Planes, Tranes, and Autonomous Automobiles

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Happy Thanksgiving, folks.

Only one time a year you get to say that, so hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed typing it. Savor this moment.

I’m sure you’ve been inundated with “thankful for you and this community” from all of your other newsletters, so I’ll cut the crap.

Not even that thankful. All you had to do was click a subscribe button. I’m the one pulling out my hair as I try to come up with a story to write about. You should be thanking me.

I accept my thanks in premium subscriptions.

No but really thank you guys. Can’t tell you how much it means to me <3

Who Knew Getting From A to B Could be So Exciting

It's been a bumpy ride for Cruise, and I’m not talking about the woman that one ran over. Ba Dum Tss

GM's self-driving darling, Cruise, was already ~ super popular~ with the SF crowd when it was first launched, finding its cars bombarded with traffic cone party hats to celebrate the company’s launch (and to prevent them from being able to drive).

Following a pedestrian accident last month (promise she survived, otherwise my mom wouldn’t have let me make that first joke), the fleet was shelved and their California permit yanked.

Realizing you need cars to run an AV company, their CEO and CPO both decided to move onto slightly less formidable ventures.

I’m still long AVs given their proven safety improvement over human drivers. Plus, I find myself wondering how I’m still alive after zoning out behind the wheel for 30 seconds at least once per drive.

Still, this swim was about as icy as a cold plunge, and startups in the space are certain to be met with a few more questions about how they plan to avoid Cruise’s fate from investors in the future.

Exxon has always been the gold standard for clean energy, notably cleaning up the Coast of Alaska and constantly doing more to fight against fossil fuels.

Believe it or not, that was sarcasm, too, but for once, Exxon might actually be open to eating its veggies?

The company announced that it will be soon tapping U.S. lithium reserves, and by 2027, they plan to start lithium production in Arkansas, eyeing a million EVs annually by 2030. This would be quite the pivot for the company, but given the capital intensive nature of the EV industry, it is going to require major companies such as $XOM paving the way with much of the infrastructure for the green revolution to really take place, so this might be a good thing for startups hoping to Go Green.

Or, it might be just another corporate green wash where they make these bold proclamations, get some good press, then do literally nothing because people will have already forgotten by the next week when Kim has a new boyfriend.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be, and why flying?

If you did happen to answer with something else, first you’re wrong. Second, keep wishing because it seems like my dreams are much closer to reality, particularly following Joby Aviation’s live demonstration of flying taxis over NYC's skyline.

They’re eyeing a 2025 launch for their electric air taxis, promising a serene, emission-free commute from JFK to downtown. Yeah, founders can think of all of the infrastructure needed, or the software to make them even faster, or even the hardware to make them even safer, but the business opportunity I can’t stop thinking of?

Let’s get a levitating Taco Bell above Grand Central Station so I can get my Baja Blast without touching down.

Finally, don’t tell Stephen A Smith, but it’s time to talk about cars.

Unfortunately, I’m not referring to Disney’s 2006 masterpiece starring Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy about the trials and tribulations faced by superstar race car Lightning McQueen in his journey of self growth and discovery (though more than happy to discuss, so feel free to reply), but rather Amazon’s decision that what the people really want is same day delivery of bulk chocolate covered almonds and a new car.

Yep, Amazon's diving into car sales, starting with Hyundai in 2024.

I guess you can’t be the Everything Store without selling… everything, so pretty on brand, but oof. This might be the final nail in the coffin for car vending machines. RIP Carvana.

Cheers to another day,

Trey