Scania tests truck platooning

Dutch Infrastructure and Environment Minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen, along with representatives of the European Commission, recently took part in test drive of truck platooning on the A28 in the Netherlands. The convoy consisted of three Scania R500 Streamline trucks; the steering was done by truck drivers, but speed and braking were controlled by the front truck using wi-fi technology. The plan is to have fully self driving trucks in the future. This method of coupled drive, based on adaptive cr
February 11, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
RSS

Dutch Infrastructure and Environment Minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen, along with representatives of the 1690 European Commission, recently took part in test drive of truck platooning on the A28 in the Netherlands.

The convoy consisted of three 570 Scania R500 Streamline trucks; the steering was done by truck drivers, but speed and braking were controlled by the front truck using wi-fi technology. The plan is to have fully self driving trucks in the future.

This method of coupled drive, based on adaptive cruise control, provides significant fuel savings. "With two second gap it is possible to save five per cent of diesel per truck. That is significant especially when you consider that fuel costs are 27 per cent of the total cost of transport." suggested Lars- Gunnar Hedström, head of product development at Scania. According to Hedstrom, another advantage of platooning is a reduction in traffic congestion. "Because trucks driving close to each other, there may be more cars on the road. The traffic flow is better, with less congestion.”

Dutch laws and regulations will have to be changed to allow full scale testing of self-driving trucks and vehicles, but Minister Schultz was positive about platooning and suggested that the Netherlands should take a leading role. "Self-propelled vehicles offer great opportunities to make our mobility easier, safer and cleaner, it is important that we learn by doing. She called on manufacturers, research institutes and governments to consult with each other to promote the development of self-propelled vehicles in Europe.

Location Based Systems

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Transport ministers hold back progress on lorry safety
    June 6, 2014
    EU member states have dealt a blow to plans to allow lorry makers to sell safer vehicles. Transport ministers meeting today agreed that European Commission proposals to enable, not require, manufacturers to make changes to lorry cabs that improve visibility and reduce the impact of crashes on other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists should be subject to an eight-year delay. The position of transport ministers is at odds with the European Parliament, which said in April that safer cab designs should be pe
    Read More
  • Need for secure approach to connected vehicle technology
    January 7, 2013
    Accidental or malicious issue of false messages to connected vehicles could result in dire consequences, so secure systems of authentication and certification are likely to be necessary, write Paul Avery and Sandra Dykes. Connectivity among vehicles in urban traffic systems will provide opportunity for beneficial impacts such as congestion reduction and greater safety. However, it also creates security risks with the potential for targeted disruption. Security algorithms, protocols and procedures must take
    Read More
  • Is the US economic stimulus programme working?
    January 30, 2012
    In this third installment in a series of articles exploring the impact of the US economic stimulus programme on the ITS industry, Pete Goldin reports on the ongoing debate in Congress about American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. A debate continues to rage in the US Congress and in the media about the effectiveness of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), and especially the timeliness of the ARRA payments. Some of the arguments seem somewhat partisan in origin while others point out fla
    Read More
  • New York State Thruway AET begins operations
    May 12, 2016
    The Kapsch TrafficCom all-electronic toll (AET) system at the Tappan Zee Bridge went live and began collecting toll revenue on 24 April in South Nyack, on the 570-mile New York State Thruway. Kapsch installed this multi-lane free-flow AET system for the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA), which operates and manages the bridge, over the winter after the system successfully passed a series of commissioning and integration tests. The on-schedule opening of these tolled, cashless traffic lanes elimi
    Read More

Highlighted Content