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Friday, March 29, 2024

AUTONOMOUS TRUCKING COMPANY TO TEST IN MINNESOTA’S EXTREME WINTER CONDITIONS 

 

On October 8, autonomous trucking company, Plus.ai announced its partnership with the Minnesota Department of Transportation to aid in testing its trucks in the “toughest winter conditions.”

Plus.ai will test their autonomous technology on MnDOT’s MnROAD cold-weather pavement testing facility.

A news release about the partnership stated, “Testing will allow Plus.ai to better understand how winter conditions affect the movement of its trucks. Winter conditions are tough to handle for all vehicles, and snow is particularly challenging for trucks, which can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. The testing will begin with mapping the MnROAD closed test track, followed by rigorous performance testing of Plus.ai’s self-driving trucks.”

Shawn Kerrigan, Plus.ai’s co-founder says that the testing is going to help adapt the technology to safely operate in extreme weather.

“Commercializing Plus.ai’s self-driving trucks requires preparing them to drive in all climates, including the toughest winter road conditions that Minnesota experiences. We are thrilled with this public-private partnership with the Minnesota Department of Transportation to test and harden our autonomous trucks for extreme weather, as well as to support public policy and infrastructure considerations that pave the way for self-driving trucks,” Kerrigan said.

Plus.ai was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Silicon Valley.

Source: CDL Life