Celebrity jet tracking just got much more difficult.
Electric trucking company Harbinger has filed an objection to the sale of Canoo’s assets to its CEO, potentially throwing a wrench into the two-month-old bankruptcy case.
Harbinger’s objection, filed late Friday, accuses Canoo of hiding certain assets from the sale process, including what the startup purchased from another bankrupt EV company, Arrival. It also accuses Canoo of listing assets that Harbinger believes the startup did not actually own (though it did not specify which ones). Harbinger said it came to this determination after it considered buying the assets and gained access to the virtual data room for potential bidders.
What’s more, Harbinger says the sale process has so far “unfairly favored Mr. Aquila,” referring to Canoo’s CEO Anthony Aquila, who reached an agreement to buy the assets in early March. Harbinger claims the bankruptcy trustee accepted Aquila’s offer without widely marketing the sale of the assets or obtaining an appraisal.
The objection is the latest twist in the rocky relationship between Harbinger and Canoo. Harbinger was created by a handful of former Canoo employees in 2021. Canoo sued Harbinger in late 2022, alleging that those employees absconded with trade secrets.
That trade secret case was still active when Canoo filed for bankruptcy in January. In fact, one of the things Aquila is purchasing along with the assets is an interest in any settlement Harbinger may wind up paying to Canoo.
One particular clause of the purchase agreement states that Aquila and the trustee have effective approval over any settlement in the Harbinger case. Harbinger argues this could violate the Department of Justice’s handbook for Chapter 7 trustees.
The trustee in the case, Jeoffrey Burtch, and a lawyer for Canoo did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Lawyers representing Aquila and Harbinger declined to comment.
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‘Tesla Takedown’ organizers have promised their biggest day of global action this weekend, encouraging thousands to protest outside Tesla showrooms, dealerships, and even charging stations to peacefully object to Elon Musk’s role in slashing government spending.
As Tesla protests have spread, so has the backlash. Activists holding up signs are being conflated with masked vandals throwing Molotov cocktails. On social media, and in Washington, the distinction is fading fast.
President Donald Trump has called attacks on Tesla “domestic terrorism” and threatened to send “terrorist thugs” to prisons in El Salvador. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has pledged to prosecute “those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes,” even though evidence suggests the attacks were carried out by “lone offenders.” And Musk’s decision to accuse at least one peaceful protester of “committing crimes” on X has fueled a public discourse that equates protest with vandalism, and vandalism with terrorism.
If the government or law enforcement starts treating all anti-Tesla actions as criminal, peaceful protesters could find themselves facing consequences meant for extremists.
“Terrorism is a problematic concept in law enforcement because it is by definition differentiated from other violence by its political nature,” Mike German, a former FBI special agent and fellow at the Brennan Center’s Liberty and National Security Program, told TechCrunch. “That’s why we’ve seen counter terrorism measures so often result in problematic outcomes targeting the civil rights of people engaged in First Amendment-protected activity, rather than the people who are committing acts of violence.”
The Tesla Takedown protesters have consistently preached nonviolence at rallies and on their website. The movement’s stated goal is not to physically harm Tesla or Musk, but rather to encourage people to sell their Teslas, sell their stock, and stop buying new Teslas.
“The reason that [Musk] is in the position that he is in is because of his wealth, and we feel that if we can continue to drive that Tesla stock price down, we will hit him in the spot that it matters,” Natasha Purdum, a New Jersey-based organizer, told TechCrunch. “Ultimately, we see that as a key to taking down some of the major destruction that is happening in our federal government, courtesy of DOGE and Elon Musk.”
Musk is the world’s richest person in large part due to his Tesla stock. He owns roughly 13% of the company, which today is valued at around $829 billion, making Musk’s share worth around $107.8 billion. That wealth has allowed Musk to spend $44 billion to buy Twitter, the primary platform he uses to communicate to his 219 million followers. Musk has also dipped into his own funds to donate more than $260 million to the America PAC that helped Trump clinch the election.
