An autonomous vehicle for performing an animal-related operation, in particular cleaning a floor in an animal shed containing animals, such as cows, comprises a drive system having at least an electrical drive motor for driving the vehicle. An electronic control system is connected to the drive system. The drive system and the control system are connected to a battery system for storing electrical energy. The vehicle comprises a housing having an interior space, in which the electronic control system and/or the battery system are at least partly arranged. The housing comprises an access opening for making the interior space accessible, for example for maintenance work. A cover is displaceable between a closed position, in which the access opening is closed by the cover, and an open position, in which the interior space is accessible via the access opening. In the closed position, the cover is releasably retained by a retaining device. If the cover is released by the retaining device and is moved from the closed position in the direction of the open position, a locking device locks the cover in a partly open position close to the closed position. While the cover is partly open, this locking device is operable so as to reach an unlocked position in order to make it possible for the cover to be movable from the partly open position to the open position.
