$60 Million AV Grant Package Includes Automated Fleet Testing
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) Transportation Institute received a $7.5 million federal grant to develop an automated trucking fleet to help set industry guidelines for autonomous vehicle technology that could eventually lead to driverless trucks.
Virginia Tech’s grant, along with seven others, were part of a $60 million package awarded on Sept. 18 by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to be used for projects to test the integration of automated driving systems (ADS) on U.S. roads.
“The Department is awarding $60 million in grant funding to test the safe integration of automated vehicles into America’s transportation system while ensuring that legitimate concerns about safety, security, and privacy are addressed,” said DOT Secretary Elaine Chao at the Federal Highway Administration Research Showcase in announcing the grants.