Using connected vehicle and automated driving technologies, platooning facilitates tight convoys of digitally-linked trucks, with exciting potential to improve safety and fuel efficiency, and take trucking closer to automated driving. In 2019, the industry has taken time to rethink the potential of platooning following Daimler’s announcement that its North American trials had not delivered expected real-world efficiency gains, and that the company would focus instead on high level automation.
Platooning technology developers such as Peloton of course remain bullish about its potential, and pan-industry research projects continue. ENSEMBLE, a European truck industry consortium, is midway through its three-year R&D programme and hopes in particular to demonstrate multi-brand truck convoys, one of platooning’s many challenges.
Truck makers, suppliers and fleets need to think hard about what they want from platooning; many of the benefits can be achieved with other technologies that are often less expensive, or already in use. Platooning technology has its benefits, but its ultimate deployment may be different from what had originally been envisaged.
Automotive World’s report on the status of platooning includes interviews with and insight from the leading players in platooning. Readers will learn how truck makers and suppliers see the technology, and what fleet operators and transportation groups think of it.
In this report:
- Executive summary
- Truck industry takes a long hard look at platooning
- Identity crisis: does platooning have a single stand-out strength?
- Platooning should complement automation, not define it, say truck makers
- Interview: Josh Switkes, Chief Executive, Peloton Technology
- Two more years: EU trucking stakeholders assess platooning benefits
- Trucking organisations in close alignment on platooning issues
- Has fleet interest in platooning stalled?
- Truck platooning reliant on 'bulletproof' autonomous drive tech
- Platooning has great potential—so what's holding it back?
- Decision time: what does the truck industry want from platooning?
‘Special report: Platooning in the truck industry’ provides insight from a range of automotive industry stakeholders, including:
- ACT Research
- American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI)
- DB Schenker
- European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA)
- International Road Transport Union (IRU)
- McKinsey
- Navigant Research
- Nordic Logistics Association
- North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE)
- Peloton
- Ricardo
- Roland Berger
- Scania
