(^12) ABCMay 2018busnews.com.au
SELF-DRIVING BUS IN
‘REAL TRAFFIC’ PREMIERE
THE FIRST SELF-DRIVING BUS
in ‘real traffic’ is now rolling in
Gothenburg, Sweden, with the
inaugural journey taking place
today at the Chalmers University
of Technology campus in
Johanneberg, it’s claimed.
The beginning phase of this
initiative has now begun and
the autonomous shuttle bus is
available to the public, moving
people between the main
entrance of Chalmers University
of Technology, Johanneberg
Science Park, and the Chalmers
Library, organisers state.
“We intend to demonstrate
that self-driving vehicles are
both safe and comfortable,”
says Anne Rosa Simonsen, the
communications manager
at Autonomous Mobility, the
company responsible for the
shuttle operation. “Getting
started in real traffic is like a
lunar landing for us!”
The project is the second of its
kind in Scandinavia.
Behind this venture is a
partnership between 15
organisations and companies
related to mobility, urban
planning and transport.
Birger Löfgren at the
research institute RISE Viktoria
leads the work.
“These small, self-driving
buses are a completely new
type of vehicle – which creates
opportunities we did not think
previously existed,” he says.
“They can help us understand
how cities of the future can
develop, with reducing private
car ownership and creating
more efficient transportation,
especially where people are
sharing rides.”
After the four-week trial
in the Chalmers area, the
project moves in autumn to
Lindholmen Science Park, the
growing innovation cluster in
Gothenburg, where a large part
of Sweden’s vehicle technology
development is taking place.
There, the project continues for a
six-month period.
The buses are electric, create less
noise than conventional diesel or
gas buses, and are local emission
free. This opens up possibilities for
new types of city development
and, when used in this manner,
reduces the need for parking in
dense areas, the company states.
The Navya Arma model
currently operates in France,
USA, Switzerland, and Australia.
Above:
The bus-project
in Gothenburg
is a part of
the Swedish
Government’s
innovation
partnership
programme
called ‘The Next
Generation’s Travel
and Transport’.
FAST FACTS
Model: Arma
Manufacturer: Navya
Maximum velocity in Gothenburg: 20km/h
Route: The bus runs between Chalmers University of Technology’s main entrance,
Johanneberg Science Park and the Chalmers Library.
Time: Weekdays between 8 am – 4 pm, during the period May 3rd – June 1st.
Number of passengers: The bus carries 11 seated passengers, including an on-board
representative of the operating company, who is there to answer questions and
manage technical situations during the project.
Weight: 2400kg.
Size: Length - 475cm, Height - 265cm, Width - 211cm
Capacity on one change: 100km (or 8 hours’ operation)
NEWS
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(C. Jardin)
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