Autonomous trucks3 The development of autonomous trucks is at a pivotal point, with extensive testing and early commercial deployments underway in the United States and China. These vehicles promise to transform logistics. The economic case for them is strong, driven by efficiency gains from 24/7 operations, lower total cost of ownership and their ability to resolve driver shortage problems. However, challenges remain before they can be widely adopted. These include ensuring the technology is reliable in all road conditions, securing funding to scale operations, navigating complex regulations and integrating the trucks into existing supply chains. Autonomous truck deployments on public roads can be categorized according to five distinct use cases, each at different stages of technological, regulatory and infrastructural readiness: 1. Long-haul hub-to-hub 2. Mid-distance hub-to-hub 3. Mid-distance point-to-point 4. Intra-city distribution 5. Operations in closed environments These use cases and their suitability for vehicle autonomy are described in Figure 6.For operations on public roads, the fixed routes of hub-to-hub operations are strong candidates for autonomous truck deployments. At the other end of the spectrum, intra-city distribution remains a far bigger challenge as the driver needs to take care of many related tasks, such as loading and unloading, that cannot be easily automated. The key difference between long-haul and mid-distance hub- to-hub use cases is the greater need for additional infrastructure, such as charging stations, in the former. If autonomous trucks continue using internal combustion engines, long-haul deployment could outpace mid-distance in the coming years. Closed-environment operations, such as those in construction sites, mines, farms or ports, are best suited to autonomous truck deployments because of their controlled conditions and repetitive tasks They are also less impacted by regulatory and ecosystem constraints. However, this white paper focuses on use cases on public roads, so this scenario is not considered further here. As shown by Figure 7, the US is expected to lead the adoption of autonomous vehicle deployments on public roads, particularly with regard to long-haul and mid-distance hub-to-hub routes. This leadership is driven by strong total cost of ownership (TCO) benefits and a pressing need to address driver shortages. These routes will experience the highest growth, with autonomous trucks expected to make up nearly 30% of new truck sales for mid-distance hub-to-hub routes by 2035, driven by fixed highway routes that enable autonomous driving.There is a clear business case for autonomous trucking. Autonomous trucking is more than an evolution - it creates a new value proposition, redefining how goods are transported across supply chains. Nils Jäger, President, Autonomous Solutions, Volvo Group 14 Autonomous Vehicles: Timeline and Roadmap Ahead

Autonomous Vehicles 2025