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On the road to electrifying vehicles, cars and small trucks are getting there. Big rigs, however, pose bigger hurdles.

The trouble with electrifying tractor-trailer trucks is that the tractor component needs more power than the current charging infrastructure can handle and the necessary charging time is long.

Major truck manufacturers like Volvo, Freightliner and Tesla are introducing electric tractor-trailer trucks, but that is still a tiny and inefficient market. Big rigs make up just 10% of the vehicles on the road, but they account for nearly 30% of total vehicle carbon emissions.

Now one startup, California-based Range Energy, is focused not on the tractor but the trailer. They are introducing electrified trailers that power and propel themselves so the tractor has less to pull.

“Everything that is built into the tractor is really built to manage the load of the trailer properly, and what we’re saying is, ‘Well, why don’t we do that directly through our Range system by electrifying the trailer in a way that has never been done before?'” said Ali Javidan, CEO of Range Energy.

The Range Energy system incorporates batteries, a motor that powers one of the trailer’s dual axles and what Javidan refers to as a ‘smart kingpin’ to improve the truck’s efficiency.

“When I push this button to activate the system, the trailer follows me,” Javidan said as he demonstrated the system. “It doesn’t matter if I’m an old Peterbilt semi-truck or a brand new Tesla semi or just me pulling on it with the system activated. The trailer’s mission is to make itself feel weightless.”

The electrified trailer can also refrigerate itself as well as power onboard communications and security systems. It does all of that at a fraction of the cost of diesel. 

“If we were to take one of these fleets that runs 3,000 trailers and run it through the range system and essentially incorporate the range system into their fleet, we’re looking at 100 million pounds of CO2 saved per year,” Javidan said. “But even better than that, it equates to about $50 million in fuel savings alone.”

Northern Refrigerated Transportation is piloting the Range trailers in California. The company has previously tried electric tractors but the long charging times were a hurdle, said Ricky Souza, COO at Northern Refrigerated Transportation.

Range Energy’s “trailers seem more of a natural fit because we have to load them, and we load them at night” while the trailers charge, Souza said. “So it’s not more dependent on a driver waiting for it.”

There are, however, some major roadblocks that Northern Refrigerated Transportation must overcome before the company can electrify its entire fleet of more than 300 trucks.

“There’s definitely some infrastructure challenges, like power to the buildings or properties and getting it, and the cost of the unit is more,” Souza said. “That’s part of doing the due diligence to see if you’ll make it back into fuel savings.”

Range Energy has raised $31.5 million so far, and it is backed by R7, UP.Partners, Trousdale Ventures and Yamaha Motor Ventures.

The appeal of Range Energy’s technology is the startup’s different approach to tackling the challenge of electrifying tractor-trailers, said Tyler Engh, R7’s founder and general manager.

“Seventy percent of all freight in the United States is done by trucks, and there’s no one touching a trailer, so if we can electrify the trailer, we could accelerate mass adoption for hybridization or electrification on current fleets that have diesel semis,” Engh said. “The size of what this company could become is exactly what venture capital is set up to do. It could be a humongous return for us.”

As in the EV market for cars, charging infrastructure is still not where it needs to be, but Javidan says trucking companies can leverage the power that’s available at loading docks, as Northern Refrigerated Transportation is doing. Javidan added that Range Energy is able to size the battery pack much closer to what you see in a passenger vehicle than what you see in the large commercial vehicles that are coming out from other big rig companies.

CNBC producer Lisa Rizzolo contributed to this piece.

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23andMe special committee again rejects CEO Wojcicki’s take-private offer

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23andMe special committee again rejects CEO Wojcicki's take-private offer

Anne Wojcicki, co-founder and chief executive officer of 23andme Inc., during the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, US, on Friday, March 10, 2023. 

Jordan Vonderhaar | Bloomberg | Getty Images

23andMe‘s special committee of independent directors on Monday rejected CEO Anne Wojcicki’s proposal to take the distressed genetic testing company private.

Wojcicki submitted a proposal to the committee on Sunday, offering to acquire all of the company’s outstanding shares for 41 cents each, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The stock plunged 33% on Monday to close at $1.47, down more than 99% from its peak in 2021.

