Transurban / Plus / Iveco: Autonomous Level-4 Truck Gains Momentum in Australia

The toll road operator Transurban and the US software company Plus have entered into a partnership. The goal is to advance Transurban's automated freight program and to leverage the resources and talents in Victoria, Australia's innovation center. The partnership builds on the success of Transurban's first test with self-driving trucks last year. It examines how Plus's autonomous Level 4 driving technology, in conjunction with an intelligent road infrastructure, can help make truck traffic in Australia safer, more efficient, and more sustainable.

Positive Aspects of Autonomous Trucks

In view of the forecasted steady increase in road freight traffic, self-driving trucks can transform the freight transport sector by transporting more goods faster and more sustainably, according to companies. This is also expected to have positive economic and social impacts for consumers, drivers, and governments, as traffic congestion is reduced and road safety is increased, while also contributing to addressing the truck driver shortage.

Since 2017, Transurban has successfully conducted 11 trials with fully and partially automated vehicles on highways in Australia and North America in collaboration with governments and the industry as part of its CAV test program (“Connected and Autonomous Vehicles”) to test their response to road infrastructure.

Successful Tests - also with Iveco

The successful trial by Transurban in 2022 was the first time that a highly automated self-driving truck was tested under real traffic conditions on public highways in Australia.

The partnership between Transurban and Plus will leverage Plus's software for autonomous driving and its global experience in commercial applications. This includes collaboration with the commercial vehicle manufacturer Iveco in the joint development of self-driving trucks in Europe. Highly automated trucks equipped with Plus's technology are already delivering freight for leading fleets in the USA and are being tested by IVECO on public roads in Germany.

AI on Board

Plus's software for autonomous driving utilizes recent advances in generative AI, machine learning, computer vision, and other algorithms to equip vehicles with superhuman perception and control. In conjunction with Lidar, radar, and camera sensors, Plus's software can accurately detect and track objects, predict their movements, and safely maneuver the vehicle.