Aurora’s driverless vans can now journey farther distances sooner than human drivers

Aurora’s self-driving vans can now journey nonstop on a 1,000-mile route between Fort Worth and Phoenix — exceeding what a human driver can legally accomplish.

The distance, and the time it takes to journey it, affords up optimistic monetary implications for Aurora — and another firm hoping to commercialize self-driving semitrucks.

It takes Aurora about 15 hours to hold freight in its driverless vans on the 1,000-mile journey, in accordance with the corporate. Human truck drivers take for much longer to finish the identical distance attributable to federal laws that restrict how lengthy they are often behind the wheel. For occasion, truck drivers should cease for a 30-minute break after eight hours and may function a semitruck for a most of 11 hours at a time, in accordance with federal laws. Once drivers hit that threshold, they can not get behind the wheel for an additional 10 hours. 

“This represents more than a technological achievement,” Aurora co-founder and CEO Chris Urmson mentioned in the course of the firm’s earnings name Wednesday afternoon. “It is the dawn of a superhuman future for freight.”

It additionally affords compelling economics to its prospects, which incorporates Uber Freight, Werner, FedEx, and Schneider. The firm mentioned that ultimately it could lower transit occasions almost in half, a stat that has received over firms like Hirschbach, an early buyer on the Fort Worth-to-Phoenix route. 

Aurora mentioned in a letter to shareholders that it’s poised to broaden throughout the Sun Belt of the United States. Today, the corporate operates driverless vans — some with a human observer nonetheless within the cab — on routes between Dallas and Houston, Fort Worth and El Paso, El Paso and Phoenix, Fort Worth and Phoenix, and Laredo and Dallas.

The growth has helped Aurora transition from a developer of autonomous vans to a industrial operator who’s incomes cash on its driverless routes. 

Aurora has introduced in income since April 2025 when it first deployed driverless, heavy-duty vans for industrial use on public roads. Aurora reported $1 million within the fourth quarter and $3 million for the 12 months, according to a report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm’s CFO, David Maday, mentioned whole 12 months adjusted income, which incorporates cash earned via pilot packages early final 12 months, was $4 million.

That’s a tiny determine, particularly when in comparison with its bills. Aurora reported a internet earnings lack of $816 million in 2025, up 9% from the 12 months earlier than because it focuses on scaling its operations. Still, it exhibits measurable progress from 2024, when it didn’t acknowledge any income.

Revenue is projected to proceed as the corporate provides extra vans and driverless routes to its community. Today, the corporate has 30 vans within the fleet, 10 of that are working driverlessly. That fleet is anticipated to develop to greater than 200 vans by the top of the 12 months. Urmson mentioned the corporate’s vans have racked up 250,000 driverless miles as of January 2026 with an ideal security document.

In the second quarter, Aurora plans to deploy a fleet of driverless International Motors LT vans, which is not going to have a human observer on board. Aurora’s driverless operations that use Paccar vans at present have a human security observer within the cab as requested by the truck producer.

Urmson took a bullish view of Aurora’s future, buoyed by developments in its self-driving software program, an impending second-generation {hardware} package that may decrease prices, and growth of its driverless routes. The growth of its driverless trucking routes has been propelled by a brand new software program launch, its fourth since launching industrial service in April 2025.

The first launch validated preliminary driverless operations between Dallas and Houston, the second validated operations at evening, and the third validated El Paso, in accordance with Aurora. The firm mentioned this newest software program launch will give its self-driving system the capabilities to navigate the varied geography and local weather of the southern United States.

“Just as the last two years brought robotaxis into the mainstream, we expect 2026 to mark the inflection point where the market recognizes that self-driving trucks have arrived and are quickly becoming a permanent fixture in our transportation landscape,” Urmson mentioned on the corporate’s earnings name. “If you’re in the Sun Belt in 2026, you won’t just read about the Aurora driver. You’ll see it every day.”

Aurora at present operates driverless routes via Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, and has future driverless operations deliberate for Nevada, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, the corporate mentioned.