Technology

The year 2021 will not soon be forgotten in truck equipment circles that were buffeted by a persistent severe virus carried over from 2020, by its new variants and more related supply chain and labor disruptions.

General Motors Co. has talked up its electric vehicle plans for years, and even generated buzz by resurrecting Hummer’s gas-guzzling name in the form of an electric pickup truck. Now comes the tough part: selling mass-market EVs.

Uber Technologies Inc. plans to launch a driverless food-delivery pilot program in the U.S. next year, the company announced Dec. 16.

Nikola Corp. founder Trevor Milton asked a federal judge to throw out an indictment accusing him of misleading investors about the electric vehicle maker’s financial prospects.

Technology developer Samsara launched an initial public offering on Dec. 15, a move that a top executive said positions the company for continued growth by bringing in key investors to help fund future initiatives.

GXO Logistics is deploying 6 River Systems or 6RS collaborative robots, also known as cobots, on multiple mezzanine floors in one of its distribution centers in Milton Keynes, England.

Autonomous vehicle technology developer Aurora Innovation Inc. will launch a pilot program with Uber Freight to move goods in Texas.

The Financial Times followed Time magazine in naming Elon Musk “Person of the Year,” with the British newspaper lauding the world’s richest man’s role in shifting the automotive industry toward an all-electric future.

Carmakers including Volkswagen AG and General Motors Co. should brace for the global semiconductor shortage to last beyond next year and redesign cars so they need fewer of the high-tech components, consultancy Roland Berger said.

Asset-tracking provider SkyBitz has introduced a new management portal for its SmartTank wireless tank monitoring system.