Iveco and Plus announced that the Iveco S-Way truck equipped with PlusDrive has begun testing and validation trials on public roadways in Germany.

PlusDrive is Plus’ enhanced, Level 2 autonomous driver-assist solution based on its open autonomy platform.

The public road evaluation trials follow what Plus called a “rigorous testing and validation process,” including extensive closed-course testing, validation of previously collected public road data, and in-depth training for the test drivers on the advanced safety features of the truck.

In addition, TÜV SÜD, an independent testing, inspection and certification company in Europe, tested the functional safety of the safety concept for public road testing. The collection of real-world data during this phase of public road testing will prepare the driver-in automated truck for future industrialization, Plus said.

“By making trucking safer, easier, and more sustainable, the new generation of powerful AI-based predictive safety technology like PlusDrive can help reduce the risk of accidents, improve fuel economy, enhance driver retention and ease truck driver shortage across Europe,” said Marco Liccardo, chief technology and digital officer, Iveco Group.

A Helping Hand for Drivers

According to Plus, its autonomous technology features state-of-the art, AI-based autonomous driving software and advanced sensors including lidars, radars, and cameras. All of these systems work in coordination to provide drivers with additional awareness of the vehicle’s surroundings in traffic.

Public road testing will continue in Germany over the next several months and expand to Austria, France, Italy, and Switzerland so real-world data can be collected from the diverse roadways and driving conditions across the region.

Shawn Kerrigan, COO and co-founder at Plus, noted that "some of the world’s largest fleets already use PlusDrive to deliver commercial freight. The sooner we can make this commercial product available to more fleets, the bigger impact we can have.”

Plus said the testing will also demonstrate that PlusDrive can safely and automatically handle driver-supervised maneuvers, including lane centering, cut-ins, lane merges, driver-initiated or system-suggested lane changes, traffic jam assist, and nudging.