MUNICH: Volkswagen's Traton commercial truck unit and self-driving technology startup TuSimple will team up to develop self-driving trucks, the companies said on Wednesday.
Traton has also taken a minority stake in TuSimple, a San Diego, California-based self-driving technology company focused on heavy-duty trucks, as part of the deal.
The partnership is the first of its kind in Europe, bringing together a global OEM and SAE level 4 self-driving technology company.
Both companies have launched a development programme to operate the first SAE level 4 autonomous hub-to-hub route between Södertälje to Jönköping in Sweden using Scania trucks.
TuSimple has already been trying out its technology since 2015 with several million test kilometres on public roads and is a leading developer of autonomous driving, for example in the fields of perception and night vision.
Traton’s goal is to test driverless truck fleets on roads throughout Sweden, Germany and other
countries. This could serve as a means of counteracting the increasing lack of drivers in the medium term. Experts estimate a shortage of around 60,000 drivers in Germany alone. — Additional reporting by Reuters
