Aurora’s driverless cars can now travel much longer distances than human drivers

Aurora’s self-driving cars can now travel non-stop on the 1,000-mile route between Fort Worth and Phoenix — far beyond what a human driver can legally do.

The distance, and the time it takes to travel, provides financial advantages to Aurora – and any other company hoping to sell self-driving semitrucks.

It takes Aurora about 15 hours to transport goods in its driverless cars on a 1,000-kilometer trip, according to the company. Private car drivers take longer to complete the same distance due to government regulations that limit how long they can be behind the wheel. For example, drivers must stop for 30 minutes every eight hours and can drive more than 11 hours at a time, according to state law. When drivers reach that threshold, they can’t get behind the wheel for another 10 hours.

“This represents a lot more than technology,” Aurora co-founder and CEO Chris Urmson said Wednesday afternoon. “It’s the dawn of a superhuman future for freight.”

It also offers compelling financial services to its customers, which include Uber Freight, Werner, FedEx, and Schneider. The company said it could eventually cut transit times by nearly half, a number that has won companies like Hirschbach, an early customer on the Fort Worth-to-Phoenix route.

Aurora said in a letter to shareholders that it is about to spread across the Sun Belt of the United States. Today, the company operates driverless cars — some with an observer still in the car — on routes between Dallas and Houston, Fort Worth and El Paso, El Paso and Phoenix, Fort Worth and Phoenix, and Laredo and Dallas.

The growth has helped transform Aurora from an independent car maker to a commercial player that monetizes its driverless solutions.

Aurora has brought money since April 2025 when it started they put driverless, heavy-duty vehicles to commercial use on public roads. Aurora reported $1 million in the fourth quarter and $3 million for the year, according to the report issued by the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The company’s CFO, David Maday, said that the adjusted income for the whole year, which includes the income obtained through the pilot programs at the beginning of last year, was $4 million.

This is a small number, especially compared to his money. Aurora reported a net loss of $816 million in 2025, up 9% from last year as it focuses on improving its operations. However, it shows measurable progress from 2024, when it did not realize any costs.

Earnings are expected to continue as the company adds more vehicles and driverless options to its network. Today, the company has 30 vehicles, 10 of which are operating without a driver. The fleet is expected to grow to over 200 vehicles by the end of the year. Urmson said the company’s vehicles have clocked up 250,000 miles without driving since January 2026 with a good safety record.

In the second phase, Aurora plans to deliver International Motors LT self-driving cars, which will not have a human observer. Aurora’s driverless operations using Paccar vehicles currently have a public safety monitor in the cab as required by the manufacturer.

Urmson was optimistic about Aurora’s future, fueled by advancements in its self-driving software, second-generation equipment that keeps costs down, and the expansion of its driverless solutions. The development of its driverless car fleet has been driven by a new software release, the fourth since it launched commercial operations in April 2025.

The first release confirmed the first driverless services between Dallas and Houston, the second approved at night, and the third confirmed El Pasoaccording to Aurora. The company said this latest program will give its autonomous vehicles the ability to navigate the terrain and climate of the southern United States.

“Just as the last two years brought robotaxis to the fore, we hope that the year 2026 will mark the point where the market realizes that self-driving cars have arrived and will become a regular part of our transportation system,” said Urmson in the company’s investment call. “If you’re in the Sun Belt in 2026, you won’t just read about the Aurora Borealis. You’ll see it every day.”

Aurora currently operates driverless roads through Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, and has driverless operations planned in Nevada, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, the company said.