Torc, a pioneer in self-driving vehicle technology, has announced the expansion of its autonomous truck testing operations to public roads in Michigan using the latest-generation Daimler Truck autonomous chassis based on the Freightliner Cascadia.
Building on Torc’s established testing operations in Dallas-Fort Worth and Blacksburg, Virg., the expansion in Michigan marks a significant step in Torc’s continued growth in the region as the company deepens its engineering presence and broadens testing capabilities.
Testing its autonomous trucks in the greater Ann Arbor area represents the natural next step in Torc’s strategy to test its technology safely and reliably to the long-haul trucking industry, company officials state.
After establishing an Ann Arbor engineering office last year, the development work taking place there is now “on the road” in Michigan and contributing to Torc’s next generation of software.
The testing will enable the validation of autonomous performance across new environments and seasonal conditions for both hardware and software performance using real-world data.
“Validating our hardware and software together on public roads is a critical step in the marathon toward autonomous trucking commercialization,” says Felix Heide, head of artificial intelligence at Torc. “Each new hardware generation allows us to further validate our AI inference models, strengthen our simulation accuracy, and ensure our autonomous system performs safely and reliably in real-world conditions.”
The testing expansion builds on Torc’s partnership with Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC), Michigan Department of Transportation, and Ann Arbor SPARK, reflecting a shared commitment to advancing safety and innovation in the freight industry through autonomous trucking.
“Torc’s continued growth in Michigan highlights the importance of strong public-private partnerships in advancing next-generation mobility,” says Quentin L. Messer, Jr., CEO of MEDC and chair of the Michigan Strategic Fund. “Through collaboration with companies like Torc, Michigan is driving innovation, building a skilled workforce, and reinforcing its position as a global leader in autonomous and connected vehicle technologies.”
Torc, founded in 2005, is a subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, a global leader and pioneer in trucking. Torc offers a complete self-driving vehicle software and integration solution and is currently focusing on commercializing autonomous trucks for long-haul applications in the U.S. It has offices in Ann Arbor, Blacksburg, Dallas–Fort Worth area, and Montreal.
Torc currently is hiring in Michigan and remotely for software engineering, artificial intelligence, and machine learning roles to support ongoing testing and development efforts.
For more information about Torc’s technology, open positions, or progress toward commercializing autonomous trucking, visit torc.ai.
