Aurora Innovation has launched its second-generation driverless trucks, introducing a new platform designed to support a larger commercial deployment across its U.S. freight network.
The trucks are based on the International LT Series and equipped with Aurora’s next-generation autonomous driving hardware. The company said the updated hardware is more powerful than the previous generation and designed to last 1 million miles.
Aurora plans to deploy the trucks across its commercial network, which currently includes 10 driverless routes throughout the U.S. Sun Belt, as it adds customers and increases capacity.
“Last year’s driverless launch proved our technology could operate safely on public roads — our new platform now provides the foundation to deliver at scale,” said Chris Urmson, Aurora CEO and co-founder. “Deploying our second-generation truck allows us to put hundreds of autonomous trucks on the road and ultimately into the hands of more customers.”
Aurora began operating Class 8 trucks equipped with its Aurora Driver autonomous system on public roads without a driver last year. The company said the system had completed nearly 440,000 driverless miles (704,000 km) as of the end of June.
The expansion comes as customer interest in Aurora’s technology grows. The company recently announced that Hirschbach Motor Lines customer plans to purchase 500 Aurora Driver-equipped trucks.
Aurora said it completed its internal Safety Case process for the new truck and hardware before beginning driverless operations. The process is used to determine whether the system is ready to operate on public roads without a person behind the wheel.
Roush is installing redundant vehicle systems and integrating Aurora’s hardware at a production facility dedicated to the autonomous trucking company.
Aurora and Roush have formalized the upfit process, with Roush targeting an annual production rate of 1,000 Aurora trucks by the end of the year.
“By working with a world-class manufacturing partner like Roush, we can meet our customer demand and continue to make the movement of goods safer and more efficient across the country,” Urmson said.
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