(Blacksburg, Va./Stuttgart, Germany – January 16, 2023) – As Torc Robotics and Daimler Truck AG enter their fifth year of partnership, the companies are focused on bringing top talent into the organization and building and innovating through industry collaboration and partnerships. The goal of the collaboration is to commercialize Level 4 autonomous trucks for long-haul applications closer to a reality in the U.S.
“Over the past four years, we have seen the results of our strong collaboration with Daimler Truck and look forward to continuing to build upon the momentum and successes to bring us closer to the clear path of commercialization and safe deployment of autonomous trucks for long-haul applications,” said Peter Vaughan Schmidt, Torc Robotics CEO.
Joanna Buttler, Head of Global Autonomous Technology Group at Daimler Truck, adds: “Working with Torc, we have always managed to combine our ideas for the right solutions. The result is a fully integrated state-of-the-art autonomous truck that can safely handle highly complex traffic situations. In this spirit of authoring the future, we are looking forward to bringing SAE Level 4 autonomous trucks for hub-to-hub operations to the US market by 2027 together.”
Milestones
Team Growth
Over the past year, Torc has brought on some of the brightest innovators in the autonomous technology space with the goal of continuing to build out a dynamic leadership team that positions Torc and Daimler as leaders in autonomous driving system development, innovation, and fleet testing.
King joins as Chief Engineering Officer
In May, C.J. King joined the Torc leadership team as chief engineering officer. King, who was previously vice president of software engineering at HERE Technologies, brings more than 18 years of engineering, software, hardware, and autonomous expertise to the company. His leadership is driving the unification of all Torc’s engineering efforts to align with the company’s roadmap and key milestones. King’s experience on a global scale also supports Torc’s engineering team in its preparations for the commercial launch of Torc’s autonomous truck solution. King has extensive expertise in product development, managing global, diverse teams, technology optimizations, and new-system implementations as a result of his previous roles at HERE Technologies, Amazon, Ford, and Toyota.
Michelle Chaka joins as Senior Vice President, Safety and Regulatory
In February, Michelle Chaka joined Torc as senior vice president, safety and regulatory, bringing more than 25 years of safety and regulatory expertise to the company. Chaka serves as the safety champion for Torc, fostering a culture that values safety, data-driven and evidence-based approaches, and transparency. Chaka has experience leading automated driving research projects sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety (NHTSA) from which NHTSA published the learnings to all stakeholders. In her 25 years in the industry, Chaka has a unique mix of experience from her work at General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, and most recently, Locomation.
Scanlon joins as Vice President of Product Management
In August, Sheila Scanlon joined Torc as the new vice president of product management. Scanlon brings over 20 years of experience in the technology and autonomous driving industry to the Torc team. In her role, she works alongside Torc leadership to foster a customer-centric culture and data-driven mindset, leading the product planning and prioritization activities in alignment with engineering. Scanlon’s experience covers a broad range of applications across the autonomous driving space, including leadership roles at Aptiv, HERE Technologies, Mercedes Benz, and RRAI.
Capabilities and Technology
Torc acquires leader in computer vision and machine learning
In an effort to strengthen core competencies required for commercialization of Level 4 autonomous trucking, Torc acquired Algolux, a leader in computer vision and machine learning, in February 2022. The acquisition brought together Algolux’s end-to-end artificial intelligence (AI) stack, along with Torc’s groundbreaking autonomous-driving technology. Robust perception technology is key to helping Torc’s autonomous system correctly identify objects during difficult visual conditions such as low light, fog or bad weather. Algolux’s software is currently running on autonomous ready Freightliner Cascadia test vehicles.
Partnerships and Collaboration
Torc and C.R. England join forces on long-haul autonomous trucking pilots
Early this year, Torc announced a strategic collaboration with C.R. England, one of North America’s premier transportation companies. The partnership allows Torc to implement a pilot program leveraging C.R. England’s temperature-controlled loads and Torc’s fleet of Level 4 autonomous test trucks for long-haul applications. The collaboration is Torc’s first expansion into refrigerated freight. The pilot will provide select customers with temperature-controlled capacity and world-class service, while giving unique insights to help guide the development and ongoing commercialization of autonomous trucks for long-haul applications.
