Aurora Expands Driverless Trucking Operations
Aurora Innovation is accelerating its autonomous trucking program. The company plans to launch night driving and expand its service area in the second half of 2025.
Currently, Aurora operates driverless trucks between Dallas and Houston. The expansion will add routes to El Paso and Phoenix. Night driving and operation during adverse weather conditions like rain and heavy wind are also planned. While Aurora already hauls freight in these conditions with safety drivers, the new operations will be fully driverless.
Scaling Up Autonomous Operations
Aurora recently launched its commercial driverless trucking service and has already increased operations to two trucks daily. The company aims to have "tens of trucks" operating autonomously by the end of 2025. They have logged over 4,000 driverless miles with customers like Hirschbach Motor Lines and Uber Freight.
Financial Performance and Leadership Change
In its first-quarter shareholder letter, Aurora reported $871 in pilot revenue from drivered commercial freight runs, a 22% quarterly increase and a 54% year-over-year increase. The company anticipates modest revenue in the mid-single-digit millions for 2025. Operating expenses totaled $211 million, with $153 million allocated to R&D. Aurora holds nearly $1.2 billion in cash and short-term investments.
The company also announced the departure of co-founder and chief product officer Sterling Anderson.
Future Business Model
Initially, Aurora will own and operate its autonomous trucks, making them available via the Uber Freight network. The company collaborates with Paccar and Volvo Trucks to manufacture self-driving trucks at scale. By 2027 or earlier, Aurora plans to transition to a driver-as-a-service model, enabling customers to purchase autonomous trucks directly from manufacturers.
