Scania has introduced a fully autonomous concept truck without a cab, marking another milestone in the development of heavy self-driving vehicles.
The truck, Scania AXL, has the company’s modular system at the heart of the design, which also replaces the traditional cab.
Scania stated the concept was still easily recognisable as a Scania even without the cab.
“Scania AXL does not have a cab and that changes the game significantly,” Scania head of research and development Claes Erixon said.
“We already have self-driving trucks in customer operations. However so far, they have been with a room for a safety driver who can intervene if necessary.”
The company regards mine sites as an environment that is favourable for self-driving pilots, as they are well-controlled locations.
Scania AXL is steered and monitored by an intelligent control environment. Its autonomous operations are facilitated by a logistics system that tells the vehicle how to perform.
The concept vehicle also features a combustion engine that mixes both traditional and new technology, with renewable biofuel powering the truck.
“We continue to build and pilot concepts to demonstrate what we can do with the technology that is available today,” Scania president and chief executive Henrik Henriksson said.
“With the Scania AXL concept truck, we are taking a significant step towards the smart transport systems of the future, where self-driving vehicles will play a natural part.”
Scania will hold the first live demo of Scania AXL at Traton Group’s Innovation Day on October 2 in Södertälje, Sweden.
