Key Takeaways:
Volvo has revealed its new production-ready self-driving truck loaded with autonomous vehicle technology. The Volvo VNL Autonomous Truck, developed in collaboration with autonomous driving tech startup Aurora, was unveiled at the ACT Expo in Las Vegas on Monday.
Volvo’s New Class 8 Self-Driving Semi Truck Launched at the ACT Expo Las Vegas
The truck is the product of a partnership with Aurora – a company founded by former executives from Google, Uber, and Tesla. It is based on Volvo’s new VNL platform, which is a Class 8 semi truck designed and built for long-haul transportation.
These self-driving trucks are expected to be out on the roads over the next several months and will be in autonomous mode by default, but will still have a human safety operator behind the wheel to take control if needed.
The self-driving truck features an array of sensors and cameras to power Aurora’s Level 4 autonomous driving system, which enables it to operate without a driver. Volvo says the VNL Autonomous truck is “purpose” designed and built for Aurora’s self-driving hardware and software stack.
Volvo has already started manufacturing the initial fleet of self-driving trucks at its assembly line in New River Valley. The facility in Dublin, Virginia is the company’s largest in the world.
Volvo and Aurora began working together in 2021 toward solutions for self-driving trucks. Both firms have tested their technologies on public roads, with Aurora having driven 1.5 million miles on commercial roads across the United States.
Aurora will Deploy 100 Fully Autonomous Volvo Freight Trucks by 2025
Aurora is set to deploy 20 fully autonomous trucks this year and plans to expand the fleet to about 100 trucks in 2025, eventually selling the technology to other companies. The tech firm is also working with German auto supplier Continental to deploy driverless trucks at scale in 2027.
Aurora and Continental have inked a $300 million deal to mass-produce autonomous vehicle hardware for commercial self-driving trucks. The two companies have finalized the design and system architecture for an autonomous vehicle (AV) hardware kit, as well as the blueprint for a secondary computer system that can take over operations in case a failure occurs. The Continental hardware kits will be in Aurora trucks by 2027.
The Volvo VNL will be packed with advanced safety features like redundant steering, breaking, communication, computation, power management, energy storage, and vehicle motion management systems.
The truck is also integrated with the Aurora Driver, which is a self-driving system employing dual computers, a lidar scanner that can detect objects more than 1,300 feet away, high-resolution cameras, and imaging radar.
The partnership with Volvo is part of Aurora’s commercialization strategy. Aurora has launched similar pilot programs with logistics companies FedEx, Ryder, Schneider, and Uber Freight.
Volvo VNL Autonomous Trucks to be Run on Commerical Roads this Summer
Aurora plans to carry freight between Dallas and Houston in Texas using up to 20 driverless, Class 8 autonomous trucks, with no human behind the steering wheel. The company did not reveal whether the trucks used for the inaugural driverless fleet will be made by Volvo or its other partner Paccar.
The Volvo VNL Autonomous Truck could be on public highways as early as Summer 2024.
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