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| Here is today's Transportation briefing: - 🚛 Mercedes released plans for a 2024 hydrogen fuel cell truck.
- Union Pacific 🚂 and other train companies plead with the government to reopen El Paso and Eagle Pass crossings for their freight. 🛤️
- Google's Waymo 🤖 released its self-driving data.
Thanks for reading! Robel
p/Robel-Kelkile | |
| 1 | | Mercedes-Benz has gained approval to test its Level 3 autonomous Drive Pilot system on Chinese highways. Drive Pilot, already operational in Germany and select U.S. states, allows supervised hands-free driving up to 40 mph, featuring expanded capabilities and future speed enhancements. More: - The company will initiate testing on public roads in China following regulatory approval.
- Enabled at speeds under 40 mph, it permits activities like checking emails or using apps on the infotainment screen, typically restricted while driving.
- Equipped with redundant steering, braking, and electrical systems, along with a comprehensive sensor suite, ensuring safety and seamless handover to the driver if necessary.
- Mercedes-Benz collaborated with NVIDIA and lidar company Luminar to equip the vehicle hardware supporting the Drive Pilot system.
- Continual advancements are planned, with future updates targeting higher operational speeds, such as the upcoming capability to operate at speeds of up to 56 mph while following another vehicle on highways.
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| 2 | | Tesla reportedly set to increase wages for hourly workers at its Nevada battery factory, with some employees expected to see up to a 10% pay raise. This move comes amid efforts to address worker organization and follows similar wage increases in the automotive industry in the U.S. More: - Hourly wages at Tesla's Nevada factory will rise, with lower-paid employees increasing from $20 to $22 per hour and higher-paid workers going from $30.65 to $34.50 hourly.
- Multiple pay grades, previously earning $26.20 to $30.65, will now see their wages adjusted to $34.50 per hour.
- Efforts to organize non-union autoworkers, influenced by recent concessions won by the UAW from major automakers, have prompted Tesla and others to reassess wages and working conditions.
- Several automakers, including Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Subaru, and Toyota, are also raising wages for hourly workers in the U.S., possibly aiming to discourage unionization efforts.
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| 3 | | Union Pacific has urged the government to reopen the El Paso and Eagle Pass border crossings so their freight can pass. They reported that $200M of freight moves through the El Paso and Eagle Pass rail lines daily, accounting for 45% of their cross-border business. More: - U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced the closure of these crossings due to a surge in migrant crossings.
- The government has cited safety concerns for migrants as the reason for the closure, citing instances of risks and challenges faced by migrants, which rail companies have disputed.
- These closures have halted nearly $500M in trade since their shutdown.
- These crossings impact approximately 60 trains daily and affect nearly 4,500 rail cars.
- Up to two-thirds of all U.S. agricultural exports to Mexico, moving via rail, are at risk due to the closures, impacting a significant portion of agricultural trade.
- The Association of American Railroads has emphasized the urgent need to reopen these crossings to restore seamless rail service between the U.S. and Mexico and to address supply chain disruptions and consumer impacts.
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| 4 | | Nikola announced a decade-long partnership with FirstElement Fuel (FEF) to provide hydrogen for its fuel-cell electric trucks in California. Future plans include a network expansion and a focus on supporting hydrogen-powered transportation. More: - FEF, known for its hydrogen station operation, particularly in California, currently operates a fast-refueling station in Oakland, participating in a pilot program with 30 Hyundai Xcient fuel cell trucks at the Port of Oakland.
- FEF aims to serve 200 hydrogen-powered trucks through an H70 fast-fill lane, potentially including Nikola's trucks once production scales in Coolidge, Arizona.
- Nikola noted plans to establish up to 60 stations by 2026.
- Beyond the initial stations in Oakland and Ontario, California, Nikola plans for additional hydrogen fueling locations, especially in Southern California and later in Northern California, supporting the recent launch of their hydrogen fuel cell electric truck.
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| 5 | | Waymo revealed data showing its self-driving vehicles outperform human drivers, indicating significantly fewer crashes and injuries compared to human benchmarks. This includes a 57% drop in police-reported crashes and an 85% reduction in crashes resulting in bodily harm. More: - Waymo's data suggests up to a tenfold reduction in the likelihood of causing injury compared to human drivers, showcasing significant safety enhancements, particularly in San Francisco.
- Data from 7.14 million rider-only miles highlighted a reduction in police-reported crashes or crashes that reported bodily harm when compared to human-driver benchmarks.
- Crash rates differ by location, with San Francisco exhibiting the highest rate of human-driven crashes at 5.55 per million miles, emphasizing the location-specific variations in safety performance.
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| 6 | | Daimler Truck announced plans to commence on-road trials for hydrogen fuel cell-powered Mercedes-Benz GenH2 trucks in mid-2024. The German car maker will partner with companies including Amazon, Air Products, Ineos, Holcim, and Wiedmann & Winz for initial customer testing. More: - These trials, scheduled for mid-2024, will showcase the GenH2 truck's technology, which features two liquid hydrogen tanks, a fuel cell system delivering 300 kW, and an additional 400 kW from the battery.
- Daimler Truck's use of liquid hydrogen offers increased range and comparable performance to diesel trucks, enabling higher payloads.
- The company has introduced "sLH2 technology," developed in collaboration with Linde, allowing higher storage density and rapid refueling times of around 10-15 minutes.
- The GenH2 trucks will be produced at Daimler Truck's Wörth am Rhein plant, which is expected to manufacture diesel, battery-electric, and hydrogen fuel cell electric tractors as part of the company's decarbonization plans.
- Daimler Truck aims to offer a lineup of CO2-neutral vehicles in its core markets by 2039, aligning with broader sustainability objectives.
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- Transit ridership in the Seattle area remained below its pre-pandemic levels.
- Transport Canada allocated $14M toward the expansion of cargo facilities at Winnipeg airport.
- Overair has finalized the assembly of its inaugural full-scale Butterfly eVTOL prototype and is set to commence flight testing.
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 | Writer | | Born and raised in the Bay Area, Robel Kelkile is passionate about all things tech, venture, and financial education. He has previously served both universities and state governments in their engagement strategy and tracking legislation. | | This newsletter was edited by Aaron Crutchfield | |
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