IVECO partners with Plus to develop autonomous trucks

IVECO has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with autonomous trucking startup Plus to jointly develop self-driving vehicles.

Under the terms of the non-binding MOU, IVECO and Plus will integrate IVECO’s latest-generation S-Way heavy-duty truck with the PlusDrive full-stack autonomous driving system. 

The cooperation will also explore using IVECO’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) engine system to power the jointly developed autonomous trucks.

The partnership combines IVECO’s expertise in heavy-duty truck development, manufacturing, and sales with Plus’s autonomous driving technology.

The project aims to “quickly” deliver a scalable self-driving truck to market across Europe and other parts of the world. 

IVECO chief technology and digital officer Marco Liccardo says the partnership with Plus “represents an excellent opportunity to accelerate the development of the highest levels of automation of heavy trucks”. 

“IVECO is already working on ADAS (advanced driver-assistance systems) solutions together with selected companies, but when it comes to level 4 autonomy, it is necessary to create an ecosystem of partners. 

“Thanks to its technology leadership, its non-linear thinking, and established relationships with the same key component suppliers, Plus is the perfect partner for accelerating in this process,” Liccardo says. 

Plus chief operating officer and co-founder Shawn Kerrigan says his team is “thrilled” to partner with IVECO. 

“Our teams will work closely to develop and deploy autonomous trucks, including one that is powered by natural gas. 

“IVECO’s global footprint in over 160 countries will enable us to accelerate our commercial deployment and magnify the impact of our autonomous driving technology,” Kerrigan says. 

Founded in 2016 in Silicon Valley, Plus was one of the first companies to obtain an autonomous driving test licence from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in early 2017.

Headquartered in Silicon Valley with R&D offices in China, its team includes industry veterans with over 20 years of experience in high tech and artificial intelligence. 

The company specialises in providing full-stack self-driving technology to enable large scale autonomous commercial transport. It is working with leading truck manufacturers, shippers, and top fleet operators in the US and China.