Startups emerge as accelerators

Newcomers are helping commercial-vehicle OEMs and Tier 1s speed up development processes.

Speed has become a more critical factor as the commercial vehicle (CV) industry races to meet global market demands and stricter emissions regulations. The need for quicker decision-making and action is enabling startup companies to play a growing role, helping established manufacturers improve operations, even during this era of pandemic-driven isolation.

Several speakers at the 2020 SAE COMVEC Digital Summit agreed that startups are gaining a foothold throughout the industry, supplying technologies and products that range from systems and software through full vehicles. For most startups, the ability to devise ways to augment development efforts by established companies is a critical step. Technologies like software and artificial intelligence are being used in new areas like electrified powertrains and autonomous operation, opening a space for young companies in an industry that has shown a longstanding desire to work mainly with well-established companies.