4 ms·
Ask HN: Whats happening with middle-mile autonomous trucks?
This seems like an easy win. A lower technical barrier. Cost advantages (especially with e-trucks and slower/automatic charging).
Why is no company taking this market? Certainly no one with a tesla/nikola buzz.
- iab 5y agoHow is it a lower technical barrier?
- algo_trader 5y agoPre-determined routes. Highway only. Start with with lower speeds. Easier to build charging stations/solar/etc. Lower engine performance is tolerable. Suspend driving during bad weather. Many more...
- iab 5y agoThis is still L4 driving. Given that, why would you limit your approach to a smaller part of the market, given the same technical and regulatory challenges?
- algo_trader 5y agoIf u limit yourself to an easier sub-set of pre-mapped routes, highways, speeds, weather, etc - maybe get a conditional L4 certification ahead of the others ?? (Luckily, i am not a regulatory expert) Also - trucks are bigger and more expensive, so more expensive and larger FSD hardware is possible??
- iab 5y agoFair point - higher overall cost warrants higher sensor BOM costs. But I don't believe there is regulatory carve-out, so even if routes are set and pre-mapped (weather concerns are already built into L4) you still have the bulk of the autonomy problem to deal with.
- aurizon 5y agoYes, It does look more doable. I see many small truck pads where double trailers are driven off the interstate and parked - then a local driver(or two) come and decouple the pair and then locally deliver on the smaller roads. The driver who dropped them then picks up a pair of trailers to head down the line - or back? The mechanics of automating the hauler to drop and then pick up another pair seem simple. splitting the pair, letting down the legs, and building a new pair must now be done manually, air/power connections are done manually. The robo-truck needs to stop, set the air brakes, let down the legs automatically(now done manually) and pull forward and maneuver to pickup up and connect the next pair - with auto legs-up and air power connect and push into the third wheel connector. I suspect this is being perfected as we speak, it is so logical?
- algo_trader 5y agoActually, a pick-up/drop-off location will probably have a human present! So there is not even a need to fully automated this
- warrenm 5y agoHow is the Tesla Semi (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_Semi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_Semi) not what you're describing?
- sidibe 5y agoYeah there's plenty trying. Tesla Semi is going for L2, TuSimple and Waymo Via among others are trying L4.
- algo_trader 5y agoBut Tesla and Waymo are trying to solve the full problem. If u limit yourself to an easier sub-set of pre-mapped routes, highways, speeds, weather, etc - maybe get a conditional L4 certification ahead of the others ?? And i think the business model still holds under these limitations. Just a thought....