Scania to create world-first autonomous truck fleet project
Truckmaker Scania will create the world's first full-scale autonomous truck platoon operation, using its own autonomous driving software. The four-truck platoon will transport containers from port to port in Singapore, travelling autonomously in convoy formation for the ease of unloading cargo. The project is supported by the Ministry of Transport and the Port of Singapore Authority, as well as automaker Toyota. In the first phase of the trial, the platoon technology will be adapted to local conditions, with the second phase involving local trials and further tech development.

The multi-year project is organized by the Ministry of Transport and the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA Corporation). Toyota is also participating in this project.

Scania will design the world’s first full-scale autonomous truck platooning operations, based on its own advanced technology. The platoon will traffic public roads while transporting containers between port terminals in Singapore. The aim is to organize convoys of four trucks—with the following three trucks behind the lead truck autonomously driven, as well as to fully automate the processes for precise docking and undocking of cargo.

The truck platooning trials will take place in two phases. The first phase will focus on designing, testing and refining the truck platooning technology to adapt to local conditions. These will be conducted by Scania and Toyota at their respective research centers in Sweden and Japan, to leverage their existing development work. The second phase will consist of local trials and development of the technology in Singapore.

Scania has recently been engaged as the lead partner in the €5.4-million European research project COMPANION (Cooperative Mobility Solution for Supervised Platooning), which has developed systems for implementing truck platooning technology on roads.

Scania is currently working on enhancing wireless communication between heavy vehicles, which will allow the distances between vehicles to be safely reduced, reducing drag and lowering fuel consumption. To this end, Scania has teamed up with Ericsson, a world leader in communications technology, which will contribute its expertise in 5G technology as well as in software and services, to enable new forms of mobility.

Autonomous vehicles and platooning are cornerstones of future sustainable transport systems. This is a great opportunity to demonstrate our leadership and technology in this new exciting area. We are pioneering in this field, which has the potential not only to save lives in traffic, but also to significantly decrease the environmental impact of transport. —Claes Erixon, Head of Research and Development at Scania

The Government of Singapore is in the forefront of new autonomous vehicle technology. Singapore has tested autonomous cars, taxis, utility vehicles and buses, and is now adding trials of truck platooning concepts. Truck platoons have already shown the potential to achieve major fuel savings as well as contribute to increased road safety.

Trucking as we know it today is a highly labor-intensive industry. We face a shortage of truck drivers. In this regard, truck platooning technology presents us with an opportunity to boost productivity in both the port sector and the trucking industry. It will also open up opportunities for truck drivers to take on higher-skilled roles as fleet operators and managers. —Pang Kin Keong, Permanent Secretary for Transport and Chairman of the Committee on Autonomous Road Transport in Singapore ( CARTS

With the vehicle population in Singapore approaching one million, the initiative seeks to address the increasing travel demand and land constraints; 12% of Singapore’s total land is used for road and land transport infrastructure. Additionally, it faces a shortage of drivers.

It has therefore established Singapore as a “living laboratory” for new vehicle concepts that will increase productivity, road safety, optimize road capacity and enable new mobility concepts.