Daimler Truck North America has just unveiled its first demonstrator electric semi-truck featuring autonomous driving technology on Wednesday.
Partnership with Torc Robotics
According to the press release, Daimler partnered with Torc Robotics to gain access to its autonomous driving technology. For context, Torc Robotics is an independent autonomous virtual driver tech unit under Daimler Truck.
Daimler utilized a production electric Freightliner eCascadia to develop its autonomous electric semi-truck technology demonstrator. It features Torc Robotics’ autonomous driving software, the latest Level 4 sensor, and compute technology to gradually support Level 4 autonomous driving.
Current standards consider Level 4 as fully autonomous. Therefore, the driver can rely on the electric semi-truck to do most of the driving. Nonetheless, the driver must still be present to take over when necessary.
Daimler merges autonomous driving with electric powertrain
Daimler officially kicked off the production of the electric Class 8 Freightliner eCascadia in 2022. So far, it has deployed the electric semi-truck in over 55 fleets in the United States.
The Freightliner eCascadia features the company’s Detroit ePowertrain. It offers various battery and drive axle configurations ranging from 155, 220, or 230 miles. Its battery also supports fast charging to 80% in just 90 minutes.
Daimler equipped the eCascadia’s compact day cab configuration with an autonomous sensor suite and computer power.
The engineering team has also designed an innovative prototype air-cooling tech for the compute stack between the driver and passenger seats.
The autonomous system offers control interfaces and feedback on vehicle status. The engineering team placed the cameras, lidar, and radar sensors above the windscreen. Meanwhile, its internally developed sensor bar cover avoids wear and soiling. It also has four extra 12-volt batteries offer sufficient energy to ensure continuous operation and increased efficiency and safety.
Primary objective
Daimler primarily aims to transform this research and engineering project into a modular, scalable platform to support a wide range of trucking applications.
The electric truck maker seeks to provide its customers with bespoke solutions depending on their needs.
“By combining zero-emission and autonomous technologies in one product, we are testing solutions for challenges our customers are likely to face in the future.
We want to give them choices that allow them to do what they do best: keep the world moving today and well into the future. That takes a lot of foresight, questioning, testing, learning, improving, and co-creating with our customers years in advance to ultimately find the right solution. This truck is a great example of the beginning of that development process.”
John O’Leary, president, and CEO of Daimler Truck North America
Daimler implies plans to deploy the autonomous eCascadia on shorter, repeatable routes. It has started the pilot program of the new autonomous electric semi-truck demonstrator between freight centers along US highway corridors.
