Goodyear invests in US autonomous trucking firm

Goodyear will collaborate with US autonomous trucking firm Gatik to develop autonomous B2B short-haul logistics mobility. Goodyear said the multi-year collaboration will contribute to safer, more sustainable goods movement while reducing costs for Gatik’s customers in the B2B short-haul market nationwide. Goodyear is developing its suite of connected tyre management systems as part of the pathway to autonomous vehicles.

Gatik has established the first autonomous middle mile logistics network in North America. It is rapidly expanding its fleet of Class 3-6 autonomous box trucks for customers in multiple markets, including Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Ontario.

Goodyear’s venture capital fund, Goodyear Ventures, participated in Gatik’s recently announced Series B funding and the companies will work on multiple innovative projects. Gatik’s medium-duty fleet will use tyres equipped with Goodyear SightLine technology. The suite of tyre intelligence solutions builds on Goodyear’s existing connected tyre management products. It aims to improve stopping distances in autonomous commercial vehicles, monitoring tyre pressure in real time for enhanced safety and reduced wear. The commercialisation of Gatik’s operations at scale will be supported by these tyre intelligence solutions. The companies say the systems will help to reduce fuel and maintenance costs while increasing operational efficiencies for retailers, e-commerce companies and distributors.

“By leveraging our advanced tyre intelligence solutions, Goodyear can help improve vehicle performance and safety in autonomous transportation,” said Chris Helsel, Goodyear’s senior vice president, global operations and chief technology officer. “Together, Goodyear and Gatik will combine our innovative technologies to help bring more efficiency in the increasingly important middle mile segment.”

“The benefits of Goodyear’s tyre intelligence technology are grounded in enhancing safety, increasing efficiency and reducing costs – principles which are absolutely fundamental to Gatik’s mission and success,” said Arjun Narang, CTO and co-founder, Gatik. “This collaboration will enable us to further increase the value we offer our customers across the continent and help define new standards in safety and sustainability for the B2B short-haul sector.”

“Gatik’s mission to deliver goods safely and efficiently using autonomous vehicles aligns with our investment strategy, making them a great addition to our portfolio, which already includes key autonomous delivery players in the long-haul and last-mile delivery markets,” said Abhijit Ganguly, managing director, Goodyear Ventures. “We believe this investment is a strong strategic fit for Goodyear as we seek to learn more about the implications of autonomous technologies in middle mile delivery and logistics.”