Honda testing autonomous pickup at California construction site

 Honda’s latest pickup can haul without a human.

The automaker has begun testing an Autonomous Work Vehicle (AWV) at a 1,000-acre solar farm in California that’s being built by Black and Veatch.

The AWS is built on the platform of a 4×4 Honda Pioneer UTV converted to run on electricity and equipped with a drop-side pickup body large enough for a standard pallet and a friendly-looking front fascia with round headlights.

The vehicle uses cameras, radar, lidar and GPS location technology to navigate between programmed waypoints and can also be operated via remote control.

Along with a 900-pound payload capacity it can also tow up to 1,600 pounds and has an operating range of up to 27.9 miles per charge.

Honda is aiming to make a commercially viable version of the vehicle and AWS project lead Kenton Williams said the company looking for business partners to further develop it.

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“Honda’s ultimate goal is to make this technology available and more useful to a variety of industries.”

Black and Veatch is currently using the vehicle to transport material and supplies across the construction site.

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