Port takes further delivery of automated trucks
Hutchison Ports Port of Felixstowe has taken delivery of the first two units from an order for a further 34 Autonomous Trucks (ATs) from Shanghai Westwell Technology.
34 ATs, also supplied by Westwell, are already in operation at the port’s Trinity Terminal.
The ATs at the Port of Felixstowe were the first of their kind in Europe to be operated in a mixed-traffic environment. Powered by sensor fusion architecture—including a 360-degree industrial-grade binocular camera and 128-line LiDAR, each truck features interactive light signals and audiovisual alerts to communicate driving intentions clearly to human drivers, significantly reducing collision risks.
The ATs are electric and emissions-free as the port has used only electricity certified as being from renewable sources since April 2023. The new batch of machines will help the port take a significant step towards its target of achieving net-zero for Scopes 1&2 emissions by 2035.
Batteries on the ATs are changed at a recently commissioned automated battery swap station. The facility allows ATs to exchange depleted power units for fully charged ones in 5-6 minutes.