As someone who spent 16 years as an FBI special agent focused on domestic terrorism, German says he wouldn’t be surprised to see local police working hand in glove with terrorism taskforces – like the one the FBI just formed – to monitor Tesla Takedown protests. Per the Attorney General’s Guidelines, the FBI doesn’t require a factual basis for a suspicion of terrorism to begin conducting physical surveillance, which includes taking photos of people, cars, and license plates, deploying informants to infiltrate a group, accessing private databases, and more.
“It’s also important to understand that law enforcement in the United States is primarily intended to protect the property of the wealthy,” German said. “Corporations in the United States are politically powerful and have access to elected officials and top law enforcement officials. And when their interests are challenged, particularly by protest, they want to present that as a law enforcement issue, rather than as legitimate public concerns about their corporate activities.”
The FBI declined to comment on TechCrunch’s question about whether the agency is taking any special action this weekend.
Musk and the Trump administration have ramped up their rhetoric in the lead up to March 29, when at least 213 Tesla Takedown protests are scheduled around the world, from Colorado and Kentucky to Germany, Minnesota, France, and Texas.
On Thursday, Musk appeared on Fox News’s “Special Report” to say that he and Trump are going to “go after…the ones providing the money, the ones pushing the lies and propaganda.”
Trump has suggested that the attacks on Tesla property were coordinated to intimidate Musk, despite internal assessments finding otherwise. Musk has also claimed, without showing proof, that certain Tesla Takedown organizers were funded by ActBlue, a nonprofit that funds progressive causes and Democratic candidates.
And Bondi has accused Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) of “calling for further insurrection” after Crockett said that Musk needed to be “taken down” at a virtual Tesla Takedown rally last week. Crockett couched that statement with calls for nonviolence and peaceful demonstrations, but regardless, Bondi said she needs to “tread very carefully.”
German says this rhetoric, too, is an old government trick to try to discredit and suppress protest movements by claiming “a handful of acts of violence are the result of the spread of bad ideas, radical ideas.”
Purdum, one of the Tesla organizers, advised protesters to put their wellbeing first. Leave if you feel unsafe, adhere to your local protest regulations, don’t trespass, follow police orders, and have a lawyer’s number in your back pocket just in case, she said.
“Authoritarian regimes have a long history of equating peaceful protest with violence,” Stephanie Frizzell, a Tesla Takedown organizer from Dallas, said. “The Tesla Takedown movement has always been and will remain nonviolent. Their goal is to intimidate us into silence as we stand against Musk’s destructive actions – but defending free speech is fundamental to democracy. We will not be deterred.”
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Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility!
Before we jump into the transportation news of the week, it’s worth pointing you to a couple of articles that are focused on Elon Musk, the CEO and largest shareholder of Tesla and the founder of several other companies, including SpaceX and Neuralink.
You might recall an investigation the team here at TechCrunch published in February on the people in Elon Musk’s DOGE universe. The article, which continues to be updated, focused on those working for the Department of Government Efficiency, an entity established via President Trump’s executive order. A new report, by another team here at TechCrunch, focuses on the founders and VCs working with DOGE. Check it out!
Speaking of Musk, his close ally Trump has placed 25% tariffs on all cars imported to the United States, including those from Mexico and Canada. He’s also placed a 25% tariff on certain parts used to build cars. As reporter Sean O’Kane notes, it’s a decision that will likely supercharge the cost of new and used cars, but it’s also a gift to Tesla, the company run by Musk, his biggest financial supporter in the presidential election.
And finally, in other am-I-in-a-simulation news, Trevor Milton, the founder of bankrupt hydrogen trucking startup Nikola who was convicted of fraud, has been pardoned by Trump, the White House confirmed to TechCrunch. Tidbit: We waited for hours and hours before the White House would confirm.
OK, onward with the rest of the news of the week.
A little bird recently told us that Lucid is eyeing partnerships as a way to reach higher levels of autonomy, particularly with the new Gravity SUV. Could we see a partnership with Mobileye or some other unlikely automated driving technology provider?
Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at [email protected] or my Signal at kkorosec.07, Sean O’Kane at [email protected], or Rebecca Bellan at [email protected]. Or check out these instructions to learn how to contact us via encrypted messaging apps or SecureDrop.
Welp, here is a deal that is not transportation related, but very much deserves some attention.
TechCrunch was acquired by private investment firm Regent. No financial terms were disclosed, but our soon-to-be previous owner Yahoo Holdings is maintaining a small share of ownership. The acquisition, which has yet to close, comes just a few days after Regent bought Foundry, the publisher home to tech publications like PCWorld, Macworld, InfoWorld, and CIO.
Other deals that got my attention …
BetterFleet, the Michigan-based company that developed EV charging fleet management software, raised $15 million in a Series A funding round led by Aligned Climate Capital, Ecosystem Integrity Fund (EIF), and Remarkable Ventures Climate (RVC).
The Bot Company, the robotics startup founded by former Cruise co-founder and CEO Kyle Vogt, has raised $150 million in a round led by Greenoaks, Reuters reported, citing unnamed sources.
DeCharge, an EV charging infrastructure startup, raised $2.5 million in a round led by Lemniscap. Other investors include Colosseum, Daedalus Angels, EV3 Labs, Echo Fundraiser Chainyoda Jedis, and Levitate Labs.
Fleetio, a vehicle fleet software management company, raised $450 million in a round co-led by Elephant VC and Goldman Sachs Alternatives. The funds will be used to finance the purchase of maintenance-authorization platform Auto Integrate.
Manna, the Dublin-based drone delivery company, raised $30 million in a round led by Tapestry VC and Molten Ventures. Coca-Cola and Dynama Venture also participated.
Waymo will begin offering robotaxi rides in Washington, D.C., via the Waymo One app in 2026. There is an important catch: Before Waymo can launch commercially, the company will have to up its lobbying game in the capital, where autonomous vehicle permits still require a human behind the wheel, according to reporter Rebecca Bellan.
BYD’s breakthrough EV-charging announcement last week prompted reporter Tim De Chant to find out more.
Cadillac debuted another EV: the Optiq SUV. Contributor Emme Hall got a chance to drive the Optiq and the new Escalade IQ.
Revel, the Brooklyn-based electric vehicle charging infrastructure startup, launched its first fast-charging station in San Francisco.
Rivian operated a skunkworks program for years focused on electric micromobility, founder and CEO RJ Scaringe told TechCrunch. Now, Rivian is spinning out the startup — known as Also — with $105 million in funding from Eclipse Ventures. Rivian has a minority stake in Also and Scaringe will serve on its board. Chris Yu, Rivian’s VP of future programs, will be its president.
Waze has removed Google Assistant from iOS due to ongoing issues. The company plans to introduce an “enhanced voice interaction solution” sometime in the near future as a replacement.
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Lucid Motors plans to resume customer deliveries for its new all-electric Gravity SUV at the end of April. Getting the Gravity into customer hands is a big milestone for Lucid, whose success will hinge on being able to offer vehicle types popular with American drivers.
The Gravity is Lucid’s second vehicle and its first SUV after the Lucid Air sedan series. Lucid opened up orders for the seven-seater SUV in November 2024 and began first deliveries to employees, friends, and family in December.
“We nearly finished building all the vehicles that we wanted to build to put them into our studio and for test drives,” Marc Winterhoff, interim CEO of Lucid, said Thursday evening at a brand activation event in New York City. “And by the end of April, we will resume customer deliveries of the Gravity.”
Lucid employees who spoke to TechCrunch at the event — which featured a surprise mini performance from Cautious Clay — confirmed that the EV maker is busy ramping up Gravity production at its Casa Grande, Arizona factory. Barring any hiccups, that U.S.-based factory will no doubt be a boon for the EV startup amid President Donald Trump’s new 25% auto tariffs.
The $94,900 Gravity has an official EPA range estimate of 450 miles and the performance of a sports car, which the company attributes to its advanced battery technology that allows for a denser, lighter-weight battery that packs a punch.
“With the Lucid Gravity, you don’t have to compromise. You can have it all,” Winterhoff said.
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