Aurora rolls out second-gen autonomous trucks, plans 200-strong driverless fleet by 2026 end

Aurora Innovation has officially unveiled its second-generation autonomous trucks, marking a major step forward in commercial driverless operations. The company revealed the new trucks on July 22, confirming plans to deploy a 200-strong fleet of fully driverless International LT Series tractors by the end of 2026. These vehicles will be built in partnership with Roush Industries, with deliveries expected to ramp up to 20 trucks per week by year’s end. Unlike the initial 2025 pilot program, which required human observers in the cab, Aurora’s second-gen trucks will operate without a driver, though roadside assistance specialists may occasionally ride in the back seat to handle issues such as tire blowouts on longer routes. If an issue arises, Aurora’s self-driving software, Aurora Driver, is designed to pull over safely and resume operations once resolved. The upgraded hardware features more powerful and durable components, including long-range sensors capable of detecting objects up to a kilometer away. The trucks are engineered for a 1-million-mile design life and are built at roughly half the cost of Aurora’s first-generation autonomous trucks. Aurora plans to begin selling the trucks to customers in 2027, following its current “try before you buy” program, Aurora Driver for Freight, which offers 10 operational routes, including Dallas-Houston, Fort Worth-El Paso, and El Paso-Phoenix. Major customers like Hirschbach Motor Lines and McLane have already deployed driverless operations on these routes. Hirschbach, ranked No. 58 on Transport Topics’ Top 100 list of North America’s largest for-hire carriers, has also signed a memorandum of understanding to purchase 500 Aurora Driver-enabled trucks, with deliveries starting in 2027. Meanwhile, Volvo Autonomous Solutions has been running commercial autonomous freight deliveries using factory-built Volvo VNL Autonomous trucks for customers like AVI-SPL and DSV. Aurora will report its second-quarter 2026 financial results on July 29.