Uber is ending its self-driving truck program

Uber
acquired the self-driving truck program when it bought the
startup Otto in 2016.

YouTube
/ Uber Advanced Technologies Group

• Uber is
  ending its self-driving truck program,
  TechCrunch first reported.
• An Uber representative confirmed the news to Business
  Insider and said the company had determined that developing
  autonomous trucks was not necessary to stay competitive in the
  freight logistics industry.
• Uber Freight, which allows companies to find
  truck drivers to haul their cargo, will not be
  affected by the decision.
• The company recently said it was taking the first steps
  toward resuming its self-driving car program.

Uber is ending its self-driving truck program,
TechCrunch first reported.

An Uber representative confirmed the news to Business Insider and
said the company had determined that developing autonomous trucks
was not necessary to stay competitive in the freight logistics
industry. Uber Freight, which allows companies to find
truck drivers to haul their cargo, will not be affected
by the decision.

“We’ve decided to stop development on our self-driving truck
program and move forward exclusively with cars. We recently took
the important step of returning to public roads in Pittsburgh,
and as we look to continue that momentum, we believe having our
entire team’s energy and expertise focused on this effort is the
best path forward,” Eric Meyhofer, the head of Uber’s Advanced
Technologies Group, said in a statement.

Employees who were working in the self-driving truck program will
be shifted to other roles related to autonomous-driving
technology. In cases where a comparable role isn’t available, the
company will offer relocation benefits or a severance package.

Uber acquired the self-driving truck program when it bought the
startup Otto in 2016. Otto was co-founded by Anthony Levandowski,
the former Waymo engineer who was the
subject of a lawsuit between Uber and Waymo over trade
secrets Levandowski allegedly stole from Waymo before he left the
company. The
suit was settled in February.

Uber recently took the first steps toward resuming its
self-driving car program, which was put on hold after one of its
test vehicles hit and killed a woman in Tempe, Arizona, in March.
The test vehicles have
returned to the road in Pittsburgh, but are being controlled
by human drivers rather than operating autonomously.