Dutch organization joins Torc for scenario-based safety validation
In late 2022, Torc announced a partnership with the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) that would allow Torc and TNO to work together to substantiate the safety of self-driving trucks using scenario-based safety validation. TNO’s StreetWise, a safety validation methodology based on a real-world scenario database, provides a large collection of “driving events” designed to test and validate autonomous driving systems’ performance according to the latest safety requirements. The resulting scenario information enables Torc to apply thorough, virtual validation, according to state-of-the-art international safety assessment processes.
For more information on Torc, please visit www.torc.ai.
About Torc Robotics Torc Robotics, headquartered in Blacksburg, Virginia, is an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, a global leader and pioneer in trucking. Founded in 2005 at the birth of the self-driving vehicle revolution, Torc has over 18 years of experience in pioneering safety-critical, self-driving applications. Torc offers a complete self-driving vehicle software and integration solution and is currently focusing on commercializing autonomous trucks for long-haul applications in the U.S. Torc operates test facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and engineering offices in Austin, Texas; Stuttgart, Germany; and Montreal, Canada. Torc’s purpose is driving the future of freight with autonomous technology. As the world’s leading autonomous trucking solution, we empower exceptional employees, deliver a focused, hub-to-hub autonomous truck product, and provide our customers with the safest, most reliable, and cost-efficient solution to the market.
About Daimler Truck Daimler Truck is the pioneer of truck automation. In 2014, the world’s leading truck manufacturer presented the Mercedes-Benz Future Truck 2025, the world’s first automated truck, and was the first to demonstrate the technological opportunities and great potential that automated trucks offer customers and society. In 2015, Daimler’s Freightliner Inspiration Truck obtained the first-ever road license for a partially automated commercial vehicle demonstrating the promise of automated driving on the highways of Nevada. Today, Daimler Truck offers partially automated driving features (SAE Level 2) with the Mercedes-Benz Actros, the Freightliner Cascadia and the FUSO Super Great.
Daimler Truck North America has developed the autonomous-ready Freightliner Cascadia – the foundation of a smart autonomous driving system. The Class 8 truck is equipped with redundant functions that enable the deployment of autonomous trucking and are ideal for the integration of autonomous software, hardware, and compute. Designed and developed with a second set of critical systems, such as steering and braking, the vehicle meets Daimler Truck’s uncompromising safety standards. As part of the Autonomous Technology Group, DTNA is also researching the infrastructure required for the operational testing of initial application cases. DTNA is contributing to the successful development of autonomous driving technology and vehicle integration for heavy-duty trucks.
Torc is pleased to announce we have been named a winner of Glassdoor’s 16th annual Employees’ Choice Awards, honoring the Best Places to Work 2024 in the category of Small and Medium Businesses. Unlike other workplace awards, the Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Awards are based on the input of employees who voluntarily provide anonymous feedback on Glassdoor by completing acompany review about their job, work environment and employer over the past year.
“Without our results-driven team, our purpose to drive the future of freight with autonomous technology wouldn’t be a reality. I’m proud of the award-winning team we have here at Torc and look forward to continuing to provide exceptional workplace experiences for our team members,” commented Marnie Young, Torc’s Chief People Officer. “As life at work is constantly evolving, this recognition symbolizes our commitment to efficiency and safety both at work and on the road.”
The news comes on the heels of strategic new hires to the Torc Robotics team over the last year including Summer Craze Fowler, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO); Sheila Scanlon, Vice President of Product Management; and C.J. King, Chief Engineering Officer.
“Worklife is rapidly changing, and professionals are turning to Glassdoor to share their experiences about working for some of the most competitive employers in the world,” said Christian Sutherland-Wong, Glassdoor Chief Executive Officer. “The Best Places to Work award is a stark reminder of the power of Glassdoor, from arming professionals with career insights and real-time conversations about all things work and life, to providing employers with feedback to improve. Glassdoor has evolved to make sure that transparency isn’t a fad, but rather, a foundational component in the future of work.”
When employeessubmit reviewsabout their employer on Glassdoor, they are asked to share their opinions on some of the best reasons to work for their employer (pros), any downsides (cons) and are encouraged to provide advice to management. In addition, employees are asked to rate how satisfied they are with their employer overall, rate their CEO and key workplace attributes including career opportunities, compensation and benefits, culture and values, diversity and inclusion, senior management and work-life balance. Employees are also asked whether they would recommend their employer to a friend and whether they believe their employer’s six-month business outlook is positive, negative or if they have no opinion.
