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Smart tech revolutionises truck driving

Riley Riley

Truck driving will never be the same again, with the arrival of smart cruise control.

It will make driving easier, reduce fuel consumption and lower harmful engine emissions.

The breakthrough technology is the work of TomTom, Bosch and Daimler, that have been working together on Daimler’s Predictive Powertrain Control (PPC), an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) — or smart cruise control for commercial vehicles.

The latest generation of ADAS leverages data from the navigation map to anticipate the road ahead, allowing ADAS to make decisions like humans do.

Trucks use TomTom’s highly-accurate ADAS Map and Bosch’s electronic horizon to automate driving functions on highways and, in Europe, on inter-urban roads too.

The system leads to a fuel reduction of up to five per cent per vehicle, which in turn delivers lower CO2 emissions.

The latest PPC technology will be available the new generation Mercedes-Benz Actros, .

The system was first announced at 2018 IAA commercial vehicles show in Hanover.

As the first smart cruise control system in commercial vehicles, PPC actively controls engine, brakes, and automated transmission.

Thanks to TomTom’s ADAS map, the system is familiar with the topography, curvature, speed limit (including truck-specific speed limits) and traffic signs, meaning it can respond in a manner that delivers the most fuel-efficient performance.

Bosch’s electronic horizon is used to integrate knowledge of the road ahead into the driving strategy of the new Mercedes-Benz Actros.

It provides required map data per ADAS protocol in a new and innovative way allowing relaxed, safe and efficient driving.

“The new PPC technology is using the TomTom ADAS Map to assist with driving functions on interurban roads – which not only delivers a safer, more comfortable ride but also significant fuel savings and a reduction in CO2 emissions,” Antoine Saucier, Managing Director, TomTom Automotive, said.

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The system adjusts to the road ahead before the driver has even seen it.

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