Wojcicki and New Mountain Capital submitted a prior bid in February to take the company private for $2.53 per share. Days later, New Mountain told Wojcicki it was no longer interested in participating in a potential acquisition and would discontinue discussions, the filing said.

23andMe’s special committee said that Wojcicki’s proposal represented an 84% decrease from the prior offer and determined not to go forward, according to a release on Monday.

“The Special Committee has reviewed Ms. Wojcicki’s acquisition proposal in consultation with its financial and legal advisors, and has unanimously determined to reject the proposal,” the directors said.

23andMe didn’t immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

Following a turbulent 2024, 23andMe announced plans in January to explore strategic alternatives, which could include a sale of the company or its assets, a restructuring or a business combination. 

Wojcicki previously submitted a proposal to take the company private for 40 cents per share in July, but it was rejected by the special committee, in part because the members said it lacked committed financing and did not provide a premium to the closing price at the time.

WATCH: The rise and fall of 23andMe

The rise and fall of 23andMe

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Huawei charts cautious global comeback with ultra-expensive phones — but major challenges remain

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Huawei charts cautious global comeback with ultra-expensive phones — but major challenges remain

The Huawei booth at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, 2025.

Arjun Kharpal | CNBC

BARCELONA — Huawei is dipping its toes back into the international smartphone market, but analysts warn the lingering effects of U.S. sanctions is likely to hamper the Chinese company’s ability to compete with leaders Apple and Samsung.

Over the past few months, Huawei has launched two key devices outside of China. The first in December was the Mate X6, a foldable smartphone, followed by the Mate XT, Huawei’s 3,499 euros ($3,660) trifold phone.

Huawei was looking to stand out from the crowd of similar-looking smartphones at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, the world’s biggest telecoms trade show. The Chinese firm had a large stand showing off its wares, including the Mate XT.

These expensive devices and Huawei’s presence at a global tech show, underscore the tech giant’s targeted approach, attempting to maintain its brand image as an innovative company while selling high-end smartphones.

“Huawei is still very cautious and conservative with what it believes it can achieve outside China with its smartphone business,” Runar Bjørhovde, an analyst at Canalys told CNBC.

“Bringing Mate XT and X6 abroad is no sign that it will make an international comeback with its smartphone business in the next years. Both of these are priced exceptionally and is instead to maintain its desired brand perception of being a cutting-edge innovator with smartphones and still sell devices to its most wealthy super-fans.”

Signage shows the Huawei Mate X6 at Huawei’s booth at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, 2025.

Arjun Kharpal | CNBC

Huawei’s downfall and comeback

International challenges

MWC used to be a show dominated by Huawei, from the sponsorship of the lanyards and badges that attendees wore, to announcing the buzziest product launches at the event.

While Huawei has scaled back some of the glitzier aspects of its attendance, its stand remains very large as it shows off other parts of its business, in particular its telecommunications equipment which helped turn it into one of the world’s biggest tech companies.

In the consumer space, Huawei has maintained some presence outside of China with devices such as smartwatches but its smartphone business remains very limited. The firm is using 2025’s MWC to show off the Mate XT, the first of its kind device with a screen that folds twice.

However, its success in China is unlikely to be replicated with the biggest challenge being Huawei’s lack of access to Google’s Android software, analysts said.

“I don’t think they will be able to return to international markets without the full Google services,” Francisco Jeronimo, vice president for data and analytics at International Data Corporation, told CNBC.

A Huawei Technologies Mate XT smartphone arranged in Hong Kong on Sep. 24, 2024.

Lam Yik | Bloomberg | Getty Images

“They haven’t managed to grow market share in the international markets,” he said.

Google’s Android operating system is run by 80% of the world’s smartphones, according to Counterpoint Research. Outside of China, Android device users rely on the Google Play Store, which is Google’s app store, as well as the various apps from the Chrome browser to Gmail.

While Huawei has its own operating system called HarmonyOS, it still does not have the ability to offer Google apps, which the majority of users rely on.

