Parcel delivery giant DHL Supply Chain has signed up for dozens of autonomous Class 8 trucks, but they won’t be all-electric—at least not yet.
Self-driving tech company TuSimple recently announced that DHL will receive 100 International LT trucks in the U.S. equipped with TuSimple’s SAE Level IV self-driving systems. The trucks are expected to roll out in 2024 and according to TuSimple’s partner Navistar, will be spec’d with “a heavy-duty diesel engine and standard automated manual transmission.”
However, DHL has its sights set on battery-electric autonomous trucks once range improves.
“The plan is for the trucks to be battery-electric when battery life improves,” a DHL spokesperson told CCJ. “Current testing is done with diesel trucks because of the 200-mile range currently available.”
[Related: Veteran trucker describes life inside an autonomous truck]
Navistar’s sole all-electric truck is the International MV 60E, a medium-duty straight truck that maxes out at 33,000 lbs. of GVWR. International LTs are Class 8 heavy-duty trucks available in a variety of configurations from a day cab to a 73-inch Sky Rise Sleeper. LTs are not currently available with electric powertrains.
