Automated lorry convoys will take to British motorways this year under government plans to speed up deliveries and cut congestion.
The chancellor is preparing to fund a trial of driverless HGVs as part of a technological revolution on the roads.
A stretch of the M6 near Carlisle is believed to have been earmarked for testing the system, which could result in “platoons” of up to ten computer-controlled lorries being driven just metres apart.
The announcement in next week’s budget is expected to be part of a wider funding boost for research into driverless and connected vehicles.
Taxpayers’ cash is also likely to be invested in trials of wireless technology at the roadside to relay traffic information directly to cars and interactive fuel signs to give motorists the price of petrol and diesel on motorways.
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Existing trials of driverless cars, including those established in Greenwich, Milton Keynes, Coventry and Bristol, which have already received £19 million, are also in line for extra money.
It follows the publication of a road safety plan by the Department for Transport before Christmas that outlined the government’s support for automated lorries.
The trial, which will be carried out in conjunction with Highways England, will involve a group of HGVs being driven in convoy, with each one linked electronically to the vehicle in front. The driver of the lead truck will control the acceleration, braking and steering of the entire convoy.
This allows vehicles to travel closer together than usual, although a driver sits in each lorry cab to regain control in an emergency.
Vehicles are supposed to suffer less drag than those separated by normal distances, cutting fuel consumption and pollution.
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A government briefing document states that other benefits include “increased network capacity, thus reduced congestion and improved journey times, and potentially a reduction in road accident casualties”.
One Whitehall source said that the trial would take place on a relatively quiet stretch of motorway, such as the M6 between Lancaster and the Scottish border, although the DfT denied that a location had been found.
A spokesman said: “New technology has the potential to bring major improvements to journeys and the UK is in a unique position to lead the way for the testing of connected and driverless vehicles.
“We are planning trials of HGV platoons, which enable vehicles to move in a group so they use less fuel, and will be in a position to say more in due course.”
Edmund King, president of the AA, claimed that HGV platoons would be largely pointless in the UK where motorways are heavily congested.
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“The real benefit of this technology will be felt in the hundreds of miles of deserted highways in Australia or Nevada,” he said. “In this country we have congested motorways where drivers are constantly trying to get on or off the road, a HGV platoon will just lead to the obstruction of cars and road signs, causing more problems for drivers.”