HVS awarded share of £6.6m government funding to develop the world’s first self-driving hydrogen HGV
Summary
Accelerating towards the next generation of transportation and logistics, the Hub2Hub consortium will create a self-driving hydrogen HGV tractor unit, which will begin vehicle trials in 2024, with major UK retailer, ASDA, supporting end-user needs as strategic partners. It’s hoped that the cost savings an autonomous lorry could provide will speed up the adoption of zero-emissions vehicles by the freight sector, reducing the industry’s contribution to climate change. HVS, which laid out its plans to disrupt the haulage industry by revealing its game-changing hydrogen-electric powertrain technology demonstrator in November 2022, will receive £3.4m as one of seven grants being announced today from the CCAV and Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) programme. Through the integration of ground-breaking sensor technology within the vehicle consisting of an array of radars, LIDARs, cameras, and AI, it provides unprecedented operational safety without human intervention. In addition, onboard advanced automated drive systems can reduce energy and tyre emissions by optimising acceleration and braking at a far greater level than human ability.