The cost of a driverless truck is 2.5 times higher than that of a standard truck
The tightening of regulations to reduce carbon emissions and the active development of driverless transport are forcing logistics companies to think seriously about modernizing their fleets toward more environmentally friendly options. However, despite all the benefits and the need for such a transition, the carrier is faced with a very real and difficult task – the cost of a driverless truck exceeds the price of an ordinary truck. And this factor is forcing many operators to delay the transition to green technology.
Analysts have calculated that a carrier will need about 18 million rubles to purchase a driverless electric truck. This figure is 2.5 times higher than the amount needed to buy a new conventional truck. Such a long-distance truck costs about 8 million rubles. Apart from the expenses for the purchase of the vehicle, companies will face additional expenses such as insurance, maintenance and others. Besides, an autonomous truck needs a test driver, whose salary is 20-30% higher than that of an ordinary driver. And the law requires that the test pilot be in the cockpit while the driver is driving the vehicle.
It is worth pointing out the fact that in Russia, not a single long-distance autonomous truck has yet received permission to drive on public roads. Such a conclusion is issued by the NAMI laboratory. However, several promising projects are now at the testing stage, and it is quite possible that in the near future they will be able to fully travel across the country.
To prepare a driverless truck for transport duties, it must go through two stages. The first is to develop an autonomous vehicle from scratch. The second stage is to provide it with the necessary hardware that will automate the movement. This includes specific software that collects data from the many sensors and cameras on the truck, and then analyzes them and plots the optimal path and behavior on the road. A prerequisite for such transport is the presence of an electric power steering, which will control the onboard computer. The cost of such a model is 7 million rubles on average, and if the truck is equipped with lidars, advanced optical sensors and other innovations, its price rises to 10 million rubles. One should also take into account the moments of collecting and storing data as the vehicle moves, as well as synchronization into the road infrastructure.
According to forecasts, by 2030 driverless trucks will be able to move at a speed of 75 km/h, now this figure is 60 km/h. With such figures and taking into account the cost, it is not profitable for carriers to switch to autonomous vehicles yet.
