New business will bring cutting-edge ideas to the truck and trailer industry through collaboration with technology trailblazers
Santa Fe Springs, CA (Feb. 26, 2023) – At a press conference today at TMC’s 2023 Annual Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition in Orlando, FL, Rob Phillips, CEO of Phillips Industries and founder and CEO of Phillips Connect announced the formation of Phillips Innovations.
Phillips Innovations will act as an accelerator for bringing market-leading products into the Phillips platform by collaborating with some of the most advanced technology trailblazers that are developing original and inventive solutions for the transportation industry.
Phillips has a 95-year history of finding solutions as challenges present themselves to truck and trailer operators. It has the foundation to bring new and exciting ideas to market with a reputation for quality and reliability, solid OE and fleet relationships, a strong distribution network, and a “what’s possible” mentality to see and pursue these opportunities.
“We’re all about collaboration. As we continue to build momentum in the smart trailer space, we continue to bring additional technologies to our platform and extend our reach further by pioneering new technologies,” said Rob Phillips during his presentation. “We are investing heavily in the launch of Philips Innovations because as our industry evolves, we’re presented with an entirely new set of challenges that we can solve with the right partners.”
At launch, Phillips Innovations will have two key areas of focus: sustainable energy technologies, including solar power and electrification products for trucks and trailers, and patented vision systems including the industry’s only truly universal and easy-to-install backup camera using open-source software and mobile applications to be released in Q2 2023.
Joining Phillips Innovations are the following partners:
Merlin® Solar
Merlin’s exclusive partnership with Phillips Innovations will bring to market the most advanced, purpose-built solar-powered solutions for smart trucks and trailers. The Merlin solar-grid patented technology is currently being used to power creature comforts in the cab of Class 8 vehicles and on trailers to power liftgate batteries. Initially, Phillips Innovations will develop solar-power kits to market through the OEM dealer network and aftermarket distributors. The partnership will progress to marketing options for powering reefers and electric drive axles as it increases market share on trailers and becomes a viable option for trucks.
ProEV™
This alliance combines Phillips Industries’ experience in Class 8 commercial truck and trailer components with ProEV’s expertise in high-voltage harnesses and electric vehicle technology to develop high-voltage and cable customer harness assemblies for electric and fuel-cell Class 8 trucks and trailers.
Spartan Radar
As Spartan Radar’s exclusive partner for Class 8 trucks and trailers, Phillips Innovations will launch trailer blindspot detection devices and layer its patented radar technologies onto its trailer cameras to drastically improve situational awareness for trailers to reduce accidents. This partnership combines the power of Phillips connected trailer, safety lights, and vision technologies with Spartan’s advancements in radar to bridge the gap between truck and trailer safety solutions.
Phillips Innovations and its partners will remain on a continuous path to bring innovative technologies to the industry as it moves to electric and autonomous vehicles and beyond. The collaborations starting in 2023 are only the beginning. As new and promising technologies appear, Phillips Innovations will encourage new partners to find the best applications to benefit commercial fleet operators.
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About Phillips Industries
Based in Santa Fe Springs, CA, USA, Phillips Industries is a leading manufacturer of advanced electrical and air brake system components for the commercial truck and trailer industry. For 95 years, Phillips Industries has been the benchmark for quality and innovation. Phillips products come standard or are spec’d on nearly 100 percent of Class 8 trucks and more than 80 percent of trailers manufactured in North America. The evolving needs of commercial vehicle operators continue to drive product development to address the changing dynamics of the industry. Supporting this shifting technology landscape, Phillips Innovations, its newest strategic business unit and separate company within Phillips Family Holdings, acts as an accelerator for bringing market-leading sustainable technology and trailer vision products into the Phillips platform, collaborating with some of the most advanced technology trailblazers to develop original and inventive solutions for the transportation industry. Phillips has manufacturing and distribution facilities throughout North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe. Its manufacturing facilities have earned top-quality accreditations, including ISO/IATF 16949 and ISO 14001, and have received multiple prestigious customer awards. Phillips maintains active memberships and leadership positions in key industry associations, including ATA,TMC, SAE, MEMA, NTDA, HDMA, and various state trucking associations. For more information, please visit www.phillipsind.com. Follow and subscribe to Phillips Industries on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.