In Germany, a driverless autonomous truck has begun making deliveries on public roads between Lidl’s logistics center and stores. The 4-month demonstration will involve a vehicle carrying the equivalent of 15 European-standard pallets and making up to 3 trips per day.
A demonstration of freight deliveries by a driverless autonomous truck has begun between Lidl’s logistics center in Edermünde, near Kassel in central Germany, and surrounding stores. This marks the first demonstration to be conducted on public roads.
No one rides in the vehicle. Instead, personnel support its operation remotely from outside the vehicle, while the vehicle’s own autonomous-driving system handles the driving. The operation is equivalent to Level 4, and the vehicle is designed on the premise of autonomous operation, with no driver’s seat at the front.
The vehicle has capacity for 15 European-standard pallets. The demonstration is expected to involve up to 3 deliveries per day over a 4-month trial period, during which more than 3,000 pallets’ worth of goods are expected to be delivered.