Driverless minibus
Off-peak, self-driving minibuses could replace large chauffeur-driven buses.
(Photo: dpa)
The automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler wants to develop and build a driverless minibus for local public transport together with the Dutch car and bus manufacturer VDL. The electric minibus with up to nine seats should come onto the market in 2025, as the two companies announced on Thursday.
Talks are already underway with local transport and operator companies for the first pilot projects in public road traffic. Schaeffler and VDL want to present a concept vehicle at the IAA in Munich from Monday.
Off-peak, self-driving minibuses could replace large chauffeur-driven buses. Traffic experts expect growing demand for it in many major cities in Europe, North America and Asia.
Schaeffler CEO Klaus Rosenfeld said they could “make mobility more accessible to people in both cities and rural areas.” The Israeli Intel subsidiary Mobileye is to supply the autonomous driving system for the Schaeffler VDL minibus with cameras, lidar or radar sensors.
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