Scania has officially opened up orders of its autonomous trucks in Australia, with plans to deliver the self-driving tippers by 2026 – but they’re intended only for the mining industry.
Australian mine operators can now place orders for a 40-tonne autonomous tipper, with a 50-tonne model to follow, which Scania says offers improved safety and efficiency.
“The transition from research and development to the launch of a commercial product is a major milestone for us and for autonomous heavy transport in general,” Scania Vice President and Head of Autonomous Solutions, Peter Hafmar said.
“This is the most advanced product Scania has put on the market so far.”
Scania’s mining solutions utilise smaller, civil-class trucks that the manufacturer says offer advantages over the industry’s traditional heavy haulage trucks, both in terms of emissions and productivity.
The autonomous mining trucks reduce the overall mining footprint, including energy and infrastructure requirements, Scania claims, suggesting that capital and operating expenses may also be reduced at suitable sites.
Scania says its autonomous trucks can also be smoothly fitted into an existing operations set-up in a mine, due to their interoperability with other systems and vehicles.
“Another benefit with our solution is that it allows mining companies to more quickly take the next step towards zero-emission operations,” Mr Hafmar said.
“It’s easier to electrify operations with Scania’s autonomous trucks compared with traditional heavy haulage trucks.”
Scania’s autonomous tipper truck has been developed between the truck maker’s R&D department and customers in the mining industry, with extensive testing undertaken in harsh mine conditions.
“It’s probably the most ambitious research and development project we have done so far together with a customer, and I am very pleased about the result,” Mr Hafmar said.
“Thanks to all the rigorous checks and numerous on-site tests, we have been able to develop an optimal autonomous transport solution for mines.”
The next market in line for the autonomous trucks is Latin America, where Scania has a strong market presence.
