News.

Kalmar Introduces Ottawa AutoTT, The Future of Autonomous Terminal Tractors

‍Kalmar, a leader in terminal tractor solutions, in collaboration with autonomous technology leader Forterra, has unveiled the Kalmar Ottawa AutoTT™, an autonomous terminal tractor solution designed to improve efficiency and safety in distribution centers, container terminals, and industrial yards. The AutoTT™ is currently undergoing its second round of testing as Kalmar moves closer to bringing it to market.

‍Kalmar and Forterra signed a joint development agreement in March 2024 to advance autonomous terminal tractor solutions. This partnership leverages Kalmar's industry-leading terminal tractors and Forterra’s AutoDrive®, an autonomous driving system built to operate in extreme environments and complex driving scenarios that meet military standards.

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Kalmar is initially rolling out the AutoTT™ for use in distribution centers across North America, helping businesses streamline operations and enhance workplace safety. Following successful implementation, the technology will expand into container terminals and other industrial operations globally.

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Kalmar has equipped the AutoTT™ with an automation-ready drive system, allowing it to operate safely and efficiently without a driver. Forterra’s AutoDrive® system will enable Kalmar Ottawa AutoTT™ to perform complex autonomous maneuvers such as moving trailers in busy yards with precision. The AutoTT™ is also fully integrated with Kalmar One, a scalable automation platform proven in container terminal operations, managing fleets of up to 200 autonomous units.

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Kalmar and Forterra are taking a phased approach to introducing the AutoTT™:
-Ongoing testing: The second round of testing is currently underway, with safety drivers on board to monitor performance in real-world settings.
-Advancing drive-by-wire technology: Kalmar continues refining the tractor’s automated driving capabilities.
-Proof of concept in 2025: The next major milestone is validating the AutoTT™ within operational fleets.
-Pilot program: A broader pilot with select customers will follow, still requiring a safety driver.
-Full production by late 2026: Once testing is complete, Kalmar plans to launch production and make the AutoTT™ widely available.
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Kalmar and Forterra’s collaboration represents a significant leap in logistics automation, offering customers an industry-proven solution backed by two trusted innovators and providing a reliable and scalable solution for businesses looking to integrate autonomous vehicles into their operations.
The Kalmar Ottawa AutoTT™ will first be available for the Kalmar Ottawa T2, with an electric version (T2EV) to follow.
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For more information, visit Kalmar at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, April 28-May 1, in Anaheim, California. The AutoTT is on display in Kalmar’s booth #6759.

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For more information contact: Press@Forterra.com

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As modern warfare continues to evolve, future battlefields will be shaped by the presence of autonomous ground vehicles. Positioning for success, BAE Systems recently signed a partnership agreement with Forterra – a leader in self-driving defense technology – to enable the development of autonomous ground vehicles as part of multi-domain integration. Together, both companies will play a role in transforming how military operations will be conducted in the future.

“Autonomy is at the heart of what is needed to prevail on the modern battlefield,” said John Borton, managing director of BAE Systems’ Weapons Systems UK business. “This strategic collaboration aims to bring increased capability and improved lethality to the battlefield and looks to the future of pioneering innovation.”

The partnership provides the opportunity to explore integrating Forterra’s Land Autonomy Systems onto new and existing BAE Systems ground-based platforms.

“Autonomous systems are a necessity, not a luxury, for warfighters. By integrating advanced autonomy with proven warfighting platforms, we’re ensuring that operators have the tools and capabilities at scale that they need to combat and stay ahead of evolving threats,” said Christian Seifert, head of Robotic Missile Systems at Forterra.

The combined expertise of Forterra’s innovation in driverless technology and BAE Systems’ heritage of technical excellence will equip warfighters with enhanced combat capability – helping them to stay unmatched in battle.

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CLARKSBURG, MD - January 13, 2025 - Forterra, the leader in self-driving defense technology, today announced that their system, AutoDrive, will be integrated on Oshkosh Defense’s Remotely Operated Ground Unit for Expeditionary Fires (ROGUE- Fires) for the U.S. Marine Corps, the Department of Defense's first production contract specifically for ground vehicle autonomy.

