The “long-term” partnership introduced at this time is between Volvo Autonomous Options and self-driving startup Aurora. The 2 plan to collectively develop globally-leading autonomous transport options at scale, starting with North America.
The partnership introduced in a press launch at this time is alleged to span a number of years, with the objective of mixing applied sciences to develop and deploy on-highway autonomous vehicles. By way of the partnership each firms will work to combine the autonomy package of the Aurora Driver into Volvo’s Class 8 freeway vehicles. Volvo and Aurora hope their expertise will assist them turn out to be the worldwide chief in Transport as a Service (Taas).
In 2018, Volvo Group labored with Aurora to create a self-driving Volvo truck they nicknamed Pistachio. Nonetheless, neither aspect’s expertise was the place it wanted to be on the time to show profitable. In response to the press release from Aurora:
Aurora’s sensor suite, like the remainder of the business, couldn’t robustly see far sufficient to soundly drive a Class 8 truck at freeway speeds; and Volvo wanted to put the groundwork for an autonomous options enterprise.
The 2 sides parted methods and received busy growing L4 autonomy individually. In 2019, Aurora acquired a number one Lidar firm in Blackmore. From there, it started to develop a sensing suite lastly able to safely working giant vehicles at excessive speeds. In 2020, Aurora started to deploy Class 8 vehicles built-in with its Aurora Driver expertise containing its new Lidar.
Concurrently Aurora, the Volvo Group was implementing its personal division centered on developing industrial autonomous vehicles. Thus, Volvo Autonomous Options was born. Now, each teams have reunited to take one other crack at Degree 4 autonomous driving in Volvo’s freeway vehicles.
Volvo Autonomous Options x Aurora
The primary industrial truck birthed from this rekindled partnership can be tailored to suit the necessities of the Aurora Driver. Moreover, Volvo will assist tailor the Class 8 vehicles to satisfy any extra wants Aurora’s autonomous hub-to-hub travel calls for. In response to Nils Jaeger, President of Volvo Autonomous Options:
Making a viable autonomous on-highway providing requires shut partnerships with each prospects and tech companions to develop the wanted capabilities. This thrilling partnership brings our objective of transport as a service an vital step nearer and can speed up our industrial provide for hub-to-hub functions in North America. Aurora is already a number one drive in autonomous methods, and its built-in self-driving stack, software program, {hardware} and knowledge companies platform mix to supply a transparent path in the direction of environment friendly and protected on-highway options within the medium time period.
We don’t have any specs on this upcoming industrial truck but. Nonetheless, we do know Aurora Driver can at the moment detect and observe objects on roads nicely past 300 meters. When built-in right into a Volvo truck (preferably electric – they have the tech), either side can be nearer to L4 driving on highways.
Electrek‘s take
All this speak about Degree 4 autonomous driving, on-highway vehicles and no mention of electric vehicles? Okay, that’s a bit harsh as that isn’t the main focus of this particular partnership. Neither is it an experience of Aurora.
Volvo appears to have discovered its golden goose in Aurora, although, particularly given how a lot its expertise has improved because the two final sat on the identical drafting board. Undecided how a lot Volvo Autonomous Options had happening in its personal analysis lab to start with. Well, apart from an electric dumper.
It’s fascinating how heavy obligation industrial vehicles and low-speed vehicles (LSVs) look like the closest to L4 autonomous driving, whereas all the pieces in between is form of in all places. That’s a thought for one more article although.
The expertise from Aurora sounds promising, and we will wager it’s in good fingers with Volvo Group and its well-documented historical past of prioritized security. As beforehand talked about, the subsequent step has received to be making use of Aurora Driver to electrical Volvo vehicles… in the event that they’re not already engaged on that.
Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube for exclusive videos and subscribe to the podcast.