Hutchison Ports Port of Felixstowe has confirmed an order for a third batch of autonomous trucks from Shanghai Westwell Technology, bringing its total autonomous truck fleet to 100 vehicles and consolidating its position as the leading European port for autonomous vehicle deployment at scale in a live terminal environment.
The latest order builds on the successful integration of autonomous trucks into mixed-traffic container terminal operations at Felixstowe, the first deployment of its kind in Europe.
The new vehicles incorporate enhanced sensor and perception technology including 128-line LiDAR and advanced camera systems, providing a more detailed understanding of the operating environment to support safe and reliable operation alongside conventional equipment.
The investment also includes a second automated battery swapping station, complementing the existing facility that enables autonomous trucks to exchange depleted batteries for fully charged units in five to six minutes, maximising fleet availability and minimising operational disruption.
Supporting the entire autonomous fleet is the port’s private 5G network, one of the largest industrial private 5G deployments in the United Kingdom, providing fast and reliable real-time connectivity between vehicles, control systems and terminal infrastructure.
The autonomous trucks are fully electric, consistent with the port’s use of electricity certified from renewable sources since April 2023.
The expanded fleet supports Felixstowe’s target of achieving net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2035.
Clemence Cheng, Executive Director of Hutchison Ports and CEO of Port of Felixstowe, described the expansion to 100 vehicles as a demonstration of confidence in both the technology and the operational benefits it is delivering for customers, colleagues and port operations.
Kenny Tan, Founder and Chairman of Westwell, highlighted the milestone as confirmation of Felixstowe’s standing as Europe’s leading port for autonomous vehicle deployment at scale, and expressed commitment to continuing the partnership in support of safer, smarter and more sustainable port operations.
