Aurora’s autonomous trucks move another mile closer to commercial launch

One of Pittsburgh’s most prominent autonomous vehicle companies said it’s getting closer to a 2024 commercial launch.

Aurora announced Monday morning that it reached feature complete status for its autonomous driving system, Aurora Driver. That means all technical features have been implemented in the product’s software so it can operate the company’s autonomous trucking service, Aurora Horizon, by the end of next year. This update will enable Aurora’s driverless trucks to haul freight from Dallas to Houston — its “inaugural launch lane for commercial operations,” per the company’s Q4 2022 letter to stakeholders.

“From day one, we made foundational technology investments and strategic decisions that have helped us reach this pivotal moment,” said Chris Urmson, Aurora’s cofounder and CEO, in a statement. “We are now positioned to close our Safety Case for launch, the final step to achieving Aurora Driver Ready later this year. As we mature operations in advance of the launch of Aurora Horizon, our customers will continue to experience the value autonomy can bring to their businesses.”

Aurora’s Q4 stakeholder letter noted that it expanded its trucking fleet to 31 vehicles, as well as added or expanded partnerships with customers such as FedEx and Uber Freight.

In November 2021, the now-1,700-person company — more than half of whom are in Pittsburgh — debuted as the first autonomous vehicle company to go public through a SPAC deal. Aurora has also made a name for itself as a local AV leader by collaborating on tech community programs such as Pittsburgh Technical College’s 18-month associate’s degree program for robotics and autonomous engineering technology. The goal of the recently launched program is to train workers who could sustain Pittsburgh’s robotics prowess on the technician side.

Check out the company’s snazzy feature complete announcement video:

It’s a long road from Dallas to Houston. But we’ve got it covered.

We’ve introduced the final driving capabilities needed to commercially haul freight between these two cities — without a human behind the wheel. The Aurora Driver is now Feature Complete. https://t.co/Pj2CqIVXj8 pic.twitter.com/zGEQfPG54N

— Aurora (@aurora_inno) April 3, 2023

P.S. Aurora is hosting a happy hour with the Pittsburgh Robotics Network at its Strip District showroom this Wednesday, April 5. If you want to check out the company’s tech in person, get tickets here.