Skip to main content

A trio of autonomous Mercedes big rigs is hitting the road in Europe

Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler is sending a convoy of three autonomous big rigs from its headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, to Rotterdam, Holland, as part of the European Union-sponsored European Truck Platooning Challenge of 2016.

Based on the series-produced Actros model, the three trucks are equipped with Mercedes’ Highway Pilot Connect software, which relies on vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) technology to let the rigs travel in what Daimler calls a platoon. Data about the road ahead gathered by the lead truck is constantly transferred to the two other trucks via a Wi-Fi connection, so each vehicle knows precisely when to accelerate, when to brake, and when to turn without requiring any human input. However, the driver must remain alert and focused on the road ahead.

Recommended Videos

The trucks in the platoon follow each other in 50-foot intervals, which boosts gas mileage by up to ten percent by reducing drag. CO2 emissions are also slashed by ten percent. More efficient trucks are good for the environment, and they’re beneficial for companies that make a living by transporting goods.

Mercedes-Benz Actros
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The three-truck platoon takes up markedly less space on the road than a trio of trucks driving independently. Mercedes explains that platooning makes roads safer, too, because the lead vehicle sends data to the trucks following it in as little as 0.1 seconds. In comparison, the average human driver takes 1.4 seconds to react to an emergency situation. A loaded truck needs a lot more space to come to a full stop than does the average passenger car, so Highway Pilot Connect has the potential to dramatically reduce the number of rear-end collisions that occur when a truck driver unexpectedly comes up on a traffic jam.

If everything goes according to plan, Mercedes’ autonomous convoy will arrive in Rotterdam on April 6. A timeframe for when the first fully autonomous commercial big rig will go on sale hasn’t been provided yet, but Mercedes firmly believes the self-driving truck will play a sizable role in the future of the transportation industry.

Ronan Glon
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan gets new face, bigger battery
2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan front-quarter view.

The Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan arrived during the 2022 model year as the flagship of Mercedes' EV fleet. But now that it's been on sale for a few years, it's time for this flagship to get a refit so that it can stay competitive with other six-figure electric sedans like the BMW i7, Lucid Air, and Tesla Model S. The updated EQS sedan is scheduled to reach dealerships later this year as a 2025 model.

One of the most controversial features of the EQS has been its unorthodox streamlined shape, which makes the EQS one of the most aerodynamic sedans around, but also means it doesn't look much like a traditional Mercedes. For 2025, the EQS takes a step closer to that traditional look with a new grille featuring chrome bars like on the Mercedes S-Class. It also sports the brand's trademark hood ornament.

Read more
Mercedes to trial humanoid robots for ‘low-skill, repetitive, demanding’ jobs
Apptronik's Apollo robot at work in an auto plant.

Humanoid robots have been coming on leaps and bounds in recent years, and some major companies are starting to take note.

Mercedes-Benz, for example, has just entered into an agreement with Texas-based robotics specialist Apptronik to collaborate on identifying applications for highly advanced robots that the auto giant could deploy. The deal will involve a trial that will see Apptronik's Apollo humanoid robot work alongside Mercedes' human workers on the factory floor.

Read more
Mercedes’ electric eSprinter isn’t just greener, it’s better
Front three quarter view of a 2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter electric van.

While best known for luxury cars, Mercedes-Benz is also a prolific maker of commercial vans. Since it first arrived in the U.S. in 2001, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has become a favorite of both delivery fleets and camping enthusiasts. And with Mercedes kicking its electrification plans into high gear, we’re finally getting an all-electric Sprinter van.

The 2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter is an updated version of a model Mercedes was already selling in Europe but was considered unsuitable for the U.S. because of its limited driving range. The updated eSprinter addresses that with a bigger battery pack and features a reengineered electric motor and other components that allow it to be built more easily alongside conventional vans. That’s happening at Mercedes’ factory in North Charleston, South Carolina, which will begin supplying electric vans to customers in the U.S. later this year.

Read more