Self-driving company Aurora lays off 3% of employees By Reuters

© Reuters. In this picture taken on January 8, 2024, the Aurora Innovation logo is visible near a computer motherboard. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

(Reuters) – Self-driving car technology company Aurora Innovation said on Wednesday it was cutting 3% of its workforce as part of a reorganization.

Aurora had 1,700 employees by the end of 2022, according to the company’s securities filing.

“As we move towards commercial launch, we have recently reviewed our entire organization to ensure we are working as effectively as possible. This process has resulted in the elimination of a limited number of roles, impacting 3% of our workforce.” The company statement was written by Cristopher Barrett, Senior Vice President.

The Pittsburgh-based company, which went public in 2021 through a merger with a blank-check company, is building the technology that will power the self-driving trucks of the future.

Aurora plans to deploy its first set of driverless trucks on the streets this year, in partnership with Continental AG (OTC:) and Volvo (OTC:).

Earlier this month, Continental said it had finalized the design and architecture of the hardware for its Aurora Driver autonomous driving system, scheduled for production in 2027.

Aurora said its partnership with the German company paves the way for large-scale deployment of self-driving trucks, with the first driverless launch planned for late 2024.