Zero-emission vehicle design expert Mark Manning has been named the new CEO of Kodiak Technologies Inc. As part of a collaboration with engineering firm Chan Robotics that leverages design and engineering expertise from automaker Roush, Manning will lead the design, development and market deployment of Kodiak's heavy-duty hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) for commercial and industrial snow removal.
Kodiak's current vehicle is an FAA-compliant industrial snow removal vehicle capable of moving 7,000 tons of snow per hour at an operating speed of 25 miles per hour. The vehicle, which is expected to debut in early 2025, will also be eligible for federal grant programs such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Inflation Reduction Act.
The collaboration with Roush results in a platform design that allows Kodiak to be repurposed for other vehicle types that require significant power, and for areas where megawatt charging standard infrastructure isn't available, the design includes series hybrid options that use hydrogen, propane, biodiesel or petroleum diesel as needed.
Kodiak Technologies said it is in negotiations with more than 35 U.S. airports interested in ordering and deploying the HEV, which was recently announced at the 2024 Snow Symposium Summit in Buffalo, N.Y. Public and government facilities and departments are also expected to adopt the technology.
Manning has more than 20 years of experience as a consultant and previously led public transit bus engineering and acquisitions for the Chicago Transit Authority and Los Angeles Metro, supporting the procurement of more than $1 billion in public buses with electric, CNG and diesel powertrains.
