[h=1]
Self-driving trucks tested in Japan, form a close-knit convoy for fuel savings[/h]As
Google and
others ramp up their plans to develop self-driving cars, one government-funded corporation in Japan is already making headway with autonomous heavy duty trucks. In order to save fuel, the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)
has programmed a convoy of four trucks to drive just four meters (about 13 feet) apart. That cuts down on air resistance, reducing drag (and thus improving fuel efficiency) similar to drafting with a race car.
NEDO's been working on the idea for a while, demonstrating a three-car convey with each car travelling about 15 meters apart (about 50 feet) in 2010. Three years later, the organization's four-car caravan is far more efficient.
Japanese broadcaster NHK reports that the plan could reduce the vehicles' fuel consumption by up to 15 percent.
[video=youtube;7jchfQbkaF4]
Read the whole story on the verge:
Self-driving trucks tested in Japan, form a close-knit convoy for fuel savings | The Verge