Ashok Leyland and Aidrivers joined hands to produce autonomous electric terminal truck designed for port operations

This unique truck model, which will be based on an Ashok Leyland platform and equipped with Aidrivers’ autonomous eco-system will be produced at Ashok Leyland’s manufacturing facilities.

Chennai/ London : Ashok Leyland Ltd. of Chennai, a Hinduja Group and Aidrivers Ltd of London, the global specialist in AI-enabled autonomous solutions across industrial mobility are partnering to produce autonomous electric terminal trucks for port operation.

The two companies had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a long-term collaboration in January 2022 to combine their specialist knowledge and experience to push forward together in this rapidly advancing field. This will be India’s first autonomous electric terminal truck for port operations and will help meet the port industry’s requirements for sustainable autonomous transportation in an affordable manner.

This unique truck model, which will be based on an Ashok Leyland platform and equipped with Aidrivers’ autonomous eco-system will be produced at Ashok Leyland’s manufacturing facilities. Orders can be placed now for delivery in 2024, and the inaugural fleet of vehicles is anticipated to be ready for real terminal operations early next year.

Dr. N Saravanan, President and Chief Technology Officer, Ashok Leyland, said, “Ashok Leyland has been a pioneer in introducing new technology and innovation in the commercial vehicle space. We are delighted to collaborate with Aidrivers and look forward to working together to create and develop the country’s first autonomous electric terminal truck. We believe this will drive the industry forward in the coming years. We continue to innovate and leverage new technology, and our goal is to be a responsible and sustainable CV manufacturer. Our solutions are aligned with our country’s mission to be a leader in sustainable and environment-friendly mobility technologies.”

Dr Rafiq Swash, Founder and CEO, Aidrivers said, “We are excited to work with Ashok Leyland, and jointly produce an autonomous electric terminal truck, bespoke designed for autonomous operations in a demanding and harsh port environment. This ground-breaking AV/EV will set an important standard with milestones for both Net Zero and autonomous automation, and a platform on which we will expand the presence of 'Aidrivers’ AI-enabled autonomous ecosystem for port operations. We are excited about the possibilities and look forward to working together to create innovative, ground-breaking autonomous electric terminal trucks.”