Electric vehicle truck maker, Nikola Corporation, announced Wednesday that it has selected PlusDrive, the next generation safety system developed by Plus, for its Nikola Tre Class 8 battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell electric trucks in the U.S. The first factory-installed Nikola Tre BEVs and hydrogen electric vehicles that will incorporate enhanced driver assistance features powered by PlusDrive will be available by the end of 2024.

The PlusDrive system is an enhanced advanced driver assist system (ADAS) that provides drivers with enhanced safety, fuel efficiency, and driver comfort features. The goal of the system is to transform the role of a professional driver to a pilot who supervises the system to drive on the highway. PlusDrive capabilities include lane keeping and centering, automatic emergency brakes, lane changes, merges, and stop-and-go traffic. PlusDrive also handles everything from staying centered in the lane, lane changes, merges, stop-and-go traffic driving. 

Combined with Nikola’s base technology, PlusDrive will moderate and predict the optimal and safest speed, while also taking full advantage of regenerative braking in traffic and slowing conditions. Plus says the vehicle is expected to keep the best position within the lane and account for other large vehicles and emergency vehicles. The goal is to enhance Nikola Tre BEVs and FCEVs with best-in-class incident detection capabilities via multiple cameras used together with short-range radar and LiDAR. The advanced sensor suite will assist the driver to safely interact with other drivers and provide additional protection for liability mitigation.

When operating on local roads, the Nikola Tre trucks will maintain the ability to detect obstacles and traffic in the blind spots. Other traffic, including motorcycles and pedestrians, will be highlighted to provide drivers with their proximity information.