Aurora Innovation expands US driverless truck fleet

Aurora Innovation is expanding its autonomous trucking operations in the United States, aiming to increase its driverless fleet from approximately 20 units to 200 by the end of this year. The company is currently operating on major Texas highways, including the I-45 between Houston and Dallas, and the I-20 between Fort Worth and El Paso.

CEO Chris Urmson stated that the company is transitioning toward a ‘driver-as-a-service’ model, where customers pay per mile. This model seeks to capitalize on the cost efficiencies of autonomous technology; Bank of America estimates Aurora’s services could cost roughly $0.85 per mile, compared to approximately $1.30 per mile for human drivers when considering wages and benefits. Additionally, autonomous trucks can operate up to 20 hours a day, bypassing federal limitations on human driving hours.

To support commercial scaling, Aurora is utilizing second-generation hardware and working with Roush in Michigan to upfit International trucks. The company also expects to reach a production rate of 20 trucks per week by the fourth quarter. Furthermore, Volvo has indicated plans to launch autonomous VNL trucks in early next year, which are expected to be powered by Aurora’s technology.