Gatik, which specialises in automating on-road transportation networks for B2B middle-mile logistics, and US truck builder Isuzu North America Corporation are collaborating on a project to develop and evaluate fully autonomous medium-duty trucks.
Gatik’s and Isuzu’s engineering teams are working hard to integrate Gatik’s autonomous driving technology into a number of Isuzu medium-duty N-Series trucks to produce SAE Level 4 delivery vehicles with redundant systems. First deployment is expected later this year.
“By bringing these two teams together, we can create segment-changing technology while positioning Gatik to safely commercialize autonomous delivery technology at scale,” said Gatik’s CEO and co-founder, Gautam Narang.
“Isuzu N-Series trucks have been bestsellers in their class in the combined US-Canadian market for 35 consecutive years, making them an ideal fit for our solution. We are excited to combine our industry-leading expertise and bring a long-term, sustainable solution to the supply chain.”
“As customer requirements for the medium-duty product evolve at an increasingly rapid pace, having the ability to collaborate with Gatik, an industry leader in autonomous technology, is very exciting for our team” added Takashi Sadaoka, president and CEO of Isuzu North America Corporation.
Rapidly increasing e-commerce sales and a well-documented driver shortage have caused businesses to struggle to meet the expectations of on-demand goods movement. Both companies hope their efforts to combine Gatik’s autonomous driving software and operational expertise with Isuzu’s award-winning truck platform will help address these critical industry pain points, ensuring retailers can maintain capacity, lower operating costs and keep delivery times short.