“Expanding the smartphone business outside China will be a huge challenge,” Canalys’ Bjørhovde said.

“Not only because Harmony barely has any active users outside China, limiting its user feedback and app availability, but also because it needs the right device portfolio, operations team, marketing resources, etc. This will take years to rebuild, even with strong success in other device categories.”

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AI cloud provider CoreWeave files for IPO

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AI cloud provider CoreWeave files for IPO

CoreWeave, a provider of cloud-based Nvidia processors to companies including Meta and Microsoft, is headed for the public market.

In its IPO prospectus on Monday, CoreWeave said revenue in 2024 soared more than 700% to $1.92 billion. The company recorded a net loss of $863.4 million. In 2024, around 77% of revenue came from two customers, with 62% the total flowing from Microsoft. CoreWeave had over $15 billion in contracts that had not been fulfilled.

In the fourth quarter, it generated $747.4 million of revenue, with a gross margin, or the revenue left after accounting for the cost of goods sold, of about 76%. The company recorded operating income of $112.7 million, but a net loss of $51.4 million, due to interest expenses. Debt at the end of the year approached $8 billion.

CoreWeave filed to trade on the Nasdaq under ticker symbol “CRWV.”

Originally known as Atlantic Crypto, the company got its start in 2017 by offering infrastructure for mining the ethereum cryptocurrency. After digital currency prices fell, the company bought up additional graphics processing units (GPUs) and changed its name to CoreWeave, with an increasing focus on graphics rendering and artificial intelligence.

“We quickly started getting inundated with introductions to businesses dependent upon GPU acceleration with a common pain point: legacy cloud providers make it extremely difficult to scale because they offer a limited variety of compute options at monopolistic prices,” co-founder and CEO Michael Intrator wrote in a 2021 blog post.

Intrator controls about 38% of the company’s voting power before the offering. Hedge fund Magnetar controls 7%, while Nvidia has 1%, the filing showed.

At the end of 2024, CoreWeave’s fleet included over 250,000 Nvidia GPUs, with a majority using the previous-generation Hopper architecture, according to the filing. Nvidia’s Blackwell GPUs were in full production as November. Last year, Elon Musk startup xAI quickly wired up a data center cluster in Tennessee housing 100,000 Nvidia GPUs.

Running data centers full of GPUs requires considerable energy. CoreWeave had 360 megawatts in active power, and a total of 1.3 gigawatts had been contracted, the filing said.

Morgan Stanley is leading the offering, with help from JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs.

CoreWeave will be attempting to enter the public market during a historically slow stretch for tech offerings.

When cloud software vendor ServiceTitan hit the market in December, it market the first significant venture-backed tech IPO since Rubrik’s debut in April. A month before that, Reddit started trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

There haven’t been many other tech IPOs of note in the U.S. since late 2021, when rising interest rates and soaring inflation pushed investors out of risky assets.

Within the AI infrastructure market, one other name of interest is Cerebras. The chipmaker filed to go public in September, but the process slowed down due to a review by the Treasury Department’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., or CFIUS.

CoreWeave gained popularity after OpenAI released ChatGPT in late 2022, because the company could quickly provide GPUs to businesses in need. Microsoft, whose Azure cloud unit has supplied computing power to OpenAI, started working with CoreWeave in 2023 to meet OpenAI demand.

“What happened In November of ’22, like, that was just a bolt from the blue, right?” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said on a podcast released in November with investors Brad Gerstner and Bill Gurley. “So therefore, we had to catch up. So we said, Hey, we’re not going to in fact worry about too much inefficiency.”

Nadella described the GPU cloud leasing as a one-time event, saying Microsoft was no longer short on chips. But on a more recent podcast, the Microsoft chief said the company builds and rents heavily and will still be leasing in 2027 and 2028.

In addition to being CoreWeave’s top client, Microsoft is also a competitor, along with Amazon, Google, Oracle, and some smaller providers such as Crusoe and Lambda.

Nvidia relies on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. for GPU fabrication, and military conflict involving China and Taiwan could pose issues for CoreWeave, the company said in Monday’s filing.

— CNBC’s Ari Levy contributed to this report.

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