Aurora is expanding its self-driving truck route to El Paso

Aurora has added a 600-mile driverless route from Fort Worth to El Paso, the autonomous vehicle technology company’s second route for its self-driving trucks.

The company announced the expansion on Tuesday alongside its third-quarter earnings report. Aurora also said it has completed more than 100,000 driverless miles on public roads with five self-driving trucks, a significant milestone for the company. Launched its commercial service in May. The company’s next previously announced goal is to expand into Phoenix by the end of the year.

Aurora’s initial commercial service began with a route from Dallas to Houston with launch customers Hirschbach Motor Lines and Uber Freight. At the time, the company said it planned to build up to “tens of thousands of self-driving trucks” and expand into El Paso and Phoenix by the end of 2025.

The Fort Worth to El Paso route is long enough to be compelling to carriers, according to Aurora, which cites staffing challenges and the difficulty of completing a 10-hour trip in one day. Customers on the El Paso route include Hirschbach Motor Lines as well as Russell Transport.

Aurora also shared details about the next-generation hardware, which is being made by Fabrinet and being integrated with Volvo’s VNL self-driving trucks. She says the devices are more durable and perform better, but represent half the total cost. The company’s new generation of lidar detects objects 1,000 meters away, twice the distance of the current generation. Aurora has also improved its sensor cleaning process, which it says will work more reliably in extreme weather conditions.

“Integrating Aurora’s next-generation machines with Volvo VNL Autonomous on the demo line at our New River Valley facility represents an industry-first partnership and highlights the meaningful progress we are making together,” said Nils Geiger, President, Volvo Autonomous Solutions. “By manufacturing trucks specifically designed for autonomous driving, we are going beyond prototypes and creating solutions that are scalable and ready to meet the demands of the modern supply chain.”

This next generation of devices will come ahead of a range of large-format devices being developed jointly with Aumovio, formerly Continental, which are scheduled for production in 2027.