Volvo Construction Equipment’s (Volvo CE) concept HX1 driverless, electric load carrier has scooped up the Swedish Institute for Quality’s (SIQ) Quality Innovation of the Year Award.
Winning in the Potential Innovations category, Volvo CE’s vision of a futuristic machine is one element of a present-day electric site research project that is predicted to cut carbon emissions by up to 95% and lower total cost of ownership costs by a quarter.
The HX1 represents an ambitious technological approach by Volvo CE to develop more sustainable heavy machinery operations based on electro-mobility and autonomous vehicles, as revealed at its Xploration Forum earlier this year.
The machine completely turns the traditional mining mantra of using a few, large, versatile machines on its head in favour of the emergence of smaller, more specialist machines. To see the HX1 in action for yourself, click here
This ‘elephants to ants’ concept is a new way of meeting customer needs, combining intelligent machines, automation and electromobility.
“The HX1 forms part of Volvo CE’s long term ambition of achieving sustainable transportation solutions,” said Patrik Lundblad, senior vice president of Volvo CE’s Technology function.
“This award is a tribute to the hard work and vision of Volvo CE’s employees, who continue to push the boundaries of technology and innovation. This is a welcome recognition that demonstrates Volvo CE’s position at the forefront of technological development.”
The panel of judges on the award committee said this about the entry: “The concept HX1 features a totally new and revolutionary approach to transportation systems, introducing a shift to smaller and autonomous electrified vehicles. The concept is ground-breaking in the industry and gives us a glimpse of how the future may look.”
