Autonomous driving software specialist Plus has announced a significant long-term partnership with several commercial fleet developers under the Traton Group, including MAN, Scania, and Navistar, to deploy Level 4 autonomous trucks globally. Public road testing is already underway on two continents.
Plus, a global provider of autonomous driving solutions headquartered in Silicon Valley with operations in Europe and Australia, specializes in next-generation safety systems and automation like PlusDrive, along with its Level 4 driverless technology, SuperDrive.
The startup’s proprietary autonomous technology has attracted interest from several commercial vehicle developers, leading to partnerships with Bosch, IVECO, Nikola, and Luminar, among others. Plus has also formed partnerships with multiple brands under the Traton Group umbrella, such as MAN, Navistar, and Scania.
Today, Plus announced an extended partnership with these brands to develop and deploy Level 4 autonomous trucks globally, with testing already underway.
In a press release, Plus shared details of its new multi-year Level 4 autonomous truck deployment. The partnership will utilize the partners’ existing autonomous-ready base vehicles, which will be integrated with Plus’ SuperDrive driverless software for hub-to-hub operations. Shawn Kerrigan, Plus co-founder, and COO, commented on the partnership:
“Plus is thrilled to have our industry-leading autonomous driving software chosen for the Traton Group’s impressive portfolio of storied and trusted global commercial vehicle brands across Scania, MAN, and Navistar. Together we will accelerate the global commercialization of Level 4 autonomous trucks and bring to market safer and more sustainable transportation solutions. By expanding our autonomous hub-to-hub program, we are taking a leading position in providing autonomous solutions to our customers.”
Plus stated that Traton Group trucks have already been equipped with its Level 4 autonomous technology and are being tested on public roads in Europe and the US, with a safety monitor present onboard.
The public road testing is the result of a joint development between Traton Group and Plus over the past year, including tests in busy freight corridors around Texas. Following today’s expanded partnership, Plus announced that the Traton Group brands will pilot commercial operations of Level 4 autonomous trucks through 2024.
Subsequently, the partners plan to begin series production and globally deploy the commercial vehicles at scale. These expansions will gradually extend along “strategic US corridors,” and testing will occur between SödertĂ€lje and Nyköping in Sweden for the European routes. Plus expects European fleet customers to begin pilot operations sometime in 2024.
