Amazon cutting Alexa jobs | Seattle Auto Show spotlights EVs as industry revs up

Happy Friday. Amazon is making workforce cuts within its Alexa business; Seattle startup vet Sujal Patel has advice for founders; and we got a sneak peek at the Seattle Auto Show, where EVs are in the spotlight again. 

Electric vehicle sales in the U.S. are on track to surpass 1 million this year, and visitors to the Seattle International Auto Show could help boost that number as the show once again boasts more EVs from every major automaker. GeekWire checked out the cars and talked to industry experts and show visitors about what’s driving — or slowing — the switch to electric. (Above, auto industry analyst Tom Voelk pops open the Kia EV9 electric SUV, which he says could be the “it” car of 2024.) Read the story. 

• Related: Amazon announced Thursday that it is getting into vehicle sales, partnering with Hyundai to let customers buy cars from its platform. The move “just makes sense,” Voelk told GeekWire from the auto show, saying that consumers want an easy experience, though he cautioned against buying without a test drive. Read more.

Amazon cutting Alexa jobs: Amazon says it’s shifting the priorities of its Alexa team to focus more on generative AI, ending unspecified initiatives and eliminating several hundred roles, according to an internal memo obtained by GeekWire.

Washington state’s capital gains tax pulled in nearly $900 million in its first year, in what one backer called a “big deal for families, child care providers, and schools across Washington” as much of the revenue will target education. Read more. 

Innovation Hall opens northeast of Seattle: The new $79 million facility on the campuses of the University of Washington Bothell and Cascadia College will serve students in biology, chemistry, computer science, physics, and electrical and mechanical engineering. Read more.

Startup tips from veteran entrepreneur Sujal Patel: The Isilon Systems and Nautilus Biotechnology co-founder is also an investor who has backed more than 85 startups. He shares advice on product-market fit, recruiting, hiring and scrappiness. Read more. 

Tech Moves: Icertis exec jumps to Zenoti; Brex names a new Seattle-based president; Nautilus Biotechnology hires a VP; and more key personnel changes. 

Hot Links:

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a $4 million grant to the City of Seattle for a solid waste infrastructure project to process, store, organize, and distribute salvaged wood. (Seattle Public Utilities)

• The Washington State Historical Society is digitizing 55,000 previously unseen images by famed photographer Asahel Curtis, who documented the Pacific Northwest from the 1890s to the 1940s. (Crosscut)

• The Pacific Science Center in Seattle opened a new Sensory Lounge to provide a quiet space for guests of diverse abilities. (PSC)