Employees’ Choice Award winners for the Best Places to Work 2024 are determined using Glassdoor’s proprietary awards algorithm, and each employer’s rating is determined based on the quantity, quality and consistency of Glassdoor-approved company reviews submitted by U.S.-based employees between October 18, 2022 and October 16, 2023. To be considered for the U.S. small and medium company list, a company must have had fewer than 1,000 employees and received at least 30 ratings across each of Glassdoor’s nine workplace attributes (overall company rating, career opportunities, compensation and benefits, culture and values, diversity and inclusion, senior management, work-life balance, recommend to a friend and six-month business outlook).
The final list is compiled using Glassdoor’s proprietary algorithm, led by itsEconomic Research Team, and considers quantity, quality and consistency of reviews. Complete awards methodology can be foundhere.
For the complete list of the Glassdoor Best Places to Work winners in 2024, please visit: gldr.co/BPTWSMB.
Some quotes from our Glassdoor reviews and valued colleagues!
“Best place I have ever worked”
“Great company culture, great benefits, people are driven/kind/ care for others, safety culture, working on exciting technology, hybrid work environment.”
“Outstanding People”
“People are very approachable and welcoming. Your thoughts and ideas are considered and your opinions are valued. State of the art development so a big area for personal growth.”
“Nerds: you have found your people.”
“Lots of incredibly neat projects, Never a dull moment. Most people genuinely care about the work they’re doing and the quality of the product. Flexible hours as long as you’re working effectively. You can walk up to anyone’s desk and ask a question: no need to communicate through an unwieldy branching management structure. This place is a nerd trap. Nerds: you have found your people. Welcome to the club of like-minded and extremely interesting individuals.”
Daimler Truck and TORC Robotics Select Aeva to Supply Advanced 4D LiDAR Technology for Series-Production Autonomous Trucks
LEINFELDEN-ECHTERDINGEN, Germany, BLACKSBURG, Virginia AND MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., January 09, 2024 – Aeva(NYSE: AEVA), a leader in next-generation sensing and perception systems and Daimler Truck AG (“Daimler Truck”), one of the world’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers, announced today that Daimler Truck has selected Aeva as the supplier of long and ultra-long range LiDAR for its series production autonomous commercial vehicle program.
Under the production collaboration, Aeva will supply its latest Aeva Atlas™ automotive grade 4D LiDAR technology to Daimler Truck and collaborate with Torc Robotics, Inc. (“Torc”), an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck, to enable SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicle capabilities beginning with the Class 8 Freightliner Cascadia truck platform. Daimler Truck intends to integrate the LiDAR sensors directly in its production process, making it easy for customers to buy autonomous ready trucks directly out of its manufacturing plants without the need for sensors to be retrofitted. Torc in turn will sell its virtual driver technology and supporting services as a subscription to customers. Torc’s driving software will use Aeva’s perception software, built around Aeva’s instant velocity data, to detect objects faster, farther away, and with higher accuracy. The multi-year collaboration begins in the first quarter of 2024 with Aeva’s start of production by 2026 and Daimler Truck’s production ramping up by 2027.
LiDAR is a key enabling technology in autonomous driving. While traditional LiDAR sensors use laser pulses to sense distances to objects, Aeva’s unique Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) 4D LiDAR technology uses a low power continuous laser beam to simultaneously measure range and velocity for every point. This enables vehicles to unlock new levels of safety and automation by instantaneously discriminating between static and dynamic points and knowing the precise velocity of dynamic objects.
Joanna Buttler, Head of Global Autonomous Technology Group at Daimler Truck: “Daimler Truck is committed to leading the industry’s advancement toward autonomous trucks. Selecting the right LiDAR technology is a crucial strategic decision to safely deploy autonomous trucks on the road. We are convinced that Aeva with its cutting edge and reliable technology is the right production partner for LiDAR sensors and has the manufacturing capabilities to scale along with us. Today’s announcement therefore represents a key puzzle piece on our path towards commercialization. Together with Torc, we are well on track to offer autonomous trucks to the U.S. market by 2027.”
Peter Vaughan Schmidt, CEO at Torc Robotics adds: “Aeva is pioneering the commercialization of FMCW LiDAR technology, a key differentiator for long range detection and object identification. This means Torc’s virtual driving software can now rely on significantly higher resolution as well as farther and clearer detection of objects plus instant velocity detection, which are crucial to safely deploy autonomous trucks at scale. We have been working closely with the Aeva team over the past few years and we are excited about the real-world performance that Aeva’s technology has already demonstrated to help us solve some of the most challenging highway-speed use cases.”
