DOT Blitz Week starts tomorrow, and brokers are bracing for one of the toughest weeks in years. Plus: $10.1M in stolen freight leads to five years in prison, Forward Air loses 40% of its value, diesel prices hit produce costs, and more.
Aurora's driverless trucks are moving real loads between Dallas and Houston right now, and nobody is in the cab. Plus: RXO signals a strong freight rebound, Ken Adamo joins Ease Logistics, rail got faster to Mexico, and more.
Aurora signed two major partnerships in one week. Spot rates just hit an all-time high. A Chicago cross-dock blew up Reddit over how shippers load trailers. And someone dug into Super Ego's carrier network — the safety scores are not okay.
Windrose Semi reveals striking similarities to Tesla's design. Here are the features, performance, and industry implications of their electric truck.
Windrose Semi has unveiled their EV semi truck. Though it has a resemblance to Tesla's electric truck, is it a cheap Tesla knockoff? Well, let's not judge a book by its cover. The Founder of EV Universe got an up-close and exclusive look at the Windrose, and we're giving a breakdown of some key features.
Holy frunk. I got an exclusive chance to ride in the Windrose Semi and film it all! A thread🧵:
— Jaan of the EV Universe ⚡ (@TheEVuniverse) September 20, 2024
1. To be honest, I expected a cheap Tesla knock-off. Now, I think they might just be learning from the best.
Why does it look so much like a Tesla Semi? They said the cab is... pic.twitter.com/87xRUzzfkO
Windrose claims their similarities to Tesla's EV Semi aren't coincidental. Their team stated,
"There aren't really better options to go with if you want to make a truly aerodynamic truck."
The Windrose Semi delivers a smooth ride comparable to Tesla's offering. Its 7.8-second 0-100 km/h acceleration feels "wild to experience," according to Jaan of the EV Universe. The 729 kWh battery provides an estimated 420-mile range.
Even Dan Priestley, lead of Tesla's Semi program, reportedly toured the Windrose truck. Windrose stated they had, "a great discussion about the advantages of purpose-built EV trucks."
Jerome Washington
While the Windrose Semi shows promise, questions remain. Jaan said it best,
"The company [Windrose] is very new, and most startups fail. I hope this one doesn't – we need every e-truck maker we can get."
Is Windrose a true Tesla competitor? From their perspective, they are only focusing on their own brand, trying to leave their mark in the EV market. One thing is certain: the electric trucking race just got a lot more interesting.
Source: Jaan of the EV Universe
Plus, STG's path out of bankruptcy, Wyoming's "Truck Around and Find Out" operation, what "phantom capacity" means for Mexico lanes, and more in today's newsletter.
Plus, a cabless autonomous truck just raised $24M, non-domiciled CDLs rules need clarifying, CSX posts a 26% profit jump while watching the UP-NS merger closely, and more in today's newsletter.
Plus, USPS gives non-domiciled CDL carriers an 11-day deadline, the spot-to-contract spread starts squeezing 3PLs, Knight-Swift trims its Q1 guide but stays bullish, and more.
Plus: 170+ truckers removed in Florida, new bill proposes $5M motor carrier insurance, truck sales take a huge dive, and more.
Join over 14K+ subscribers to get the latest freight news and entertainment directly in your inbox for free. Subscribe & be sure to check your inbox to confirm (and your spam folder just in case).
