Truck Tech

Guest: Steve Girsky, CEO, Nikola Topic: Nikola's financial future is still far from assured but interest is growing in the electric truck maker as it delivers on its promises of fuel cell trucks and hydrogen distribution to fill them. Follow the Truck Tech Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest: Tyler Duvall, co-founder and CEO, Cavnue Topic: The federal highway system has not had a major overhaul in 70 years beyond physical upgrades. Startup Cavnue thinks sensor technology could make a big difference in safety and performance. Follow the Truck Tech Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest: Matt Zimmer, president, Zengistics Topic: Whether it's reducing the number of loads or helping a company decide where to locate its next distribution site, Zengistics applies Turvo-driven apps to help shippers save on total cost of ownership. Follow the Truck Tech Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest: Ted McKlveen, co-founder and CEO, Verne Topic: The prospects for hydrogen as a transportation fuel improve by packing more energy into a kilogram of the element. Startup Verne expects to demonstrate a long-haul truck using its super-cold hydrogen storage technology by the end of the year. The industry is watching. Follow the Truck Tech Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your...

Guest: Londonne Corder, Outrider chief marketing officer Topic: Dirty and dangerous distribution yards have great potential for automation. Outrider is leading those efforts at its test site near Denver where FreightWaves was invited to for a behind-the-scenes look. Follow the Truck Tech Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest: Kurt Neutgens, co-founder and chief technology officer, Orange EV Topic: Distribution yards are a sweet spot for heavy-duty electric trucks. They cost more up front, but they have a fast payback and unmatched durability with 98% uptime in the case of Orange EV. Follow the Truck Tech Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest: Dakota Semler, co-founder and CEO, Xos Topic: Xos cut a third of its workforce, halved its operating expense and raised $50 million in capital by acquiring moribund Electrameccanica -- all in the name of creating a sustainable EV business that could help environmental sustainability. Follow the Truck Tech Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/...

Guest: BJ Johnson, co-founder and CEO, ClearFlame Topic: Changing just 5% of the parts of a diesel engine and burning denatured ethanol instead of diesel can cut CO2 emissions by at least 45%, a scalable technology that could wedge its way between diesel and electrification. Follow the Truck Tech Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest: Chad Dittberner, Werner Enterprises senior vice president Van/Expedited division Topic: If its a new technology for freight movement, Werner Enterprises has tested it. When it comes to electric trucks, the company sees them as a niche product for certain use cases, not a widespread solution. Follow the Truck Tech Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megap...

Guest: Apeksha Kumavat, Gatik co-founder and chief engineer Topic: With no competitors in the rearview mirror, Gatik is building its lead in short-haul, middle-mile autonomous trucking toward mass production with Isuzu in 2027. Follow the Truck Tech Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest: Salim Youssefzadeh, CEO, WattEV Topic: Startup WattEV is expanding its fleet of electric Class 8 trucks to 180 from 26 by the end of the year and opening more high-power charging sites. Follow the Truck Tech Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest: John O’Leary, Daimler Truck North America CEO Topic: The burgeoning Advanced Clean Truck Expo moves into Las Vegas with hydrogen getting another boost from a surprising source and debate over the near-term future of electric trucks. Follow the Truck Tech Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Isuzu and Gatik will build medium-duty autonomous trucks for sale around 2027, expanding the use of Isuzu’s F-Series as the basis for the middle mile driverless trucks Gatik operates in Texas and Ontario, Canada. Japan’s Isuzu is also investing $30 million in Gatik. Oh, and there’s a new version of Isuzu’s craft beer truck, too. Follow the Truck Tech Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more abo...

The transition from diesel fuel to electric propulsion will not spare autonomous trucks. Daimler Truck pulled together a demonstration of what that might look like by combining its Class 8 eCascadia with Torc Robotics driverless system. Follow the Truck Tech Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When your flagship truck is 90% new, opportunities abound to make improvements. Connectivity -- from integration of a MyTruck app to the ability for the Volvo VNL to call for help in an emergency are just two ways Volvo accomplished this. Follow the Truck Tech Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hyliion’s linear generator technology holds promise for efficiently producing low-emissions electricity for electric vehicle charging and a host of other applications. The challenge is successfully scaling 3D printing for parts so intricate they could not be made any other way. Follow the Truck Tech Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest: Brent Yeagy, president and CEO, Wabash Topic: Wabash’s renaming and reorganization into two business units along with fresh thinking on strategic customer relationships is paying off for the company, which sees broad applications for its EcoNex structural material composites across transportation modes. Follow the Truck Tech Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices....

Guest: Charlie Freeze, Executive director of GM Hydrotec Topic: With more than a half century of hydrogen fuel cell development, General Motors is finally making commercial strides with potential customers. The more power-hungry the project, the more the automaker sees its value Follow the Truck Tech Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest: Patrick Macdonald-King, CEO, Greenlane Topic: Building out an electric infrastructure for medium- and heavy-duty trucks will take a lot of players and a lot of money. Daimler Truck North America, NextEra Energy and BlackRock Climate Infrastructure have committed more than $650 million to that end. Follow the Truck Tech Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Guests: Brad Hartzel, Workhorse vice president, Manufacturing Services and Rick Dauch, Workhorse Group CEO Topic: Workhorse is on the bubble financially, but its refurbished horse ranch-themed plant in Union City, Indiana, is ready to scale production if orders for its new W56 electric step van materialize against a slowdown in EV adoption. Follow the Truck Tech Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Le...

Guest: Jennifer Rumsey, chair and CEO, Cummins Inc. Topic: In her nearly two years as CEO, Jennifer Rumsey has guided engine maker and power provider Cummins Inc. through challenges domestic and global, from navigating an ever-changing business climate in China to agreeing to pay nearly $2 billion in penalties for Clean Air Act violations even as the company focuses on its Destination Zero plan fo...

Guest: Duane Tegels, VTNA powertrain product marketing manager Topic: Aerodynamics account for about 80% of the fuel efficiency gains in the new Volvo VNL, but engine improvements also contributed while helping usher in better performance and durability for the company's flagship over-the-road truck. Follow the Truck Tech Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg...

Guest: Eric Bippus, Hexagon Agility EVP, Sales and Systems Development Topic: Natural gas as a transportation fuel typically accounts for 1% to 2% of the Class 8 market. That may be about to rise to fivefold, and tank maker ad fuel system developer Hexagon Agility is getting ready. Follow the Truck Tech Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest: John Araujo, CEO, Forterra Topic: With decades of experience in military applications, Forterra -- formerly Robotic Research -- is expanding into distribution yard autonomy where robotic yard tractors can precisely park twice as many trailers as human drivers. Follow the Truck Tech Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest: Chris Stadler, VTNA program marketing manager, Long Haul Topic: Work on the new Volvo VNL long-haul truck began a year before the current version debuted in 2017. It is about 90% new and will be the platform for future autonomous, electrified and hydrogen fuel cell models. Follow the Truck Tech Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices