Volvo unveiled its truck “Vera” which is an electric, autonomous truck. Its unique design excludes a cab. However, it’s still under development from security and safety perspective. Vera will be equipped with the same battery pack (capacity between 100 and 300 kWh for a range of up to 300 km) as Volvo’s other EV trucks. Moreover, it is much slower than any normal truck due to precautionary measures by Volvo. It is expected to be used primarily on closed sites.
The other auto players are also moving in this direction. Mercedes-Benz revealed Vision URBANETIC, a hybrid van based on an autonomous driving platform that targets both passengers and cargo. – Satyajit Sinha