Kodiak Technologies Appoints Zero-Emissions Vehicle Expert Marc Manning as CEO

-New appointment via featured partnership from the Chang Robotics IP Studio signals rapid acceleration on funding and launch of the world's 
most powerful BEV snow removal vehicles -

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Aug. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A leading expert in zero emissions vehicle design, Marc Manning, is now the CEO of Kodiak Technologies. Based on a featured partnership with Chang Robotics and design and engineering technology from Roush, Manning is leading the design, development, and market establishment of its American-made heavy-duty Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) for commercial and industrial snow removal unveiled at the recent 2024 Snow Symposium summit in Buffalo, NY.

Manning's appointment signals an accelerated pace on seed-round funding and development of the new hybrid and electric vehicle platform, which, according to Chang Robotics CEO Matthew Chang, will be the most powerful vehicle in existence, capable of "a total torque output on the front end of 20 percent more than two Cummins X15 diesel engines."

Kodiak Technologies is in conversations with more than 35 U.S. airports interested in ordering and implementing the ultra-powerful vehicle that is anticipated to premiere in early 2025. Many additional public and government locations and sectors are also anticipated to adopt this technology, which can be supported with federal and municipal incentives to assist in defraying the costs.

A Deep Expertise in High-End Design

Manning brings more than 20 years' experience as a consultant, a leader in public transit fleet engineering and acquisition, and a product development manager at a Tier 1 automotive supplier. As a consultant, Manning helped launch the Transportation Decarbonization practice for Jacobs. During this time, he was instrumental in the business development and delivery of approximately $90M in Zero-Emission Engineering Services. Additionally, he successfully helped to secure around $150M in grants for his clients.

Manning previously led transit bus engineering and acquisition at Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and Los Angeles Metro (LA Metro), where he supported the procurement of over $1 billion in transit buses with electric, CNG, and diesel powertrains. He has contributed to the development of the APTA Bus Procurement Guidelines and the SAE3105 Charging standard. Prior to his work for public transit agencies, Marc also worked for nine years in product development for Cummins Inc., the market leader in diesel engines.

Manning holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (Thermal/Fluid Science) from North Carolina State University.

An Expanding Industry Role

The creation with Roush is a platform design that Kodiak Technologies can use in the future to transfer to other vehicle types that require significant power output. For areas where MCS (Megawatt Charging Standard) infrastructure is unavailable, the design includes a series hybrid option for use with hydrogen, propane, biodiesel, or petro-diesel when required.

The current and first Kodiak Technologies implementation is an FAA-compliant industrial snow blower vehicle capable of meeting the minimum FAA requirements to move 7,000 tons of snow per hour at operating speeds of 25MPH. As a Made-in-America design, the vehicles are eligible for federal grant programs, including the bipartisan infrastructure law (IIJA) and inflation reduction act (IRA). For more information, readers can visit KodiakTech.io or download a copy of the business case paper here.

About Kodiak Technologies

Kodiak Technologies builds on the strong foundation of Kodiak America, a leader in snow removal solutions since 1988. Building on decades of expertise, Kodiak Technologies is at the forefront of innovation, advancing into the next generation by developing the world's most powerful BEV snow removal systems set to launch in 2024-2025. Renowned for their unmatched durability, high performance, and cutting-edge technology, Kodiak products are trusted by the FAA and State, Federal, and International Departments of Transportation. To learn more and register for upcoming webinars, visit http://www.kodiaktech.io/.

About Chang Robotics

Chang Robotics, a dba of Chang Industrial, is an engineering firm that specializes in advanced manufacturing, collaborative robotics, and disruptive automation. Chang Industrial seeks to revolutionize supply chain automation and improve workforce productivity through human-focused robotic implementations and autonomous systems. We create future-facing technology road maps that help companies of all sizes to advance their technology initiatives. Chang Industrial has received numerous awards and experienced rapid growth since its founding in 2017 and was named a Top 10 Global Supply Chain Leader by IE Magazine in 2022. For more information, visit ChangRobotics.ai on LinkedIn.

SOURCE Chang Robotics