Self-driving Volvo FH now unmanned at Swedish limestone mine. A step forward in the development of the self-driving truck.
Volvo Autonomous Solutions (V.A.S.) has already completed 220,000 kilometres with seven driverless FH 6×4 tractors at its customer Brønnøy Kalk in Norway. Autonomous driving, in other words. This achievement underlines the potential of autonomous technology in mining and quarrying… and perhaps in the future on public roads. During this distance, 1 million tonnes of limestone were transported on the site of the limestone mine – as can be seen in the photo, under demanding conditions.
Nils Jaeger, President of Volvo Autonomous Solutions: “This milestone underlines how our autonomous technology is already delivering meaningful results for customers, and how we are turning what was once a vision of the future into reality.”
The autonomous Volvo FH trucks are equipped with virtual driver technology from V.A.S. These trucks operate in challenging conditions, efficiently navigating a five-kilometre route between the mine and the crusher, including steep slopes and tunnels. A wheel loader operator manages the operation via a touchscreen, coordinating the loading and transport of trucks.
Initially, drivers were still in the cab to intervene in case of errors, but in 2023 it was decided to make the tractors fully unmanned.
Volvo Trucks offers autonomous driving as a complete solution including infrastructure, training, maintenance and fleet management – currently only in projects in non-public areas.
