The other day we heard that Mercedes Benz and their self driving trucks were taking part in the European Truck Platooning Challenge to drive a convoy of self driving trucks across Europe.
The challenge has now been completed and a convoy of autonomous trucks managed to complete the journey.
The first trucks started out in Stuttgart and were joined by other trucks on the way to Rotterdam, all of the vehicles were connected via WiFi as they joined the convoy and they all came from different European cities.
The European Truck Platooning Challenge, organised by Rijkswaterstaat, featured DAF Trucks, Daimler Trucks, Iveco, MAN Truck & Bus, Scania and Volvo Group; driving in platoons across national borders this marked a global first. Truck platooning means that two or three trucks connected by wifi drive in a column, with the first truck determining the speed and route. This enables shorter gaps between following trucks, while freeing space for other vehicles. The wifi connection between the trucks ensures synchronised braking and can prevent sudden jolt/shock effects. This is good news for traffic flows and speeds up deliveries. Truck platooning can realise up to ten per cent fuel savings. As well as reducing CO2 emissions, this can also mean a significant savings for businesses.
You can find out more details about the European Truck Platooning Challenge at the link below.
Source European Truck Platooning Challenge, Gizmodo
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