Nikola has announced that it has chosen PlusDrive, the next generation safety system developed by Plus, to enhance the driver assistance features of its battery-electric vehicle (BEV) and hydrogen electric vehicle in the United States. The first factory-installed Nikola Tre BEVs and hydrogen electric vehicles featuring the PlusDrive safety system will be available by the end of 2024.
Michael Lohscheller, President and CEO of Nikola Corporation, said, “The enhanced driver assistance features are yet another differentiator of Nikola’s premium driver experience for our customers. We are one of the first OEMs to offer 100% electric steering paired with the ZF EBS braking system. This base technology in all our vehicles, combined with Nikola’s own internally developed vehicle controls, over-the-air updates, and vehicle security can enable the integration of these advanced sensors and the realization of the PlusDrive safety system from Plus.”
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Designed by drivers for drivers, PlusDrive offers drivers unmatched safety, fuel efficiency, and comfort. The system elevates the role of the professional driver to that of a pilot who supervises the system to drive on the highway. PlusDrive goes beyond basic driver assistance capabilities such as lane keeping and automatic emergency brakes, handling everything from staying centered in the lane, lane changes, merges, stop-and-go traffic, and nudging, while the driver remains alert and attentive. New driving features are continuously added over-the-air without any additional truck downtime.
PlusDrive, together with Nikola’s base technology, will moderate and predict the optimal and safest speed while also taking full advantage of regenerative braking in traffic and slowing conditions. The vehicle is expected to keep the best position within the lane and account for other large vehicles and emergency vehicles. With PlusDrive, the Nikola Tre BEVs and hydrogen electric vehicles will come with best-in-class incident detection capabilities via the multiple cameras used together with short-range radar and LiDAR. The advanced sensor suite will assist the driver in safely interacting with other drivers and provide additional protection for liability mitigation.
When not in use on the highway, the Nikola Tre BEV and hydrogen electric vehicles will maintain the ability to detect obstacles and traffic in the blind spots. Other traffic, including motorcycles and pedestrians, will continue to be highlighted to provide drivers with their proximity information. The system will work in all traffic conditions, including loading docks. Pedestrian safety around the trucks is especially important as much quieter zero-emissions vehicles become a mainstay. The system will highlight pedestrians around the vehicle to help ensure safety during typical operations such as loading and unloading, inspections, and charging and fueling. Safe operation during high-power charging and hydrogen fueling will also be supplemented with detection and recording features.
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David Liu, CEO and Co-Founder at Plus, said, “We are proud to support a zero-emission future and provide the underlying safety system behind Nikola’s enhanced driver assistance features. The proven commercial readiness of our highly automated solution PlusDrive accelerates the deployment for our partners and sets a new bar for safety and sustainability for the trucking industry.”
Multiple fleets, including PGT Trucking and Christenson Transportation, have agreed to pilot the initial Nikola PlusDrive-enabled trucks, which will be available in late 2023. Given the overwhelming fleet interest in the system, Nikola is establishing an Enhanced Driver Assistance Customer Council to collaborate with fleets and Plus to continue refining the system.
Nikola will showcase the PlusDrive-powered Nikola Tre BEV during ride-alongs at the Technology and Maintenance Council Annual Meeting and Transportation Technology Exhibition in Orlando from February 27 through March 1, 2023.
