The “Autonomous Innovation in Terminal Operations” (ANITA1) lasted three years, culminating in a six-month test in which a self-driving truck was put to work at a container terminal in Ulm, Baden-Württemberg.

A GreenPower ‘AV Star’ minibus, retrofitted with Perrone’s ‘TONY’ self-driving technology, will transport up to 14 passengers in normal operations across the airport.

The first project, beginning this year, will take place at a mine in Garpenberg, Sweden.

The exhibition, which took place from the 6th to the 7th of September, attracted over 150 exhibitors involved in low-carbon mobility. The exhibition had a small collection of companies dedicated to the commercial vehicle market sector.

Speaking with Deniz Cetin, Chief Commercial Officer at Karsan Automotive & Board Member at Group Companies at Cenex (2023), T&BB was informed that Karsan has bid on autonomous electric bus contracts (tenders) in Spain, Israel, Qatar and Canada. Deniz confirmed that Karsan recently delivered an autonomous bus to Istanbul which comes off the back of two successful autonomous bus trials in Norway and the USA.

The Satellite Technical Centre is to focus on end-to-end software, system engineering, electronics, and mechanical engineering, addressing core market trends in electrification, autonomous driving, and reinvention of interior equipment, notably lighting systems.

The vehicle presented at the show was a first demonstrator, but Schaeffler and VDL have plans to produce more, with the aim of commencing customer pilots in Germany in 2025.

There are now seven autonomous FH trucks operating at the site, managed remotely via a touch screen in the wheel loader. 

Corinne Aaron has been appointed as the new Chief Marketing Officer taking over from Linnéa Kornehed Falck, who will be focusing on her new role as Deputy CEO and Executive Member of the Board. 

Why do tech startups tend to concentrate in certain countries and regions? Or, to put it another way, why are some places more favourable to the growth of new companies than others? These are questions that bear greater relevance to the commercial vehicle industry today, as manufacturers search for partners to work with on the digital technologies which will make our trucks and buses smarter and more connected.

This product announcement follows on from a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for long-term collaboration signed in January 2022 to develop autonomous vehicles.

The two companies are working together to launch trials of Plus’s Level 4 autonomous Iveco trucks, together with “smart road infrastructure”, in the Australian state of Victoria.