Aurora Innovation, Detmar Logistics Partner to Deploy Autonomous Trucks for 24/7 Frac Sand Hauling in Permian Basin

Aurora Innovation Inc. (NASDAQ:AUR) is one of the stocks that will double in 2026. On December 9, Itay Michaeli from TD Cowen maintained a Hold rating on Aurora Innovation, with a price target of $5.50.

In other news, on December 8, Aurora Innovation announced a commercial agreement with Detmar Logistics, which is a primary provider of dry bulk and frac sand logistics solutions. Under this agreement, Aurora will deploy its autonomous trucks to transport proppants (frac sand) around the clock for one of the world’s largest multinational oil and gas companies in the Permian Basin.

Aurora Innovation, Detmar Logistics Partner to Deploy Autonomous Trucks for 24/7 Frac Sand Hauling in Permian Basin

This deployment is highly significant as it marks the first time frac sand will be hauled autonomously on public roads and highways in the Permian Basin. The autonomous operations will begin early next year with supervised operations between Detmar’s facility in Midland, Texas, and Capital Sand’s mining site in Monahans, Texas.

Once Aurora deploys its second fleet of driverless trucks, expected in Q2 2026, these trips for Detmar will transition to fully driverless operations without anyone on board. This route combines high-speed driving on Interstate 20 with local and private roads and establishes one of Aurora’s initial routes between customer sites. Under the initial contract, Detmar is committed to using 30 Aurora Driver-powered trucks in 2026, with each unit hauling sand for over 20 hours a day.

Earlier on November 26, Goldman Sachs lowered its price target on Aurora Innovation to $4 from $6 with a Neutral rating on the shares.

Aurora Innovation Inc. (NASDAQ:AUR) operates as a self-driving technology company in the US. It develops Aurora Driver, which is a platform that brings self-driving hardware, software, and data services together to adapt and interoperate with various vehicle types and applications.

While we acknowledge the potential of AUR to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than AUR and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.