Daimler Trucks to smarten up as firm buys driverless vehicle business

The Daimler subsidiary has acquired the majority stake in Torc Robotics for an undisclosed sum

Daimler Trucks North America CEO Roger Nielsen, left,, shakes hands with Torc CEO, Michael Fleming

Daimler Trucks has bought a driverless vehicle solutions business to help commercialise highly-automated trucks on US roads.

The Daimler subsidiary has acquired the majority stake in Torc Robotics for an undisclosed sum.

It has announced Torc will continue to develop and test its Asimov self-driving software at its Blacksburg facility, while Daimler Trucks will continue to focus on improving its automated driving technology for heavy-duty trucks.

This currently involves working on a truck chassis optimised for automated driving with a focus on providing the maximum level of reliability and safety.

Martin Daum, Member of the Board of Management at Daimler AG, said: “We are forming the ideal combination between Torc’s expertise on agile software development and our experience in delivering reliable and safe truck hardware.

“Together, we will provide a sustainable way for our customers to meet the ever-growing freight demand and benefit both the economy and society.”

The closure of the deal is subject to approval from US authorities.

Latest Podcast