EV/AV Report: Nikola officially files for bankruptcy; while Stellantis unveils Level 3 SAE driving features

Toronto, Ontario — In this weekly electric and autonomous vehicle report, electric vehicle manufacturer Nikola has officially filed for bankruptcy; while Stellantis unveils its first in-house-developed automated driving system at SAE Level 3 functionality.

Bankruptcy bargains

In a report filed last Wednesday, electric vehicle maker Nikola has officially filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States and is further pursuing a sale of its assets.

As noted in a report originally filed by Reuters, the firm will continue some support operations for trucks in the field as well as some hydrogen-fueling operations until the end of March.

“Like other companies in the electric vehicle industry, we have faced various market and macroeconomic factors that have impacted our ability to operate,” Nikola CEO Steve Girsky said in an official statement.

“Unfortunately, our very best efforts have not been enough to overcome these significant challenges,” Girsky concluded.

Level 3 level ups

Stellantis has unveiled its first in-house-developed automated driving system offering drivers with both hands-free and eyes-off SAE Level 3 functionality.

Referred to as the STLA Auto Drive, the system specifically sims to enable automatic driving with no driver supervision at speeds up to 60 km/hour. Further, designed for stop-and-go traffic, the system is also designed to allow drivers to temporarily engage in non-driving tasks such as watching a movie or looking out of the vehicle’s window.

Activated with a physical button, the autonomous system works to maintain safe distances with other vehicles, manage speed and braking.

The current version of the system is at 1.0, with the automaker further announcing that the STLA AutoDrive is now ready for deployment and can be adapted across Stellantis-branded vehicles for global markets where SAE Level 3 autonomous driving is authorized.

Currently, no such vehicle is available in Canada.