From light-duty to heavy-duty to off-road applications, there is tremendous excitement and development for the autonomous, self-driving vehicle. The ability to achieve greater efficiency, fuel economy, cost reduction, and increased safety grows by leaps and bounds with advanced automation systems proving more reliable and eliminating the risk of human error. In turn, drivers are freed up to increase productivity on other tasks while “behind” the wheel. As the next era of fleet efficiency, driverless vehicles take current external-facing efficiency measures full circle by bringing internal factors under greater control with advanced vehicle-to-vehicle synchronization.
The reality of widespread deployments may be closer at hand than we think, with many major OEMs on the light-duty side promising fully autonomous passenger vehicles within the next few years. Tesla, Mercedes, Nissan, Ford, and GM among other OEMs are charging ahead with self-driving concept cars and luxurious, futuristic prototypes, with Google taking the lead in driverless consumer vehicle field research and testing. Technological trials demonstrate undeniable safety precision with reaction times that can be a fraction of a second.
Keeping pace on the heavy-duty trucking side, the past few months have shown no shortage of pilot programs and “super” or “future” truck unveilings at all of the major auto shows across the nation. From Peloton’s piloting of fleet platooning seeing considerable fuel consumption reduction to Daimler’s Future Truck promising increased traffic flow and operational savings, Volvo’s commitment to testing fleet platooning, and Peterbilt’s automated concept truck, leading manufacturers display a firm stance on the promise of intelligent, autonomous vehicles.
While the on-highway environment presents a host of regulatory and safety issues that extend well beyond technological considerations, we see an opportunity for bypassing some of these complex regulatory issues in the off-road market. As a prime example in the off-road, high-horsepower sector, Caterpillar last month reported on the successful operation of fully autonomous mine trucks at one of its Western Australia sites. Elsewhere in the off-road sector, autonomous vehicles are becoming increasingly utilized in warehousing, distribution facilities, and container port terminals.
Breakthroughs such as these offer a rousing glimpse into the future of transportation where autonomous vehicles and wireless platooning could become increasingly commonplace on American roads and highways within the next five years for light-duty cars and likely 10 years for heavy-duty trucks.
Though advancements with self-driving vehicles are no doubt exciting, serious questions persist at the state and federal level about how to define and regulate autonomous driving legally. A number of states are working to advance regulations, though currently only California, Nevada, Michigan, Florida, and Washington, D.C., have defined how autonomous vehicles can be tested within their borders. Swift legislative action is needed to advance the technology and operation of autonomous commercial vehicles for more efficient goods movement across the country.
With much regulatory uncertainty amid rapid advancements for autonomous vehicles and platooning, I encourage you to attend the annual Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo to keep apprised of the latest developments with self-driving vehicles. As a number of states begin solidifying regulations and deployments, fleet operators can stay in the know by tuning in to ACT Expo as these advanced technology prototypes become reality.
Erik Neandross is CEO of Gladstein, Neandross & Associates (GNA), the clean transportation and energy consulting firm that organizes the Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo. Learn more at www.gladstein.org and www.actexpo.com.
