All posts tagged: trucks

TechCrunch Mobility: A roadblock clears for self-driving trucks

TechCrunch Mobility: A roadblock clears for self-driving trucks

Published by skeptic

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, the role AI is playing in it. To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! I’m back from a sojourn through New Hampshire’s White Mountains — a few days of respite before Disrupt 2026, TechCrunch’s annual tech conference in San Francisco. Now, after a few days immersed in fall colors, I am ready for the action. And there is gonna be a lot of it.  I want to see you all there, so here is a 30% discount on tickets to Disrupt with code mobility30. For more info on the show, scroll down. Now, on to the news! Self-driving truck companies Aurora Innovation and Kodiak AI received a federal exemption this week that removes a massive barrier to commercialization.  Under federal regulations, if a traditional big rig runs into trouble, the human driver must pull over, activate the hazard lights, and then physically place reflective warning triangles on the road within …

US Grants Safety Feature Exemption For Self-Driving Trucks

US Grants Safety Feature Exemption For Self-Driving Trucks

Published by Jenni Sidey

Authored by Kimberly Hayek via The Epoch Times, Federal regulators have approved a five-year exemption for self-driving trucking companies from rules that require drivers to place warning devices around a stopped truck. The Aurora Driver, in this undated photograph. Courtesy of Aurora The Department of Transportation said Wednesday it has agreed to allow autonomous trucking companies to use warning beacons mounted on the truck cab to avoid needing human drivers. The decision removes a hurdle for companies seeking to expand commercial driverless operations in the United States. Companies must notify the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) beforehand if they want to operate under the exemption. They must also report any crashes involving a vehicle while the cab-mounted warning beacons are activated or should have been activated. Alphabet’s self-driving unit Waymo and Aurora jointly sought a waiver of the rule in 2023. Pennsylvania-based Aurora sued FMCSA in early 2025 over the decision not to approve the waiver during the Biden administration. The company said in October 2025 that it was filing to dismiss the lawsuit …

Autonomous Orange: YMX adds Outrider self-driving tech to its electric yard trucks

Autonomous Orange: YMX adds Outrider self-driving tech to its electric yard trucks

Published by skeptic

The logistics experts at 3PL provider YMX know a thing or three about running an efficient fleet, but even they are feeling the nationwide shortage of qualified yard operators. To help keep the goods moving and the wheels turning, the company is turning to self-driving, zero-emission yard trucks at customer sites as part of a new pilot with AI startup Outrider. Under a new five-year commercial agreement, YMX will operate the autonomous Outrider System on its fleet of all-electric Orange EV yard dogs in large enterprise customer yards starting this year. The updated, self-driving Class 8 heavy trucks promise to deliver safer, more productive supply chain operations to both the 3PL and its customers. “Outrider’s self-driving yard trucks are a strategic addition to our Autonomous Yard Operating System, expanding how we use technology to execute yard operations and create value for our customers,” explains Matt Yearling, CEO of YMX Logistics. “We selected Outrider because of its industry-leading approach to system safety, use of advanced AI capabilities across diverse yard environments, and operational maturity.” Cooking, WITHOUT …

Aurora CFO says 30,000 driverless trucks by 2030 isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds

Aurora CFO says 30,000 driverless trucks by 2030 isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds

Published by skeptic

Autonomous vehicle technology company Aurora told investors last week that it expects to have more than 30,000 self-driving trucks on the road generating $5 billion in annual revenue by the end of 2030 — an audacious plan considering it expects to end 2026 with just 200 driverless trucks and an $80 million revenue run rate. CFO David Maday contends the seemingly outsized target isn’t as large or as out of reach as it might appear. “While 30,000 kind of feels like a lot — and it does in the autonomy space for sure — in terms of trucks relative to the overall market, it’s kind of pretty small,” he told TechCrunch in a recent interview, adding that the four major truck manufacturers produce anywhere between 250,000 and 300,000 new trucks a year. “I don’t think it’s aspirational,” he added, “I think we can do it.” Investors haven’t exactly embraced Aurora’s 2030 vision. Shares have continued to slide since the company’s annual analyst and investor day on September 23. On Monday, shares closed down 12.42%, to …

JUNA puts more than 100 Scania electric semi trucks to work

JUNA puts more than 100 Scania electric semi trucks to work

Published by skeptic

You-know-who might be grabbing headlines by rolling a few trucks off the assembly line, but fleets overseas have been putting electric semi trucks to work for years – and shipping fleet JUNA just announced the deployment of its 110th (!) big BEV. A joint venture between German logistics firm sennder and Swedish truck brand Scania, JUNA works with shippers and freight forwarders to understand their transport needs, identify suitable routes, integrate electric vehicles where possible, then support those carriers with a flexible pay-per-use model that enables them to decarbonize some or all of their freight traffic today, without taking on the higher up-front cost of trucks and charging. “When we set out to build JUNA with sennder, our goal was to show that electric trucks could work commercially for carriers while helping shippers decarbonize the transport networks they rely on,” says Gustaf Sundell, Executive Vice President and Head of Ventures and New Business at Scania Group. “Reaching 100 trucks across four markets shows that this proof point is real and gives us a strong foundation for …

