(Reuters) – Aurora Innovation has announced the opening of its first lane for driverless trucks, connecting Dallas and Houston. The company’s commercial trucking terminal in Houston will support this initiative, which is set to be launched in 2024. Chief Product Officer Sterling Anderson stated, “Bringing our commercial-ready terminals and services online a year ahead of our planned commercial driverless launch between Dallas and Houston enables us to focus next year on integrating our driver-ready trucks into our customers’ operations.”
Aurora plans to operate its terminals day and night, facilitating the movement of more than 75 commercial loads for pilot customers. The company will establish Command Centers to support these terminals, staffed by professionals who will monitor and guide the fleet.
This development from Aurora comes in the midst of federal investigations into General Motors’ autonomous vehicle unit, Cruise. Additionally, the California Department of Motor Vehicles has ordered Cruise’s self-driving cars to be taken off the state roads due to safety concerns.
Aurora’s portfolio includes several products such as Aurora Driver, a versatile self-driving technology suitable for various vehicle types, and Aurora Horizon, a subscription service for driverless trucking.
The company has established partnerships with prominent firms including Uber Technologies, Toyota, Volvo, and PACCAR.
(Reporting by Zaheer Kachwala in Bengaluru; Editing by Varun H K)
