CUPERTINO, Calif., and LONDON — Global self-driving truck technology company Plus (formerly Plus.ai), announced April 12 that the company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with IVECO, a brand of CNH Industrial N.V. and a pioneer in the commercialization and manufacturing of vehicles powered by alternative fuels. Under the MOU, the two companies will work to jointly develop autonomous trucks that will be deployed across China, Europe and other areas.
Under the terms of the nonbinding 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.
“We are thrilled to partner with IVECO, who shares our vision for a safer and more sustainable future through autonomous trucks,” said Shawn Kerrigan, COO and cofounder of Plus. “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.”
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.
“The partnership with Plus represents an excellent opportunity to accelerate the development of the highest levels of automation for heavy trucks,” said Marco Liccardo, chief technology and digital officer for IVECO. “Plus’s technology leadership, non-linear thinking, and established relationships with the same key component suppliers make it the perfect partner for our acceleration toward fully driverless trucks.”
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