TuSimple and Navistar end deal to co-develop self-driving trucks TechCrunch

Self-driving trucking technology company TuSimple and truck maker Navistar have dropped their agreement to co-develop self-driving trucks, the companies announced on Monday. Neither company has provided a reason for ending the partnership.

Two years ago, TuSimple and Navistar agreed to jointly develop and produce purpose-built autonomous semi-trailers by 2024; it would mean moving away from retrofitting existing trucks with autonomous sensors and technology. Navistar purchased an undisclosed stake in TuSimple at the time and is still a shareholder in the company.

TuSimple has received nearly 7,000 reservations for its Navistar trucks from customers including DHL Supply Chain, Schneider and US Xpress. It is unclear if any of these commands will be executed now. Neither company responded to TechCrunch for comment, but a statement from the companies reads, “The decision to terminate the development agreement does not preclude the companies from working together in the future.”

TuSimple said in October that it expects to reach commercialization in 2023.

The decision to end the partnership comes less than a month after Cheng Lu returned to his role as CEO of TuSimple after being ousted. Lu’s return came days after the company fired his predecessor following an internal investigation that showed some employees had ties and shared information with Hydron, a hydrogen trucking company backed by the government. China.