Late last week, Daimler Trucks launched its autonomous vehicle control system, Highway Pilot, in Europe on a section of autobahn highway between Denkendorf and Stuttgart. Unlike the system’s North American debut, which featured a new truck model, the Inspiration, Daimler opted to introduce the European version of Highway Pilot in a current-model Mercedes-Benz Actros cabover tractor.
Daimler bills the new vehicle as the “world’s first series-production truck to operate on an automated basis drive on the motorway,” meaning the new truck is licensed for automated operation on German public roadways.
Daimler says the launch is a further important step toward the eventual market maturity of autonomous trucks.
Here are a few renderings produced by Daimler showing how the Actros operates:
