Instead of betting the farm on fully self-driving trucks from the jump, Chinese equipment and heavy truck brand SANY is putting a seasoned driver in a lead vehicle with as many as four autonomous heavy trucks programmed to follow his lead.
Co-developed by SANY and Pony.ai to support smart-port and drayage operations, SANY calls its 4th generation human + AI solution “platooning,” and says that the human-led convoy approach can help ease regulatory concerns while, at the same time, helping to smooth out edge cases in traffic while still enjoying the cost benefits of automation.
Those cost benefits can be substantial. Based on estimations from its initial pilots, SANY says the “1+4” platooning solution can reduce per-kilometer freight costs by 29% and increase a fleet’s operating profit by as much as 195%.
“Mass production of the fourth-generation autonomous truck marks another milestone in SANY’s Digitalization and decarbonization strategy. Our industry-leading fully redundant drive-by-wire chassis provides a reliable hardware foundation for autonomous driving. Through deep collaboration with Pony.ai, we are accelerating the scaled adoption of intelligent logistics equipment and delivering unprecedented gains in operational efficiency.”
SANY believes the mass production of its fourth-generation autonomous electric semi truck will drive the shift from limited demonstration operations and pilot programs to large-scale commercial deployments – a move that can help alleviate global operator shortages and accelerate broader fleet electrification efforts globally.
Big deal
The electric SANY Super Electric tractors used in the Pony.ai pilot sport a 437 kWh battery pack (swappable, of course) along with advanced regenerative braking and a suite of radar and camera sensors driving the autonomous functions. That means that, in addition to labor and fuel cost savings, each platooning electric vehicle is expected to reduce annual carbon emissions by as much as 60 tons compared to diesel, setting a new standard for low-cost, low-carbon operations in the logistics industry.
The real issue now, then, is what to call this tech. Is it Level 3? Level 4? It’s not quite fully self-driving, but it seems a step or tow ahead of FSD Supervised, which still requires a steady hand and alert head at the wheel at all times. What do you guys think? Mull it over a bit, then let us know in the comments.
SOURCE | IMAGES: SANY, via PR Newswire.
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