The self-driving freight tech vendor Aurora Innovation Inc. has announced a “rapid expansion” of its commercial operations by launching a second driverless route in Texas, spanning 600 miles from Fort Worth to El Paso, the company said.
That move comes as the Pittsburgh-based company surpasses 100,000 driverless miles on public roads and shares its plan to deploy hundreds of driverless trucks with its next-generation Aurora Driver hardware in 2026, it said.
Aurora launched its inaugural Dallas to Houston route six months ago, and says it now plans to deploy driverless trucks without a partner-requested observer next year. That expansion will be enabled by lower-cost hardware and integration with multiple platforms, the company said.
The company’s “Aurora Driver” hardware is being integrated with the Volvo VNL Autonomous truck model, as well as a new fleet of International LT Series Class 8 vehicles.
“The integration of Aurora’s next-generation hardware with the Volvo VNL Autonomous on the pilot line at our New River Valley facility marks an industry-first partnership and highlights the meaningful progress we are making together,” Nils Jaeger, President of Volvo Autonomous Solutions, said in a release. “By manufacturing trucks purpose-built for autonomy, we’re moving beyond prototypes and creating scalable solutions that are ready to meet the demands of a modern supply chain.”
The news came out the same day that Uber announced plans to greatly expand its robotaxi and autonomous delivery fleets.
But the two moves are not without controversy, as drivers union the International Brotherhood of Teamsters held a rally outside Boston City Hall seeking tighter restrictions on robotaxis.
The Teamsters coordinated the event with the Labor United Against Waymo Coalition, saying the coalition is the first mass-mobilization effort outside of California to push back against the unchecked expansion of autonomous vehicles (AVs). “Driverless cars and trucks pose a serious threat to public safety, our communities, and the livelihoods of the countless dedicated men and women across the Commonwealth who work as professional drivers,” Tom Mari, President of Teamsters Local 25, said in a release. “These machines don’t benefit working people — they only serve the interests of out-of-state Big Tech billionaires, and their opinions shouldn’t outweigh the needs of Massachusetts residents.”
