Driverless big-rig 'platoons' proposed for US

Tesla Motors is lobbying the US State of Nevada to allow it to test its new range of long-range pure-electric trucks, says a new report from Reuters.

According to the newswire, emails between the US car-maker and the Nevada Department for Motor Vehicles suggest the vehicles being developed have been designed to move in 'platoons', automatically following the lead vehicle.

It was more than a year ago that Tesla announced it would produce a heavy goods vehicle powered by its pure-electric powertrain technology.

Elon Musk, Tesla's owner, then tweeted last April that a prototype of the vehicle it was developing would be unveiled in September.

The truck is now claimed to be close to beginning tests on real roads, and a similar request to the State of California has also been made.

It's not just Tesla that is considering self-driving trucks. Uber and US-based Waymo is also known to be developing their own tech, while autonomous software maker Otto has already teamed up with beer brand Budweiser to show it is feasible, completing a 200km trip without any involvement from its human occupant.

The concept of platooning, where one vehicle closely follows another, is thought to be one of the cost-effective methods of road transport, as only one human occupant is necessary to monitor the lead vehicle.

According to the email seen by Reuters, Tesla has asked the Nevada government permission to test two prototype vehicles.

Controversially, the US car-maker has not only declared it wants to test platooning, but has asked state officials if it can test its autonomous driving mode without any human occupant on board.

Tesla has declined to comment on the leaked emails.

Many haulage industry analysts and battery experts are sceptical about the feasibility of introducing pure-electric trucks for long-distance transport of goods.

The biggest drawback of heavy EVs is that the huge batteries needed for long-range driving significantly reduce the weight of the load that can be towed.

However, Nikola Motor Company claims it has already taken $3 billion worth of orders for its zero-emission semi-trailer.

Nikola is taking refundable $US1500 ($A1900) deposits for its new zero-emissions semi-trailer, the Nikola One (pictured), which incorporates a fully-electric drivetrain powered by lithium-ion batteries and a hydrogen fuel-cell.

It produces more than 1000hp (745kW) and more than 2700Nm of torque, and is claimed to have a zero-emissions range of between 800 and 1200 miles (1285-1930km).

Nikola has just released new renderings and details of the truck’s interior, which includes a 21-inch central touch-screen that provides access to most of the vehicle’s functions, such as battery charge and range, navigation, wheel torque and other vehicle data.

It also manages freight movement details and advises drivers of hydrogen refilling stations and service centres on their route. Owners will receive unlimited hydrogen fuel and scheduled maintenance as part of the Nikola One’s 72-month leasing term.

First images of the Nikola One’s advanced but somewhat Spartan interior show it will feature a spacious ‘dog box’ sleeping quarters with two bunk-beds and a small bedside tablet to control air-conditioning, LED ambient lighting and other cabin functions via a WiFi connection.

Of course, none of this would be required in a world of fully autonomous, electric-powered freight trucks.