Waabi and Volvo Launch New Self-Driving Truck
▼ Summary
– Waabi launched a new autonomous truck in partnership with Volvo, the Volvo VNL Autonomous truck, at TechCrunch Disrupt.
– CEO Raquel Urtasun claimed Waabi could be the first to commercialize self-driving trucks without a human safety driver, contrasting with competitor Aurora.
– The Waabi Driver is an end-to-end AI model enabling autonomous driving on highways and surface streets, designed for scalable commercial operations.
– Waabi’s partnership with Volvo follows an investment by Volvo Group Venture Capital in 2023 and participation in Waabi’s $200 million Series B in 2024.
– Aurora, a Waabi rival, also has a deal with Volvo and launched a commercial service with a human observer, expanding its routes in Texas.
A new autonomous truck, the Volvo VNL Autonomous, has been unveiled through a collaboration between self-driving technology firm Waabi and Volvo. This announcement, made at TechCrunch Disrupt, marks a significant step forward in the commercialization of driverless freight transport. The vehicle is built on Volvo’s autonomy platform and integrates Waabi’s proprietary software stack, aiming to deliver scalable autonomous operations across various road types.
Waabi’s CEO, Raquel Urtasun, emphasized the company’s goal to be the first to commercialize self-driving trucks without any human safety driver or observer. Speaking at the event, she noted that Waabi’s trucks are already navigating surface streets in Texas, with plans to expand across the United States in the coming years. Urtasun previously served as chief scientist at Uber ATG before founding Waabi in 2021.
The company faces competition from Aurora, which also has a partnership with Volvo and introduced a self-driving truck earlier this year. Aurora launched a commercial service between Dallas and Houston with a human observer onboard, later extending operations to El Paso. While both companies use the same Volvo VNL truck base, Waabi’s version is equipped with its own sensor suite, computing hardware, and the Waabi Driver software.
The Waabi Driver is an end-to-end AI model designed to enable autonomous driving on highways and local streets. According to Waabi, this technology supports scalable commercial operations that align with customer needs and fit into existing logistics workflows. Urtasun highlighted that the Volvo VNL was engineered from the ground up with redundancies to ensure safety without a human driver. She also pointed out that Waabi’s sensor poles are lightweight and easily integrated during factory assembly.
This partnership follows an investment by Volvo Group Venture Capital in Waabi during 2023, with Volvo also participating in Waabi’s $200 million Series B funding round this year. The collaboration signals strong industry confidence in Waabi’s approach to autonomous trucking.
(Source: TechCrunch)
