The Trump administration's latest executive orders have sent shockwaves through the electric vehicle (EV) industry, as President Trump has ordered a pause on disbursement of funds from the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Specifically, the order targets funding for EV charging infrastructure from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program. This move is seen as a significant blow to the EV industry, which has been heavily reliant on government incentives to drive adoption.

Notably, Tesla, led by Trump ally Elon Musk, has been a beneficiary of these programs. The implications of this move are still unclear, but it's likely to have a significant impact on the industry. TechCrunch Mobility will be closely monitoring the situation and reporting on how it unfolds.

In other news, electric vehicle startup Canoo has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and ceased all operations. This comes as a surprise, given the company's promising start. However, sources close to the company revealed that multiple employees had relocated from California to Oklahoma and Texas in the months leading up to the bankruptcy filing, only to be left jobless in their new locations.

On a more positive note, Rivian has finalized a $6.6 billion loan with the Department of Energy (DOE) to build out its planned factory in Georgia. The loan, announced in November, will be used to construct the factory, with production slated to begin in 2026 and the first R2 SUVs rolling off the line in 2028. This is a significant win for Rivian, which has been working to establish itself as a major player in the EV market.

In other deal news, Ati Motors, an Indian autonomous robotics startup, raised $20 million in an all-equity Series B funding round. Lyteflo, a Canadian EV software sales startup, raised $3 million in seed funding, while Metafuels, a Swiss aviation fuel startup, raised $9 million in a round led by Celsius Industries. Moment Energy, an EV battery repurposing startup, raised $15 million in a Series A round, and Netradyne, which provides fleet owners with AI-enabled dash cams, raised $90 million in a Series D round.

In addition to these deals, Voltpost, the lamppost EV charging company, secured $2.6 million in grant funding from the U.S. Joint Office of Energy and the Communities Taking Charge Accelerator to deploy 75 chargers across the tri-state region. This is a significant win for the company, which is working to expand its charging infrastructure.

Other notable news includes the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Office of Defects Investigation upgrading its investigation into Ford's hands-free advanced driver-assistance system, known as BlueCruise. Torc Robotics, the independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, is closing its original testing location in Albuquerque and tech hub in Stuttgart while expanding elsewhere. The company is building out an autonomous truck hub in the Dallas-Forth Worth area, slated for 2027.

UBCO, the New Zealand-based electric motorcycle startup, has gone into receivership due to a lack of available funding. The Federal Trade Commission has issued a proposed order to ban GM from selling consumer data to consumer reporting agencies for five years, stemming from allegations that GM collected, used, and sold drivers' precise geolocation data and driving behavior information without adequate notification and consent.

Finally, in a curious note, Amazon paused testing of its delivery drones following a crash involving two of its models. Meanwhile, Lucid, the EV maker, was spotted offering rides in its all-new Lucid Gravity SUV during CES 2025. A review of the vehicle is forthcoming, but initial impressions suggest that Lucid has nailed the interior, with a roomy, luxurious, and detailed design.