Autonomous trucks, TRATON Group and PlusAI enhance cooperation
Under an expanded agreement, TRATON would commit up to $25 million in non-dilutive R&D funding to PlusAI to accelerate factory integration of patented SuperDrive software into autonomous trucks of TRATON’s brands. This expanded partnership will build on the collaboration first announced in 2024, when PlusAI’s virtual driver system, SuperDrive, was selected as the on-highway autonomous driving platform for TRATON’s brands, including Scania, MAN, and International.
PlusAI and TRATON Group have expanded global partnership, with the target to accelerate autonomous on-highway truck commercialization in the U.S. and Europe. Under an expanded agreement, TRATON would commit up to $25 million in non-dilutive R&D funding to PlusAI to accelerate factory integration of patented SuperDrive software into autonomous trucks of TRATON’s brands.
In connection with PlusAI’s planned public listing, TRATON will nominate a representative to the PlusAI Board of Directors to further align the organizations as they prepare for a planned U.S. commercial launch.
This expanded partnership will build on the collaboration first announced in 2024, when PlusAI’s virtual driver system, SuperDrive, was selected as the on-highway autonomous driving platform for TRATON’s brands, including Scania, MAN, and International. Since then, the companies have achieved multiple technical and operational milestones toward delivering Level 4 autonomous trucking capabilities.
TRATON and Plus to cooperate on autonomous trucking
Together, TRATON and PlusAI are developing factory-built autonomous trucks and the integrated systems required for on-highway freight operations. These vehicles will be offered by TRATON through its established brand sales and service channels, providing fleets with the performance, reliability, and support infrastructure they expect from one of the world’s leading truck manufacturers—powered by PlusAI’s AI-based virtual driver system.
“Autonomous trucking is a strategic pillar of TRATON’s long-term technology roadmap,” said Niklas Klingenberg, Member of the Executive Board, responsible for Research & Development in the TRATON GROUP. “From day one of our collaboration, PlusAI’s technical capabilities and commercial execution have exceeded our expectations, giving us even greater confidence that we have chosen the right partner. Autonomy represents a meaningful opportunity to deliver higher uptime and greater value for our fleet customers while strengthening the long-term competitiveness of our brands. Our expanded partnership will reflect both this confidence and our shared goal of bringing factory-built on-road autonomous trucks to market at scale.”
“Together with TRATON, we’ve moved autonomy from the lab to factory integration and now to real-world operations,” added David Liu, CEO and Co-Founder of PlusAI. “We now have a common Level 4 software stack operating in Europe and the U.S., proven integration on truck platforms of TRATON’s brands, successful driverless validation, and customer pilots underway. The expanded partnership allows us to build on this momentum and accelerate towards scaled commercial deployment.”
