TuSimple, which was founded in 2015, now employs Navistar trucks outfitted with the startup’s proprietary self-driving technology, which perceives the world primarily through 20 cameras and two lidar laser sensors. UPS, Nvidia, and Chinese technology firm Sina have invested in the startup, which has offices in San Diego and Beijing. TuSimple was the first self-driving trucking business to go public, launching shares on the Nasdaq in April 2021 with a $8.5 billion value.
TuSimple has stated that it is striving for a totally autonomous system, but its trucks now have two human operators who monitor the driving and take over when necessary. The company’s stock has lost about 90% of its value in the last year, as investors have become pessimistic about the possibilities of self-driving trucks being a viable business in the near term.
