Bot Auto partners with Marsh for custom autonomous truck fleet insurance
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Einride to go public via SPAC through merger with Legato Merger Corp. III
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Swedish-based Einride announced Wednesday plans to go public via a special purpose acquisition company through a merger with Legato Merger Corp. III. The company, headquartered in Stockholm, specializes in both electric and self-driving vehicles. The transaction, which values Einride at $1.8 billion in pre-money equity, is expected to provide approximately $219 million in gross proceeds before accounting for potential redemptions and transaction expenses.
Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Stockholm, Einride was an early pioneer in the freight technology sector with operations across seven countries. The company’s accolades include being first globally to receive permits for cabless heavy-duty autonomous vehicle operations on public roads in 2019 in Europe and in 2022 in the United States, while maintaining zero traffic incidents across all operations.
According to the release, the company serves more than 25 enterprise customers, manages a fleet of approximately 200 electric vehicles, and has advanced autonomous deployments with customers including GE Appliances and Apotea, Sweden’s leading online pharmacy.
The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Existing shareholders of Einride are expected to own approximately 83% of the pro forma equity after closing, assuming the company raises a planned $100 million PIPE investment.
Read the full article here.
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Bot Auto partners with Marsh for custom autonomous truck fleet insurance
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Bot Auto, an autonomous trucking company and Transportation-as-a-Service (TaaS) provider, announced Wednesday that it has secured a comprehensive insurance program for its driverless fleet. What is notable is that this program will scale as the company ramps up deployment of its autonomous truck fleet. Compared to a regular fleet of all human drivers, an autonomous truck insurance policy requires new benchmarks for transparency, insurability and operational accountability.
To do that, Bot Auto enlisted the help of Marsh, a global name in the insurance brokering and risk management space. Marsh worked with Bot Auto to place their insurance program with an A-rated insurance carrier, who underwrites the risk. The specialized plan provides Bot Auto with auto liability, property, general liability, cargo and inland marine protection, complemented by a separate cyber policy, according to the release.
Autonomy-native fleet operations also require a fundamentally different risk profile in the eyes of an insurance company. Compared to traditional trucking operations, which currently face increasing legal, financial and reputational exposures, autonomous trucking companies can show more data, partly because their trucks are covered in an array of cameras, radar, lidar and other sensors.
Read the full article here.
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Kodiak AI expands ZF partnership for autonomous truck steering
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Autonomous truck technology maker Kodiak AI recently announced it has expanded its partnership with ZF to purchase 100 redundant steering systems for its Kodiak Driver-equipped driverless trucks. ZF is a German-based global automotive technology company that makes systems like transmissions, steering and axles for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and industrial applications.
According to the release, Kodiak began integration for these redundant steering components into its Kodiak Driver-equipped trucks earlier this year.
“At ZF, our goal is to offer innovative solutions designed to enhance the autonomous vehicle industry by incorporating redundant components and moving towards fail-safe steering systems, enhancing safety, precision and AI-driven functionality,” said Praful Bari, head of application engineering for commercial vehicle solutions at ZF, in the release.
Bari added that these solutions include developing cutting-edge technologies like an adapted electronic steering assist system called ReAX and a next-generation electric power steering system. Both solutions are aimed at expanding autonomous mobility.
For Kodiak AI, ZF and its steering innovations are a key part of Kodiak’s autonomous vehicle platform. For autonomous vehicles, redundancy is key for safe driverless operations. Kodiak’s sixth-generation autonomous truck, unveiled in January 2024, included ZF’s redundant steering actuators controlled by Kodiak’s autonomous system.
Read the full article here.
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One way to boost renewable natural gas (RNG) production is through landfills. According to a release by TIEROC, a specially engineered alternative daily cover (ADC) made from clean, recycled wood can boost RNG production and create new revenue streams. The release notes that RNG production from landfill gas has risen from 19% to 40% since 2020, citing the American Biogas Council.
Tesla, at its recent 2025 shareholder meeting, provided updates to its Semi, including a new design, ahead of its planned production start in 2026. According to Tesla, the Semi will have a 500-mile range, 800 kW drive power and 1.2 MW charging. In a post on the X platform, Tesla also noted the new design is more efficient, has an increased payload and is designed for autonomy.
The robotaxi battle intensifies, this time pitting U.S.-based Waymo against Chinese companies making rapid progress, according to an article in Bloomberg. "Baidu Inc.’s Apollo Go, WeRide Inc. and Pony AI Inc. are outnumbering their American counterparts with more robotaxi projects progressing from testing to various stages of commercialization," noted a BloombergNEF analysis.
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As always, thanks for watching and reading.
Thomas Wasson
twasson@firecrown.com
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