The announcement comes on the back of news earlier this week that Volvo is one of six manufacturers participating in the challenge (see link below).
Volvo’s vehicles – three FH trucks and trailers – will travel from Gothenburg to the final destination of Rotterdam, passing through Denmark, Germany and Belgium.
To coincide with the trucks’ departure, Volvo is holding a seminar in Gothenburg – in conjunction with the Swedish Transport Administration and the City of Gothenburg – to promote the potential benefits of platooning and autonomous driving.
A similar seminar will be arranged by Volvo Trucks in Brussels, on 5 April, before the vehicles arrive in Rotterdam the following day.
Using wireless technology, the trucks can drive with about a one-second gap between the vehicles in a platoon – improving aerodynamics and therefore fuel efficiency – and the trucks communicate automatically on speed and braking.
“Essentially, this means that the reaction time for braking is reduced to zero, which in turn improves safety and minimises the ‘accordion effect’ in connection with traffic congestion,” says Anders Kellström, Volvo’s project manager for the EU Truck Platooning Challenge.
The Netherlands has initiated the European Truck Platooning Challenge to discuss and highlight the changes required in European transportation legislation to facilitate the introduction of platooning.