A driverless freight service is planned for a 219-mile section of Interstate 45 in Texas later this year, carrying IKEA goods between the Houston and Dallas areas without a human in the cab.
The service will operate primarily between facilities in Houston and the Dallas area, forming part of an established 292-mile route linking IKEA’s distribution centre in Baytown with its store in Frisco.
The planned launch follows four years of autonomous deliveries for IKEA using a safety observer.
Safety case remains critical The deployment is dependent on completion of a highway safety case covering the defined operating area.
It also operates driverless trucks commercially in the Permian Basin, although that fleet is not expected to move onto public roads until early 2027.