Aurora Innovation, Inc. (NASDAQ: AUR) has launched its second-generation driverless trucks, adding the new fleet to the company’s commercial network of 10 driverless routes across the U.S. Sun Belt. The rollout builds on Aurora’s first deployment of Class 8 trucks running the Aurora Driver system on public roads last year, which has since grown to nearly 440,000 driverless miles as of the end of June. The company points to a customer’s recent plan to purchase 500 Aurora Driver-powered trucks as evidence of the commercial demand driving the expansion.
Highlights
- Aurora has launched its second-generation driverless trucks, deploying them across its 10-route driverless network in the U.S. Sun Belt
- The Aurora Driver has completed nearly 440,000 driverless miles as of the end of June
- The new fleet is built on the International LT Series platform and runs Aurora’s next-generation hardware, which the company says is engineered to last one million miles
- Manufacturing partner Roush is targeting an annual production run-rate of 1,000 Aurora trucks by the end of the year
Next-Generation Hardware Built for Scale
The new fleet pairs the International LT Series truck platform with Aurora’s next-generation hardware, which the company says is more powerful than its prior generation and engineered to last one million miles. Aurora closed its Safety Case — its framework for clearing trucks and hardware to operate on public roads without a person behind the wheel — for the new truck and hardware ahead of launch.
“Last year’s driverless launch proved our technology could operate safely on public roads – our new platform now provides the foundation to deliver at scale,” said Chris Urmson, CEO and co-founder of Aurora. “Deploying our second-generation truck allows us to put hundreds of autonomous trucks on the road and ultimately into the hands of more customers.”
Roush Partnership Targets 1,000-Truck Run Rate
Roush, a product development supplier, is installing redundant systems and integrating Aurora’s hardware into the new trucks at a production facility dedicated to Aurora. The two companies have formalized an upfit process, with Roush targeting an annual production run-rate of 1,000 Aurora trucks later this year.
“By working with a world-class manufacturing partner like Roush, we can meet our customer demand and continue to make the movement of goods safer and more efficient across the country,” Urmson added.
Livestream Debut Set for July 23
Aurora will host a livestream debut of the second-generation trucks on Thursday, July 23, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. ET. Viewers can sign up to watch ahead of the event.
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