 2021 via a special purpose acquisition merger, raised $300 million from institutional investors, including BlackRock and Wellington. This fresh capital brings Archer's total funding to around $3.36 billion, with plans to accelerate its work with Anduril to build a hybrid craft.

Meanwhile, Lyft is planning to bring fully autonomous robotaxis, powered by Mobileye, to its app as soon as 2026 in Dallas, with more markets to follow. This development has sparked interest in Texas as a hub for autonomous vehicle testing and commercial operations. Austin, in particular, is emerging as a hot spot, with Tesla planning to launch its driverless ride-hail service in the city this coming June, and Waymo and Uber set to launch services soon.

In other mobility news, May Mobility has launched its first fully driverless commercial service in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, with a different operations strategy than Waymo or Zoox. The company has eight pre-determined stops, marking a significant milestone in the development of autonomous transportation. Waymo, meanwhile, continues to expand its robotaxi service areas, adding 10 square miles to include Westchester and parts of Inglewood and Crenshaw in Los Angeles.

Mercedes-Benz is taking its EV charging network to Canada, starting with Vancouver this year and then to stations in metro Toronto in 2026. The German automaker has 300 charging stalls in operation and under construction in 11 U.S. states, with plans to deploy over 2,500 charging stalls between Canada and the U.S. Rivian, meanwhile, will sell its commercial electric vans to any U.S. business that wants one, more than a year since ending an exclusivity deal with backer Amazon.

In people news, Jonathan Morrison, an Apple executive, has been picked to head the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Morrison was chief counsel for NHTSA during Trump's first term and previously served as president of Auto Advisory Services and director of legal and regulatory affairs at the California New Car Dealers Association.

Finally, earnings season is upon us, with Lyft and Uber reporting their fourth-quarter and full-year earnings. Lyft reported record growth and its first full-year GAAP profitability for 2024, but investors were concerned about the company's lower-than-expected guidance for gross bookings in the first quarter. Uber, meanwhile, beat revenue expectations in the fourth quarter, but shares fell after the company reported that it missed analyst expectations on EPS and offered soft guidance.

Stay tuned for more mobility news and updates from TechCrunch Mobility, your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation.