"Limited self-driving trucks are not expected to reach series-production readiness before 2025. The technology is almost there, but legal hurdles have to be overcome", states Sebastian Gundermann, Partner in the Automotive Competence Center. > From a technical perspective, the main need for innovation is on the software side. Systems must orchestrate highly complex driving behaviors and have a fail-operational architecture that protects against technical failure and covers system malfunction. In addition, the per-unit costs need to be further reduced. > A new legal (end insurance) framework is required before any autonomous trucks can drive on public roads. Today, autonomous driving is prohibited by law. Key questions to be addressed by a revised legal framework are liability (OEMs, suppliers, drivers) and criteria to determine if the vehicle meets the required safety standards. The trend toward autonomous driving requires action from both OEMs and suppliers. Roles and responsibilities will be strongly influenced by the stage of automation. For OEMs, the main task now is to prepare technologically for automated trucks by further developing ADAS understanding on the vehicle and system level in-house. For suppliers, the future focus must encompass both technology (sensor and software development) and effective business models (for providing both complete systems and ADAS components only).
Smart Mobility Community for Standards and Practices
