N Still, the streetcars’ transporters are a source of surprise: electric vans that are used by the postal service in large numbers while large automakers are still in the test stage. The co-founder of Streetscooter GmbH, the Aachen Professor Günther Schuh, has now become the automotive supplier ZF Friedrichshafen taken to the partner. Together, they have set themselves another future project: an autonomous electric mini-bus, which they call “people mover” or “cargo movers” depending on their use.
“We will have a first test fleet in 2018,” says Torsten Gollewski, Managing Director of ZF Ventures GmbH, about which the automotive supplier is involved in promising technology fields. One year later, the shuttle should go into production, if possible already with street legal approval, as they say.
A first prototype was presented this Thursday on the campus of the RWTH Aachen. The joint venture Ego-Moove is headquartered in Aachen. Engineers, manufacturing and sales experts are already at work to enable a speedy market entry, reports Günther Schuh. The rapid pace is possible because “our start-up momentum coincides with ZF’s industrialization expertise and market access.”
For some potential users, the pace may be a bit too high. Gollewski speaks of a “trust hurdle”. Therefore, one would probably initially operate the autonomous vehicles with a “security driver” who could intervene in an emergency.
The robot shuttles could be used in delivery traffic, but also as a small bus that, for example, adapts flexibly to its route, depending on who wants to go where. “Autonomous, networked and thus highly flexible e-shuttle vehicles will play a significant role in urban centers,” says Stefan Sommer, CEO of ZF Friedrichshafen AG. The auto parts supplier, recently perceived exclusively as a gear manufacturer, provides essential system components for the new autonomous vehicle – from the drivetrain and chassis to safety equipment, as well as the adaptive control box for autonomous driving developed in collaboration with chip specialist Nvidia.