SAN FRANCISCO, CA - In the face of mounting competition from the likes of established companies like Tesla and Waymo, as well as industry newcomers Starsky Robotics and Embark, Uber is dropping out of the autonomous truck race and shuttering its self-driving truck operation.
The program made history just two years ago, after completing the world’s first self-driven truck delivery of 50,000 cans of Budweiser. The division—which is a part of Uber’s Advanced Technologies Group, according to The Washington Post—was also responsible for deliverying freight on Arizona highways using Volvo big rigs that the company retrofitted with its technology. The rollout of the Volvo truck program began in November and included a human backup driver. As this program comes to an end, Uber intends to focus on its self-driving car program and relaunch on public roads after undergoing a National Transporation Safety Board investigation when a pedestrian was hit and killed by a self-driven car in Tempe, Arizona.
“We recently took the important step of returning to public roads in Pittsburgh, and as we look to continue that momentum, we believe having our entire team’s energy and expertise focused on this effort is the best path forward,” Eric Meyhofer, Head of Uber Advanced Technologies Group, shared in a statement, the news source expresses.
The move will not hinder the progress of the company’s Uber Freight app, which links truck drivers to freight. The app has become one of Uber’s greatest areas of growth, tripling in size in a little over a year, the news source relays. The app allows the company to stay competitively invested in the freight logistics industry.
Will Uber step back into the self-driving ring, or will it spend its energy focusing on its successful Freight app and let the trucking be accomplished by others in the field? AndNowUKnow will keep you updated as the story develops.
