Russian autonomous trucks are leaving for the highway

“On Wednesday, June 14, a column of KamAZ autonomous trucks will appear on the Moscow-Petersburg highway. They will transport goods from St. Petersburg to Moscow. The authorities reassure that a driver will be present in the cabin (but not behind the wheel) of each truck.

The Russian Ministry of Transport announced that unmanned KamAZs will be launched on June 14 along the M-11 Neva highway. “As part of the Unmanned Logistics Corridors project, unmanned KamAZ trucks will transport commercial cargo from St. Petersburg to Moscow on June 14. The largest carriers of Russia are participating in the project: PEK, Globaltruck, Gazprom-neft Snabzenhe.

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The development of unmanned cargo delivery in Russia is part of the so-called experimental legal regime. It says that on the M-11 highway it is allowed to operate unmanned vehicles that have been tested in the laboratory of the state-owned enterprise "Nami" for compliance with safety requirements and which the Russian Interior Ministry has registered as unmanned. So far, only KamAZ vehicles meet all the criteria. Russian officials assure that soon the unmanned vehicles of another domestic developer, Sbierawtotech, whose equipment has also been certified by Nami, should also be on the road. A number of other companies that have not yet passed certification are engaged in the creation of similar vehicles, Russian authorities assure.

The Kremlin assures that it will support Russian companies that develop such technologies "without using budgetary funds." What this support would look like if not with public money - Russian officials do not explain. "Kommersant" recalls that earlier the authorities reported that for now it is about the transport of the so-called. the fourth level of autonomy: the driver will be present in the vehicle cabin. At the moment, KamAZ has already produced two unmanned trucks: KamAZ-54901 and KamAZ-54907. They were tested at the end of December 2022.”