Daimler Truck and Torc have made significant progress in turning autonomous trucks from an idea into reality, running extensive and successful on road test programs as well as first customer pilots. To maximise the safety of autonomous trucks, Daimler Truck and Torc’s trucks are equipped with sensor sets from a combination of three technologies, namely state-of-the-art LiDAR, radar and camera technology. This enables safe handling adapted to the respective situation on highways, surface roads and ramps as well as when turning at controlled intersections.
The selection represents Aeva’s first major automotive OEM production design win and is the result of multiple years of extensive collaboration and qualification with Daimler Truck, Torc and Daimler Truck North America. As a direct supplier to Daimler Truck, Aeva is positioned to be a Tier 1 supplier to automotive OEMs globally.
“Daimler Truck is one of the most reputable commercial vehicle OEMs in the world. Our partnership with Daimler Truck and Torc Robotics is trailblazing the next era of commercial trucking, with safe, autonomous trucks that will revolutionize the industry as we know it,” said Soroush Salehian, Co-Founder and CEO at Aeva. “We are pleased to be selected for this major production supplier award and it is a testament to the hard work, innovation and tenacity of the entire Aeva team as we cross another critical milestone in Aeva’s path to leading the industry with our unique FMCW technology and perception solution.”
About Aeva Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: AEVA) Aeva’s mission is to bring the next wave of perception to a broad range of applications from automated driving to industrial robotics, consumer electronics, consumer health, security and beyond. Aeva is transforming autonomy with its groundbreaking sensing and perception technology that integrates all key LiDAR components onto a silicon photonics chip in a compact module. Aeva 4D LiDAR sensors uniquely detect instant velocity in addition to 3D position, allowing autonomous devices like vehicles and robots to make more intelligent and safe decisions. For more information, visit www.aeva.com, or connect with us on X or LinkedIn.
About Daimler Truck Daimler Truck Holding AG (“Daimler Truck”) is one of the world’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturers, with over 40 main locations and more than 100,000 employees around the globe. The founders of Daimler Truck have invented the modern transportation industry with their trucks and buses a good 125 years ago. Unchanged to this day, the company’s aspirations are dedicated to one purpose: Daimler Truck works for all who keep the world moving. Its customers enable people to be mobile and get goods to their destinations reliably, on time, and safely. Daimler Truck provides the technologies, products, and services for them to do so. This also applies to the transformation to CO2-neutral driving. The company is striving to make sustainable transport a success, with profound technological knowledge and a clear view of its customers’ needs. Daimler Truck’s business activities are structured in five reporting segments: Trucks North America (TN) with the truck brands Freightliner and Western Star and the school bus brand Thomas Built Buses. Trucks Asia (TA) with the FUSO, BharatBenz and RIZON commercial vehicle brands. Mercedes-Benz (MB) with the truck brand of the same name. Daimler Buses (DB) with the Mercedes-Benz and Setra bus brands. Daimler Truck’s new Financial Services business (DTFS) constitutes the fifth segment, the product range in the truck segments includes light, medium and heavy trucks for long-distance, distribution and construction traffic and special-purpose vehicles used mainly in the municipal and vocational sector. The product range of the bus segment includes city buses, school buses and intercity buses, coaches and bus chassis. In addition to the sale of new and used commercial vehicles, the company also offers aftersales services and connectivity solutions.
About Torc Robotics Torc Robotics, headquartered in Blacksburg, Virginia, is an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, a global leader and pioneer in trucking. Founded in 2005 at the birth of the self-driving vehicle revolution, Torc has over 18 years of experience in pioneering safety-critical, self-driving applications. Torc offers a complete self-driving vehicle software and integration solution and is currently focusing on commercializing autonomous trucks for long-haul applications in the U.S. Torc operates test facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and engineering offices in Austin, Texas; Stuttgart, Germany; and Montreal, Canada. Torc’s purpose is driving the future of freight with autonomous technology. As the world’s leading autonomous trucking solution, we empower exceptional employees, deliver a focused, hub-to-hub autonomous truck product, and provide our customers with the safest, most reliable, and cost-efficient solution to the market.
