Torc Partners with Flex and NVIDIA to Develop Scalable AI Compute Platform for Autonomous Trucks
Torc Robotics, a leader in the commercialization of autonomous Class 8 trucks, has announced a strategic collaboration with Flex (NASDAQ: FLEX), a renowned provider of automotive-grade compute platforms, and NVIDIA, a pioneer in AI-driven computing, to develop a robust and scalable physical AI compute system for self-driving trucks. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the advancement of autonomous long-haul trucking, integrating cutting-edge hardware and software solutions to enable seamless, real-time navigation and decision-making for driverless trucks.
The Role of Physical AI in Autonomous Trucking
Torc’s proprietary physical AI technology is at the core of its autonomous truck software stack, allowing self-driving trucks to perceive, interpret, and navigate their environment in real-time. By integrating a variety of sensors—including lidar, radar, and high-resolution cameras—Torc’s AI system can process vast amounts of data instantaneously to make critical driving decisions such as lane changes, braking, and obstacle avoidance. This technology is specifically designed to enhance safety, efficiency, and reliability in long-haul trucking, which is increasingly seen as a key solution to supply chain and logistics challenges.
The deployment of physical AI at scale for long-haul trucking represents a major step forward in autonomous vehicle technology. It enables trucks to operate continuously over long distances with minimal human intervention while maintaining optimal safety standards. With the support of NVIDIA and Flex, Torc’s AI-powered compute system aims to set a new benchmark in the industry for production-scale autonomous driving capabilities.
A High-Performance, Scalable Compute System
The collaboration between Torc, NVIDIA, and Flex brings together state-of-the-art technologies to develop a high-performance computing system tailored to the needs of autonomous trucking. Torc worked closely with NVIDIA to design a multi-chip adaptable architecture that leverages NVIDIA’s DRIVE AGX platform, featuring the DRIVE Orin system-on-a-chip (SoC) and DriveOS operating system. DRIVE Orin is a critical component in enabling real-time processing for complex AI-driven tasks such as perception, prediction, and planning.
Flex, leveraging its expertise in advanced manufacturing and compute platform design, contributed its Jupiter compute design platform to the collaboration. The Jupiter platform, known for its reliability and scalability, plays a crucial role in integrating Torc’s AI software with NVIDIA’s cutting-edge hardware, creating a powerful compute ecosystem capable of supporting autonomous trucking operations at scale.
This technology is being deployed on Torc’s autonomous-ready Freightliner Cascadia, a vehicle equipped with advanced technologies and redundant systems to ensure safe and reliable driverless trucking. The platform underwent rigorous validation testing, including Torc’s driverless product acceptance test, which was conducted on a closed-course at highway speeds. This validation process demonstrates the effectiveness of the compute system in real-world conditions and paves the way for future commercial deployment.
The Impact of Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) Technology
One of the most transformative aspects of this collaboration is its contribution to the evolution of Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) technology. The compute platform developed by Torc, NVIDIA, and Flex allows for continuous updates and adaptations based on evolving operational needs. This means that the AI system can be dynamically adjusted to accommodate new routes, lanes, sensor configurations, road conditions, and regulatory changes without requiring significant hardware modifications.
By enabling a flexible and adaptive AI architecture, Torc is positioning its autonomous trucking solution as a future-proof technology that can seamlessly integrate with evolving transportation ecosystems. Fleet customers looking to implement non-stop, long-haul autonomous trucking will benefit from a platform that is designed to meet stringent performance, cost, and reliability requirements while ensuring long-term scalability.
Industry Leaders Weigh In
The collaboration between Torc, NVIDIA, and Flex has received strong endorsements from key industry leaders who recognize the importance of scalable AI-driven compute platforms in autonomous trucking.
Rishi Dhall, Vice President of Automotive at NVIDIA, emphasized the reliability and efficiency of NVIDIA’s AI solutions in autonomous driving applications. “NVIDIA DRIVE AGX has been industry-proven in full production for automotive real-time applications at the edge. It delivers the high compute performance, low latency, and multi-sensor connectivity needed for Torc’s sophisticated autonomous trucking software, delivering robust perception, prediction, and planning for safe and reliable operation. Torc is on a clear path to scalable production for its commercial launch in 2027 and working toward a seamless upgrade to NVIDIA DRIVE AGX with DRIVE Thor.”
Mike Thoeny, President of Automotive at Flex, highlighted the company’s role in enabling next-generation mobility solutions through strategic partnerships. “Our collaboration with Torc, Daimler Truck, and NVIDIA illustrates how Flex partners across the full ecosystem to enable mobility companies to launch next-generation technology with greater resilience and speed. We appreciate the trust Torc and Daimler Truck have placed in Flex through leveraging our Jupiter compute platform and advanced manufacturing capabilities to deliver autonomous long-haul trucking at scale.”
Peter Vaughan Schmidt, CEO of Torc Robotics, underscored the significance of the partnership in driving the future of autonomous trucking. “Using Daimler Truck’s autonomous Freightliner Cascadias with built-in redundancy, our work with NVIDIA and Flex is already providing a stable and proven foundation for Torc’s autonomous vehicle technology. By leveraging NVIDIA’s DRIVE AGX in-vehicle compute and DriveOS, along with Flex’s Jupiter compute platform, we are able to ensure a low-risk, high-confidence path to production that is able to seamlessly transition as NVIDIA’s and Flex’s solutions continue to evolve.”
A Glimpse Into the Future: NVIDIA GTC 2025
To showcase the capabilities of this groundbreaking AI compute system, Torc and Flex will present their joint solution at NVIDIA’s highly anticipated GTC event from March 17-21, 2025, in San Jose, California. The event will provide attendees with an in-depth look at how AI-driven compute platforms are transforming the landscape of autonomous trucking.
Torc’s demo truck, equipped with the advanced AI compute system developed in collaboration with NVIDIA and Flex, will highlight the real-world performance of physical AI in autonomous freight transport. This demonstration will reinforce the company’s commitment to delivering a commercially viable autonomous trucking solution that is both scalable and adaptable to the needs of the logistics industry.
