Torc Robotics taking delivery of next-gen Daimler trucks

Torc Robotics taking delivery of next-gen Daimler trucks

Torc Robotics, a subsidiary of Daimler Truck, is receiving deliveries of the recently unveiled fifth-generation Freightliner Cascadia. The additions of the autonomous-ready versions will be equipped with redundant safety features like braking and steering and are intended for series production. This comes as Torc moves from vehicle customization to standardization ahead of its planned commercial release in 2027.

Joanna Buttler, head of autonomous technology group at Daimler Truck, said in the release: “Delivering the latest iteration of our autonomous-ready vehicle platform, including production-intent autonomy hardware to Torc, marks a significant milestone for Daimler Truck towards series maturity and scaling.”

Compared to a traditional Cascadia, achieving driverless SAE Level 4 autonomous capabilities required the company to create built-in redundancies. These redundancies comprised over 1,500 additional engineering requirements, among them a second set of electronically controlled systems including an integrated power network These added hardware upgrades will allow Torc Robotics to integrate its virtual driver technology upon delivery.

Torc intends to use the trucks along its existing test routes in New Mexico, Texas and Arizona. The autonomous mode will also be tested on a new Laredo, Texas, to Dallas lane which runs through major cities like San Antonio and Austin. Torc completed its driver-out test runs on a multilane test track in 2024 and recently signed a leasing agreement for an autonomous hub in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Gatik advances toward driverless truck deployment with independent safety validation

Gatik, a leader in autonomous middle-mile logistics, recently reached a milestone toward its development of driverless trucks at scale. The company announced the successful completion of two major pillars of its safety assessment framework, with independent validation from TÜV SÜD, a globally recognized testing and certification organization.

This is a crucial step for Gatik as it prepares to launch large-scale Freight-Only driverless commercial operations in 2025. Notably, Gatik’s independently validated approach is a departure from other autonomous companies that use self-certification standards, as each company makes the case that its driverless option is roadworthy and ready for commercial operations. The most important part of these validations begins with safety.

“We strongly believe that the future of autonomous vehicles will be defined by those who prioritize safety above all else,” said Gautam Narang, CEO and co-founder of Gatik, in a news release. “This independently-validated audit of our Safety Case and Functional Safety methodology represents a radical departure from the self-certified safety audits that have become the industry norm.”

The safety assessment framework developed by Gatik contains over 700 identified safety portfolios, including key pillars of AV safety like organizational safety culture, engineering quality, cybersecurity, vehicle safety and safety case conformity to industry standards.

Read the full article here.

Kodiak Robotics going public via SPAC

The rumors were true and the SPAC is back. Kodiak Robotics recently announced it has entered into an agreement with Ares Acquisition Corp. II (AACT), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company that will make Kodiak a publicly listed company valued at around $2.5 billion. The combined company will be named Kodiak AI Inc.

New and existing institutional investors for Kodiak include Soros Fund Management, ARK Investments and Ares. They have funded or committed to over $110 million in financing in addition to approximately $551 million in cash, held in trust.

Rumblings about the deal were announced last month by Bloomberg, with the blank check firm AACT led by David Kaplin having raised $450 million in April 2023. Prior to founding Kodiak Robotics in 2018, Don Burnette had previously worked for Google’s self-driving car project before it became Waymo. Burnette left Google after five years to found Otto, a self-driving truck startup later acquired by Uber.

“This is a remarkable milestone for the Kodiak team and reinforces our confidence in the significant value proposition we see in our differentiated driverless technology,” said Burnette, founder and CEO of Kodiak, in a news release. “We believe entering the public markets will accelerate our strategy to expand our existing partner relationships, provide our technology to a broader customer base, and deliver enhanced solutions across the commercial trucking and public sector industries.”

Read the full article here.

Briefly noted …

Advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) validation provider Ottometric recently announced the closing of a $10 million Series A led by Schooner Capital with participation from existing investors Rally Ventures and Proeza Ventures, as well as new investors, including PS27 and Somersault Ventures. Ottometric’s AI-powered platform helps streamline ADAS development, helping companies fix sensor, system and software issues by classifying the vast amounts of sensor data. The company notes it has an expanding base of Tier 1 suppliers and OEMs.

Autonomous trucking company Bot Auto announced it has formed a strategic advisory board to help guide the company’s growth and mission. The composition of the board ranges from military leaders to trucking executives and former regulators. The board includes Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Michael D. Barbero, Thomas Feddo, Danny Lilley and Stephen Kennedy Smith.

Tech Crunch reports that Nuro has raised a $106 million Series E, bringing total funding raised to $2.2 billion on a $6 billion valuation. The autonomous driving technology provider will use the funds to scale its technology and advance commercial partnerships. Tech Crunch notes that the business pivot now will focus on licensing its self-driving technology to automotive OEMs, commercial delivery fleets and ride-hail companies.

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