Aeva, the Aeva logo, Aeva 4D LiDAR, Aeva Atlas, Aeries, and Aeva Ultra Resolution are trademarks/registered trademarks of Aeva, Inc. All rights reserved. Third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Contacts Media: Michael Oldenburg press@aeva.ai
Daimler Truck Media: Paul Mandaiker paul.mandaiker@daimlertruck.com, +49 17630999267
Daimler Truck North America Media: Anja Weinert, +1-669-600-1478, anja.weinert@daimlertruck.com
Torc Robotics Laura Lawton Press@torc.ai
Investors: Andrew Fung investors@aeva.ai
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Forward looking statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to expectations about our product features, performance, our production expectations and relationship with Daimler Truck. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including, but not limited to: (i) the fact that Aeva is an early stage company with a history of operating losses and may never achieve profitability, (ii) Aeva’s limited operating history, (iii) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations and to identify and realize additional opportunities, (iv) the ability for Aeva to have its products selected for inclusion in OEM products and (v) other material risks and other important factors that could affect our financial results. Please refer to our filings with the SEC, including our most recent Form 10-Q and Form 10-K. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Aeva assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Aeva does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.
Torc will leverage and apply insights from Uber Freight’s vast network to support the development and deployment of its autonomous truck
Torc Robotics, today announced a strategic partnership with Uber Freight, a leading logistics solutions provider. Through this agreement, Torc will leverage Uber Freight’s logistics network, representing $18 billion in active freight under management and 100k+ digitally-enabled carriers, to unlock critical insights and learnings regarding the future deployment of autonomous trucks.
Uber Freight’s marketplace and critical insights will be used to inform Torc’s autonomous freight network design and expansion strategy. These insights include which lanes are optimal for deployment, how to prioritize the rollout of lanes and various ODDs, balancing supply and demand across supply chains with autonomous trucks, the management of autonomous loads with transfer hubs, and more.
Uber Freight is also a longstanding member of Torc’s Autonomous Advisory Council (TAAC), a council comprised of key freight industry players who provide strategic guidance to Torc. This includes Schneider, C.R. England, Penske, Ryder and other industry leaders, as well as Torc’s majority stakeholder, Daimler Truck AG.
“As we have always said, collaboration in the autonomous trucking industry is paramount to the technology’s deployment at scale. Our partnership with Uber Freight is a prime example of how working together with industry players will ensure the technology is integrated seamlessly, safely, and efficiently,” commented Peter Vaughan Schmidt, Torc’s CEO. “This partnership is a natural expansion of our initial working relationship through TAAC, and leveraging Uber Freight’s data and insights will help our mission to commercialize autonomous trucks at scale by 2027.”
“Torc is a proven pioneer in autonomous trucking, and we’re thrilled to collaborate with them on the road ahead,” said Lior Ron, Uber Freight founder and CEO. “We firmly believe that by collaborating with partners early on, we are helping incorporate the important voices of shippers and carriers across the Uber Freight network and shaping the future of freight with autonomous trucks. In partnering with Torc, we’re able to provide a leader in this space with rich insights regarding how goods move, which in turn will result not only in more access to safer autonomous trucks, but ultimately build more reliable and efficient supply chains.”
With over 20 years of experience, Fowler will leverage her C-suite skillset to lead and oversee Torc’s information security management program
BLACKSBURG, Va – December 5, 2023 – Torc Robotics, an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG and a pioneer in commercializing self-driving vehicle technology, today announced the appointment of Summer Craze Fowler as the company’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Fowler brings more than two decades of experience developing and executing successful technical strategies that align with business goals and objectives. In her role, she will collaborate with Torc leadership to develop a strategic security and risk management program, implement security policies and procedures, manage security technologies and oversee security-awareness training.
“Joining Torc at such a momentous time for the organization and industry is incredibly exciting,” commented Fowler. “Since my early meetings with the team, Torc’s prioritization of safety and innovation has been clear. I look forward to collaborating with this deeply focused team on our mission to commercialize a hub-to-hub autonomous truck product safely and efficiently.”
Having spent nearly four years with Argo AI, Fowler has extensive experience in enterprise cybersecurity policies and procedures, previously supporting Motional as Senior Vice President, Cybersecurity & IT, and leading teams at Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory and Carnegie Mellon University.
From 2018-2022, she served as the Chief Information/Responsibility Officer at Argo AI, where she built, maintained and enhanced IT infrastructure and cybersecurity capabilities to meet and anticipate the needs of highly technical engineering staff who were developing AI software.
“As we continue to pave the way for the commercialization of autonomous trucking, Summer Fowler and her team will be instrumental in ensuring the security and trustworthiness of our systems,” commented Peter Vaughan Schmidt, Torc Robotics’ CEO. “Her wealth of experience in driving security operations and leading technical strategy aligns perfectly with Torc Robotics, and we are excited for Summer to join the Torc team.”
