What We’re Reading

• Ford establishes Latitude AI subsidiary for automated driving tech (Just Auto, March 6, 2023)

  The AV industry was taken by surprise last Fall when Pittsburgh-based Argo AI, an autonomous vehicle venture backed by Ford and Volkswagen, abruptly announced it was shutting down. Six months later, Ford has announced the creation of self-driving subsidiary Latitude AI, which also will be based in Pittsburgh and staffed by many former Argo AI employees who Ford hired after the shutdown.

  Latitude AI will focus on “developing a hands-free, eyes-off-the-road automated driving system for millions of vehicles.” This will likely include improvements to Ford’s existing hands-free Level 2 system, BlueCruise. The subsidiary’s CEO, Sammy Omari, commented: “We believe automated driving technology will help improve safety while unlocking all-new customer experiences that reduce stress and in the future will help free up a driver’s time to focus on what they choose.”

  In the meantime, several sources including Ford Authority are reporting that Argo AI’s founders are setting up another Pittsburgh-based venture to rival Latitude AI. “The new venture–which is being spearheaded by Argo AI founders Bryan Salesky and Pete Rander–will reportedly focus on commercial autonomous services such as trucking and ride-hailing, and has already secured financial backing from an investment firm.”

• AAA: Fear of Self-Driving Cars on the Rise (AAA Newsroom, March 2, 2023)

  AAA’s annual automated vehicle survey shows that drivers are “increasingly apprehensive” about automated technologies on the road, with 68% of survey participants reporting they are afraid, up from 55% last year. Such a dramatic jump was not anticipated, although AAA’s director of research did note the increase in high-profile crashes involving ADAS over the past year as a possible explanation. “AAA believes automakers must be diligent in creating an environment that promotes the use of more advanced vehicle technologies in a secure, reliable, and educational manner. This includes the consistent naming of vehicle systems available to consumers today.” AAA’s recommendation in this regard is not surprising, as it is part of the “Clearing the Confusion” campaign to standardize ADAS terminology.

• Managing 5 unintended consequences of autonomous trucks (Supply Chain Management Review, March 6, 2023)

  The benefits of scaled autonomous trucking technology are widely known: safer driving conditions, increased capacity, reduced labor costs, increased fuel efficiency, and better equipment utilization, to name a few. In order to turn these promises into reality, however, industry leaders and regulators will need to manage numerous challenges beyond mere technology. This article highlights five key areas that will need to be collaboratively managed to realize the dreams of driverless trucking:

Managing the workforce. Many drivers are concerned that all human positions will eventually be eliminated as driverless technology continues to advance. By some estimates, the transition to autonomous trucking technology could make as many as 500,000 jobs redundant. Autonomous trucking companies will need to walk a fine line between deterring the entry of new drivers into the labor force while simultaneously touting the future of widescale driverless trucks.

Managing infrastructure. Since widescale autonomous trucking will likely be limited initially to highway transit, transportation companies will need to utilize exchange hubs along major highways, so that containers can be transitioned to human operated trucks for final destination delivery along urban and rural routes.  Unfortunately, this infrastructure does not yet exist and will require substantial capital investment, as well as coordination between financially interested partners, such as trucking related service and maintenance providers. 

Managing the unexpected. There is a seemingly endless list of potential challenges that will no doubt accompany the ramp up of driverless trucking technology, from how to handle vandalism to how a driverless truck will respond to emergency cargo leaks or breakdowns. The challenge of managing the unexpected will be formidable and may prove to be one of the biggest flies in the ointment of autonomous trucking. 

Managing regulations. Trucking companies and regulators will need to work hard to find ways to promote their shared interest in promoting the evolution of the transportation industry. Failure to find common ground could mire the transition in bureaucratic red tape for decades. 

Managing risk. A commonly posited theory in autonomous trucking circles is that driverless trucking companies will be able to shift costly liability exposure to software developers and/or system designers, further reducing future operating costs and incentivizing adoption. This potential benefit, however, must be weighed against the possibly industry devastating impact of a system wide bug in a software platform that may be operating millions of autonomous trucks. 

Although the eventual transition to autonomous trucking seems inevitable, how the above challenges are managed will no doubt indicate the pace of this conversion over the next decade.