Volvo has revealed its long-haul autonomous truck prototype through its joint partnership with Aurora.
Based on Volvo’s VNL model and integrated with the Aurora Driver technology, the company says it represents an important step towards launching fully autonomous class 8 trucks commercially in North America.
Volvo Autonomous Solutions says its paving the way towards offering autonomous trucks to customers, as well as delivering transport as a service (TaaS) solutions for autonomous commercial trucks, tailored to specific customer needs.
“Volvo Autonomous Solutions is proud to take our first, major steps toward the autonomous Volvo VNL in North America,” Volvo Autonomous Solutions president Nils Jaeger says.
“Our long-standing customer base and their priorities are at the forefront of our path forward in shaping autonomous trucking.
“We strongly believe in a future in which safe, sustainable, efficient transport solutions are essential for any society to prosper, and autonomous commercial trucking is an important piece of that transformation,” Jaeger says.
While research and development are supported by global team efforts, on-highway autonomous truck applications are also being designed and engineered in the US in preparation for future production at Volvo Trucks’ New River Valley assembly plant in Dublin, Virginia.
Volvo Trucks North America president Peter Voorhoeve says the Volvo VNL model will serve as the foundation for the development of North American autonomous trucks.
It will offer customers the next generation of “safe, efficient and sustainable transport solutions,” he says.
Meanwhile, Volvo Autonomous Solutions on-road head Sasko Cuklev says autonomous technologies “will complement the transport system of today and will be implemented where there is a purpose and where it makes sense”.
“It is important for us to be part of this transformation, and together with our customers and partners, to be a leader in building up the new ecosystem.”
Volvo Autonomous Solutions and Aurora are also working on implementing a hub-to-hub transport vision in North America.
This includes identifying specific regions and routes to serve as the initial hubs for on-road highway testing.
Volvo Autonomous Solutions is working closely with customers to understand their current and future needs, priorities and demands, in preparation for piloting the autonomous Volvo VNL in on-road, hub-to-hub transport scenarios, as well as the eventual adoption of autonomous technology commercially, it says.
“While the transformation to an autonomous trucking future will not happen overnight, Volvo Autonomous Solutions will continue to further increase the speed of development to support customers’ changing needs across many segments and markets – and ultimately bring the benefits of autonomous transport solutions to the public with safer, more efficient and more sustainable commercial transport of goods across the US,” the company says.
