A UK-backed study into autonomous heavy goods vehicles has identified hub-to-hub motorway trunking and intermodal shuttle operations as the most viable starting points for early deployment in the UK freight sector.
The findings were presented by the eFREIGHT Autonomous consortium at Voltempo’s Autonomous conference in Birmingham on 18 May, bringing together operators, OEMs, technology firms and government representatives to discuss the future of autonomous freight.
Led by Voltempo alongside Connected Places Catapult and Berkeley Coachworks, the consortium secured funding in 2025 through the CAM Pathfinder Feasibility Studies competition, backed by the UK Government and delivered by Innovate UK and Zenzic.
Over the past nine months, the consortium has engaged with fleet operators, government departments and every major European truck manufacturer to assess how autonomous freight could be introduced into UK logistics operations.
The report concludes that autonomous freight is moving beyond pilot projects internationally and towards early commercial operation, while the UK edges closer to implementation of the Automated Vehicles Act 2024.
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