Full Self Hauling: Volvo moves 3 million tonnes of Earth, autonomously

This is mining industry news, not a homeowner upgrade story, but here's what happened. Volvo's autonomous hauling trucks, part of a system it calls "Autona," have now moved 3 million tonnes of material out of mines without a human driver. The trucks are being used at Boliden Garpenberg mine in Sweden and Brønnøy Kalk in Norway, where Volvo first deployed the technology in 2023. The companies hit 1 million tonnes by 2025 and have since tripled that figure.

Volvo sells the system as a full package: trucks, software, on-site setup, and support, so mining companies do not need their own self-driving experts to run it. The push toward autonomous, electric hauling reflects a broader trend in heavy industry, where vehicles run fixed routes around the clock and burn huge amounts of fuel. Replacing diesel trucks with electric, self-driving ones in these settings can save large amounts of money on fuel alone, which is part of why mining and quarry operators are investing heavily in the technology.

None of this involves home energy equipment, rebates, or upgrades a homeowner could use. It is a look at how electrification and automation are playing out in heavy industry, far from anything you would install in your house.