Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck
[pilot]as the Waabi Driver generative-AI virtual… · food-service · 2 deployments in catalog
Driverless milestone (LOAD-BEARING cap-flag): Waabi has run COMMERCIAL freight on Dallas-Houston with Uber Freight since ~2023, but every run is SAFETY-DRIVER-SUPERVISED. The defining fully-driverless (no-human-in-cab) target was end-2025 and was MISSED; it slipped to 2026+ and remains pending validation of the Volvo VNL Autonomous PLATFORM (not the Waabi Driver software), framed by Urtasun as safety-over-speed. Do NOT assert driverless-achieved. The future driverless lane is undisclosed ('to be unveiled later')., AI-primary posture: Genuinely AI-primary: a single end-to-end generative-AI model (Waabi Driver) the truck cannot drive without, trained in the Waabi World gen-AI simulator, on NVIDIA DRIVE Thor. The 'interpretable and verifiable AI safety' differentiator is Waabi's OWN claim - recorded as a claim, not an independently-verified property. Wired to brain waabi-driver., Platform scoping: Scoped to the Waabi-Driver-on-a-truck product; current go-forward platform = the Volvo VNL Autonomous (partnership Feb 2025, truck unveiled Oct 28 2025). Distinct from the registry's separate volvo-vnl-autonomous entry (Volvo's own program). Pre-Volvo Dallas-Houston running used Waabi-integrated trucks., Corporate / funding (current): Waabi (founded 2021, Toronto). Funding ladder: Series A ~$83.5M (Jun 2021, Khosla); Series B $200M (Jun 2024, Uber + Khosla lead, NVIDIA new, + Volvo/Porsche/Scania/Ingka); SERIES C $750M (Jan 28 2026, Khosla + G2 co-lead, NVIDIA/Volvo/Porsche) PLUS a ~$250M Uber milestone commitment (headline 'up to $1B') tied to a 25,000-AV Uber deal - Waabi has EXPANDED beyond trucking into robotaxis. ~$280M total before the Series C., Cap-flags: Named shippers beyond Uber Freight (e.g. Samsung / 'Fortune 500') are aggregator-only - NOT verified; assert only Uber Freight. Do NOT conflate with Aurora: both run the Dallas-Houston corridor, but Aurora runs DRIVERLESS there while Waabi runs SAFETY-DRIVER-supervised. 'Up to $1B' = $750M Series C + ~$250M Uber milestone, not a flat $1B equity round.
Manufacturer
WaabiForm Factor
as the Waabi Driver generative-AI virtual…
Lifecycle
pilot
Operational Reality
Supervised
Deployments
2
Target Price
Custom Quote
- PILOT
Description
The Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck is the autonomous heavy-truck product of Waabi, recorded in the truck form factor as the Waabi Driver generative-AI virtual driver running on a truck platform. Made by Waabi, founded in 2021 in Toronto and led by chief executive Raquel Urtasun, the former chief scientist of Uber's ATG self-driving unit, it is genuinely AI-primary: a single end-to-end generative-AI model, the Waabi Driver, that the truck cannot drive without, trained and validated in the Waabi World generative-AI closed-loop simulator and running on NVIDIA DRIVE Thor compute. The current go-forward platform is the Volvo VNL Autonomous, Volvo's purpose-built, redundancy-equipped tractor into which the Waabi Driver is vertically integrated, following a partnership announced in February 2025 and the truck's unveiling on October 28, 2025; this is distinct from the registry's separate Volvo VNL Autonomous entry for Volvo's own program. Waabi has run commercial freight on the roughly 385-kilometer Dallas-Houston lane with Uber Freight under a ten-year deployment commitment, but the load-bearing fact is that every run is safety-driver-supervised: Waabi's defining fully-driverless target was the end of 2025, and it was missed, slipping into 2026 and beyond pending validation of the Volvo VNL Autonomous platform, so the registry records the maturity as pilot and does not assert that driverless operation has been achieved. The differentiator claim of interpretable and verifiable AI safety is Waabi's own and is recorded as a claim. On funding, Waabi raised a $200 million Series B in June 2024 and a $750 million Series C in January 2026, co-led by Khosla Ventures and G2 Venture Partners with NVIDIA, Volvo, and Porsche, plus a roughly $250 million milestone commitment from Uber tied to a deal to deploy at least 25,000 autonomous vehicles, as the company expanded beyond trucking into robotaxis. Named shippers beyond Uber Freight are not verified, and Waabi's safety-driver-supervised Dallas-Houston running should not be conflated with Aurora's separate driverless operations on the same corridor.
Key facts & specs
- website
- https://waabi.ai/insights/waabi-and-volvo-autonomous-solutions-partner-to-jointly-develop-and-deploy-autonomous-transportation-solutions
- maturity
- pilot
- lifecycle
- active
- manufacturer
- Waabi
- deployments count
- 2
- Maturity stage
- pilot
- Range
- 320 km
- Specs
- Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck: the Waabi Driver (a single end-to-end generative-AI virtual driver, trained/validated in the Waabi World generative-AI closed-loop simulator, on NVIDIA DRIVE Thor compute) vertically integrated into the Volvo VNL Autonomous, Volvo's purpose-built redundancy-equipped (dual braking/steering/computing/power) tractor produced at Volvo's New River Valley plant (Virginia). Runs commercial freight on the ~385 km Dallas-Houston lane with Uber Freight (10-year deployment commitment). Made by Waabi (Toronto; CEO Raquel Urtasun, ex-Uber ATG). Wired to the waabi-driver brain.
- Max speed
- 90 km/h
- Form Factor
- truck (AI-primary autonomous heavy truck; Waabi Driver generative-AI virtual driver on the Volvo VNL Autonomous platform; safety-driver-supervised commercial freight)
- Autonomy level
- Safety-driver-supervised; fully-driverless target missed, slipped to 2026+
- Drive type
- Single end-to-end generative-AI virtual driver (Waabi Driver) on NVIDIA DRIVE Thor compute
- Production target
- At least 25,000 autonomous vehicles under Uber deal
- Weight
- Volvo VNL Autonomous purpose-built redundancy-equipped tractor (dual braking/steering/computing/power)
- Unfamiliar-route highway run Dallas- San Antonio (company-claimed, Sep 2026)
- Reported via Forbes (Ohnsman, 22 Sep 2026): company said Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck completed ~300-mile Dallas-San Antonio highway test without prior route-specific simulation, practice, or new real-world data; safety driver aboard; company claimed zero interventions. Record as company-claimed, not independently verified. Not a commercial lane in the registry.
- Zero-shot platform transfer Peterbilt to Volvo V N L (company-claimed, Jun 2026)
- Waabi (26 Jun 2026) claimed Waabi Driver transferred zero-shot from Peterbilt 579 training to Volvo VNL Autonomous with no new data or fine-tuning; FreightWaves (15 Jul 2026) corroborates the company announcement and CEO interview. Company-claimed embodiment generalization, separate from route-familiarity claims.
Autonomy: verified vs claimed
Supervised (human oversight)
Independent audit: evaluates human teleoperation reliance, VR assistance, and vendor autonomy bounds.
Autonomous robotics system.
Safety record
No incidents on record for Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck.
Supply chain
- NVIDIACOMPUTE / SEMICONDUCTORNVIDIA NVIDIA DRIVE Thor centralized computer (powers Waabi Driver generative AI autonomous trucking solution; first generative AI-powered L4 truck stack on DRIVE Thor; NVIDIA is Series B strategic investor; announced GTC 2024)
NVIDIA NVIDIA DRIVE Thor centralized computer (powers Waabi Driver generative AI autonomous trucking solution; first generative AI-powered L4 truck stack on DRIVE Thor; NVIDIA is Series B strategic investor; announced GTC 2024)
Software & AI models
FAQ
What is Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck?
The Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck is the autonomous heavy-truck product of Waabi, recorded in the truck form factor as the Waabi Driver generative-AI virtual driver running on a truck platform. Made by Waabi, founded in 2021 in Toronto and led by chief executive Raquel Urtasun, the former chief scientist of Uber's ATG self-driving unit, it is genuinely AI-primary: a single end-to-end generative-AI model, the Waabi Driver, that the truck cannot drive without, trained and validated in the Waabi World generative-AI closed-loop simulator and running on NVIDIA DRIVE Thor compute. The current go-forward platform is the Volvo VNL Autonomous, Volvo's purpose-built, redundancy-equipped tractor into which the Waabi Driver is vertically integrated, following a partnership announced in February 2025 and the truck's unveiling on October 28, 2025; this is distinct from the registry's separate Volvo VNL Autonomous entry for Volvo's own program. Waabi has run commercial freight on the roughly 385-kilometer Dallas-Houston lane with Uber Freight under a ten-year deployment commitment, but the load-bearing fact is that every run is safety-driver-supervised: Waabi's defining fully-driverless target was the end of 2025, and it was missed, slipping into 2026 and beyond pending validation of the Volvo VNL Autonomous platform, so the registry records the maturity as pilot and does not assert that driverless operation has been achieved. The differentiator claim of interpretable and verifiable AI safety is Waabi's own and is recorded as a claim. On funding, Waabi raised a $200 million Series B in June 2024 and a $750 million Series C in January 2026, co-led by Khosla Ventures and G2 Venture Partners with NVIDIA, Volvo, and Porsche, plus a roughly $250 million milestone commitment from Uber tied to a deal to deploy at least 25,000 autonomous vehicles, as the company expanded beyond trucking into robotaxis. Named shippers beyond Uber Freight are not verified, and Waabi's safety-driver-supervised Dallas-Houston running should not be conflated with Aurora's separate driverless operations on the same corridor.
Is Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck actually deployed in the real world?
Yes. Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck is independently verified in real-world operation on the DEPLOY registry, confirmed at named deployment sites with primary sources: not a concept, render, or demo-only.
What are the specs of Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck?
Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck's recorded specifications on the DEPLOY registry: Range: 320 km; Max speed: 90 km/h. See the Specs section for the full sourced set.
Who makes Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck?
Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck is made by Waabi, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, founded in 2021.
Where is Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck deployed?
2 verified deployments of Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck are on the DEPLOY registry, including at Dallas-San Antonio Corridor, Texas, USA, Texas.
Can you buy Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck?
Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck is in pilot deployments with named customers and is not yet broadly for sale.
What AI powers Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck?
Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck runs Waabi Driver. Each brain assignment is verified at the registry level via primary sources.
What are alternatives to Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck?
On the DEPLOY registry, comparable truck robots to Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck include Gatik Autonomous Box Truck, Kodiak Driverless Truck, Aurora Driver on International LT (2nd-gen), Kodiak Driver.
How does Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck compare to Gatik Autonomous Box Truck?
Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck and Gatik Autonomous Box Truck (Gatik · 12 deployments) are both truck robots on the DEPLOY registry. Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck has 2 verified deployments on record. Compare both records for specs, safety, deployments, and verified-vs-claimed autonomy.
Is Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck a top truck?
On DEPLOY's intelligence score, which blends verified deployments, safety, adoption, media, and IP signals, Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck ranks in roughly the top 81% of truck models tracked by the registry.
What is Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck's maturity stage?
Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck is at the pilot stage on the DEPLOY maturity ladder (research, prototype, pilot, commercial, production). Pilot stage means at least one named-customer trial deployment is verified.
Is Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck safe?
Waabi Driver Autonomous Truck has no incidents on record in the DEPLOY registry. This does not constitute a safety guarantee; it reflects the incidents DEPLOY has tracked and verified to date.
What is the Waabi autonomous truck system?
Waabi is pioneering Physical AI for autonomous trucks, using an AI model acting as a shared brain for both autonomous trucks and robotaxis. Waabi partnered with Volvo to demonstrate the future of autonomous trucking, combining Waabi's self-driving technology with Volvo's autonomous truck platform with redundant systems.