TuSimple study demonstrates autonomous system fuel efficiency improvements

Based on more than 30,000 miles of highway driving, available whitepaper details 11% fuel efficiency advantage for autonomous trucks versus manually driven trucks

TuSimple autonomous driving technology leader, today announced publication and results of its recent On-Road Maneuver Performance Study, revealing increased fuel efficiency improvements associated with autonomous driving systems. Findings show TuSimple’s Level 4 (L4) autonomous technology averaged an 11% overall fuel efficiency advantage over manually driven trucks, and in certain situations the advantage was as high as 27%. 

“Across the trucking industry, fleets and shippers are seeking ways to reduce fuel costs and limit greenhouse gas emissions for on-road vehicles, so we set out to evaluate how our L4 autonomous technology could help meet these objectives,” said Cheng Lu, president and CEO, TuSimple. “While there is general industry consensus that autonomous vehicles’ smoother and more preemptive driving patterns can offer safety benefits, we now can clearly demonstrate the technology also reduces fuel consumption, which is better for the bottom line and the environment.”

TuSimple analyzed more than 30,000 miles of highway driving, split roughly 50 – 50 between manually driven and autonomously driven miles, and compared the fuel efficiency performance of the company’s highly skilled and experienced professional drivers versus its autonomous driving system. The primary objective of the study was to quantify the actual improvement in fuel economy for highway operations, as this represents a significant portion of the operational design domain (ODD) for long-haul trucks. Additionally, given the variation in operating conditions and fuel efficiency across different scenarios, TuSimple aimed to pinpoint the specific conditions where its autonomous driving technology excels in improving fuel efficiency, ensuring consistency in the observed fuel-saving benefits.

As part of the study, TuSimple created a “Fuel and Emissions Savings” calculator. Owners and operators are able to select their fleet size, annual miles driven and it will compute not only fuel savings, but also the reduction in carbon emissions produced by an 11% increase in fuel efficiency.

TuSimple’s On-Road Maneuver Performance Study is available for download here.

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