Blog Reuters: Tesla Planning Driverless Truck Platoons

With the all-electric Tesla Semi scheduled to debut next month, news has developed regarding a plan for the trucks to be part of a system of driverless “platoons.”

Reuters reported that the company is getting close enough to a prototype that it has discussed road tests with the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles and planned to meet with California officials. The article quoted California DMV spokeswoman Jessica Gonzalez who said a meeting planned for Wednesday was scheduled “to talk about Tesla’s efforts with autonomous trucks.”

Autonomous driving technology for long-haul trucking has received considerable attention from Silicon Valley, as it’s expected to be the first major market for the technology. Since long-haul trucks are generally on interstates traveling at consistent speeds with little cross-traffic, they are prime candidates for autonomy. Truck “platoons” could potentially eliminate the need for drivers by ordering the self-driving trucks into a close formation to follow a lead vehicle. Such a development would have a massive impact on the trucking industry and American job market.

So, it’s particularly interesting that Tesla is pushing to test driverless trucks.

In a letter obtained by Reuters, Tesla regulatory official Nasser Zamani wrote to Nevada DMV official April Sanborn: “To insure we are on the same page, our primary goal is the ability to operate our prototype test trucks in a continuous manner across the state line and within the States of Nevada and California in a platooning and/or Autonomous mode without having a person in the vehicle.”

Tesla and Musk have slipped a few details about the truck. Musk said to expect the “highest weight capability with long-range” and more torque than any diesel truck. He said the trucks will use Model 3 electric motors. Tesla has also released an abstract rendering of the truck.

At the Tesla’s 2017 Annual Shareholder Meeting in June, Musk hinted that there will be more to announce in September than an electric truck. “I really recommend showing up for the semi truck unveiling – maybe there’s a little more than what we are saying here,” Musk said.

Perhaps, Musk was teasing his platoon plan.

 

[lolachampcar]

You just had to have seen that coming.... Nevada to SV. Same (ish) roads day in and day out. Charge up all the packs before you load them and the truck can drive straight through. No need for all that height shown in the article artwork

 

[AceSkywalker]

Big changes coming with the advent of driverless trucks.

Anywhere from 3-5 million Americans are truck drivers, a respectable 1% of the entire population. A lion's share of those jobs are going to be gone within a single generation, as companies will see the tons of money they save every year having less humans on the payroll.

Autonomous trucking, like autonomous vehicles, will see a significant decrease in passenger & cargo for rail and aircraft. We could see rail companies and airlines mothballing their fleets, if not closing up shop altogether. Doesn't bode well for road traffic though. Oh well, no one will care when you're not driving.

 

[electracity]

You just had to have seen that coming.... Nevada to SV. Same (ish) roads day in and day out. Charge up all the packs before you load them and the truck can drive straight through. No need for all that height shown in the article artwork

Or they could just use freight trains.

 

[AceSkywalker]

Or they could just use freight trains.

That doesn't fit into Elon Musk's fixation with vertically integrating as much as possible.

 

[Barklikeadog]

Or they could just use freight trains.

Ironic as the railroads seriously cut the fat 25yrs ago and put huge numbers of trucks on the roads as a result. Now they only haul X number of products. Too expensive to do otherwise

 

[Economite]

Sharing the road with a platoon of trucks (eve if the front truck has a driver) would be massively difficult. Sometimes its hard enough to change lanes when all the traffic is normal vehicles. Imagine if one "vehicle" is effectively a few hundred feet long? That would effectively be a long, moving, wall. Bad Idea.

 

[electracity]

Ironic as the railroads seriously cut the fat 25yrs ago and put huge numbers of trucks on the roads as a result. Now they only haul X number of products. Too expensive to do otherwise

I was responding specifically about Tesla moving product from Sparks to Fremont. Presumably rail transport was part of the planning. That sort of transport is very labor and energy efficient.

 

[electracity]

Sharing the road with a platoon of trucks (eve if the front truck has a driver) would be massively difficult. Sometimes its hard enough to change lanes when all the traffic is normal vehicles. Imagine if one "vehicle" is effectively a few hundred feet long? That would effectively be a long, moving, wall. Bad Idea.

I believe the length limit in Australia is something like 55 meters. An automated platoon may leave gaps. These issues are what need to be figured out.

Labor savings from eliminating drivers are much more important than energy savings from drafting.

 

[Economite]

I don't think (at least during the initial years) that drafting would be the main goal of tight platooning. I think the main goal of tight platooning would be to keep the drone trucks immediately behind the truck with the driver. Once you start breaking up the convoy to let in cars, the element of human control over the platoon will be heavily degraded. I doubt drones that fall back would ever be able to fully catch back up, so essentially you just have a bunch of driverless trucks on the road. Quite a while before anyone will trust that.

 

[rrosenbl]

Ironic as the railroads seriously cut the fat 25yrs ago and put huge numbers of trucks on the roads as a result. Now they only haul X number of products. Too expensive to do otherwise

Electric Semis will be more energy efficient than trains, certainly less carbon emitting especially once GF-1 is covered in solar panels and can power the Sparks-Freemont run.

 

[AceSkywalker]

Electric Semis will be more energy efficient than trains, certainly less carbon emitting especially once GF-1 is covered in solar panels and can power the Sparks-Freemont run.

The advantage of the train is that they typically do not interfere with traffic patterns. Tesla dumping hundreds, if not thousands of semis onto the roads will do harm to traffic near their factories, and make their neighbors unhappy.

 

[rrosenbl]

I don't think (at least during the initial years) that drafting would be the main goal of tight platooning. I think the main goal of tight platooning would be to keep the drone trucks immediately behind the truck with the driver. Once you start breaking up the convoy to let in cars, the element of human control over the platoon will be heavily degraded. I doubt drones that fall back would ever be able to fully catch back up, so essentially you just have a bunch of driverless trucks on the road. Quite a while before anyone will trust that.

Daimler in Germany reported significant fuel savings on vehicle 2 & 3 when platooning, we covered it on the show earlier this year (don't have an efficient filing system for the stories we've covered). I recall a 15% savings.

 

[Economite]

Daimler in Germany reported significant fuel savings on vehicle 2 & 3 when platooning, we covered it on the show earlier this year (don't have an efficient filing system for the stories we've covered). I recall a 15% savings.

I don't doubt that. My point is that while platooning can help energy efficiency, it is probably absolutely necessary (except in the fairly far future) in order to eliminate drivers in vehicles 2 & 3.

But I think platooning will be intolerable to other drivers on the road.