By the end of 2016, those living in Singapore will be cruising around on “Group Rapid Transit” driverless pods. Created by 2getthere, the vehicles run on electricity and can travel autonomously on smaller roads, such as those within a gated community or school campus.
Singaporean transportation operator SMRT and 2getthere announced that they will build 24-passenger cars expected to be running by the end of the year. The two companies have created a joint venture called 2getthere Asia, which will operate and maintain the vehicles in the city.
2getthere also built a similar system in Rotterdam’s Rivium Business Park, which has six running vehicles with the ability to carry 20 passengers each. Approximately 2,500 people use the pods a day in the park. SMRT is the second-largest public transportation company in Signapore, operating a number of the country’s bus and subway train networks.
The driverless pods will have a low-cost transit system that is capable of carrying up to 8,000 passengers per hour going in a single direction. Similar to the ones that run in Abu Dhabi’s cleantech business park, Masdar City, the pods run on Lithium batteries and can return to the base to charge themselves.
“The first step is the feasibility study, the next step is the trial, which is the proof of the pudding, and then, the full implementation,” Carel van Helsdingen, 2getthere’s chairman and founder said.
With the recent buzz surrounding autonomous vehicles of the future, we can say this: they’re finally here.
Source: Mashable
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