The idea is not entirely new. Voltempo and its partners first outlined the cabless “smart trailer” concept in May, as part of the government-backed eFREIGHT Autonomous programme examining how driverless HGVs could be introduced in the UK. More recently, Voltempo founder Michael Boxwell has provided Autocar with further details about the prototype and its planned development timetable.
A 15.6-metre rigid truck with no cab
Instead of starting with a conventional tractor unit and removing the driver, Voltempo is proposing a vehicle designed from the outset for autonomous operation. The planned electric rigid would be 15.6 metres long, have five axles and a gross vehicle weight of up to 42 tonnes. For comparison, Voltempo’s project materials use today’s 12-metre, four-axle, 32-tonne rigid as the conventional reference point.
Getting rid of the cab is central to the calculation.
Voltempo says the resulting configuration could provide around 15% more carrying capacity, while also making the vehicle considerably lighter. The eFREIGHT Autonomous project has previously described “smart trailer” configurations capable of increasing payload while reducing overall vehicle weight by around 10%.
Speaking to Autocar, Boxwell put more detailed figures on the proposal. He said the company expects the electric vehicle itself to weigh around 10–12 tonnes, compared with roughly 19 tonnes for a conventional electric articulated combination, while potentially providing an additional five to seven tonnes of payload capacity. However, these remain design estimates rather than results from a completed vehicle.
Prototype targeted for 2027
The project is now moving towards a physical prototype. According to details provided by Boxwell to Autocar, Berkeley Coachworks is building the body, while an unnamed major truck manufacturer is expected to supply the electric drivetrain. The prototype is currently scheduled to be completed by September 2027, followed by testing at an autonomous-vehicle facility in South Wales later that year.
Voltempo is targeting production from late 2027 and first deliveries around mid-2028, although that timetable remains dependent on the prototype, testing and regulatory approvals.
Battery capacity, range and charging specifications have not yet been announced.
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Why build a truck without a cab?
The project illustrates one of the more significant questions raised by autonomous freight: if nobody needs to sit in the vehicle, does a truck still need to be shaped like today’s trucks?
Removing a cab potentially creates more usable length, reduces weight and changes the aerodynamics and packaging of the vehicle. Rather than an autonomous tractor pulling a conventional semi-trailer, Voltempo’s approach effectively turns almost the entire vehicle into freight space.
It also fits the operating model identified by the wider eFREIGHT Autonomous study, led by Voltempo with Connected Places Catapult and Berkeley Coachworks.
After a nine-month feasibility study, the consortium concluded that the most realistic starting points for autonomous HGVs in Britain would be hub-to-hub motorway trunking and short intermodal shuttle operations connecting ports, rail terminals and logistics centres. These routes are repetitive and relatively controlled compared with complex urban deliveries.
The consortium expects trials of autonomous freight operations in Britain to begin from 2027 onwards.
Bigger vehicles will still need regulatory approval
The unusual dimensions also mean Voltempo cannot simply put the vehicle into normal service under today’s rules.
At 15.6 metres, the proposed rigid is considerably longer than the current maximum normally permitted for a rigid HGV in Britain. Its deployment would therefore depend not only on autonomous-driving approval but also on establishing an appropriate vehicle classification and operating framework.
Boxwell told Autocar that Voltempo has discussed the concept with European truck manufacturers and expects manufacturers to support a new vehicle specification. The wider eFREIGHT Autonomous programme separately confirms that the consortium has been engaging with every major European truck manufacturer, as well as the UK Department for Transport, industry associations and other government bodies.
That does not yet amount to a production vehicle approval. For now, the cabless truck is therefore best viewed as a prototype concept with an unusually concrete development plan, rather than an HGV ready for fleet deployment.
