Highway to automation: This is Google’s self-driving Truck

The hype around self-driving vehicles is getting bigger and bigger – particularly because of promising profitability and cost savings. While Daimler, Volvo and Uber are taking a shot at self-driving trucks, Google just announced its first very own vehicle.

Google’s self-driving vehicle division Waymo affirmed that it’s creating autonomous long-haul trucks prior this month. Now, we already can see the first results.

The truck itself seems to be a Peterbilt 579, equipped with an automatic transmission (according to Jalopnik). The hardware for self-driving seems to be basically mounted on the rooftop, which might house a LIDAR dome and four ultrasonic sensors, two at each side. A radar emitter seems to be mounted just above the license plate.

Why now?

Accordning to WIRED, Waymo has collected data over the past eight years on how to build autonomous vehicles. Now, the company is figuring out how to integrate that knowledge in trucks.

Jalopnik recently distributed various photographs of a Waymo branded truck equipped with sensors and radars. The picture is not officially from Google / Waymo, but seems to be authentic. Here is a first look: