Amazon reportedly ordered 1,000 autonomous truck-driving systems from a startup called Plus.- The retail giant also has the option to buy shares of the AI startup, according to a recent filing.
- The technology falls in line with Amazon's focus on AI-related technology.
Amazon has agreed to buy 1,000 autonomous truck-driving systems from a self-driving trucking startup, $4
The self-driving trucking startup, Plus, makes AI-based software for trucks, and has also reached an agreement with Amazon to offer the ecommerce giant the opportunity to purchase shares, according to $4.
As part of the agreement, Amazon has the option to purchase up to 420,702,410 preferred shares of Plus at about $0.47 each, which would represent a 20% stake in the company. If Amazon were to purchase the maximum available shares offered, it would represent an investment of nearly $200 million.
An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment on Bloomberg's report beyond pointing Insider to the financial filing. A Plus spokesperson also declined to comment.
Plus, based in California, is one of many companies that is working to create driverless systems. The Amazon partnership could eventually help Amazon remove the need for human drivers. This is just the latest example of the retail giant exploring what a future that does not rely on human delivery drivers could look like. This time last year, $4 Amazon's $4
By using Plus' technology, Amazon could also eventually help overcome a $4 that has $4, forcing delivery delays and rising
But that could change in coming years. PlusDrive is Plus' first product and it operates similarly to $4 which requires a licensed driver to keep their eyes on the road in case the system malfunctions or needs intervention. Plus CEO David Liu $4 Mark Matousek the company hopes to sell a product that does not require a driver by the end of 2024.
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Plus started delivering automated-driving systems for semi-trucks earlier this year to companies in US and China. The company has provided Chinese delivery company SF Holding with its system which allows semi-trucks to drive over 900 miles per day.
Plus was founded in 2016 and announced plans to go public via a $4
It will not be Amazon's first foray into automated technology. $4 to monitor employees and maximize productivity. The company has used AI as anything from a$4to a system that tracks delivery drivers' movements and $4