Auto pilot: Self-driving Freightliner trucks to test on US roads

Daimler will be allowed to test fully autonomous trucks on public roads for the first time following a license granted by the US state of Nevada.

In what’s seen as a breakthrough for the car industry, the decision to allow testing could fast-forward the development of all self-driving vehicles by gathering valuable data from real-world conditions.

Explaining the reason for prioritising truck testing, Daimler board member Wolfgang Bernhard said it was an important move because autonomous trucks, not cars, are more likely to hit our roads first.

According to Bernard, trucks are more likely to be accepted because they operate in a “less complicated traffic environment”.

Daimler investment in the new self-driving technology could not only make our highways safer, says Bernard, but bring huge savings for haulage companies in wages and fuel.

"It makes the most sense to them," Bernard said. ”These guys have to make money."

Daimler is also working hard with other car- and truck-makers to introduce similar real-world autonomous testing in Europe -- but there’s no word yet on whether this will extend to Australia, where long distance journeys, without breaks, could be evaluated.

At the press briefing, Bernard announced fully autonomous trucks and cars could be on European roads as early as 2020.

"I think ... the regulatory environment can be done in the next five years," Bernhard said.

The challenges, according to the Daimler board member, will be meeting safety concerns and establishing who is liable should an accident occur in self-drive mode.

As well as Nevada, the US states of California, Arizona and Michigan have also shown interest in taking part in an autonomous driving trial.