Autonomous Freight

Waabi and Volvo Autonomous Solutions announce partnership

Toronto-based autonomous truck technology maker Waabi announced a strategic partnership on Tuesday with Volvo Autonomous Solutions to jointly develop and deploy autonomous trucks. The partnership is twofold, combining Waabi’s innovations in generative AI with Volvo’s autonomous truck, the Volvo VNL Autonomous.

The vertical integration comes in the form of integrating Waabi’s virtual driver system, the Waabi Driver, into the Volvo autonomous truck, which has redundant systems for safe autonomous...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/waabi-and-volvo-autonomous-solutions-announce-partnership

El perro de jardín autónomo recibe una actualización impulsada por IA

El perro del patio, el primo diminuto del tractor de clase 8, está recibiendo una actualización autónoma con IA cortesía de Motociclista de escolta. Otrider, un líder de operaciones de patio autónomo, anunciado recientemente Un primer despliegue de la industria de técnicas de aprendizaje de...

https://fullavantenews.com/el-perro-de-jardin-autonomo-recibe-una-actualizacion-impulsada-por-ia/?lang=es

The autonomous yard dog gets an AI-powered upgrade

The yard dog, the diminutive cousin of the Class 8 tractor, is getting an autonomous AI-powered upgrade courtesy of Outrider.

Outrider, an autonomous yard operations leader, recently announced an industry-first deployment of advanced reinforcement learning (RL) techniques across its customer sites. FreightWaves spoke with Andrew Smith, founder and CEO of Outrider about what the release means for the startup and how it’s taking the humble yard dog to new heights. 

For those outside the supply...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/the-autonomous-yard-dog-gets-an-ai-powered-upgrade

Regulators deny roadside warning exemption for autonomous trucks

WASHINGTON — Federal regulators ruled that autonomous trucking did not provide enough data backing a request to allow traditional warning devices used in roadside breakdowns to be replaced by cab-mounted beacons.

Waymo LLC and Aurora Operations (NASDAQ: AUR) filed a petition in 2023 with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration seeking an exemption – on behalf of the autonomous trucking industry – from rules requiring drivers to display ground-based reflective signs or road flares when a...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/regulators-deny-roadside-warning-exemption-for-autonomous-trucks

Proterra’s surviving businesses may shed bankruptcy stigma  

The stigma of going through bankruptcy is real, whether personal or corporate. But sometimes, it turns out OK. Consider Proterra Inc., a maker of electric transit buses, battery packs and a developer of charging infrastructure.

Several startups in the electrification space ran out of financial runway. They either disappeared or were absorbed by other companies. Proterra’s electric transit bus business tasted early success after launching in 2004. Investors like automaker General Motors’ venture...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/proterras-surviving-businesses-may-shed-bankruptcy-stigma

Co-founder wants TuSimple liquidated

TuSimple co-founder Xiaodi Hou has started a second autonomous trucking startup. But he is suing his former company, urging that TuSimple be liquidated and $450 million returned to shareholders, of whom he is the largest.

Suits on 3 coasts

In separate filings in courts in San Diego and Delaware, Hou claims his co-founder, Mo Chen, and CEO Cheng Lu are trying to move TuSimple’s $450 million to China. TuSimple moved its business there and has shifted its business from autonomous trucking to...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/co-founder-wants-tusimple-liquidated

Behind Climate United’s historic $250M electric truck buy

Climate United’s plan to spend $250 million to purchase 500 Class 8 electric trucks makes a great headline. But beyond the benefit to owner-operators and small fleets, the impact involves the future of zero-tailpipe-emission freight hauling.

More than cleaning up the ports

Climate United is stewarding a $6.97 billion grant of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency. The immediate goal is to help clean up the nation’s ports, where older and dirtier trucks...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/behind-climate-uniteds-historic-250m-electric-truck-buy

What does proposed China component ban mean for autonomous trucks?

Autonomous trucking developers knew the Commerce Department was on the cusp of slamming the door on certain Chinese components. In fact, this week’s preliminary rule came later than expected. Now they have to sort out what it means.

So far, they don’t have much to say. Of the leading driverless trucking companies – two of which could launch before the end of the year – only one, Plus, offered substantive comment. Others demurred or pointed to a less-than-substantive statement from the Autonomous...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/what-does-proposed-china-component-ban-mean-for-autonomous-trucks

Autonomous trucks in the long run

Aurora Innovation is the latest autonomous trucking developer to announce longer routes than hub-to-hub operations in Texas. It helps make the real-world case for long-promised over-the-road driverless trucking that could dramatically reduce the cost of freight shipping.

Aurora said this week it will begin driver-supervised routes from Fort Worth and El Paso, Texas, to Phoenix next year. It plans to go driverless by the end of 2025.

‘Real benefits of AV start to be unlocked’

“This is where you see...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/autonomous-trucks-in-the-long-run

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