Volvo selects Aurora to help bring self-driving semi trucks to life
Both companies plan to make level 4 self-driving, Class 8 trucks a reality after laying technological foundations for years.
Coming to a highway near you.
Make way for autonomous Volvo trucks . On Tuesday, the Swedish automaker and self-driving technology startup Aurora announced a full-blown partnership to bring self-driving semi trucks to North American roads. The announcement is more than just the two companies buddying up, though; the companies plan to make this the start of hub-to-hub trucking across the continent. In other words: seeds planted for an autonomous trucking future.
Building on foundations both companies laid in the past four years, Volvo will incorporate the Aurora Driver, the company's term for its autonomous driving system that aims to be safer and smarter than a human. The technology's come a long way since both companies' first project in 2018: a prototype semi truck nicknamed Pistachio.
With the latest lidar and sensors onboard, Volvo and Aurora's future Class 8 autonomous semi truck will run from hub-to-hub in North America, with a vision of completely autonomous driving on highways across the continent. Aurora also plans to extend its operations to transport logistics, support, servicing and maintenance. Cloud support will also come online to help with dispatching trucks and routing them in the most efficient manner.
Aurora's made big moves in the past year. From partnerships with Paccar and the acquisition of Uber's self-driving car business, the company believes it's on the right path for success in the autonomous age. It plans to share more about the Volvo self-driving semis. and the education process of its Aurora Driver, in the near future
