PlusAI terminates SPAC deal with Churchill Capital IX
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Humble Robotics raises $24M for cabless hauler
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Autonomous trucks have come from humble beginnings, but one thing most of them retain is a cab made for humans. One San Francisco-based startup is looking to change that and has redesigned the cabless truck from the ground up. Humble Robotics emerged from stealth Tuesday and announced that it had raised $24 million in seed funding to create a new take on the tractor-trailer combo.
The round was led by Eclipse, with additional participation by Energy Impact Partners and others.
Humble’s universal platform is designed to adapt to the cargo type and the logistics environment. The first cabless vehicle, called the Humble Hauler, is designed for shipping containers and is much lighter than a traditional Class 8 tractor and trailer combo.
The design uses lidar, radar and cameras to provide 360-degree coverage of its surroundings. The vehicle is planned for dock-to-dock operations, a challenge for robots, namely the lack of hands to attach things like air lines.
Humble’s Humble Hauler is driven by what is called a vision-language-action, or VLA, model. It allows the truck to reason about the world, then act in scenarios it may not have experienced before. This dramatically improves safety and shortens the time to market.
Read more.
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PlusAI terminates SPAC deal with Churchill Capital IX
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(Photo: Thomas Wasson/FreightWaves)
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PlusAI and Churchill Capital Corp. IX announced Tuesday the termination of their previously announced SPAC-backed business combination. According to a PlusAI announcement, the termination of the merger between the autonomous truck technology maker and the SPAC was due to market conditions.
In the announcement, PlusAI was optimistic, noting that it continues to show significant commercial momentum and is positioned for long-term growth. Existing PlusAI investors continue to support the company’s growth and commercialization plans, the announcement added.
“Our business has significant momentum. With strong expected revenue in 2026 and continued growth on the horizon in 2027, we are executing on our strategy and delivering real value to our customers. SuperDrive™ is proving itself in commercial operations today and HyperFoundry is picking up momentum. The trajectory ahead gives us tremendous confidence in where PlusAI is headed. The support from our existing investors on our next capital raise is a direct reflection of their conviction in our business fundamentals and our technology,” said David Liu, CEO and co-founder of PlusAI.
The move comes as the company recently unveiled major updates to its SuperDrive 6.0 autonomous trucking platform in March. PlusAI operates an autonomous trucking trial in Texas with International and Ryder.
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Einride files for $1.35B Nasdaq listing while scaling Amazon electric fleet
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Einride, an autonomous technology and electric truck maker, announced two milestones this week. The first is a collaboration with Amazon to use its electric trucks. The other is the filing of a registration statement on Form F-4 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Einride filed the registration statement with special purpose acquisition company Legato Merger Corp. III on Wednesday. This filing marks the next regulatory step toward a public listing that values the Swedish company at $1.35 billion. At the same time, Einride announced Tuesday a major expansion of its Amazon partnership. The company will deploy 75 electric heavy-duty trucks across five U.S. locations.
The proposed business combination, announced last November, will list Einride on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “ENRD.” The listing is expected around the second quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.
The transaction should deliver approximately $333 million in gross proceeds. This total includes:
- $113 million from an oversubscribed Private Investment in Public Equity (PIPE) capital raise announced Feb. 26.
- Up to $220 million from Legato’s cash-in-trust before accounting for potential redemptions and transaction expenses.
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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ACT EXPO
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Connected vehicles, ADAS safety tech, autonomous advancements and software-defined vehicles drive innovation. Learn More.
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China’s Hesai Group unveiled the EXT lidar, the first sensor integrating spatial and color detection in one device. Powered by its proprietary Picasso chip, the technology allows autonomous systems to distinguish traffic light colors. Mass production begins later this year, with flagship vehicle debuts expected by 2027. (Reuters)
Autonomous vehicle startups raised a record $21.4 billion globally through Apr. 15, 2026, more than tripling the $5.9 billion invested in all of 2025. Waymo’s $16 billion Series D accounted for 75 percent of the total, signaling investors are backing scale-ready players over research-stage bets. (Crunchbase News)
Sepion Technologies raised $10 million in Series B funding led by Fine Structure Ventures to scale U.S.-based polymer production. The Alameda, Calif.-based company develops ultra-thin separator coatings that replace legacy ceramic materials in lithium-ion batteries, enabling higher energy density and faster charging without changes to existing manufacturing lines. (Finsmes)
Averitt will deploy 10 TICO battery-electric yard tractors at Tennessee service centers, backed by the state’s Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program. The pilot will test operational efficiencies while advancing the carrier’s sustainability goals. (Commercial Carrier Journal)
Shell’s Starship 3.0 natural gas truck hit Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the U.S. Eco-marathon, achieving 204 ton-miles per gallon — 2.5 times the standard Class 8 tractor. The truck now hauls IndyCar logistics trailers as part of Penske Entertainment’s “Racing Toward Zero” initiative targeting 50 percent emissions reductions by 2030. (FreightWaves)
Tesla confirmed its Class 8 electric truck will begin volume production later this year, with CEO Elon Musk cautioning output will follow an “S-curve” ramp before accelerating into 2027. The company is expanding its Nevada facility and deploying Megachargers alongside the Semi rollout. (FreightWaves)
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As always, thanks for watching and reading.
Thomas Wasson
twasson@firecrown.com
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