Google confirms self-driving truck platform in the works

A Waymo self-driving car prototype.A Waymo self-driving car prototype.

Google parent company Alphabet Inc.’s autonomous driving unit, Waymo, is developing a self-driving truck platform, the company confirmed Thursday.

In a statement emailed to online news outlet BuzzFeed, Waymo says it will lean on its “eight years of experience in building self-driving hardware and software and conducting a technical exploration into how our technology can integrate into a truck.”

Waymo is currently locked in a legal dispute with Uber over charges the ride-sharing company, through former Google engineer Anthony Levandowski, stole trade secrets and technology related to the development of self-driving vehicles from Waymo, including autonomous truck technology.

Last month Uber’s autonomous truck venture parted ways with Levandowski but disputes Google’s claims and denies the theft accusations. Uber says its autonomous system is “fundamentally different” from Waymo technology.

Forbes reported testing of Waymo’s autonomous Peterbilt is ongoing at the company’s private track in California, and on-highway testing is expected to follow later this year in Arizona.