An autonomous vehicle for performing an animal-related operation, inparticularcleaning a floor in an animal shed containing animals, such as cows, comprisesa drivesystem having at least an electrical drive motor for driving the vehicle. Anelectroniccontrol system is connected to the drive system. The drive system and thecontrolsystem are connected to a battery system for storing electrical energy. Thevehiclecomprises a housing having an interior space, in which the electronic controlsystemand/or the battery system are at least partly arranged. The housing comprisesanaccess opening for making the interior space accessible, for example formaintenancework. A cover is displaceable between a closed position, in which the accessopening isclosed by the cover, and an open position, in which the interior space isaccessible viathe access opening. In the closed position, the cover is releasably retainedby aretaining device. If the cover is released by the retaining device and ismoved from theclosed position in the direction of the open position, a locking device locksthe cover in apartly open position close to the closed position. While the cover is partlyopen, thislocking device is operable so as to reach an unlocked position in order tomake itpossible for the cover to be movable from the partly open position to the openposition.
