Startup Series: Battery-Electric Rail with Parallel Systems

My Climate Journey

Matt Soule is the CEO and Co-founder of Parallel Systems.

Parallel Systems is re-imagining how goods can be transported via rail by building automated battery-electric freight rail vehicles. These vehicles resemble box cars that can drive independently and form on-the-fly connections with each other to create mini trains. According to Matt, the goal is not to upend existing rail freight use cases but to rethink what’s possible on current rail infrastructure to address use cases traditionally managed by trucking.

Before founding Parallel Systems, Matt spent 13 years at SpaceX as an engineering leader in avionics. Parallel Systems has raised around $50 million from investors, including Anthos Capital and Congruent Capital. The conversation begins with a 101 primer on railways, a topic not previously covered on the show.

In this episode, we cover:

• [2:31] Matt's background in rocket engineering
• [6:14] Energy efficiency: rail vs. trucks
• [7:31] History of US rail transportation
• [9:22] Rail industry ownership and subsidies
• [11:21] Rail transportation's environmental impact
• [14:44] Rail's challenges, especially for short trips
• [17:23] Industries using rail transport
• [18:53] Rail for non-critical and luxury use cases
• [23:05] Overview of Parallel Systems' self-assembling trains
• [28:37] Benefits of battery electrification in rail
• [31:21] Cost comparison: Parallel Systems vs. traditional rail and trucking
• [34:14] Current pilots and safety considerations
• [39:08] Expansion plans for new geographies
• [40:29] Business model: selling vehicles to railroads
• [44:08] Future of locomotives in the rail industry

Episode recorded on July 30, 2024 (Published on Aug 22, 2024)

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