Kodiak Robotics enhances autonomous truck safety with NXP tech
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Nikola hydrogen trucks find new home with Hyroad
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Hyroad Energy, a provider of hydrogen-powered transportation solutions, has acquired 113 hydrogen fuel cell trucks, spare parts, software platforms and IP assets from the Nikola Corporation bankruptcy auction. The acquisition significantly expands Hyroad’s fleet capacity and augments its existing zero-emission hydrogen-fueled commercial vehicles.
The purchase includes 103 brand-new Nikola Tre hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks along with supporting software systems and operational infrastructure essential for fleet deployment and maintenance. Hyroad plans to establish dedicated maintenance and parts facilities to support these operations.
“This acquisition significantly advances Hyroad’s mission to provide turnkey hydrogen trucking solutions that reduce the complexity and risk typically associated with adopting zero-emission technologies,” said Dmitry Serov, CEO and founder of Hyroad Energy in a press release.
The trucks will primarily operate in California, where Hyroad continues developing hydrogen refueling infrastructure to support its growing customer base. Beyond deploying its newly acquired vehicles, the company also intends to provide support services for existing Nikola truck owners, ensuring continuity in the hydrogen-fueled truck market across the United States.
This acquisition complements Hyroad Energy’s business model of offering truck-as-a-service solutions on a pay-per-mile basis. A big challenge for early adopters involves finding ways to eliminate upfront costs that traditionally hinder adoption of zero-emission technologies. The company’s approach allows fleet operators to transition to hydrogen power without facing the financial barriers associated with new technology implementation.
Clean Trucking reports that Nikola founder Trevor Milton “took to social media to say he also placed a bid—$400,000 higher, in fact—than Hyroad. The offer, however, was rejected by the courts.”
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Kodiak Robotics enhances autonomous truck safety with NXP tech
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Kodiak Robotics, an autonomous vehicle technology maker, has integrated NXP Semiconductors’ automotive processors and in-vehicle networking interfaces to enhance the performance and reliability of its autonomous trucking system.
The partnership, announced Wednesday, integrates NXP’s automotive solutions into the Kodiak Actuation Control Engine (ACE). ACE is Kodiak’s custom-built computer that manages vehicle actuation or, more simply, turning the electric or mechanical signals into motion.
This supports Kodiak’s AI-powered autonomous system, called the Kodiak Driver, and allows the system to run a safe fallback maneuver and bring the vehicle to a stop if either a safety-critical component or the Kodiak Driver fails.
NXP’s hardware includes an S32G3 vehicle network processor, S32K3 microcontroller, VR5510 multi-channel high-voltage power management integrated circuit, and PF53 core supply regulator. These have been incorporated to enable safety-critical functions such as redundant braking, steering, throttle control, and vehicle performance monitoring.
Read the full article here.
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Workhorse Group and Motiv Electric Trucks announce merger agreement
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(Photo: Motiv Electric Trucks)
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Workhorse Group and Motiv Electric Trucks are merging, and the combination will create one of the largest medium-duty electric truck OEMs in North America.
Sharonville, Ohio-based Workhorse Group, formerly named AMP Electric Vehicles, makes commercial electric vehicles and telematics software for last-mile delivery. Motiv Electric Trucks is a large manufacturer of medium-duty electric trucks and buses.
The all-stock transaction, announced last week, values the combined company at approximately $105 million and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to Workhorse shareholder approval.
The merger joins Workhorse’s manufacturing capabilities and national dealer network with Motiv’s diverse product portfolio and fleet relationships to serve the growing $23 billion medium-duty truck segment with a full range of Class 4-6 electric vehicles.
“Bringing together two leading OEMs in the medium-duty space strengthens our ability to reduce the cost of electric trucks and make the total cost of ownership even more compelling,” said Scott Griffith, CEO of Motiv, who will lead the combined company. “We believe this is a coming-of-age moment—not just for Motiv and Workhorse, but for the industry as a whole.”
Read the full article here.
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Commercial Carrier Journal reports Zero-emission trucks promise fuel savings but are hindered by insurance premiums that can be 30% to 50% higher than diesel vehicles, driven by costly advanced technology and limited repair networks. The industry’s reliance on outdated risk evaluation models exacerbates this issue. However, programs like California’s Innovative Small-E Fleet Pilot offer financial incentives to ease this transition. Such initiatives, alongside improved data collection and telematics, could eventually lower insurance costs.
Tech Crunch reports Nvidia, alongside Icehouse Ventures and others, has invested in Nuro’s $203 million Series E funding round to support the startup’s strategy of licensing self-driving technology. Nuro and Nvidia’s collaboration continues with the Nvidia Drive AGX Thor platform in Nuro’s latest compute model. Following strategic overhauls and layoffs, Nuro’s focus shifts to partnering with automakers, highlighted by its robotaxi project with Uber.
Tech Crunch reports Group14, a leader in silicon anode technology, secured $463 million to enhance its manufacturing capacity, reflecting strong investor faith in electric vehicles. This funding supports expansion across their U.S. and South Korean factories, improving lithium-ion battery efficiency through advanced silicon anode materials. Group14’s innovations notably address silicon’s expansion issues, promising up to 50% better energy density and faster charging times. Notable investors include SK, Porsche, and Microsoft.
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As always, thanks for watching and reading.
Thomas Wasson
twasson@firecrown.com
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