Volvo revealed its first “production-ready” self-driving truck that it’s making with Aurora, the autonomous driving expertise firm based by former executives from Google, Uber, and Tesla.
The truck relies on Volvo’s new VNL, which is a Class 8 semi truck constructed for long-haul transportation. The autonomous model of the truck options an array of sensors and cameras to energy Aurora’s Degree 4 autonomous driving system, which permits the truck to function and not using a human behind the wheel. The businesses say the truck is “purpose-designed and purpose-built” for Aurora’s self-driving {hardware} and software program stack.
“This truck is the primary of our standardized international autonomous expertise platform, which is able to allow us to introduce further fashions sooner or later, bringing autonomy to all Volvo Group truck manufacturers, and to different geographies and use circumstances,” Nils Jaeger, president of Volvo Autonomous Options, stated in an announcement.
The truck relies on Volvo’s new VNL, which is a Class 8 semi truck constructed for long-haul transportation
The thought of the car being purpose-built is vital for the mass manufacturing of self-driving vans, which is essential if the businesses are ever to realize a return on the large quantities of cash that they’ve invested in AV improvement. The vans might be constructed at Volvo’s New River Valley plant in Dublin, Virginia, which is the corporate’s largest on the planet.
Volvo, which makes about 10 p.c of the world’s Class 8 vans, first began working with Aurora in 2018 towards options for self-driving vans. The businesses have examined their expertise on public roads, with Aurora having pushed 1.5 million miles on industrial roads.
Aurora has stated it plans to deploy 20 totally autonomous vans this yr, with an eye fixed on increasing to about 100 vans in 2025 and finally promoting to different firms. The corporate is also working with German auto provider Continental to deploy driverless vans at scale in 2027.
Autonomous vans have been as soon as thought to precede robotaxis and personally owned autonomous automobiles in mass adoption however have run into comparable obstacles as these different car sorts alongside the best way. Some firms have gone out of enterprise, whereas others have reduce plans to deploy driverless vans as timelines have stretched into the longer term and funding has dried up. Different automakers are nonetheless bullish, designing their very own autonomous vans with exhausting deadlines for deployment.
Aurora hasn’t had any public mishaps, nor has it attracted the type of adverse consideration from the federal government as a few of its friends. The corporate reported a internet lack of $165 million within the first quarter of 2024, which is a 16 p.c enchancment over the identical interval the yr earlier than.