Goodyear will soon integrate into autonomous driving trucks

Goodyear recently announced its strategic collaboration with Plus, a global provider of self-driving truck technology. The partnership’s goal is to provide optimized, autonomous trucking solutions that are set to elevate the logistics industry.

Related: Why are economy tires made of hard-compound rubber?

Tires are the only thing on a vehicle that touches the ground, and it’s this critical position that can help us enable future mobility solutions like autonomous transportation. With our leadership in products and innovation, Goodyear is supporting efficient fleet operations and is pleased to drive more possibilities for the logistics industry with Plus.

Chris Helsel
SVP Global Operations & CTO of Goodyear

The tire company is set to utilize its full suite of services which includes the connected tires. This is to enhance the efficiency and safety of trucks powered by Plus' Level 4 autonomous driving technology, a system that’s close to a self-driving system. In fact, human interaction is no longer required, though the system can still be deactivated if the driver would want to.

This collaboration shall test the ability of both companies in combining Plus’ autonomous driving system with Goodyear’s connected tires in order to improve fuel economy. Notably, integrating both elements will also improve a truck’s overall performance be it during the typical setup or extreme road conditions.

As of now, the global provider of self-driving truck technology is already deploying its Plus Drive autonomous driving system to customers. One of the first trucks that will have this innovative technology is the FAW J7 L3. The said model shall get the Plus Drive technology by Q3 of 2021.

Perhaps, more trucks will get this sweet tech in the future. This should be essential for those trucks plying on roads during nighttime, giving drivers better convenience as they transport goods and services. We’re definitely looking forward to autonomous driving being normalized not only on smaller vehicles but also on trucks in order to elevate the current state of the logistics industry.