“Aurora Innovation, a self-driving truck company, is expanding its operations in Texas. In 2026, it plans to launch a fleet of autonomous trucks to haul sand used for oil and gas drilling around the Permian Basin,” reports The Doomslayer. This should improve traffic safety and cut transportation costs.
The Reporter-Telegram reports:
Nighttime is when a majority of incidents occur….Aurora’s trucks have technology that lets them to “see” 400 meters ahead and around in pitch blackness, allowing them to make decisions quicker than a human driver. Another reason Aurora was selected was because he liked that the company updates its safety data on a daily basis — how the trucks maneuver; how they react to one-off situations.
Oil and gas wells are needing increasing amounts of sand per well, so more sand needs to be delivered. But there is a shortage of human drivers, especially at night. So self-driving trucks are needed.
This is “the first time frac sand will be hauled autonomously on public roads and highways in the Permian Basin” “With sand intensity climbing per well, there’s more sand deliveries per day.” “This technology increases safety and efficiency.”
Amazon is planning to produce up to 10,000 robotaxis per year in a California plant.
Self-driving cars are generally safer than human-driven cars.
Waymo self-driving taxis now transport thousands of passengers every day in American cities.
“Uber and Baidu are teaming up to bring autonomous taxis to the world. Baidu’s robotaxis, which have already logged more than 11 million rides in China, will start appearing on Uber’s app later this year across Asia and the Middle East,” reports The Doomslayer.
