Car maker Daimler and Waymo have signed a deal to work together on autonomous semi trucks.
Details are scant, but Daimler says its Freightliner Cascadia truck will be outfitted with the Waymo Driver automated driver technology in the US “in the coming years.” The truck will be capable of level four autonomy, which means it will be fully self-driving in certain conditions.
The partnership aims to “improve road safety and logistics efficiency on the world’s roadways,” according to Waymo CEO John Krafcik.
“The combination of increased road freight volumes and the need and vision of fleet operators for highly automated trucks, is what fuels our relentless pursuit of innovation,” said Roger Nielsen, President and CEO of Daimler Trucks North America. “We are pushing engineering solutions that strive above all to increase safety and help our customers improve business efficiencies. Based on our collaboration with Waymo, we will be in the unique position to be able to provide our fleet customers with a choice among the best solutions for their individual requirements.”
Daimler piloted the first autonomous truck five years ago in Germany, and has since partnered with companies including Uber on self-driving vehicles. Waymo, owned by Google parent Alphabet, has conducted road tests of self-driving trucks in California, Atlanta, and Arizona, and is building its own fleet of self-driving taxis.
