Man, the German heavy vehicle manufacturer, has been testing self-driving trucks on the highway for a few days and today German Transport Minister Volker Wissing also took part in the experiment. This was reported by the Dpa agency. On the A9 north of Munich, the minister drove about ten kilometers in a computer-controlled articulated lorry from Allershausen to the Fürholzen-West service area, appearing enthusiastic. “Our goal is to become a leading market for automated and connected driving,” said Wissing. This could help manage increased freight traffic despite a growing driver shortage. With the law on autonomous driving, introduced by his predecessor Andreas Scheuer, Germany has "achieved a leading position in Europe". MAN developed the test vehicle together with suppliers Bosch, Knorr-Bremse, Leoni, Tuv Sud and other partners and tested it on its own company proving ground. With a special permit from the Federal Office of Motor Vehicles, the truck can now also operate on the motorway.
During the tests, the truck is constantly monitored remotely by employees of a control center and, if necessary, is driven and braked, as MAN spokesman Gregor Jentzsch points out. Furthermore, there is always a safety driver on hand, ready to intervene at any time. Manufacturers and suppliers hope to do big business with 'self-driving' trucks. Daimler Trucks has already been active in this field on highways in the USA for a year in pilot projects with customers, and plans to launch the new vehicles on the market in 2027, achieving three billion dollars in turnover and one billion in gross profits by 2030.