APM Terminals Maasvlakte II has taken delivery of a further five electric automated terminal tractors (ATTs), continuing a phased rollout of autonomous container transport at the Rotterdam facility.
The deployment is being carried out in collaboration with Embotech and Terberg Special Vehicles. With the latest addition, 10 automated tractors are now on site, forming the third batch delivered as part of a programme that is expected to reach a total fleet of 30 vehicles.
The partners state this would represent one of the largest automated terminal tractor fleets in Europe.
The newly delivered units have completed Factory Acceptance Testing and are scheduled to begin Site Acceptance Testing at Maasvlakte II in the coming months.
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The expansion builds on earlier trials conducted at the terminal. In November 2025, the first five electric automated tractors completed Site Acceptance Testing under operational conditions.
These trials assessed performance in mixed-traffic environments and included manoeuvres such as narrow-lane driving, lane changes, reverse parking at transfer points and endurance runs. According to the companies, the tests demonstrated consistent operation within a controlled terminal setting.
Alongside vehicle testing, Embotech’s Autonomous Tractor Solution received safety certification from TÜV SÜD and CE, confirming alignment with European Machinery requirements for autonomous terminal tractors.
“The testing at APM Terminals Maasvlakte II confirmed that the system performs reliably in daily terminal operations,” said Dr Giorgio Corbellini, Chief Operating Officer at Embotech. “Each new batch moves the fleet closer to full operational deployment.”
The tractors are based on Terberg terminal tractor platforms and are fitted with Embotech’s autonomous driving technology at Terberg’s production facility in Houten.
The system is designed to support Level 4 autonomous driving in terminal environments, enabling operation in mixed-traffic conditions with centimetre-level motion planning and obstacle detection across varying weather and lighting conditions.
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“Developing and manufacturing electric drive-by-wire terminal tractors conforming to the machine directive and validated for scalable autonomous operation requires close integration between the vehicle platform and the autonomous driving system,” said Remy de Bruijn at Terberg Special Vehicles. “The machines delivered to APM Terminals Maasvlakte II were engineered specifically to provide for that integration.”
Once fully deployed, the automated fleet will handle container movements between the automated rail mounted gantry cranes on the landside and the on-site rail terminal.
“For us, the first step is to ensure that the full solution operates reliably within daily terminal operations. Secondly, the key is to focus on the reliability of the automated vehicles,” said Marieke Frensch, Chief Technology Officer at APM Terminals Maasvlakte II. “The structured testing and certification work provides the foundation to integrate the fleet step by step as the terminal expands.”
The next stage of the programme will focus on integrating additional vehicles into live operations as testing progresses.
For more information:
APM Terminals Maasvlakte II – https://www.apmterminals.com/en/maasvlakte
