Self-driving truck startup Waabi is hitting the road with a major partner: Volvo Autonomous Solutions. The two are teaming up to develop and roll out autonomous trucks, bringing Waabi closer to its goal of a full-scale commercial launch.

This partnership is a big deal for Volvo, too—it’s the second time the company has joined forces with a startup to work on self-driving big rigs. Earlier this year, Volvo collaborated with Aurora Innovation to unveil the Volvo VNL Autonomous truck. Now, Waabi is stepping in, equipping the same truck with its own tech, including sensors, software, and the Waabi Driver system.

Raquel Urtasun, Waabi’s founder and CEO, shared the news with excitement, saying the collaboration gives them everything they need to scale up. “We have next-gen technology, a capital-efficient approach, and a faster path to market,” she explained.

The plan? Waabi is gearing up for commercial pilots in Texas in the coming months, with a driverless demo on public roads expected by the end of 2025. If all goes well, a full-scale commercial launch—going straight from customer depots without terminals—will follow shortly after.

Urtasun, who previously worked as chief scientist at Uber ATG, believes her AI-first approach sets Waabi apart. By creating AI models that think more like humans, she says the system requires less data and computing power to understand its surroundings. This approach has already helped Waabi design trucks with sensors and software built right into the assembly line—a first for the startup in 2022.

Unlike some competitors, Waabi is focused on integrating its self-driving tech directly into trucks during manufacturing, without disrupting production. Urtasun believes this is the key to building a safe and reliable product.

The partnership builds on Volvo’s earlier investment in Waabi through its venture arm, Volvo Group Venture Capital. The automaker will produce the trucks at its Virginia facility, with the first batch expected in 2025. Urtasun estimates it will take two to three years to hit full-scale production.

With $282 million raised so far, Waabi is confident it has the resources to launch its driverless operation. Competitors like Aurora and Kodiak have raised billions, but Waabi’s capital-efficient strategy could give it an edge.

As the autonomous trucking industry heats up, Urtasun predicts 2025 will be a make-or-break year. With fewer players left in the game—after Embark and TuSimple shut down—Waabi is determined to stay independent and expand into other areas like robotaxis and warehouse robotics.

“Trucking is just the beginning,” Urtasun said. “We have big plans for the future.”

Stay tuned to see how this partnership drives the future of autonomous trucking!