California-based TuSimple (NASDAQ:TSP) announced Friday that the autonomous trucking company as reached a significant milestone by conducting China's inaugural fully unmanned testing of autonomous heavy-duty trucks on public roads.
The test covered 39 miles and took place in designated zones, including the Deep-Water Port Logistics Park and the Donghai Bridge. Throughout the entire test route, no safety personnel were present onboard, and human intervention was unnecessary, according to TuSimple.
TuSimple actively collaborated and communicated with relevant government regulatory and law enforcement agencies to ensure public safety during the complete unmanned testing. Additionally, safety support vehicles were deployed to ensure the operational safety of the fully unmanned testing.
“Being the first to conduct a driver-out run in China is a significant milestone,” Cheng Lu, president and CEO of TuSimple, said in a news release late Thursday. “Following on from our successful driver-out run in the United States in 2021, this accomplishment marks another pivotal breakthrough for TuSimple and further underscores our leadership in the autonomous driving industry.”
TuSimple is planning a driverless commercial run between Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona, next year on the same portion of Interstate 10 it piloted with no human in the cab in December 2021.
Shares of TSP are down 2.59% in mid-day trading on Friday.