The new unit, whose founding will be effective June 1, will be tasked with comprising overall strategy and implementation of the automated driving roadmap, including research and development as well as setting up the required operations infrastructure and network as the truck maker inches toward series production of highly automated (SAE Level 4) trucks.
“We are the pioneer for automated trucks. With the formation of our global Autonomous Technology Group, we are taking the next step, underscoring the importance of highly automated driving for Daimler Trucks, the industry and society as well,” says Martin Daum, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Trucks and Buses.
Daum says the new unit will also maximize the effectiveness of the company’s automated driving efforts and the impact of the investments in this strategic technology.
“We will therefore be in the perfect position to put highly automated driving onto the roads, making transportation safer, saving lives and helping trucking companies boost their productivity,” he says.
Peter Vaughan Schmidt, currently head of strategy for Daimler Trucks, will lead this new unit. Schmidt has 15 years of experience in the industry and in his previous position he has been responsible for the development of Daimler Trucks’ strategy on automated vehicles.
Early on, Schmidt says the group will focus on use cases of highly automated driving in defined areas and between defined hubs in the U.S., and will work closely with customers whose businesses match this automated driving application.
