Truck maker Volvo just debuted video of the autonomous electric “Vera” truck performing real world work at a port terminal.
Vera was recently assigned the task of moving containers from a logistics centre in Gothenburg, Sweden, to a container terminal according to needed capacity.
Vera debuted in 2018 as a self-driving electric tractor unit that has no cab attached for a driver. Volvo says that the Vera trucks will be able to pull loads of 32 metric tons and can be attached to standard trailers.
Eventually, Volvo says that they plan to deploy multiple Veras at a single location which would be monitored by a control tower.
Vera will have a lower than normal operating speed for safety reasons, maxing out at just under 25 m.p.h., according to Volvo.
Volvo says that Vera is “designed for repetitive assignments in logistics centers, factories and ports and that it 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,” says Mikael Karlsson, Vice President Autonomous Solutions at Volvo Trucks.
You can see Vera hard at work in the video below.