Meet the SD1, a Long-Haul Truck Designed for Autonomous Driving
May 6, 2022
Solo Advanced Vehicle Technologies (Solo AVT) has revealed the design and specifications of the SD1, its long-haul, battery-electric Class 8 truck tailored specifically for autonomous driving.
The SD1 was designed from the ground up and includes aerospace-level system redundancy and the lowest drag coefficient of any Class 8 truck on the road, enabled by a complete redesign that removes the human onboard, Solo AVT said. The SD1 features a range of 500+ miles, active aerodynamics, tires designed to minimize rolling resistance, exterior lighting to communicate to pedestrians and other road users, a unique sound signature, modular design for better serviceability, and multi-speed tandem e-axles with integrated electric motors.
The truck is designed to ensure turnaround times on par with today’s trucks, and is also compatible with fast chargers while also being able to use existing networks, Solo AVT said. The system is also trailer-agnostic, which means it can haul anything, and integrate with standard loading docks. The sensor arrangement allows for the easy integration of any autonomous driver system, and features a proprietary software control interface.
“The debut of our SD1 design is the next step in our journey towards decarbonizing the freight industry,” said Graham Doorley, founder and CEO of Solo Advanced Vehicle Technologies. “We look forward to being the step change this massive industry needs as we develop innovative technologies to deliver a battery-electric long-haul Class 8 truck with over 500 miles of range.”
He added that the demands of logistics and freight can only be met in a sustainable way by converging battery-electric transportation at long-haul range, and autonomy. “Autonomous systems today won’t work on existing or retrofit platforms at scale,” said Doorley. “At Solo AVT we’re solving both of these challenges as we develop, design and engineer the SD1 to achieve over 500 miles of range with an autonomous truck from day one.”
Based in Fremont, Calif., Solo AVT was founded by alums from Waymo, Tesla, BMW, Ford, and Faraday Futures. The company is backed by investors that include Trucks VC, Maniv Mobility, and Wireframe Ventures. For more details on the company and its technology, visit its website here.
