Coventry-based Aurrigo International has won the industrial design category at the 2026 Self-Driving Industry Awards for Auto-Cargo, an autonomous electric platform designed to move air freight around airports. The vehicle has a stated onboard load capacity of 4,500kg, with provision to tow a further 12,000kg trailer. The prize recognises how its cargo deck, steering geometry and autonomous sensing equipment have been incorporated into a vehicle intended for restricted airside operating space.
Auto-Cargo can accommodate a standard air cargo pallet or four unit load devices, according to Aurrigo. Freight containers differ in shape and loaded weight, so an arrangement of four units must remain within the vehicle’s overall rating and the requirements of the handling system. The design is intended to move loads between airport freight facilities and aircraft stands, where clearances, traffic movement and transfer height differ from those in a conventional distribution warehouse.
Four-wheel steering gives the long, loaded platform a way to manoeuvre through closely spaced aircraft stands and align with cargo transfer points. Under-wing access can limit the available turning envelope, while ground support equipment and service vehicles may occupy the remaining space. The system therefore needs both adequate steering movement and dependable location information; a vehicle that reaches the correct area still has to approach the handling equipment in a controlled position before a load can be transferred.
A powered roller deck moves freight across the vehicle bed instead of relying on personnel to push heavy containers. This shifts part of the physical work from manual handling to the interaction between the platform and the receiving equipment. Transfer depends on matching the deck with the cargo handling interface, holding the vehicle still and ensuring that the load is supported throughout movement. Aurrigo says the arrangement followed consultations with aviation operators about the limits of existing large cargo vehicles.
The body design integrates sensors and lidar equipment used by the autonomous vehicle system. Positioning such equipment within the vehicle architecture must account for its field of view, exposure to damage and the interfaces between perception, vehicle control and physical movement. The award recognises the resulting industrial design; it is not a certificate that any autonomous system can operate without restrictions at every airport.
The company says Auto-Cargo initially entered operations at East Midlands Airport and is now undergoing further tests at Teesside. It has also reported live trials of Auto-Cargo and Auto-DollyTug at airports internationally, but has not published a site-by-site list showing how many Auto-Cargo units have progressed from supervised evaluation into routine service. The award does not change any airport’s local approval requirements, and performance demonstrated on one apron cannot automatically be transferred to another with different road layouts or handling equipment.
David Keene, Aurrigo’s chief executive, received the separate Industry Legend award. Chief commercial officer Miles Garner accepted the industrial design award, while Elliott Hawkins, chief designer, and Simon Brewerton, chief technology officer, led the vehicle design. The judging criteria considered the way sensors and lidar units were integrated with the bodywork and how operational features shaped the vehicle’s appearance, rather than assessing styling independently of function.
The difference between an airside cargo vehicle and an autonomous passenger shuttle lies partly in what each must carry and where it must operate. Heavy freight places demands on braking, load stability, handling interfaces and vehicle manoeuvrability. A vehicle that can tow additional weight must also be assessed as a combination with its trailer, with attention to turning paths and load transfer during movement. The reported payload and towing figures specify design capacity; they do not replace site-specific operational risk assessment.
Safe autonomous operation requires reliable perception of moving aircraft service equipment, workers, cargo dollies and temporary obstructions. The vehicle must identify when a route is no longer available and execute an appropriate stop or recovery process. Those decisions depend on its sensors and controls as well as the airport’s dispatch rules, traffic management and arrangements for intervention. Powered freight transfer adds another controlled operation that has to be coordinated with the vehicle’s stationary position and surrounding personnel.
The company has previously described Auto-Cargo as an electric-drive platform and has trialled other autonomous ground support vehicles at airports. Electricity at the vehicle level removes tailpipe emissions during operation, but total environmental performance depends on how power is generated, charging arrangements and the diesel equipment being replaced. Aurrigo has made broader emissions-saving claims for its technology portfolio; no equivalent independently audited figure has been established for this award-winning design at all possible sites.
The 4,500kg payload rating, additional towing capacity and powered loading deck explain why the vehicle attracted attention beyond the awards ceremony. These specifications are design limits and capabilities rather than evidence of a measured industry-wide productivity gain. Aurrigo has expanded its engineering presence in Coventry, but has not associated this particular accolade with a newly announced Auto-Cargo manufacturing order, additional fleet volume or completed certification across airports.
Testing at Teesside will continue to establish how Auto-Cargo works within local ground handling routines and safety procedures. Subsequent deployment decisions will depend on the ability to manage mixed traffic, freight transfer and exceptional situations consistently, alongside the airport’s assessment of operating performance and cost.
