Electric vehicle specialist Voltempo is developing a 15.6-metre-long autonomous rigid prototype truck without a cab, promising to maximise load space and payload at the longest permissible length for a non-articulated vehicle.
The concept aims to extend a rigid lorry’s length and capacity beyond the current maximums of 12 metres, 32 tonnes and four axles to 15.6 metres, 42 tonnes and five axles.
It will be the same length as a coach and the lack of a cab will free up weight and space for greater load capacity, creating what Voltempo founder and corporate development officer, Michael Boxwell, describes as a “smart trailer”.
Berkeley Coachworks is building the body, and a well-known truck manufacturer will supply the electric drivetrain.
The prototype is due to be completed by September 2027, and trials are expected to start later that year at an autonomous vehicle test track in South Wales.
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