- The new specially-designed Volvo Trucks VNL Autonomous launched in a production-ready state.
- New semi uses Aurora’s Driver Level 4 autonomous system to navigate
- Roll out of up to 20 driverless big rigs planned before the end of the year
Volvo Autonomous Solutions has launched a “production-ready” self-driving truck at the ACT Expo in Las Vegas. The semi-truck has been developed together with Aurora Innovation, a self-driving vehicle start-up founded by former Uber, Tesla, and Google executives.
The truck is based on a specially designed version of Volvo Trucks’ VNL class 8 long-haul semi, with provisions for Aurora’s self-driving hardware and software.
Read: Autonomous Semis Set To Hit The Road Soon, Change Freight Industry Forever
The technology behind the automation is known as Aurora Driver, a Level 4 autonomous system that uses a dizzying combination of AI software, computers, cameras, imaging radar, sensors, and LiDAR to navigate the world. Aurora reports its Driver system has been tested on 1.5 million miles of public roads so far. Further tests have been carried out in a virtual suite, where the company says it has clocked billions of miles.
Are those numbers enough to keep the public happy? A study conducted last year revealed that 68 percent of Americans actively fear self-driving technology, while only nine percent trust it. But Shahrukh Kazmi, Chief Product Officer at Volvo Autonomous Solutions, says that safety has been a priority.
“Our platform engineering approach prioritizes safety by incorporating high-assurance redundancy systems designed to mitigate potential emergency situations,” said Kazmi. “We built the Volvo VNL Autonomous from the ground up, integrating these redundancy systems to ensure that every safety-critical component is intentionally duplicated, thereby significantly enhancing both safety and reliability.”
Aurora will begin using the Volvo VNL Autonomous in the next few months as it hauls freight, with human “safety drivers” ready to take over if the need arises. However, by the end of the year, the company plans to have up to 20 road-plying, freight-hauling, robo-semis in 2025. According to TechCrunch, this fleet will be fully autonomous, operating between Houston and Dallas, with no human in the cab.
While Aurora has not had any reported accidents, the firm reported a $165 million loss in the first quarter of 2024. Getting autonomous big rigs out onto the open road will be the best way to profitability, with many self-driving tech companies having shut up shop or changed track away from the freight industry.
Meanwhile, Volvo Autonomous Solutions says they want driverless tech to add additional capacity to the transport sector, and speaks of societal benefits with the advent of autonomy. This includes (human) drivers being able to focus on routes that provide a better work-life balance.
