US-based Kodiak Robotics, a self-driving truck startup, announced on 26 May 2021, that it is partnering with the South Korean conglomerate SK group. It is looking forward to expanding and deploying its autonomous vehicle technology in Asia.
Aim of the partnership:
· Sell and distribute Kodiak’s self-driving technology in the Asian region.
· Kodiak to examine how it can use SK’s products, components and technology for its autonomous system.
· Kodiak to use SK Inc.’s artificial intelligence microprocessors and advanced emergency braking systems.
· Both companies work together to provide fleet management services for customers in Asia.
About Kodiak Robotics
Founded in 2018 by Don Burnette and Paz Eshel, Kodiak Robotics develops autonomous technology for long-haul trucking. The startup was launched by Don Burnette, a former Waymo engineer who co-founded the self-driving trucking company Otto. Kodiac aims to remove drivers from trucks by the year 2023. Kodiak is headquartered in Mountain View, California and has operations in Texas.
Some of the major competitors of Kodiac are Waymo and Aurora, which have shifted their focus to trucking services from the autonomous robotaxi market as it has not taken off despite years of development. Since the trucking industry has a shortage of workers and limited driving time, and with the growing demand for e-commerce because of the pandemic, companies are shifting to this market.
In the Asian region, Kodiak will be competing against at least two other self-driving companies – Plus and TuSimple. While Plus has announced a SPAC merger in the past six months, TuSimple took the more traditional IPO path.
“This is really just the first handful of steps to explore the possibility. What would it look like to bring Kodiak’s AV technologies to Asian markets? What would be required? Who would be the partners? What are the regulatory forces that we have to contend with? SK recognizes the importance of AV technology broadly, they recognize the safety benefits, the economic benefits, and they want to play a role. This is Kodiak’s first international expansion. But it might not be the last.” – Kodiak co-founder and CEO Don Burnette.
“Our partnership with Kodiak will help accelerate the commercialization of self-driving trucks in Asia. Kodiak’s industry-leading technology and SK’s unrivalled reach in Korea and across Asia make this a natural partnership. We look forward to working with Kodiak to make autonomous trucking a reality around the globe.” Jungho Shin, Executive Vice President of SK Inc.
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