From June 15 onwards, during the Volvo Ocean Race in Gothenburg, Sweden, the Volvo Group demonstrated its first fully automated driving bus to special guests. This groundbreaking solution is a pure electric city that Volvo Buses has mass produced. Based on the bus, an automated operating system was introduced. During the regatta, the Volvo Group demonstrated how to improve the safety and comfort of the bus through autonomous driving technology and achieve more efficient stoppage of the platform.
Håkan Agnevall, President of Volvo Buses, stated: 'The low noise and zero emissions of electric buses is an attractive sustainable public transportation solution. Thanks to the existing automation technology of the Volvo Group, we can improve vehicle safety. Comfort and efficiency go further, and with the Volvo Ocean Race this event highlights these opportunities for future transportation innovation.
This 12-meter-long automatic driving bus can provide passengers with a safer and more comfortable travel experience. When starting and stopping, the acceleration and braking of the vehicle is very smooth and gentle; at the time of stopping, the bus can always stop at the exact same position. And keep the same distance from the platform so that passengers can get off from the car. In addition, the bus is also equipped with a variety of sensors to continuously monitor the surrounding environment of the vehicle. The information collected by the sensors helps the vehicle to achieve accurate navigation and can be identified in the future. The object of the vehicle is to adjust the speed or stop accordingly to avoid accidents. In addition to smooth operation and high efficiency, this purely electric self-driving bus is also environmentally friendly, saving energy and other advantages.
'When the bus is not performing tasks, the automatic driving technology can also achieve more efficient vehicle management. For example, the platform staff can concentrate on vehicle maintenance and maintenance, instead of spending time charging the battery, driving the vehicle to the car wash. And parking. And in the future, all of this work will also be done automatically by the bus.' Håkan Agnevall explained.
This self-driving bus will also be used for the research and testing of buses traveling in a row, that is, multiple buses will be connected end to end, in a parade on the city road.
'Volvo Buses is a bus-based high-volume transport system, the pioneer of the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRT). Now we have taken a new step by automating the wireless interconnection of buses and buses and ensuring the height The flexibility. 'Håkan Agnevall further said: 'In the future of urban public transport, this electrified automatic driving bus system provides an attractive alternative to current rail solutions.'
In the next two years, this self-driving bus will also be used for two traffic research projects - the Fomi-sponsored Autonomous City Buses project and the KRABAT project. FFI is the transport industry partnering with the Swedish government. The Strategic Vehicle Research and Innovation Programme for Strategic Vehicles; KRABAT is known as 'Next Generation Travel and Transportation' and is part of the Swedish government's joint plan. The Swedish Ministry of Innovation (Vinnova) relies on the Drive Sweden project. And give partial funding.
Earlier this year, Volvo Buses and Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU) launched a joint research on a purely electric self-driving bus. Previously, the Volvo Group also demonstrated self-driving trucks for mining and garbage removal.
The first demonstration of the purely electric self-driving bus is also part of Sweden's 'ElectriCity' project. The project was initiated jointly by research institutes, the transport industry and the city of Gothenburg to develop, measure and evaluate A new generation of solutions for sustainable urban transport.