Voltempo, part of the government-backed eFreight 2030 consortium, is developing an autonomous rigid truck without a cab that could significantly increase payload capacity while reducing vehicle weight and improving operational efficiency. The concept vehicle extends the length of a standard rigid lorry from 12 metres to 15.6 metres, increasing gross vehicle weight capacity from 32 tonnes to 42 tonnes. By removing the traditional cab and redesigning the vehicle as a highly efficient “box on wheels”, the consortium believes it can create a new generation of zero-emission freight vehicles optimised for autonomous operation. The project forms part of the wider eFreight 2030 initiative, led by Voltempo, which is focused on accelerating the adoption of electric heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and supporting infrastructure across the UK. The consortium has secured almost £50m in government support through the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme, with ambitions to deploy hundreds of electric trucks and megawatt charging hubs nationwide. Michael Boxwell, Voltempo founder and corporate development officer, said the removal of the cab creates substantial opportunities for increasing freight efficiency. “If you get rid of the (truck) cab, you’ve got a 15.6-metre long longer semi-trailer, in effect,” said Boxwell. “An articulated tractor and trailer unit is about 15-17 tonnes as a diesel vehicle, and as an electric vehicle, it’s maybe 19 tonnes. “With this smart trailer, we can get the laden weight down to between 10 and 12 tons as an electric vehicle. That means you’ve got 15% more space compared to a standard-length trailer. “You’ve got a significant amount of extra payload – five-to-seven-tonnes – and, bearing in mind the weight of a cab is two tonnes… we worked out that your typical HGV is carrying 16 tonnes on average. “Now, we can make it 18.6 tonnes, because of the extra space.