Autonomous Trucks to Hit Spanish Highways as PlusAI and Iveco Expand Partnership
GeokHub
GEOKHUB | Madrid — Jan 12 Self-driving truck developer PlusAI is expanding its partnership with IVECO, launching Southern Europe’s first large-scale testing programme for autonomous heavy-duty trucks on public roads in Spain.
The initiative will see two IVECO S-Way trucks equipped with PlusAI’s Level 4 autonomous driving system operate along a major 300-kilometre freight corridor between Madrid and Zaragoza. Road tests are scheduled to begin in 2026, with trained safety operators remaining onboard throughout the trials.
Testing Autonomous Freight at Scale
The programme is being conducted in collaboration with Spanish logistics firm Sesé and supported by the regional government of Aragon, highlighting growing public-private cooperation around autonomous transport in Europe.
Level 4 autonomy allows vehicles to handle all driving tasks within specific conditions without human intervention, marking a significant step beyond driver-assist technologies currently used in commercial trucking.
PlusAI, which is headquartered in Silicon Valley and operates across Europe and the United States, has worked with Iveco for several years on autonomous driving research and pilot testing. The Spanish trials represent its most advanced deployment in the region to date.
Industry Moves and Corporate Shifts
The announcement comes as PlusAI prepares for a public listing on Nasdaq, expected in early 2026, through a merger with special-purpose acquisition company Churchill Capital Corp IX.
Meanwhile, Iveco is undergoing a major corporate transition after India’s Tata Motors agreed to acquire the company in a €3.8 billion deal, a move that will result in Iveco being delisted once the transaction is completed.
Analysts say autonomous trucking trials like this could play a crucial role in addressing driver shortages, rising fuel costs and logistics efficiency, while also testing how regulators and infrastructure adapt to self-driving freight vehicles on busy European routes.
