A major milestone has been reached in the autonomous freight industry as Waabi and Volvo Autonomous Solutions (VAS) announce the successful integration of the Waabi Driver with the Volvo VNL Autonomous. The collaboration unites Waabi’s advanced artificial intelligence with Volvo’s purpose-built autonomous truck, marking a significant stride toward large-scale deployment of self-driving freight vehicles.
According to Raquel Urtasun, founder and CEO of Waabi, the success of autonomous trucking depends on progress in three fundamental areas — safe and scalable technology, hardware designed specifically for autonomy, and a business model that delivers practical value to supply chains.
“The future of autonomous trucking hinges on three critical areas: technology that is safe, scalable and customer-focused; hardware built from the ground up for autonomy; and a deployment model that reduces friction in logistics,” Urtasun explained. “Together with Volvo, we are driving the industry forward. The Volvo VNL Autonomous, powered by the Waabi Driver, is the next leap toward a safer, stronger and more efficient transport era.”
With the integration phase complete, both companies are now shifting focus to delivering a commercial-ready autonomous solution that prioritizes safety and reliability. The goal is to move beyond pilot testing and toward real-world deployment within freight networks.
Nils Jaeger, president of Volvo Autonomous Solutions, highlighted the broader impact of such collaborations.
“Partnerships like the one between Volvo Autonomous Solutions and Waabi are crucial not only for advancing autonomous technology but also for building the entire ecosystem that enables commercial adoption,” he said. “Autonomy offers the potential to address major challenges in freight transport — from safety and efficiency to capacity and resilience. By joining forces, we’re creating the foundation for a stronger future for logistics.”
At the heart of this partnership lies the Waabi Driver, an end-to-end AI system engineered for interpretability, safety, and scalability. The technology is capable of navigating highways and surface roads across multiple regions and is designed to integrate smoothly with existing logistics frameworks. Its architecture allows rapid learning and adaptation, making it well-suited for large-scale deployment across diverse routes and conditions.
Complementing Waabi’s software intelligence, the Volvo VNL Autonomous provides the hardware backbone — a truck built specifically for driverless operation. The vehicle includes multiple redundant systems for critical components like braking, steering, and communication, ensuring safety even in the rare event of a system failure.
By blending Waabi’s cutting-edge artificial intelligence with Volvo’s decades of engineering expertise, the two companies are setting the stage for a new era of freight mobility. Their shared vision goes beyond innovation — it’s about transforming how goods move safely and efficiently across the world.
The partnership represents more than a technical achievement; it’s a blueprint for the commercial future of autonomy. Together, Waabi and Volvo are redefining what’s possible in trucking — making the road ahead not just automated, but smarter, safer, and more sustainable.
