Trucks | FoT: NHTSA AV framework, Skyryse, Nio

FoT is the intelligence arm of Trucks Venture Capital 

Notable:

US NHTSA proposes voluntary framework for AVs, with two tiers for vehicles with human fallback and another without (link, link to PDF notice). This is a more welcoming national stance on AVs, with the quid pro quo being that companies will need to provide more data. 'Under the proposed program, an applicant would provide NHTSA with information and data related to the safety of the design, development, and operations of ADS-equipped vehicles for their intended deployment under the program. NHTSA would review this information, engage with the applicant as needed to clarify or ask for additional information, and establish terms and conditions for participating in the program. Once admitted into AV STEP, a participant would be required to submit both periodic and event-triggered reports to NHTSA. To improve public transparency, the agency also proposes to publish much of the application and reporting information that NHTSA would receive.'

Impressive 'Nio day' coverage from China (link). One fascinating nugget in the coverage is that ex Volkswagen CEO Herbert Deiss is promoted in the ET9 flagship rollout saying 'that's really smooth' -- this is a double dagger to the heart of the German luxury brands. I'm not sure why major OEMs continue to feed marginal auto shows; they should just do their own '___ day' on their own like this and take all the attention.

Trump team's 100-day plan reportedly shows EV rebate going away (link). Via Martha D. Except for rebates that will continue at a state level, expect a barren field frozen with snow.

A look inside Amazon's decade-long quest for drone delivery (link). 'Recently, Amazon has developed a new drone — known as the MK-30 — that it claims solves many of the problems with previous models. The new drones fly twice as far, and the company says they are significantly quieter. The drones can also identify where to drop packages with the help of cameras and sensors, which means no more yard surveys or QR codes.'

Skyryse achieves 'takeoff with a finger swipe' for its flight software system (link).

Why does the auto industry obsess over 'unit sales' instead of just reporting revenue figures, like virtually every other industry? (link).

Porsche's next EV 718 Cayman/Boxster platform stuck in 'development hell' (link). Via Marco. Of all the Porsche vehicles, this one actually seems like the worst candidate to move to EV on the early side. It would change a lightweight mid-rear car into a heavier one, with a fundamentally different balance as well.

Senators rip into automakers for selling customer data and blocking right to repair (link). 'It is clear that the motivation behind automotive companies’ avoidance of complying with right-to-repair laws is not due to a concern for consumer security or privacy, but instead a hypocritical, profit-driven reaction.' A return serve: 'How your car might be making roads safer' (link).

Video: Carlos Ghosn talks Honda / Nissan potential merger (link). Via Edward T. Video: review of the Porsche Macan EV (link). Video: these dual-screen car sim racing setups look so real I have a hard time believing they aren't just video clips (link).

M&A / Deals / Changes:

Honda and Nissan to start merger discussions (link).

Stellantis and Zeta Energy partner to develop lithium-sulfur batteries (link).

Truck loading robot startup Slip raises $21M (link). Led by DCVC.

US DOE announces $9.63B loan to BlueOval SK for battery manufacturing (link).

Chinese drone maker DJI's automotive group raises strategic round from BYD (link).

Indian intercity bus platform Zingbus raises $9M (link). Led by BP Ventures.

German EV aviation startup Vaeridion raises $14M (link). Led by World Fund.

FedEx plans to spin off its freight division (link). Via WSJ.

Chinese AV trucking startup TuSimple rebrands to CreateAI, shifts to gaming tech (link).

Board & Executive Changes:

Blink Charging: Martha Crawford joins board (link).

Aurora Innovation: Nolan Shenai departs as General Counsel (link).

Sensata: Stephan von Schuckmann named CEO, joins board effective January 1 2025 (link).

Featured Jobs:

Supply Chain - Buyer/Planner at Gatik in Mountain View, CA, USA (link).

Senior Product Designer at JetZero in Long Beach, CA, USA (link).

MobilityJobs is the No.1 job board for auto & transportation companies (link). If you are a startup you can use the job board for free standard listings — just enter 'Trucks' at checkout.

New Stuff:

I am attending the Ride AI summit in April and even though they're doing this for the first time, I recommend it (link). A very small group (<300 ppl) and some interesting discussions around automated vehicles and AI. With this link you get 20% off tickets (neither Trucks nor I benefit from this coupon, and it is the most discounted coupon code for this event). See you there.

Wing and DoorDash launch drone deliveries in Dallas area (link).

Cox Automotive's 2024 trend report and 2025 forecast (link to PDF).

Waymo plans Japan AV fleet expansion (link).

SwissRe insurance study claims Waymo fleet safer than advanced human-driven vehicles (link). Via Waymo. 'It demonstrates that as we've scaled operations across Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin, the Waymo Driver significantly outperforms both the overall driving population and the latest generation of human-driven vehicles equipped with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).'

Turning scrap SUVs into shelter homes (link).

Honda teases reveal of two new EV prototypes (link).

Patents & Patent Applications:

Toyota's patent for LiDAR-reflective fabric (link).

Apple's patent application for autonomous driving navigation and routing (link). The interesting part about this is that it was filed months after the Apple Car project was reportedly shut down.

Ford's patent for a stair-climbing robot (link).

Statistics / Projections:

Green hydrogen production costs have skyrocketed (link). Via Bloomberg / BNF. 'As a result, hydrogen produced using clean energy costs 4x as much as that made from natural gas, according to BNEF.'

Citydwellers in the US are walking 15% faster than they did in 1980 (link to PDF). Via NBER. 'This shift suggests that urban residents increasingly view streets as thoroughfares rather than as social spaces, which has important implications for the role of public spaces in fostering social engagement.'

Global auto sales forecast for 2025: 89.5 units (link). Via FT/S&P Mobility.

The average US Gen Zer’s screen time is over 7 hrs per day (link). Via DCDX.

The busiest flight routes in the world are Hong Kong - Taipei, Cairo - Jeddah and Seoul - Tokyo (link). Via Sherwood / OAG.

US gasoline prices fall below $3/gallon on average for the first time since 2021 (link). Via Reuters / GasBuddy.

Thank you:

Thank you to Ian Adams (link), Tu Le (link), Ken Margolis (link) and Sean Simpson (link) for offers of introductions to new founders, investors and friends over the last week.

Trucks portfolio companies mentioned in this issue:

Gatik (link), JetZero (link), Skyryse (link). View the full portfolio of Trucks companies (link).

To understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi (WCF),

Reilly Brennan