This story first appeared in the July issue of DieselTalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE
When I started my apprenticeship in 1962, Ford had just released the facelift Mk2 Zephyr and the Bedford TJ range had been released within the previous two years.
New Zealand roads were full of old trucks dating back to World War II – the logging industry was built on war-time GMC 6x6s.
If anyone had told us we would eventually have vehicles talking to one another, we would have said they were away with the fairies.
Fast-forward 55 years and we are seeing increasing numbers of cars and HMVs equipped with AI (artificial intelligence) and ITS (intelligent transport systems). They also come with features that include automatic autonomous braking, lane departure warning, electronic stability control and vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, etc.
In Europe, we see truck manufacturers operating convoys of trucks by platooning: where the vehicles follow the lead truck closely, controlled by ITS/AI communications between each vehicle and the ITS infrastructure installed at the roadside.
What will this mean for New Zealand and what are we doing about it?
The Ministry of Transport (MOT) and NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) have teams dedicated to this to make sure we are not left behind.
VIA, the Imported Motor Vehicle Industry Association, also has Kit Wilkerson representing New Zealand as an expert on the International Standards Organisation’s Technical Committee 204. The committee is working to try to ensure all jurisdictions worldwide use generic mapping systems thereby supporting compatibility between Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, the United States and others.
NZTA and the MOT realise that the technology is moving faster than government legislation is able to keep up with and that for the foreseeable future, governments around the world (including New Zealand’s) are going to have to play catch-up.
I predict we are going to see major changes over the next few years in all motor vehicles, with more autonomous functions being incorporated in their design by manufacturers.
We will also see some major trials of autonomous and semi-autonomous heavy goods and passenger vehicles in New Zealand over the next few years, as our legislation was written, whether deliberately or by omission, to permit the use of vehicles without a driver.
What is it going to mean for the transport industry?
In the short term, we are still going to be saddled with shortages of drivers and mechanics as all parts of our industry are affected by the same problem of attraction, recruitment and training.
This was highlighted at the recent Motor Industry Training Organisation Summit when all sectors coming under the MITO umbrella reported the same problems attracting staff from the same pool of talent.
In the medium term we are likely to see an increase of autonomous goods vehicles operating on dedicated routes and in the long term operating country-wide.
With public service vehicles (PSVs) I believe there is opportunity right now to take advantage of these emerging technologies.
One area – where Auckland’s mayor Phil Goff has indicated he would like to see light rail used – is in my humble opinion a prime candidate for semi-autonomous platooning modular PSVs.
Imagine modular electric buses on rubber tyres (not steel-on-steel) platooning along Dominion Rd, using flash (15 second) charging at each stop en route.
They would be able to increase or decrease modules, according to passenger loading, with all intersections controlled to synchronise traffic signals so that they would be able to travel the length of Dominion Rd unimpeded.
What else is on the horizon?
We are likely to see vehicles with greater ability to scan their environment electronically for other road users, a huge step forward for safety.
Already in Japan, some school children, pedestrians, joggers and cyclists carry a small transmitting device that is recognised by the AI technology on board travelling vehicles with their systems able to use all the crash-avoidance techniques in their AI toolbox.
While we have achieved great things in our freight and transport industries, the biggest challenges, and indeed opportunities, may still be yet to come.
