Location: Coquelles (France) – Folkestone (UK)

Focus: Commercial vehicles, such as heavy goods vehicles, smaller freight vehicles, and vans, at maritime border crossing points.

In AutoBorder’s PILOT 1 tests a drive-through border control system at one of Europe’s busiest trade routes: the Eurotunnel LeShuttleTM Schengen-non-Schengen border. Over 1.5 million trucks cross this border yearly, carrying around 25% of UK-EU trade. The goal is to enable low-risk, pre-registered drivers to cross the border without stopping, while maintaining fully security and compliance.

Before travel, drivers and vehicles are pre-registered via the AutoBorder app, linking Digital Travel Credentials (DTCs) and vehicles data to the traveller’s profile. As the vehicles approaches the border, encrypted biometric and travel information is securely transmitted in advance. Upon arrival, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) and in-vehicle biometric sensors confirm the identity of occupants in real time.

Border authorities receive live risk assessment and identity data. If no alerts are triggered, vehicles proceed directly through a fast-track lane, ensuring smooth and secure passage.

The pilot use case will also assess ethical and operational challenges, such as data transparency, privacy protection, and maintaining border authority confidence in the system.