Autonomous driving makes a lot of sense in trucks such as the Scania AXL

The Scania AXL is an autonomous truck concept powered by a combustion engine that runs on renewable biofuels.

The Scania AXL does not need a driver’s cab. This truck concept for transporting heavy materials in quarries and mines is fully autonomous, although beneath its futuristic look it also hides a few surprises.

Yes, when we say fully autonomous we mean something similar to the highest levels of autonomous driving for passenger cars. The brand already has earlier projects for autonomous trucks and buses that require a driver present to take control as a safety measure. But the AXL does not need one, which makes it possible to do away with the cab altogether.

This is not the first project of this kind presented by Scania, which wants to become one of the first manufacturers to offer this solution on its heavy trucks. And the basis of this prototype is not far-fetched, with a fully modular concept.

You can see how it works in this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=32&v=8bX48KVeN2U

To operate, the Scania AXL needs the same elements as a car prepared for autonomous driving: video cameras, laser and ultrasonic sensors, radars and GPS receivers. This allows the truck to move and “guide itself” through mines or large construction sites, based on a logistics system that tells the vehicle in advance how it should operate.

Another peculiarity of the Scania AXL is that it does not combine autonomous driving with electric propulsion. Instead of electric motors and batteries, this concept uses a conventional combustion engine, but one that runs on renewable biofuels. That said, there is not a hint of what type of engine it is (petrol or diesel), nor of the power it is capable of delivering.

The only thing that seems clear, judging by the images and the video, is where it is located: beneath the cab… which does not exist.