Autonomous driving trucks: an efficient future?

Unbeatable cost advantages

With the omission of drivers, an autonomous e-truck can also easily cover two to two-and-a-half times the driving distance. Even with loading and unloading operations, which for example in container transport could also be carried out autonomously, and the necessary (high-performance) charging, up to 20 hours of driving time per day can realistically be reached. At an average highway speed of 75 km/h, this means up to 1,500 kilometers per day or 340,000 kilometers per year easily, with weekends, public holidays and times for service and maintenance already taken into account. And last but not least, the use of autonomous trucks offers an approach to the driver shortage that is not only looming but already exists: In the UK, the shortage of professional drivers has already led to empty supermarket shelves. In Germany, for example, there is already a shortage of up to 80,000 drivers, according to the German Freight Transport Logistics and Disposal Association (Bundesverband Güterverkehr Logistik und Entsorgung BGL). Each year, moreover, around 30,000 truck drivers retire, while only between 13,000 and 17,000 people take up the driving profession. The driver shortage is consequently increasing, and autonomous vehicles can help to ensure supply chains in the future nonetheless.

When considering the possible mileage, another aspect plays an important role: autonomous driving eliminates the severe restrictions imposed by mandatory driving and rest times for human drivers. s This means that the current scenario of charging for 45 minutes during a driving beak, every four and a half hours, will be obsolete in the future: With autonomously driving trucks, the recharging stops can be planned more flexibly and optimized holistically. This will depend on the route, the condition of the vehicle or battery, and the existing infrastructure and energy prices. In concrete terms, this means that the long-haul truck can potentially recharge whenever electricity is available in abundance and therefore cheaply. This not only minimizes costs, but also relieves the strain on the grids. Unwanted power peaks, which occur frequently, especially with renewables - a lot of wind and a lot of sun but little demand at the same time - already bring stress to the system time and again.

In addition, human personnel will also be required less and less frequently during charging: Automated charging stations at which the vehicle only has to assume a predefined position are already being tested in practice. Robotic systems are being used for conductive fast charging with cables, preferably in the megawatt range. The idea of inductive charging suggests itself, but is not yet an issue due to the much lower efficiency or charging power.