CHINA BRIEF | TuSimple partners with Navistar to sell self-driving trucks in North America

San Diego- and Beijing-based autonomous vehicle unicorn TuSimple has formed a partnership with truck maker Navistar (NYSE: NAV) to co-produce Level 4 self-driving trucks, according to a post on its public WeChat account on Thursday.

TuSimple said the two companies will try to mass produce the trucks before 2024, allowing clients to buy directly from Navistar’s distributors in America, Canada, and Mexico.

The deal marks TuSimple’s recent move into the commercialization of its autonomous driving technologies. Previously, the firm was mainly providing transportation services for companies like UPS and US Postal Service.

On July 1, TuSimple announced a three-year plan to build a nationwide autonomous freight network in the United States, consisting of its autonomous trucks, digitally mapped routes, freight terminals, and a monitoring system.

TuSimple also said in its WeChat post that it received an investment from Navistar, without revealing financial details.

This article is part of KrASIA’s “China Brief” section, where KrASIA’s reporters will provide quick daily updates about the tech ecosystem in China.