Aurora expands self-driving trucks route to El Paso

Core Insights - Aurora has expanded its driverless route network by adding a 600-mile route from Fort Worth to El Paso, marking its second route for self-driving trucks [1][2] - The company has achieved a significant milestone by completing over 100,000 driverless miles on public roads with five self-driving trucks since launching its commercial service in May [2] - Aurora aims to expand its services to Phoenix by the end of the year, following its initial commercial service that began with a Dallas-to-Houston route [2][3] Route Expansion - The new Fort Worth-to-El Paso route is designed to be attractive to carriers, addressing staff shortages and the challenges of completing long hauls in a single day [4] - Key customers for the El Paso route include Hirschbach Motor Lines and Russell Transport [4] Technological Advancements - Aurora has introduced next-generation hardware, developed by Fabrinet, which is being integrated with Volvo VNL Autonomous trucks, offering improved durability and performance at half the overall cost [5] - The new lidar technology can detect objects from 1,000 meters away, doubling the detection range of the previous generation, and features enhanced sensor cleaning for better reliability in harsh weather [5] - The partnership with Volvo marks an industry-first collaboration aimed at creating scalable autonomous truck solutions, with plans for higher volume hardware production in collaboration with Aumovio set for 2027 [6]