Volvo Self-Driving Buses Set for Singapore
Volvo AB is ready to start trialing full-size driverless buses in Singapore, helping the city state take a step forward in the race to deploy autonomous public transport.
The electric buses, with a capacity close to 80 passengers, soon will begin driving at the campus of Nanyang Technological University before trials are extended to public roads, the Swedish company and its partners said March 5.
Singapore has said it aims to operate scheduled services using autonomous buses during the off-peak periods in three residential areas away from the city center by 2022. The country has built a mini town for the testing of driverless vehicles, complete with intersections, traffic lights, bus stops and pedestrian crossings.
Volvo’s first full-size electric autonomous bus, unveiled in Singapore on March 5, “represents a key milestone for the industry,” Volvo Buses President Hakan Agnevall said in a statement. “The journey towards full autonomy is undoubtedly a complex one.”
