[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/13413\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESelf-driving trucks: en route to transform Europe\u2019s freight sector\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the not-so-distant future, unusual looking cargo vehicles \u2013 sporting large black windscreens and with no human driver behind the wheel \u2013 could become a common sight on European roads.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese are automated long-haul trucks, key players in the future of Europe\u2019s freight sector. EU-funded researchers are working hard to make their roll-out as smooth as possible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESelf-driving vehicles are no longer a novelty. Small autonomous buses around airports, autonomous metro lines or monorails, and even driverless passenger cars have all become more common in recent years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, self-driving trucks are still mostly in the testing phase. They are big and heavy and need to move quickly to deliver goods on public roads, so researchers are carefully gauging their progress.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of those testing the new trucks is Dr Ragnhild Wahl, director for research and innovation at ITS Norway. She is coordinating an EU-funded research initiative named MODI, which aims to improve Europe\u2019s logistics sector through increased automation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis project is about providing a stepping stone to the full-scale deployment of fleets of automated vehicles,\u201d she explained. The main aim is to create and test a system that will allow us to have self-driving trucks transporting goods around Europe.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EEnsuring safe rollout\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ultimate goal of the freight sector\u2019s modernisation is to reach so-called \u201cLevel 4\u201d automation, where vehicles drive within predefined geographical areas without the need for humans on board.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese trucks will be able to drive continuously without breaks, extending driving hours and improving logistics efficiency. They will use sensors, radars, cameras and advanced AI algorithms for decision-making and vehicle control.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere will also be command centres with remote operators who oversee operations round the clock. But to have automated trucks on the roads, the researchers need to make sure there are no surprises.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are working to identify and lower barriers to automation,\u201d Wahl said. Her international research team is developing so-called cooperative, connected and automated mobility (CCAM) solutions in real logistics operations on the ground.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe EU is a global leader in CCAM research and is promoting it as the best way to modernise the transport sector, with MODI as one of the flagship initiatives.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlong with greening and digitalising transport, automation could also help tackle the growing shortage of truck drivers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EWe believe that autonomous technology has the potential to make transport safer than ever before.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EPia Wijk, MODI\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecent figures show that an increasing number of truck driver vacancies remain unfilled across Europe. The International Road Transport Union predicts that by 2028, Europe could be short of 745 000 truck drivers \u2013 17% of the total required workforce.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u2019s a severe shortage of drivers and it\u2019s only going to get worse in the coming years,\u201d said Pia Wijk, a project manager at Einride, a Swedish freight technology company specialising in electric and autonomous vehicles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWijk also works as part of the MODI research team, which brings together experts from 36 public and private organisations, such as the Volvo Technology AB and DAF Trucks, based in seven EU countries, plus Norway.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EGreener and more efficient delivery of goods\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the centre of their efforts are self-driving trucks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese sleek, white, futuristic-looking vehicles have a darkened windscreen in the front, packed with cameras and sensors for additional safety.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEinride\u2019s autonomous technology, based on AI and precision sensors, analyses more than 5 million data points per second, allowing their driverless vehicles to navigate complex routes, accurately detect objects and anticipate braking distances.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWijk said autonomous vehicles could help reduce the number of road fatalities. This is in part thanks to accident-avoidance features and the reduced scope for human error.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-024-48526-4\u0022\u003Erecent study\u003C\/a\u003E published in Nature, scientists who analysed thousands of accident reports involving both autonomous vehicles and those with human drivers suggested that in most situations, autonomous vehicles are actually safer than humans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe believe that autonomous technology has the potential to make transport safer than ever before,\u201d Wijk said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2024, about 19 800 people lost their lives in road traffic accidents across the EU, according to European Commission data.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis represents a 3% decrease from the previous year, amid the EU\u2019s ongoing efforts to improve road safety. The objective is to halve the number of road deaths by 2030 and ultimately achieve zero fatalities by 2050, an ambition known as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/road-safety.transport.ec.europa.eu\/index_en\u0022\u003EVision Zero\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ETesting in complex, real-life environments\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe MODI research team are currently exploring how automated transport can be integrated into the logistics sector, with a focus on key transport corridors across Europe. In doing so, they are identifying a range of challenges that must be addressed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt is crucial to ensure that essential tasks accompanying any cargo journey \u2013 such as border crossings, documentation, refuelling, and loading or unloading \u2013 can still be carried out effectively in an automated transport environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy the time the project concludes in March 2026, the team will have conducted detailed impact assessments, compiled their findings, and developed business models to inform both companies and policymakers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMODI\u2019s primary focus is the 1\u0026nbsp;200-kilometre road corridor from Rotterdam in the Netherlands to Oslo in Norway. The researchers are assessing its infrastructure readiness for automated driving.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EFor the long-distance freight transport, automated trucks will need to travel at high speeds over hundreds of kilometres, so their rollout will have to be carefully planned.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EDr Ragnhild Wahl, MODI\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis route spans\u0026nbsp;four national borders\u0026nbsp;and, since\u0026nbsp;Norway is not part of the EU, it also involves navigating\u0026nbsp;customs and toll clearance between EU and non-EU territories.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMODI researchers are also testing technological solutions through four specific use cases in port areas along the corridor, each representing a different stage of the logistics supply chain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Rotterdam, they are studying how well autonomous vehicles operate in busy port environments with mixed traffic. In Hamburg (Germany), transitions between motorways and urban city roads are among the core elements.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Gothenburg (Sweden), the focus is on hub-to-hub challenges like automated charging, loading and unloading. Automated tolling will be tested while crossing the border to Norway.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Moss (Norway), they are testing communication between vehicles and infrastructure while driving on public roads.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EA driverless future on the horizon\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEinride is already using its autonomous vehicles in commercial operations in Europe, moving cargo between warehouses for one of Sweden\u2019s largest pharmacy e-retailers since December 2024. Their trucks use a public route, with a permit from the Swedish Transport Agency.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the short term, Wahl expects the easiest deployment to be over short distances and in controlled and confined environments, such as terminals and ports.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen it comes to heavy, long-haul trucks, however, progress will be slower. \u201cFor the long-distance freight transport, automated trucks will need to travel at high speeds over hundreds of kilometres, so their rollout will have to be carefully planned,\u201d Wahl said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPublic roads are tightly regulated, more complex and essential to communities, making the introduction of self-driving vehicles both a technological and societal challenge. Still, early signs are encouraging.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen we started working with automated vehicles in the 1990s, everyone was sceptical about them,\u201d Wahl said. \u201cNowadays, the social acceptance of self-driving minibuses is increasing, as we see in the use of robotaxi and small units moving slowly in controlled environments like airports.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELarger trucks will need more time and effort to win support and navigate regulatory hurdles. Still, thanks to EU-backed initiatives like MODI, that driverless future is edging ever closer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch in this article was funded by the EU\u2019s Horizon Programme. The views of the interviewees don\u2019t necessarily reflect those of the European Commission. If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-05ujy4owf46fooh7qsizsvwbe2tfjid2sxc7d6o0lrm\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-05UjY4owF46fooH7qsizsvwBE2TfJId2sXC7D6o0LRM\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]