NEWS INTERNATIONAL
14 TRUCKING August 2019
Volvo’s VERA on first
real-world assignment
V
olvo has announced
its VERA electric,
connected and
autonomous vehicle
will form part of an
integrated solution to transport
goods from a logistics centre to a
port terminal in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The assignment is a result of a
new collaboration between Volvo
Trucks and DFDS, the Danish-
based ferry and logistics company.
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 centreto a port terminal, for distribution
across the world.
Volvo presented its first electric,
connected and autonomous vehicle
designed for repetitive assignments
in logistics centres, factories and
ports in 2018. VERA 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, Volvo’s VP,
autonomous solutions.
The aim, said the manufacturer, is
to implement a connected systemconsisting of several VERA vehicles
monitored by a control room. The
purpose is to enable a seamless
and constant flow responsive to
demands on greater efficiency,
flexibility and sustainability.
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 said.
Torben Carlsen, CEO of DFDS,
added: “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.”
VERA will be further developed
in terms of technology, operations
management and infrastructure
adaptations before it can be
fully operational.
“Autonomous transport 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,”
Karlsson said. “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,” he concluded.NEWS IN BRIEF
Google whack!
Dozens of US motorists found
themselves stuck in the mud
recently after they were wrongly
directed down an unfinished road by
Google Maps. The error took place
near Denver International Airport
and was the result of the mapping
tool trying to direct drivers around a
car crash which had occurred on
one of the main approach roads. As
traffic began to build up after the
crash, Google’s GPS app sent some
motorists along East 64th Avenue in
Aurora, which the system had
determined would halve journey
time. But after driving down the first
section of the road without a
problem, drivers soon found the
highway turned into a dirt track –
which had unfortunately become a
bog after a few days of rain. “That’s
when I thought, this was a bad
idea!” driver Connie Monsees told
ABC7NY. “I tore up the inside
passenger wheel well for my tyre,
but it’s not that big of a deal
compared to some other people
who really tore their cars up and got
themselves stuck out there.”R
heinmetall MAN Military
Vehicles (RMMV) has
announced the German
Bundeswehr has placed a
€92 million order for 252
unprotected transport vehicles
with payloads of 5-15 tonnes,
which falls under the framework
agreement concluded in 2017
for more than 2200 state-of-the-
art military trucks.
RMMV will build and deliver
the vehicles by the end of the
year, which include a total of
161 five-tonne trucks and 91
15-tonne trucks.
Encompassing a total of
2271 unprotected transport
vehicles from RMMV’s HX family,
the trucks are powered by MAN’s
Euro 5 D20, 10.5-litre, six-
cylinder engine that develops
440 bhp.German military modernises
with new MANs
of components made in
Germany (eg, engines, axles,
transmissions etc), the vehicles
will be assembled at the RMMV
plant in Vienna.
Among others, current users of
RMMV vehicles include the
British Armed Forces, and those
of Australia, New Zealand and
Denmark. Norway and Sweden
have also placed substantial
orders for trucks made by RMMV.Restrictions on truck movements
may be applicable in the following
countries on the dates listed,
in addition to any weekend bans
on truck movements:
Albania August 12
Austria August 15
Azerbaijan August 12/
Belgium August 15
Croatia August 5/
Cyprus August 15
Estonia August 20
France August 15
Georgia August 28
Germany August 15
Gibraltar August 26
Greece August 15
Hungary August 19/
Ireland August 5
Italy August 15
Kosovo August 12
Liechtenstein August 15
Lithuania August 15
Luxembourg August 15
Malta August 15
Moldova August 27/
Poland August 15
Portugal August 15
Romania August 15
Slovakia August 29
Slovenia August 15
Spain August 15
Switzerland August 1/
Turkey August 30
Ukraine August 24/HOLIDAYS
Tug will autonomously
shift goods for DFDSVERA is
designed to
handle repetitive
short-distance
operationsABOVE New trucks were spec’d with
440 bhp Euro 5 D20 enginesGerman military modernises
ABOVE New trucks were spec’d withThe Bundeswehr
required a family
of trucks with
around 90 per cent
commonality
between models.
The framework
agreement
concluded in July
2017 is worth around €900 million,
including special tools and
training services. As a first step,
an order was issued for an initial
lot of 558 vehicles.
In undertaking such a
large-scale project, the
Düsseldorf-based group for
mobility and security solutions
said it is making a major
contribution to modernising
the Bundeswehr’s fleet of
trucks, which numbers in the
thousands. Consisting primarily