18 September 2024
Welcome to today’s edition of the Daily 5
Remember electric vehicle maker Bollinger’s big, brawny off-road vehicles? The ones that launched the brand almost eight years ago? Well, the first Bollinger trucks rolling out of a suburban Detroit plant this week look nothing like those. Bollinger Motors’ pivot — and the launch of its first salable Class 4 electric trucks for fleet customers — is nearly as remarkable as the Bollinger B4’s tight 44-foot turning radius. It will be interesting to see whether Bollinger’s move to commercial fleet vehicles pays off. We’ll have more on Bollinger’s progress this week.
Toyota refreshed its Sienna minivan for 2025, and while the biggest change is invisible, it might be a lifesaver: The automaker will debut its updated advanced rear-seat reminder as a standard feature on all trim levels of the updated minivan, employing a millimeter-wave radar emitter concealed above the headliner to detect heartbeats and breathing of passengers who might have been inadvertently left in the vehicle after it has been turned off. The mostly passive safety system can even grow progressively less so if it detects an occupant and the driver does not respond to notifications.
Be sure to catch our livestream at noon Sept. 18 from Ford’s Newlab building in Detroit near Michigan Central Station. The livestream can be viewed on our LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube accounts. Central Station COO Carolina Pluszczynski will join Executive Editor Jamie Butters and Staff Reporter Michael Martinez to discuss startup culture and innovation in personal transportation.
Also make sure to check out our stories on the updated Buick Enclave and ABB Robotics’ precision paint robot.
That’s it for today. Have a great rest of your day.