Torc has expanded its autonomous truck testing program to public roads in Michigan, marking the next step in the company’s technology development and path toward commercializing autonomous trucking.
The company announced that it has begun testing autonomous trucks on public roads in the greater Ann Arbor, Michigan area using the latest-generation Daimler Truck autonomous chassis based on the Freightliner Cascadia.
The Michigan program builds on Torc’s established testing operations in Dallas–Fort Worth and Blacksburg, Virginia, reflecting the company’s growing presence in the region as it deepens its engineering footprint and expands testing capabilities.
Torc established an engineering office in Ann Arbor in 2025, and development work conducted there is now being evaluated in real-world driving conditions on Michigan public roads. According to the company, the testing program enables validation of autonomous performance across new environments and seasonal conditions while collecting real-world data to evaluate both hardware and software performance.
“Validating our hardware and software together on public roads is a critical step in the marathon toward autonomous trucking commercialization,” said Felix Heide, head of artificial intelligence at Torc. “Each new hardware generation allows us to further validate our AI inference models, strengthen our simulation accuracy, and ensure our autonomous system performs safely and reliably in real-world conditions.”
The Michigan testing effort is being supported through collaboration with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the Michigan Department of Transportation, and Ann Arbor SPARK.
“Torc’s continued growth in Michigan highlights the importance of strong public-private partnerships in advancing next-generation mobility,” said Quentin L. Messer Jr., CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and chair of the Michigan Strategic Fund. “Through collaboration with companies like Torc, Michigan is driving innovation, building a skilled workforce, and reinforcing its position as a global leader in autonomous and connected vehicle technologies.”
