Daimler’s new CEO Ola Källenius made a gear shift when he dismissed the project which involved creating a fleet of so-called robotaxis. All bases should be covered before scaling the autonomous driving systems because oversights are difficult to fix later. Källenius made an executive decision to initially use the existing technology in trucks. This move came as a result from Daimler’s reality check that it will take a certain amount of time before self-driving vehicles can be used in cities. The company decided to withhold releasing autonomous cars on the streets for some time in the future. The difference between cars and trucks is that trucks spend 80% of their driving time on high-speed highways. So, if human drivers can operate the trucks in the urban areas, then everything else can be automated, which would largely reduce transportation costs, and it will make driving a truck a more attractive occupation.
