Will self-driving trucks come in a matter of years?

Self-driving-focused Aurora, German automotive supplier Continental, and global chip manufacturer Nvidia have announced that they will collaborate on self-driving trucks in the future. (Continental has already been working together on this topic with Aurora since 2023).

As part of the collaboration, Nvidia will integrate the Drive Thor computer platform and the DriveOS operating system into the Aurora Driver self-driving system, which will enable level 4 self-driving for trucks. As you know, this is the level that involves a high level of automation. At this level, the self-driving system can drive the truck in predetermined situations.

Only level 5 is higher than this, which means self-driving systems that drive the vehicle in all situations without the driver’s intervention. This makes the use of the steering wheel, pedals, or the cab unnecessary. It seems worth getting behind Nvidia, most truck manufacturers, robot taxi manufacturers, and a significant number of mobility startups are developing on the Nvidia Drive AGX platform and technologies. In its press release, the company mentions partners such as BYD, Mercedes-Benz, Rivian and Volvo Cars.

Aurora Driver also appears from time to time with truck manufacturers: in 2021, for example, they signed a cooperation agreement with PACCAR, which owns brands such as Kenworth, which produces for the North American market, or DAF, which is the market leader in several countries in Europe. This self-driving system consists of a high-performance computer and several sensors (LIDAR, radar) as well as external cameras. Together, these make it possible to safely relieve the driver on the highway, i.e. self-driving.

Aurora plans to launch its self-driving truck-focused test facility in Texas in April of this year. According to the plans, serial production of the self-driving system can start in 2027 at Continental’s plants. However, no mention has yet been made of exactly what type of truck it will be installed in. According to the latest press photo, Volvo Trucks VNL has a chance to do so.