Vera, from Volvo Trucks, is a very low-profile four-wheeler that can be attached to standard load carriers and trailers. Its engine is electric, using the same drivetrain and battery packs as the car-maker’s (non-autonomous) electric trucks. It was designed for moving cargo around areas like ports and factories, and Volvo one day envisions whole fleets of them zipping around while communicating over the cloud with a control center.
The company is now taking its first step toward realizing this vision, deploying the Vera in a pilot program at a port terminal in Gothenburg, Sweden. It will make short trips hauling loads between a logistics center and the port at a maximum speed of 25 mph.
