Kodiak Robotics introduced at last week’s Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in Los Angeles the first-ever autonomous electric class-eight truck.

Kodiak is upfitting a Peterbilt Model 579EV electric truck with the Kodiak Driver, the company’s self-driving technology. The truck will be incorporated into Kodiak’s fleet in 2024.

The 579EV truck is the second vehicle platform that Kodiak is upfitting and it is equipped with its fifth-generation sensors. The autonomous system is vehicle- and powertrain-agnostic, which enables the company to incorporate its autonomous system into emerging truck platforms as they become available, regardless of fuel type.

The 579EV can be recharged in three hours, and provides a peak power rating of 500kW. With a range of up to 240km, the truck is designed for short-haul and drayage deployments, and will be used as a test vehicle for Kodiak.

As the technology for EV trucks develops and range expands, Kodiak hopes to be well-positioned to integrate its technology into future EV platforms. Studies have demonstrated that autonomous technology enables a roughly ten per cent reduction in fuel consumption; this increased efficiency will help extend the range of EVs.

“We believe that the future of trucking is the combination of electric and autonomous vehicles,” said Don Burnette, CEO of Kodiak Robotics. “Given advancements in battery and fuel cell technologies, achieving zero-emissions trucking will soon be within reach. Kodiak’s work on the Peterbilt Model 579EV will help us gain valuable experience in how to build autonomous electric vehicles, and help us realise that vision. Customers have been long asking for an autonomous electric vehicle and we are delivering on that need.”

To build upon the sustainability of its trucks, Kodiak will explore other sustainable vehicle platforms, such as fuel cells, as they are introduced to the market.

California-based Kodiak Robotics was founded in 2018 to develop autonomous technology that carries freight. The company is developing a technology stack purpose-built for long-haul trucks, making the freight industry safer and more efficient. Its modular hardware approach integrates sensors into a streamlined sensor-pod structure that optimises for perception, scalability and maintainability. The company delivers freight daily for its customers across southern USA, operating autonomously on the highway portions of the routes. Kodiak also leverages its commercial self-driving software to develop, test and deploy autonomous capabilities for the US Department of Defense.