Uber shuts down its self-driving trucks division

Uber has announced the closure of its self-driving trucks program. This division of the ride-hailing company was conceived out of its acquisition of Otto, the self-driving technology company for a reported $680 million. The company released a statement stating the company’s intentions to focus all of its efforts towards the progression of its self-driving cars division.

Uber’s self-driving trucks program was beset with controversies since after it began. It started after Uber acquired Otto two years ago. Otto was founded by former Google employee Anthony Levandowski and others. However, Google sued Otto and its parent company, alleging that Levandowski stole thousands of proprietary files before resigning to start Otto.

“I know we’re all super proud of what the Trucks team has accomplished, and we continue to see the incredible promise of self-driving technology applied to move freight across the country. But we believe delivering on self-driving for passenger applications first, and then bringing it to freight applications down the line is the best path forward. For now, we need the focus of one team, with one clear objective,” said Eric Meyhofer, who heads Uber Advanced Technologies Group.      

Uber clarified that this decision will not affect Uber Freight, its business that allows truckers to connect with shipping corporations. It enables truck drivers to find cargo and get destination information instantly. Additionally, drivers can use the app to reserve the load based on their schedule.