Mercedes-Benz has presented the Future Truck 2025, a self-driving vehicle equipped with an intelligent assistance system enabling it to drive completely autonomously at speeds of up to 85 km/h.
According to Dr Wolfgang Bernhard, the member of Daimler’s Board of Management responsible for Daimler Trucks and Buses (pictured), the Future Truck has already been tested in real life applications on a German freeway.
“The Future Truck 2025 is our response to the major challenges and opportunities associated with road freight transport in the future,” he said.
“[It] leads to more efficiency and better safety and connectivity. This in turn results in a more sustainable transport system to the benefit of the economy, society and consumers.”
At yesterday's world premiere, Bernhard added, “If the legislative framework for autonomous driving can be created quickly, the launch of the Highway Pilot is conceivable by the middle of the next decade.”
The Future Truck combines a whole range of existing and newly designed technological solutions – including proximity cruise control, automatic braking, stability control and lane-keeping assistance systems. Another new system known as “Predictive Powertrain Control” uses information about road topography and route characteristics to adjust the operation of the drivetrain in order to maximize fuel economy.
According to Bernhard, the truck's Highway Pilot is comparable to an autopilot system in an airplane and could significantly upgrade the job profile of truck drivers. “It will not only free them from having to perform monotonous tasks; it will also give them more time for tasks that were previously handled by office workers at shipping companies.
“In other words, it will be possible for truckers to advance to new positions as transport managers, making truck driving a more attractive profession. Autonomous driving could thus help to resolve the shortage of truck drivers.”
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