Scania to Build Truck Platoon System for Singapore Port
Scania said it will design a full-scale autonomous truck platooning system to travel between port terminals in Singapore.
The platoon will use Scania’s own technology and convoys of four trucks — with the following three trucks behind the lead truck — will autonomously travel public roads while transporting containers, according to the European manufacturer.
The company also wants to fully automate the processes for docking and undocking cargo.
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“Autonomous vehicles and platooning are cornerstones of future sustainable transport systems,” Claes Erixon, head of research and development at Scania, said in a statement. “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.”
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.
Partnering with Toyota, the trials will be conducted by the two companies at their respective research centers in Sweden and Japan. The second phase will consist of local trials and development of the technology in Singapore.
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The city-state is looking into the technology in part to address a driver shortage as well as increasing travel demand and land constraints with a vehicle population of 1 million. Singapore has previously tested autonomous cars, taxis, utility vehicles and buses.
“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,” said Pang Kin Keong, permanent secretary for transport and chairman of the Committee on Autonomous Road Transport in Singapore.
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“Scania is well advanced in cutting edge autonomous technology as well as in platooning. Singapore has launched several autonomous vehicle initiatives and together we will now demonstrate how we can substantially enhance productivity in the Port of Singapore,” Mark Cameron, country manager, Scania Singapore, said in a statement.
