Plus Partners with IVECO to Develop Autonomous Trucks for Global Deployment

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

Plus (formerly Plus.ai), a leading global self-driving truck technology company, announced that the company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with IVECO, a brand of CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE: CNHI / MI: CNHI) and a pioneer in the commercialization and manufacturing of vehicles powered by alternative fuels, to jointly develop autonomous trucks that will be deployed across Europe, China, and other geographies.

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 partners will also explore using IVECO’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) engine system to power the jointly developed autonomous trucks. LNG-powered S-WAY trucks not only significantly reduce carbon emissions, but also reduce unladen weight and therefore increase payload capacity.

The partnership combines IVECO’s expertise in heavy-duty truck development, manufacturing, and sales with Plus’s cutting-edge autonomous driving technology to bring safe, fuel efficient, scalable, and sustainable self-driving trucks to market quickly.

Shawn Kerrigan, COO and Co-founder of Plus, said: “We are thrilled to partner with IVECO, who shares our vision for a safer and more sustainable future through autonomous trucks. 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.”

Marco Liccardo, Chief Technology and Digital Officer of IVECO, said: “The partnership with Plus represents an excellent opportunity to accelerate the development of the highest levels of automation for heavy trucks. Plus’s technology leadership, non-linear thinking, and established relationships with the same key component suppliers make it the perfect autonomous trucking partner.”

Plus is working with shippers and truck manufacturers around the world to deploy PlusDrive.

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