Atlas-L4, which aims to test the technical feasibility of autonomous trucks operating on public roads, ended its trial phase in May 2025 with outcomes described as successful. The programme received €59.1 million in public funding and involved twelve partners from industry, academia and infrastructure. Atlas-L4 stands for “Automated Transport between Logistics centres on highways, Level 4” and was launched on 1 January 2022.
The project was made possible by Germany’s 2021 legislation allowing autonomous vehicles to be tested on public roads under technical supervision. From the outset, the core objective was to have the first driverless trucks operating on motorways by mid-decade, creating a system capable of running autonomously between logistics hubs connected by highways.
The consortium was headed by Man Truck & Bus, which oversaw overall system development and the integration of all components into the vehicle. Participants included Knorr-Bremse for braking and control systems, Leoni for wiring and electrical systems, Bosch for driving technology, Fernride for automated logistics services, and Btc Embedded Systems for testing tools. Scientific backing came from leading institutions including Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the Technical University of Munich and the Technical University of Braunschweig. TÜV SÜD and Autobahn contributed to feasibility assessments and approvals, while the Würzburg Institute for Transport Sciences focused on human factors.
In October 2023, the project reached a significant milestone, showcased at the Man Truck Forum. During the event, Frederik Zohm, executive board member for research and development at Man Truck & Bus, announced that “with Atlas-L4, we will soon have the first autonomous truck on a German motorway.” The breakthrough came in April 2024 when the German Federal Motor Transport Authority issued the first Level 4 test permit for an industrial vehicle manufacturer. This led to the first on-road test of an autonomous truck in Germany, attended by federal transport minister Volker Wissing.
Throughout the testing phase, the vehicle’s automation software underwent regular updates and was trialled in real-world conditions. All test drives were conducted with a safety driver present at all times to ensure maximum security. The testing phase concluded in May 2025, with results presented on 7–8 May to around 200 guests, including live demonstrations on the motorway.
The consortium confirmed it had achieved all project objectives. Key safety components for Level 4 architecture were developed and installed, including a redundant braking system, the onboard electrical network and a redundant steering system. A detailed validation process was devised, and a control centre was set up to oversee technical operations. Risk analysis and safety considerations were central to the trials, with particular attention to cybersecurity. This included implementing authenticated and encrypted communications and defining functional safety measures such as system redundancies and degradation protocols.
Frederik Zohm summarised the achievements by stating, “Together with our partners, we set ourselves an ambitious goal and created an industrially viable concept for hub-to-hub autonomous driving. Developing and integrating the redundant components needed for safe use, such as steering, braking and the vehicle’s electrical system, along with a validation framework, required interdisciplinary expertise and intensive teamwork. As a consortium, we rose to the challenge: autonomous trucks are feasible.”
The primary result of Atlas-L4 is a prototype technology that will serve as a blueprint for future projects and eventual production models. It marks a concrete step towards the serial production of autonomous trucks, although some details still need to be resolved. Project coordinator Sebastian Völl from Man Truck & Bus noted, “We have done valuable pioneering work by providing practical proof of the technical feasibility of autonomous trucks. These concepts are now feeding into further development for series production.”
Autonomous trucks are seen as a key component of Logistics 4.0, offering transformative potential for the sector. According to the project’s backers, driverless trucks used for shuttle runs between logistics hubs can help boost operational efficiency, ease road congestion and cut fuel consumption. Another crucial benefit is their potential to address the chronic shortage of drivers that afflicts the sector.
Level 4 autonomous driving, also known as “high automation”, is one of the most advanced stages in the SAE scale of automated driving systems. At this level, the vehicle is capable of handling all driving functions independently, without human intervention, but only under specific conditions and within defined geographic areas, such as particular cities, highways or mapped zones. A driver must be on board, but is not required to monitor the system continuously and can engage in other activities while the vehicle is moving.
If the system detects it is about to leave the area or conditions where it can operate autonomously, it prompts the driver to resume control. If the driver fails to respond, the vehicle can stop safely, for instance by pulling over onto the emergency lane. In conditions outside the system’s defined scope, such as severe weather or unmapped terrain, human intervention is required.