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The contract brings Forterra’s advanced stack and AutoDrive system to the ROGUE- Fires program, delivering self-driving capabilities to Marine forces. AutoDrive will enable Marines to move beyond Leader-Follower capabilities and deploy self-driving technology with high maneuverability for off-road applications in nearly any environment.

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“Fielding self-driving ground autonomy on ROGUE-Fires is crucial to the Marines’ modernization plans and Forterra is proud to partner with Oshkosh Defense on a system that will reduce casualties and improve our warfighters’ ability to fight and win,” said Christian Seifert, Head of Robotic Missile Systems at Forterra.

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“Oshkosh Defense’s partnership with Forterra reflects our shared commitment to delivering advanced, interoperable solutions that enable the U.S. Marine Corps to meet its modernization priorities,” said Pat Williams, chief programs officer at Oshkosh Defense. “By seamlessly integrating cutting-edge autonomous technologies with Oshkosh systems, we’re equipping the Marine Corps to strengthen sea denial capabilities, enhance operational agility, and maintain a decisive technological edge against evolving threats.”

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This announcement follows two Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) orders for ROGUE- Fires in Fiscal Year 2025, in support of the Marine Corps’ desire to rapidly adopt and field cutting edge, commercially available technology solutions for increased survivability and lethality of the force.

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Media Contact:
Media@Forterra.com
For more information about Forterra, please visit www.forterra.com

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Clarksburg, MD – September 10, 2024 – Forterra, a leading self-driving technology company, today announced its $75 million Series B fundraise that was more than 2.5x oversubscribed. The round was led by Moore Strategic Ventures, XYZ Venture Capital, and Hedosophia, with participation from Standard Investments and existing investors including, Enlightenment Capital, Crescent Cove Advisors, and Four More Capital. The new funding will enable Forterra to accelerate and scale the deployment of their autonomous driving system (ADS), AutoDrive®, with defense and industrial customers.

“Forterra has proven that self-driving technology can be deployed today to solve real-world challenges in demanding environments,” said Josh Araujo Forterra CEO. “We are committed to improving the lives and safety of soldiers, Marines, and industrial workers, by taking people out of harm’s way with AutoDrive.  This funding allows us to further develop, test, and deploy self-driving platforms with ever-increasing capabilities for both defense and industrial applications.”

“We can’t imagine a team better suited to take on these challenges — of everyone in the market, they have the right to win given their firsthand experience on the battlefield and interacting with government buyers,” says Ross Fubini, Managing Partner of XYZ Venture Capital, which co-led this round. “They know exactly what these machines need to be capable of doing and have the acumen and connections to move fast and build the best solutions. We see a lot of defense tech at XYZ, and Forterra is uniquely set up for product-market fit.”

Logan Ashcraft, Principal at Standard Investments, said “We believe in the potential for autonomous technology to disrupt many high-cost, low-margin business models. In its approach to both industrial and off-road autonomy, Forterra is setting a new standard for excellence across logistics, industry, and defense. We’re excited to partner with the company in its next stage of growth.”

The funding follows a series of significant milestones for Forterra over the past 12 months, including:

• The first successful deployment of autonomous driving systems (ADS) on the first production program in the Department of Defense (DoD) - The Remotely Operated Ground Unit for Expeditionary (ROGUE) Fires

• A strategic partnership with Kalmar for production of self-driving terminal tractors for global distribution

Forterra is actively delivering capabilities on these DoD ground autonomy programs, including:

o The Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV)

o The Ground Expeditionary Autonomous Retrofit System (GEARS)

o The Small Multi-purpose Equipment Transport (SMET) with operational units

These efforts enable the DoD to scale logistics capabilities and firepower without adding people to combat units. The Forterra team is committed to continuing to build innovative self-driving systems that prioritize safety, efficiency and scale, and we are excited to continue this mission.

Media Contact:

Media@Forterra.com

For more information about Forterra, please visit www.forterra.com

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When Forterra’s foundation was laid over twenty years ago, it was done with one mission: to research and develop ground autonomy in support of our armed forces. Today, we leverage this past to deliver autonomous systems built for our future, and we’re proud to be the only company active on each of the Department of Defense’s ground autonomy programs.

For the better part of the last two decades, our work was known to few outside of the DoD. Our focus has been unapologetically driven not by chasing headlines or recognition but by our belief in our technology and the impact it will have on national resilience – in stark contrast to an industry rife with technological promises that lack fulfillment and artificial values aimed at near term gain.

