Volvo confirmed off its first “production-ready” self-driving truck in partnership with Aurora, a self-driving know-how firm based by former Google, Uber and Tesla executives.
The truck is predicated on Volvo’s new VNL, a Class 8 semi-trailer designed for long-distance hauling. The self-driving model of the truck is supplied with an array of sensors and cameras that energy Aurora’s Degree 4 autonomous system, permitting the truck to function with no driver behind the wheel. The businesses mentioned the truck is “particularly designed and constructed” for Aurora’s self-driving {hardware} and software program stack.
Volvo President Nils Jaeger mentioned: “This truck is the primary of our standardized international autonomous driving know-how platform, which is able to allow us to introduce further fashions sooner or later and convey autonomous driving to all Volvo Group Truck manufacturers in addition to different areas and use circumstances. Operate.
The truck is predicated on Volvo’s new VNL, a Class 8 semi-trailer designed for long-distance hauling
The idea of purpose-built automobiles is necessary for the mass manufacturing of self-driving vans, which is essential if these firms are to get a return on the massive sums they’ve invested in self-driving improvement. The vans can be constructed at Volvo’s New River Valley plant in Dublin, Virginia, the corporate’s largest plant on this planet.
Volvo, which produces about 10% of the world’s Class 8 vans, first started working with Aurora in 2018 to develop self-driving truck options. The 2 firms have examined their know-how on public roads, and Aurora has pushed 1.5 million miles on industrial roads.
Aurora mentioned it plans to deploy 20 totally autonomous vans this yr, with plans to increase to about 100 vans in 2025 and finally promote them to different firms. The corporate can be working with German auto provider Continental to plan large-scale deployment of driverless vans in 2027.
Self-driving vans had been as soon as thought to achieve mass adoption forward of robo-taxis and personally owned self-driving vehicles, however have encountered comparable hurdles as different car varieties alongside the way in which. Some firms have folded, whereas others have lower plans to deploy driverless vans as time stretches into the long run and funding has dried up. Different automakers stay optimistic, designing their very own autonomous vans and assembly strict deployment deadlines.
Aurora has not had any public incidents and has not attracted destructive authorities consideration like a few of its friends. The corporate reported a web lack of $165 million within the first quarter of 2024, an enchancment of 16% from the identical interval a yr earlier.