Thieves Stole ‘Nvidia’ Trailers. They Got 20 Tons of Sand

Thieves Stole ‘Nvidia’ Trailers. They Got 20 Tons of Sand

Published by skeptic

On Thursday morning, a top executive at self-driving truck developer PlusAI received an unexpected congratulatory text message from an acquaintance. “I have been proud of you for your adventure and success at Plus. Just saw two of your trucks near my work place! :)” the message said. But PlusAI’s trucks weren’t supposed to be near this person’s office, in Newark, California. As of the last the company knew, the trailers were docked outside its warehouse, half a mile away. Soon, according to a police statement, cops were on the scene to help recover the two trailers, emblazoned with logos for PlusAI and Nvidia, the most valuable company in the world. The two companies are working together on AI software and autonomous truck technology. That’s when PlusAI employees gave police a hint as to why whoever hooked their own cabs up to the trailers and drove away might have abandoned the whole thing after breaking them open: Each trailer was full of about 20,000 pounds of sand. “PlusAI uses simulated loads in its trailers to assist …

Nearly a Decade Later, the Electric Tesla Semi Is Here

Nearly a Decade Later, the Electric Tesla Semi Is Here

Published by skeptic

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has insisted investors think of his electric automaker as a robotics and autonomous vehicle company now. He’s targeted a $20 trillion valuation—nearly four times the value of market leader Nvidia—on that premise. But his Tesla team was in Sparks, Nevada, on Thursday to focus on, well, an electric vehicle: the long-awaited Tesla Semi. The Semi concept first rolled onto a Tesla event stage in late 2017. Nearly a decade later, Tesla officially launched high-volume production at a livestreamed but invite-only event at the company’s factory. It targeted a niche audience: the cost-conscious people who manage large trucking fleets. A handful of them, all men, trooped across the stage to be thanked for their orders to a pulsing techno beat. “It’s going to be, really, a driver’s truck. It’s like a sports car in truck form.” Musk said in a pre-taped video played during the evening event. (Musk, for years the ringmaster at Tesla’s circus-like events, skipped his second vehicle debut in a row; he was attending a White House China State …

Trucks gone wild! VinFast launches VF Wild EREV pickup

Trucks gone wild! VinFast launches VF Wild EREV pickup

Published by skeptic

With more than 250 km (~155 miles) of battery-only range, genuine off-road capability, and a range extending ICE motor that pushes total range well past 1,000 km (~620 miles), VinFast’s new VF Wild is shaping up to be an interesting entry in the electrified truck race. First shown as an all-electric concept back in 2024, the production version of the new VF Wild pickup is still motivated by an electric motor putting out 160 kW (~215 hp) and 280 Nm (~205 lb-ft.) of torque drawing power from a relatively modest 46.4 kWh LFP battery pack (compared to the monster 205 kWh battery in GM’s electric trucks, anyway). That setup is good enough to get VF Wild drivers about 250 km away (NEDC) from where they started before the ICE generator kicks in to keep the party going. But, crucially, that’s all it does. VinFast is quick to point out that its internal combustion engine is purely a range-extender, and that the vehicle is driven solely by its electric motors for a driving experience that’s much …

Garbage trucks analyze thousands of homes with AI-powered cameras

Garbage trucks analyze thousands of homes with AI-powered cameras

Published by Jenni Sidey

Garbage trucks now do more than just pick up tossed-out food scraps and junk. They also snitch on people with unkempt lawns.  In at least four states (California, Georgia, South Carolina, Texas), some city-run sanitation vehicles are being outfitted with AI-equipped cameras from a company called City Detect. The cameras quietly snap photos of residents’ yards and run the images through software that flags tall grass, litter, graffiti, or other more serious code violations like collapsing roofs. Properties found in violation then get assigned a “Blight Score” from 1 to 4, reflecting the severity of the mess. If left unresolved, human reviewers can use information gleaned from those snapshots to issue fines. In Dallas, Texas, the system has reportedly flagged at least one possible code violation in more than 21,000 properties analyzed since the city began testing the service last April. City Detect claims its camera system has already detected 6,000,000 violations issued nationwide.  A City Detect camera. Image: City Detect The garbage truck tattletales are just the latest example of how increasingly connected AI …

Amazon puts 50 Mercedes-Benz eActros electric semi trucks to work in Germany

Amazon puts 50 Mercedes-Benz eActros electric semi trucks to work in Germany

Published by skeptic

From sea to shining sea, Amazon is serious about electrifying its delivery fleet – now, the company is taking that seriousness across the pond, announcing plans to deploy 50 of Mercedes-Benz’ new battery-electric eActros semi trucks before the end of 2026. Amazon says the deployment of the big battery Benzes marks a “milestone” in the brand’s push to decarbonize and electrify its global transportation network. The first 26 of the trucks from its largest-ever order – more than 200 Mercedes eActros 600s – are now on the road. “The handover of these vehicles is a milestone for the electrification of our transportation network,” explains Andreas Marschner, VP of Sustainable Operations at Amazon. “Electric solutions have already been widely used for some time in last-mile package delivery to customers. With the high-performance electric trucks from Mercedes-Benz Trucks, we can now make even longer transport routes between fulfillment centers and urban areas more sustainable. This is a true solution for the future.” Making it work The first batch of battery Benzes; via Amazon. Amazon is putting the eActros …