ABOUT TORC ROBOTICS
Torc Robotics, headquartered in Blacksburg, Virginia, is an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, a global leader and pioneer in trucking. Founded in 2005 at the birth of the self-driving vehicle revolution, Torc has over 18 years of experience in pioneering safety-critical, self-driving applications. Torc offers a complete self-driving vehicle software and integration solution and is currently focusing on commercializing autonomous trucks for long-haul applications in the U.S. Torc operates test facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and engineering offices in Austin, Texas; Stuttgart, Germany; and Montreal, Canada. Torc’s purpose is driving the future of freight with autonomous technology. As the world’s leading autonomous trucking solution, we empower exceptional employees, deliver a focused, hub-to-hub autonomous truck product, and provide our customers with the safest, most reliable, and cost-efficient solution to the market.
Consortium Works to Advance Safer Testing, Development, and Deployment of Automated Vehicles
WARRENDALE, PA. (November 7, 2023) – The Automated Vehicle Safety Consortium (AVSC), an industry program of SAE Industry Technologies Consortia, is excited to announce Torc Robotics and Zoox as the latest members to join the AVSC, strengthening the current membership with valuable insights in the development of AV safety-related best practices. The AVSC membership is comprised of manufacturers, developers, and fleet managers in the automated vehicle space, bringing decades of experience of launching safe, innovative mobility technologies, and working to advance safer testing, development, and deployment of automated vehicles.
Torc Robotics is an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, a global leader and pioneer in trucking and AVSC Collaborator. Torc has over 18 years of experience in pioneering safety-critical automated driving systems and is currently focused on commercializing autonomous trucks for long-haul applications in the U.S.
“We are very excited to welcome Torc Robotics as part of the AVSC membership. We expect their inputs to bring diverse perceptions and ideas from the autonomous freight world to our united goal of developing best practices to engender public confidence in the safe operation of SAE level 4 and 5 AVs,” said Darcyne Foldenauer, Director, Automated Vehicle Safety Consortium (AVSC).
“It’s no secret that collaboration is paramount in the commercialization of autonomous trucks,” commented Michelle Chaka, Torc’s Senior Vice President, Safety and Regulatory. “The AVSC has played – and will continue to play – a crucial role in driving industry collaboration to help ensure the safe testing and deployment of AVs, and Torc is happy to join forces with an organization dedicated to advancing safety across the entire autonomous industry.”
Zoox was founded in 2014 with a mission to make transportation safer, cleaner, and more enjoyable for everyone. The company is developing an all-electric, fully autonomous, purpose-built vehicle and will own and operate its fleet and a ride hailing service in dense, urban environments. Zoox currently operates a purpose-built robtaxi on public roads with passengers, in Foster City, California and Las Vegas, Nevada.
“AVSC is thrilled to also welcome Zoox into our consortium,” Foldenauer continued. “We see their focus on safe testing and deploying a ride hailing service, as complementing our current diverse members that participate in the development of our best practices. Their safety innovation strategy of “Prevent and Protect” is a perfect fit with the AVSC mission of advancing the safe development, deployment, and fleet operations of automated driving systems (ADSs).
“Safety is foundational at Zoox. With recent advancements in autonomous technology, we are reaching an inflection point within the industry. Now more than ever, there is a need for transparent collaboration to develop unified safety standards for this technology,” said John Maddox, Senior Director, Safety Policy & Strategy at Zoox. “Joining the AVSC further enables us to provide key insights from the development and deployment of our purpose-built vehicle and work together with our fellow travelers to progress safe deployment across the autonomous vehicle industry.”
Torc and Zoox join the AVSC industry leader members Aurora, GM/Cruise, Lyft, Motional, Uber, Volkswagen, and Waymo. Consortium members are working on the development of a series of safety principles for SAE Level 4 and 5 automated driving systems. Their best practice documents are the result of information sharing and collaboration. They represent an agreement on the topics that are most relevant to the safe development and deployment of automated vehicles.
For more information about the AVSC, visit avsc.sae-itc.org. SAE Industry Technologies Consortia (SAE ITC®) is an affiliate of SAE International. The SAE ITC team specializes in establishing and managing consortia by providing proven processes, tools, and resources.
ITC enables public, private, academic and government organizations to connect and collaborate in neutral, pre-competitive forums thus empowering the setting and implementation of strategic business improvements in highly engineered industries globally. (www.sae-itc.com)
