Highly Automated Freight Transports

Purpose and goal

The Highly Automated Freight Transports project will conduct research on the core vehicle technologies needed to realize automated road freight transports (SAE level 4) on public roads. The project will identify the needs for physical and digital road infrastructure to enable safe, productive and automated road freight transports. Current laws and regulations limiting automated freight transports will be analyzed and needs for adjustments will be identified.

Expected results and effects

The project results will include regional knowledge build-up of highway automation of long haul, including building a network of business partners needed to go from research to a viable product. The ambition is to make a feasibility study of highly automated freight transport for commercial vehicles, including long haul, with verification and validation in an authentic logistics supply chain. The end result is to achieve a viable option where automation improves vehicle productivity.

Planned approach and implementation

The project will perform research based on previous research results as well as vehicle data collected in the project through a fleet operator transporting containers on public roads going from the Gothenburg Harbor to a logistic hub in Viared, outside of Borås. The research results will be validated in simulator environments, at the Asta Zero test track and partly on public roads. Highly automated road freight transports (SAE level 4) will be validated on test track.