Iveco and Plus, a global provider of autonomous driving technology, have announced the public road testing of their jointly developed next generation automated trucks will begin in Germany.

As part of the public road testing, the businesses will collect road data to confirm the operations of their autonomous trucks and begin planning prospective factory production. The Iveco S-WAY truck with PlusDrive is intended to increase safety, efficiency, and driver experience while also providing a more sustainable choice for fleets.

“Germany is a leader and trendsetter in autonomous driving, so we are excited to launch our public testing program in a country that has long embraced technology innovation and the life-changing impact of safety solutions like highly automated trucks. This is an important phase in our plans to bring highly automated trucks to market,” said Marco Liccardo, Chief Technology & Digital Officer, Iveco Group.

The public road testing begins in Germany and will soon be expanded to Austria, Italy, and Switzerland. The highly automated vehicle will be exposed to a wide range of terrains, road slopes, weather conditions, and driving situations due to each country’s distinct highways and driving circumstances. This will aid in the ongoing development of Plus’s autonomous driving technology’s capabilities and features.

“Real-world experience is an invaluable part of the testing and validation of our technology as we prepare our autonomous driving product for commercial deployment in Europe. Given that Germany alone faces a shortage of 60,000 truck drivers, our highly automated driving solution, PlusDrive, will help improve road safety, sustainability, and driver recruitment and retention issues confronting fleets in the region.” said Shawn Kerrigan, COO and Co-founder at Plus.