We have been on a mission to deliver self-driving platforms for our customers. Our relentless efforts have translated to fielding more autonomous systems for the U.S. military than anyone else. We stand by our products and the impacts they make for our users and remain focused on the main thing – getting humans out of harms way.

In January, I was honored to be named CEO by our founder, Alberto Lacaze, and the Forterra Board of Managers. This honor is two-fold: it grants me the opportunity to support our employees in scaling our technology, and it enables me to continue to work alongside Alberto, one of the brightest minds in the industry and the driver of our technical innovation.

In February, we announced our rebrand to Forterra, a name that better encapsulates our focus on ground-based autonomy in the defense and industrial sectors.

Also in February, we were proud to be named as a partner to Anduril Industries and Hanwha Defense USA in pursuit of the U.S. Army’s Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (S-MET) Increment II program, where we will provide our AutoDrive® vehicle autonomy solution to enable complex on- and off-road maneuvers.

And just last month, we were thrilled to announce a production deal with Kalmar to produce autonomous terminal tractors for port and logistics operations. Under the terms of the deal, we’ll work with Kalmar to jointly deliver paid pilot sales by the end of 2024, with an expected delivery date of Q1 2025. This deal, together with our partnership with Oshkosh Defense on the ROGUE Fires program, makes Forterra the first AV company in production for both Defense and Commercial sectors.

As Forterra’s CEO, I’m extremely proud of our accomplishments to date and look towards the next chapter with the team.

Thank you for your support,

Josh  Araujo

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Kalmar, part of Cargotec, and Forterra (formerly RRAI) have signed a joint development agreement for autonomous terminal tractor solutions. Kalmar will be responsible for developing the automation-ready terminal tractor – including the drive-by-wire solution integration – as well as the Kalmar One fleet management system to manage the operation of automated terminal tractor fleets. Forterra will be responsible for the integration of their AutoDrive® platform for autonomous operations for the terminal tractor.

Forterra is a leading provider of autonomous systems for ground-based movement in the working world. The company is among the earliest innovators in the field of driverless technology. The company has provided autonomous solutions for the U.S. Department of Defense and off highway commercial applications, and its AutoDrive® system is one of the leading driverless systems for complex conditions including ports and logistics centers.

Josh Araujo, CEO, Forterra: “This agreement brings together our vast experience in developing world-class autonomous systems and Kalmar’s extensive experience in port and terminal automation with their market-leading terminal tractor product. We believe AutoDrive® is the best platform to create a compelling new offering for the container and trailer-handling market.”

Juuso Kanner, Vice President, Automation Business Line, Kalmar: “We believe that automated operations will eventually become the standard in the container-handling industry, and there is huge potential in automating terminal tractors in terms of safety and productivity. This development agreement is the next exciting step in our innovation journey after the successful Kalmar RoboTractor pilot done in Norway and utilizing the learnings we took from that. Now we will leverage our extensive experience in straddle carrier automation, which has been adopted by a number of leading container terminals around the world. Forterra’s position as a global leader in autonomous driving systems makes them the ideal partner for this exciting initiative.”

Further information for the press:

Juuso Kanner, Vice President, Automation Business Line, Kalmar, juuso.kanner@kalmarglobal.com

Maija Eklöf, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Kalmar, tel. +358 20 777 4096, maija.eklof@kalmarglobal.com

Sean Rushton, Shadowlawn Communications (for Forterra), tel. +1 202 487 6439,
sean@shadowlawncomms.com

Kalmar is the global leader in sustainable cargo handling for ports, terminals, distribution centres and heavy industry. With our extensive electric portfolio and global service network, we help our customers move towards safer, more eco-efficient and productive operations. Together, we develop innovative solutions that shape the future of our industry, improving our customers’ every move. www.kalmarglobal.com  

Kalmar is part of Cargotec. Cargotec's (Nasdaq Helsinki: CGCBV) sales in 2023 totalled approximately EUR 4.6 billion and it employs around 11,400 people. www.cargotec.com

Forterra is the U.S. military's top provider of self-driving vehicles, from large combat trucks to small equipment transports and mobile missile systems. Its specialty is driverless operations in austere, off-highway, and industrial environments. www.forterra.com

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