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Freightliner self-driving big rig in photos

By Sean O'Kane
  • The Freightliner Inspiration Truck is a modified version of the company's "Cascadia Evolution" model. Most of the truck is the same, with the exception of the Highway Pilot automation technology. Perhaps the most striking thing about the Inspiration Truck is how much it looks like Freightliner's non-autonomous offerings.
  • The non-autonomous version of Freightliner's truck is already the most fuel-efficient truck on the NAFTA market, according to Daimler.
  • Radar and a stereo camera are used in conjunction with adaptive cruise control to guide the truck when the driver isn't at the wheel.
  • Nevada has officially licensed two Inspiration Trucks for regular operation on public roads for now. Further adoption somewhat depends on how quickly other states loosen regulations on autonomous vehicles.
  • The Inspiration Trucks are “partly automated,” which means when the driver takes his hands off the steering wheel and feet of the pedals the vehicle takes over.
  • Similar to how the autopilot systems work on commercial airplanes, the driver still monitors what’s going on, and is considered in charge of what happens on the road.
  • The initial unveiling happened in a lot adjacent to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. "We’re going to show you trucking can be just as exciting as racing," said Florian Martens, Daimler's director of global communications. "And maybe even more so."
  • A large gathering of press members were on hand to see the initial unveiling at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
  • Nevada governor Brian Sandoval and Daimler's Wolfgang Bernhard climbed into the Inspiration Truck at the end of the press event and drove it out onto the streets of Las Vegas.
  • Bernhard waves to the press as he drives the truck out of the makeshift pavilion.
  • The truck was under a massive car cover before the press event began.
  • Governor Sandoval spoke before the initial unveiling. "Thank you for looking at the impossible and finding a safe way to make it possible," he said.
  • Nevada is one of the pioneering states when it comes to autonomous driving. Governor Sandoval said that the Freightliner announcement will help his state "sustain the impressive pace of this tech."
  • Daimler's Wolfgang Bernhard said he believes that autonomous capabilities will improve the job of a truck driver. "It’s less fatiguing. It makes his life and his job much more attractive."
  • Governor Sandoval and Dr. Bernhard unveil the Autonomous Vehicle license given to Freightliner.
  • Photos of the Inspiration Truck from the Hoover Dam unveiling

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