Volvo Trucks announced that its electric, connected and autonomous vehicle Vera will form part of an integrated solution to transport goods from a logistics centre to a port terminal in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The new project is a result of a new collaboration between Volvo Trucks and the ferry and logistics company DFDS.
The purpose of the collaboration is to implement Vera in a real application, enabling a connected system for a continuous flow of goods, from a DFDS’ logistics centre to a terminal in the port, for distribution across the world. The solution is suited for repetitive flows with a maximum speed of 40 km/h.
In 2018, Volvo Trucks had unveiled its first electric, connected and autonomous solution, designed for repetitive assignments in logistics centres, factories and ports. The company highlighted that the Vera vehicle is suited for short distances, transporting large volumes of goods with high precision.
“Now we have the opportunity to implement Vera in an ideal setting and further develop her potential for other similar operations,” said Mikael Karlsson, vice president for autonomous solutions at Volvo Trucks.
The aim of the project is to implement a connected system consisting of several Vera vehicles monitored by an operator in a control tower. The collaboration with DFDS is a first step towards implementing Vera in a real transport assignment on pre-defined public roads in an industrial area, Volvo Trucks said.
“We want to be at the forefront of connected, autonomous transportation. This collaboration will help us develop an efficient, flexible and sustainable long-term solution for receiving autonomous vehicles arriving at our gates, benefitting our customers, the environment and our business,” said Torben Carlsen, CEO of DFDS.
Volvo Trucks said that the autonomous transport solution will be further developed in terms of technology, operations management and infrastructure adaptations, before it can be fully operational.
“Autonomous transports with low noise levels and zero exhaust emissions have an important role to play in the future of logistics, and will benefit both business and society. We see this collaboration as an important start and want to drive progress in this area. Vera may have a speed limit, but we don’t. Testing has already started and we intend to implement the solution within the coming years,” Karlsson added.
DFDS provides ferry and transport services in Europe and Turkey and is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The initiative is carried out with support from the Swedish Innovation Agency Vinnova, the Swedish Transport Administration and the Swedish Energy Agency through the Strategic vehicle research and innovation programme FFI.
