Peter Fox lays down vision and path from present reality
Linfox executive chairman Peter Fox has detailed his company’s desire to embrace electric propulsion and autonomous technologies while acknowledging intervening difficulties.
The direction is made plain in the company’s online Solutions Asia Pacific publication headlined ‘Transport of tomorrow’ and follows Fox’s enthusiasm at Fuso’s electric truck presentation at the recent Tokyo Motor Show.
“Electric technologies are becoming commonplace in passenger cars, and as advances occur in battery technologies we will see a much greater take up of electric vehicles in commercial applications,” he writes.
“We believe the current battery technology will restrict the use of electric heavy vehicles to urban distribution and short haul trips.
“However, over time we will see an exponential increase in electric vehicle usage.”
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Fox links the move to the company’s long-standing GreenFox emissions-reduction program which he states has halved in the Asia Pacific region since inception.
“Electric vehicles will allow us to go much further, with the environmental benefits growing as the electricity used to charge is increasingly produced by renewable resources, Fox says.
“The advance in electric vehicles, microprocessors and image recognition technology will further enable the use of autonomous vehicles.
“While further off than electric vehicles, autonomous technology is advancing rapidly and it is clear that it works.
“We will see the benefits in efficiency and safety from the progress being made in autonomous technologies.”
On autonomous vehicles, though advances are coming in leaps and bounds, the company accepts the time for it on the open road is yet to arrive, so it is focusing elsewhere.
“The advance in electric vehicles, microprocessors and image recognition technology will further enable the use of autonomous vehicles,” Fox says.
“While further off than electric vehicles, autonomous technology is advancing rapidly and it is clear that it works. We will see the benefits in efficiency and safety from the progress being made in autonomous technologies.
“For all this promise, autonomous vehicles will be restrained by delays in the regulatory environment as well as infrastructure investment.
“For Linfox, these restrictions do not exist in our warehousing facilities, so in the interim autonomous machines will play a much greater role.
“By leading our industry, we will play an increasing role in the introduction of electric and autonomous technologies. For our customers, new technology will create both challenges and opportunities.
“However in the end, users will ultimately be delivered efficiencies and a competitive advantage.”