The all-electric Honda AWV -uses the company’s emerging advanced autonomous technology to build an off-road work vehicle that is designed to support construction-related activities and enhance workforce productivity. With the ability to operate autonomously – or manually via remote control – the programmable Honda AWV “could provide a wide range of services to industries that need autonomous operation or delivery solutions, especially where workforce constraints make other solutions impractical. The company is also exploring the development of attachments and tools that could make the vehicle a suitable platform for many work environments,” Honda said.

Honda successfully field tested the second-generation Honda AWV at an unnamed large-scale solar construction site in the Southwest US. Based on real-world testing, the company is now introducing the third-generation Honda AWV with a number of “enhancements.”

The third-generation Honda AWV

• Increased bed size to 2 pallets and greater loading capacity of 2000 pounds
• Improved navigation in locations where GNSS (global navigation satellite system) service is weak or unavailable with LiDAR sensors
• Simplified tablet-based programming interface and cloud connectivity
• Higher speed in autonomous mode – up to 10 miles per hour (mph)
• Increased battery size and longer operating time of up to 10 hours
• Enhanced avoidance function for vehicles stopped on road
• Lower bed for easier loading and improved ergonomics