MOOVE and Sensible 4 come together to create the world’s first self-driving bus, the PeopleMover. The companies hope to bring a new self-driving serial-produced shuttle bus to market in 2023.
Trials commence
Finnish Self-driving technology company Sensible 4 will automate the PeopleMover, a customisable self-driving bus that can carry up to 19 passengers. Trials with the vehicle will take place in February 2022 in Aachen, Germany.
“We are excited about this partnership, bringing highly automated Level 4 driving to our Mover platform and serving customers with specific automatic and autonomous solutions,” said Stefan Miltenyi, CEO, MOOVE.
The Mover platform concentrates on the safety of the passenger or goods and that of vulnerable road users. Automated and fully autonomous electric commercial vehicles will be the optimum choice in nearly every aspect of energy use, running costs, and traffic efficiency, according to a statement from MOOVE.
Harsh weather testing
Sensible 4 autonomous driving software is world-leading in self-driving under demanding weather conditions and enables autonomous driving in weather conditions like rain and snowfall which is crucial in Europe. The self-driving software is specially developed for shuttle busses and last-mile operation, making it a perfect match for PeopleMover. The software has been tested in harsh weather conditions including in Norway, Finland and Switzerland.
“We are thrilled to announce our collaboration with MOOVE. With their strong German manufacturer knowledge combined with our technology, we are challenging the traditional automotive companies bringing new competitive solutions to the market,” said Harri Santamala, CEO, Sensible 4.
The companies aim to bring the all-weather SAE Level 4 autonomous shuttle bus to the European market in 2023. The self-driving bus will not require a safety driver on board.
In the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai recently gave the green light to test self-driving vehicles in Dubai.
