XL Fleet

Ree Automotive: Business life during wartime

Startup Ree Automotive builds its drive-by-wire electric powertrains in the United Kingdom. Its future customer base is mostly in the U.S. But its headquarters is in Tel Aviv, where the Hamas-Israel war takes an emotional toll on employees and their families called to fight.

Israel-based businesses count on some portion of their workforces serving in defense of the country surrounded by enemies sworn to destroy it.

When war comes calling, as it did during the Oct. 7 surprise bombing of Israel by...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/ree-automotive-business-life-during-wartime

Whatever became of those splashy electrification startups?

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As third-quarter earnings roll in, it is a good time to check the state of electrification startups....

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/whatever-became-of-those-splashy-electrification-startups

Truck electrification is much more than picking a charger

You can buy a charger for an electric vehicle from any number of suppliers. But it’s an incomplete purchase without knowing when the charger is operating, how much juice it can put out at a given time and whether or not it’s occupied.

“The last conversation I’m having is ‘Let’s pick the right hardware, how to deploy it cost effectively, and let me help you operate it so you get the SLA (service life agreement) you want,” Rich Mohr, ChargePoint Holdings Inc. senior vice president for North...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/truck-electrification-is-much-more-than-picking-a-charger

Carnage grows among transportation startups

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In the world of electric vehicle and autonomous trucking startups, the picture of winners and losers...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/carnage-grows-among-transportation-startups

Startups struggling to make financial ends meet

One is a startup. The other is better described as an early-stage growth company. Choosing lidar maker Ouster Inc. and bus, battery and electric infrastructure provider Proterra Inc. for Securities and Exchange Commission filings scrutiny may be selective. But they represent the ongoing financial difficulties affecting companies trying to advance transportation technology.

Some have already left the stage: XL Fleet was purchased by the Shyft Group. Electric Last Mile Solutions went bankrupt amid...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/startups-struggling-to-make-financial-ends-meet

How Kodiak Robotics avoided FOMO in staying private

The meltdown of transportation SPAC valuations is unrelenting. Here’s the story of one thriving autonomous trucking developer that stayed out of the rush-to-go-public frenzy.

Kodiak Robotics’ peace of being private

One autonomous trucking developer ignored the FOMO (fear of missing out) on the SPAC frenzy of 2020 and 2021. With valuations cratering for most companies that went public via special purpose acquisition companies, Kodiak Robotics is looking pretty smart. 

It is hiring strategically...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/how-kodiak-robotics-avoided-fomo-in-staying-private

Aurora approaches autonomous truck finish line

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As Class 8 autonomous trucking draws nearer, terms like operational design domain, safety case and...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/aurora-approaches-autonomous-truck-finish-line

Truck Talk: Next acts edition

This week, we’re looking at a lot of industry experience being brought to bear on startups and a familiar SPAC sponsor that has recruited a former U.S. president to a board role that could help pick a merger target. 

Moving on

It doesn’t matter what industry, second acts are common in professional careers. In baseball parlance, there are not many Tony Gwynns or Cal Ripken Jrs. who spend their entire careers with one team. 

Consider Rich Mohr, 25 “seasons” with Ryder System Inc. (NYSE: R), the last...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/truck-talk-next-acts-edition

Truck Talk: Trash talking edition

This week, we’re talking trash. Not what’s in it, but what moves it. The frequent stop-and-go operation of garbage trucks make them ideal for electrification. So why aren’t they being adopted more quickly?

Waste not

Is there a better vehicle candidate for electrification than the unlovable garbage truck?

They start and stop for a living. Regenerative braking captures energy to put it back into the battery. Garbage is still going to be smelly. But take away the diesel fumes spewing from the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/truck-talk-trash-talking-edition

Truck Talk: Decoding messages on stressed supply chains

This week, we decode warnings about what stressed supply chains mean to truck makers; share some social commentary from Cummins and Wabash National; and look at a busy round of business tie-ups. You can get Truck Talk delivered via email by subscribing at https://www.freightwaves.com/truck-talk.

May the chain be unbroken

Messages from truck makers and major suppliers in their earnings reports this week suggest downtime and production delays impacting the light-vehicle industry may be closing in...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/truck-talk-decoding-messages-on-stressed-supply-chains

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