Electric vehicle startup Rivian has raised another $2.65 billion as it builds momentum toward this year's launch of its first pickup truck, SUV and Amazon delivery vehicles.

Why it matters: Rivian continues to attract big money from private investors, even as other startups take advantage of Wall Street enthusiasm for EVs by going public through a series of mergers with special purpose acquisition companies.

Electric bus company Proterra on Tuesday became the latest EV player to announce it's going public via a merger with a special purpose acquisition company.

Driving the news: The deal with ArcLight Clean Transition Corp. values Proterra at $1.6 billion. Proterra builds buses and also provides battery systems and other products for heavy electric vehicles.

The electric vehicle era, barely underway, could soon be stifled by a shortage of batteries and raw materials that will require significant investments in U.S. manufacturing, mining and recycling.

Why it matters: President-elect Joe Biden has made vehicle electrification a core element of his energy and economic policy. But the U.S. is far behind in the global battery race, creating a potential supply chain bottleneck that could slow EV adoption for the next decade.

Hyundai is in preliminary talks with Apple about the tech giant's mysterious plan to develop self-driving electric cars, per reports in CNBC and Bloomberg.

Driving the news: "We understand that Apple is in discussion with a variety of global automakers, including Hyundai Motor. As the discussion is at its early stage, nothing has been decided," a Hyundai rep tells CNBC.

There's good news and bad news when it comes to curbing carbon emissions from Uber, Lyft and other ride-hailing services, courtesy of new analysis from the Rocky Mountain Institute.

Why it matters: Ride-hailing creates new emissions challenges.

Nikola Corp. announced that the company is no longer developing an electric garbage truck with waste management firm Republic Services.

Why it matters: It's the latest of several setbacks in recent months for Nikola, the once high-flying battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell truck company that went public mid-year in a reverse merger. Republican had placed a preliminary order for at least 2,500 vehicles in August.

The ongoing cost declines for lithium-ion battery tech is helping to make electric vehicles competitive against internal combustion models, per new analysis from the research firm BloombergNEF.

Why it matters: The annual study sees 2023 as the point where automakers "should be able to produce and sell mass market EVs at the same price (and with the same margin) as comparable internal combustion vehicles in some markets."

Amazon-backed Zoox unveiled on Monday its version of the future of transportation: an autonomous electric vehicle with no steering wheel that might one day be summoned with a ride-hailing app.

Why it matters: It's an important milestone for Zoox, which has ambitious plans to launch an urban robotaxi service using purpose-built vehicles designed and built in-house. Those efforts received a boost in June when Amazon acquired the six-year-old startup for a reported $1.2 billion.

Electric cargo bikes — which come in all shapes and sizes — are silent and emissions-free alternatives to Bobcats and light trucks, and they're increasingly used in cities for deliveries and municipal improvements.

Why it matters: If you've ever been bothered by the "beep-beep-beep" of a vehicle as it backs up, you'll be grateful to see these sporty little newcomers at work at highway medians and building delivery entrances.