Uber is ending its self-driving truck program
- Uber is ending its self-driving truck program, TechCrunch first reported.
- An Uber representative confirmed the news to Business Insider and said the company had determined that developing autonomous trucks was not necessary to stay competitive in the freight logistics industry.
- Uber Freight, which allows companies to find truck drivers to haul their cargo, will not be affected by the decision.
- The company recently said it was taking the first steps toward resuming its self-driving car program.
Uber is ending its self-driving truck program, TechCrunch first reported.
An Uber representative confirmed the news to Business Insider and said the company had determined that developing autonomous trucks was not necessary to stay competitive in the freight logistics industry. Uber Freight, which allows companies to find truck drivers to haul their cargo, will not be affected by the decision.
"We've decided to stop development on our self-driving truck program and move forward exclusively with cars. 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, the head of Uber's Advanced Technologies Group, said in a statement.
Employees who were working in the self-driving truck program will be shifted to other roles related to autonomous-driving technology. In cases where a comparable role isn't available, the company will offer relocation benefits or a severance package.
Uber acquired the self-driving truck program when it bought the startup Otto in 2016. Otto was co-founded by Anthony Levandowski, the former Waymo engineer who was the subject of a lawsuit between Uber and Waymo over trade secrets Levandowski allegedly stole from Waymo before he left the company. The suit was settled in February.
Uber recently took the first steps toward resuming its self-driving car program, which was put on hold after one of its test vehicles hit and killed a woman in Tempe, Arizona, in March. The test vehicles have returned to the road in Pittsburgh, but are being controlled by human drivers rather than operating autonomously.