Goodyear enters partnership to advance autonomous trucks

Shanghai, China – The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and Silicon Valley-based supplier of autonomous truck technology Plus have entered a strategic collaboration to advance autonomous trucking solutions.

As part of the partnership, Goodyear will provide a series of technologies, including connected tires, to enhance transportation efficiency and safety for semi-trucks powered by Plus’s 'level 4' autonomous driving technology, the tire maker announced 24 Aug.

The technologies, it said, will enhance the autonomous systems of the trucks while reducing their carbon impact.

To improve fuel economy and the vehicle’s overall performance in severe weather or extreme road conditions, Plus will aim to incorporate feedback from Goodyear’s connected tires into its autonomous driving system. 

Founded in 2016 as Plus.AI in California, Plus develops low-cost, high-performance full-stack 'level 4' autonomous driving technology for long-haul trucking.

The company is already deploying its driver-in autonomous driving solution, PlusDrive, to customers and is expected to start production of the FAW J7 L3 truck (first automobile works) powered by PlusDrive in the third quarter of 2021.

“Tires are the only thing on a vehicle that touches the ground and it’s this critical position that can help us enable future mobility solutions like autonomous transportation," said Chris Helsel, SVP global operations & CTO of Goodyear. 

“Goodyear is supporting efficient fleet operations and is pleased to drive more possibilities for the logistics industry with Plus."

“The collaboration between Plus and Goodyear enables us to leverage both companies' innovative fuel efficiency technologies, and harness these to further improve the performance of autonomous trucks," said Shawn Kerrigan, COO and co-founder of Plus.