Latest news with #selfdrivingtrucks
TechCrunch
31-07-2025
- Automotive
- TechCrunch
Aurora's autonomous trucks are now driving at night. Its next big challenge is rain.
Over the next year, Aurora Innovation CEO Chris Urmson wants to 'unlock' the Sunbelt of the United States, a southern route where its self-driving trucks will carry goods for companies like Uber Freight and Hirschbach Motor Lines. Aurora, which launched its driverless commercial self-driving truck service this spring, has already made some progress towards that goal. The company reported Wednesday in its second-quarter letter to shareholders that it now has three self-driving trucks operating commercially between Dallas and Houston and logged more than 20,000 driverless miles by the end of June. Its commercial self-driving trucks have a human 'observer' in the cab, people who are not there to operate or intervene, according to the company. Aurora has also opened up a terminal in Phoenix, another physical sign of its Sunbelt trucking route mission. Aurora is piloting autonomous trucking on a 15-hour route from its terminal in Fort Worth, Texas to Phoenix for customers, Hirschbach and Werner. The company's terminals, which are located within one to five miles from the highway, require the driverless trucks to handle exits and surface streets. But it's the company's ability to operate at night that helps it push into new territory. Aurora said Wednesday it has validated the ability for its driverless trucks to navigate highways and roads at night. This allows the trucks to travel longer distances — and importantly past the federally mandated service limitation for traditional human drivers. Truck drivers are allowed to drive up to 11 hours over a 14-hour period; and they can't do that day after day. Truck drivers are also required to take 10-hour breaks after completing a long-haul route. 'The value is really on longer lengths — so 600 miles is certainly a good range, where that is on the border of what's possible for people,' Urmson told TechCrunch in a recent interview, adding that ultimately he hopes Aurora trucks are carrying freight from Miami to California. Urmson partially credits Aurora's proprietary, long-range lidar, which can detect objects in the dark more than 450 meters away, for its ability to operate at night. The lidar can identify pedestrians, vehicles, and debris up to 11-seconds sooner than a traditional driver, according to the company. Aurora has acquired two lidar companies since it was founded in 2017. The company bought Blackmore, a Montana-based lidar startup, in May 2019 and OURS Technology in 2021. Now, Urmson and the rest of Aurora's engineers are working to validate the driverless trucks' ability to operate in rain. 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San Francisco | REGISTER NOW 'By the end of the year, we expect to be operating day, night, and in rain — if you can't drive through the rain, ultimately, it's hard to support these long operations because it's raining somewhere,' he said. Today, Aurora's development fleet does operate in the rain and well enough that Urmson noted most would wonder why the company isn't allowing its commercial trucks to do the same. Aurora has not completed the validation for that today, and 'so we're not willing to put that check mark next to it and let it go out there,' he noted. Today, the company monitors weather on its one commercial route between Dallas and Houston. If adverse weather conditions like rain suddenly arise, those trucks are able to detect this and pull themselves off the road on their own where they will wait to be rescued, Urmson said. 'This year is really about building the capability toolbox so that the vehicles can drive where they need to,' he said in a nod to the company's focus on validating driving at night and in the rain. Next year, Aurora will focus on scaling its road network, in terms of distances and its fleet. Aurora plans to have 'tens of driverless trucks' operating on public roads by the end of the year and 'hundreds' by the end of 2026. All of this, from the driverless trucks' ability to function at night and in rain to opening more routes and a with a larger fleet, will be critical if Aurora ever hopes to reach profitability. The revenue-to-net income gap today is a large one. Aurora reported revenue of $1 million in the second quarter and a net income loss of $201 million, according to its regulatory filing.
Bloomberg
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- Bloomberg
Inside Waabi's Bold AI Bet
What if self-driving trucks didn't need to be on real roads to learn? That's one company's philosophy when it comes to training its autonomous 18-wheelers. Raquel Urtasun, formerly of Uber, is now building Waabi an autonomous trucking company powered entirely by AI and simulation. And while Waabi is still a few years out from deploying these trucks, all signs point to the tech appearing on the road sooner rather than later. (Source: Bloomberg)
Bloomberg
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Bloomberg
Uber Squeezes More From Aurora Stake With $1.2 Billion Bond Sale
By and Anthony Hughes Save Uber Technologies Inc. 's $1.2 billion exchangeable bond deal, linked to its shares in a self-driving truck firm, shows why the unusual financial maneuver can be more attractive than a typical stake sale, according to observers. Last week, the San Francisco-based ride-hailing company issued exchangeable senior bonds tied to its stake in Aurora Innovation Inc. The deal was priced on favorable terms for Uber, with zero coupon and a 16.1% conversion premium that was above the marketed range.
TechCrunch
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- TechCrunch
Aurora to add night driving, new routes as it ramps driverless trucking
Autonomous vehicle technology company Aurora Innovation plans to expand on the success of its first driverless commercial launch and add night driving to its operations. Aurora said Thursday in the second half of 2025 it will start sending its self-driving trucks out at night and during adverse weather conditions like rain or heavy wind. The company, which provided the update in its first-quarter shareholder letter, also plans to expand its driverless trucking route beyond Dallas to Houston, and into El Paso and Phoenix. Aurora already runs freight with self-driving trucks in those conditions, but with a human safety operator behind the wheel. The company said it has completed more than 4,000 miles in a single self-driving truck without a driver ruuning freight for its launch customers Hirschbach Motor Lines and Uber Freight. In the week since Aurora's commercial launch, the company has already expanded to two driverless trucks operating on a daily basis, and says it expects to operate 'tens of trucks' by the end of 2025. The milestone, and future plans come alongside another major shift at the company: the resignation of co-founder and chief product officer Sterling Anderson. Aurora shared new details Thursday in its first-quarter shareholder letter about plans to grow its autonomous freight service, signaling it will offer more specific timelines for key milestones as it expands. Aurora reported $211 million in operating expenses, including $153 million for R&D. It used $142 million in operating cash and $8 million in capex in the first quarter, ending with nearly $1.2 billion in cash and short-term investments. Aurora expects to spend $175 to $185 million per quarter for the rest of this year. The company didn't provide revenue figures in its Q1 report. Techcrunch event Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | BOOK NOW In the short-term, Aurora plans to own, operate, maintain and insure its own trucks – made available on the Uber Freight network – for customers. The company is working with partners Paccar and Volvo Trucks to build self-driving trucks at scale. Starting in 2027 or earlier, Aurora expects customers to buy those trucks directly from manufacturers so it can shift to a driver-as-a-service model.
