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Indeed, state governments seem very keen to embrace trials of automated vehicles and these trials are taking place in just about every state and territory in 2017. Still we are a long way off having a regulatory framework in place that will allow for the safe operation of driverless buses on our roads. Euro 7 won’t exist; we are likely to skip straight to electric zero emissions technology in the years ahead. I was more than a little surprised to see that French driverless vehicle company Navya will establish an Asia-Pacific manufacturing facility in Adelaide after reaching an agreement with the South Australian Government. Navya says it is attracted by South Australia’s carbon-neutral and renewable energy focus. The French firm currently has manufacturing operations in Lyon, France and Detroit, Michigan.…
A call for tenders to supply at least six hydrogen cell buses for the Adelaide Metro fleet along with supporting production and refuelling infrastructure has been put out by the South Australian Government. The plan is party of a broader ‘Hydrogen Roadmap’ which has been designed to accelerate investment in hydrogen infrastructure and technologies in the state. “Within two years, commuters in Adelaide will be able to ride on the first of a fleet of hydrogen-powered buses using locally produced fuel,” mineral resources and energy minister Tom Koutsantonis says. “Within three years, South Australia will have the capacity to export its first hydrogen supplies produced using our renewable energy assets. Within a decade, South Australian motorists should be able to drive from Ceduna to Mt Gambier in a hydrogen-fuelled vehicle…
Signage has been upgraded and almost 30 digital displays will be installed at O-Bahn bus stops in preparation for the opening of the $160 million O-Bahn tunnel in Adelaide. Digital bus stops displaying real-time arrivals will be installed at 27 locations on Grenfell and Currie streets, along with signs providing more detailed information about public transport routes and popular destinations such as Adelaide Central Market. Bus stop locations, parking and loading zones in Grenfell and Currie streets are to be enhanced to make it easier for bus passengers to access services while also improving the flow of traffic for other road users. Metrocard validators are also being installed at the middle and rear doors of O-Bahn buses for quicker boarding on Adelaide’s most popular public transport network. The $2.5 million…
The manufacturing deal follows talks between Premier Jay Weatherill and Navya CEO Christophe Sapet in Paris. Navya says it is attracted by South Australia’s carbon-neutral and renewable energy focus. The French firm currently has manufacturing operations in Lyon, France and Detroit, Michigan. A plant in Adelaide will secure operations in Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific. Navya’s ARMA shuttles are electric, 100 per cent driverless and can carry up to 15 people. South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill endorsed the driverless vehicle company for its plans to create a manufacturing base in the state. “Establishing a driverless car vehicle operation here in South Australia is the perfect bridge connecting our past in traditional vehicle manufacturing and our future in advanced manufacturing in a clean, carbon-neutral environment,” he says. “South Australia is already…
Optare has marked its recent rebirth in the Australasian market with the announcement of a major order for more than 100 buses to service the Greater Wellington region in New Zealand. The huge deal was announced by Australasian Optare distributor Bus Corp Oceania recently. The order of 114 Optare Metrocity buses, worth more than $36 million (NZ$40 million), is from New Zealand bus operator Tranzit Coaches. There will be buses deployed throughout the Greater Wellington region from the CBD all the way up to Palmerston North. The first of the Optare Metrocity buses is due to be delivered and on the roads in New Zealand in March 2018, with the entire 114 bus order set to be fulfilled by June 2018. The deal is Optare’s biggest ever single export order.…
Ohmio Automotion will start manufacturing self-driving vehicles in New Zealand, it has been announced recently. The company showcased three shuttle buses that feature self-driving vehicle technology developed by HMI Technologies in New Zealand recently. Fully operational prototypes of the electric Ohmio Hop shuttles carried passengers including school children as they performed on a circuit around the Christchurch Art Gallery. Ohmio claims to be one of the first companies whose shuttles can form a connected convoy, which can move efficiently and safely together in formation. Ohmio vehicles include self-mapping artificial intelligence. Once they have completed their route once, they are able to self-drive the route over and over. The importance of this is that the vehicles can be quickly deployed and relocated as required. All models will be built around technology…
