IVECO Partnering with Plus to Develop Autonomous Trucks

IVECO, the heavy truck brand of CNH Industrial, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Plus to jointly develop autonomous trucks. 

Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Plus (formerly known as Plus.ai) has been developing autonomous driving technology to enable full autonomous operation of long-haul trucks for several years. Its PlusDrive system uses various sensing technologies to enable safe travel on roadways. The system can be retrofitted on existing trucks or be integrated at the OEM level on new truck designs. 

More details on the MOU from CNH Industrial: 

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 cooperation will also explore using IVECO’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) engine system to power the jointly developed autonomous trucks. Bio-methane powered trucks are currently the only readily and at scale available alternative to diesel for a carbon neutral transport, and IVECO has pioneered the use of this technology for more than 20 years in Europe, becoming the market leader.

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

IVECO is already working on ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems) together with selected companies and the cooperation with Plus will further accelerate the development of the highest levels of automation of heavy trucks. Plus is the ideal partner for this process thanks to its technology, its drive to innovate and the fact that it already has established relationships with the same key component suppliers as IVECO.

Teams of both companies will work closely to develop and deploy autonomous trucks, including one that is powered by natural gas, with the ultimate goal to create a more sustainable future. 

Shawn Kerrigan, COO and Co-founder of Plus, said in Plus' press release on the collaboration, “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 in the Plus press release, “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.”