Starting on January 18, two self-driving minibuses will start test driving in Gothenburg. The test, which runs until the end of May, is the first of its kind in Gothenburg. The buses are free to travel with and the journeys can be found in the apps Västtrafik To Go and Parkering Göteborg.
The project called S3, Shared Shuttle Services, is part of the government’s collaboration program “Next generation travel and transport”. The test that is now starting is the third phase of the project. The previous phases were carried out at Chalmers Campus in Johanneberg and at Lindholmen Science Park in Gothenburg. This third part of the project will also take place at Lindholmen. The route starts at the car park Hugo Hammars Kaj and continues to the end station Regnbågsgatan, which is a hub for public transport.
Increases knowledge about self-driving vehicles
What is new in this third phase is that it is now possible to see the departures in Västtrafik’s app To Go and in the app Parking Gothenburg. The electric buses will run during the day on weekdays and the trips are free of charge.
– The self-driving buses give us the opportunity to follow the development of innovations and learn how they can benefit our customers. The new line 56 means that our travelers in the area get closer to their workplaces and homes, which makes our traffic even more attractive, says Lars Backström, CEO of Västtrafik.
– The development of self-driving public transport can be an important key to creating both sustainable districts and a vibrant countryside. Actual experiments such as these contribute to both knowledge and market development, says Birger Löfgren, focus area leader for Servitisation at RISE, the institute that leads the project.
– Self-driving vehicles as a complement to the ordinary public transport is a step towards future travel. For Keolis, it is strategically valuable to be part of this development, says Keolis CEO Jan Kilström.
FACTS ABOUT THE BUSES
• Two minibuses drive from Hugo Hammars Kaj, Anders Carlsson’s street, Regnbågsgatan and back between 07-18 on weekdays.
• The vehicle model is called Arma and is built by the French company Navya.
• 11 seated passengers, including safety drivers. Due to corona, however, the number of travelers is temporarily limited.
• A minibus weighs 2400 kg, is 4.75 m long, 2.65 m high and is 2.11 m wide
• Maximum speed is 20 km / h.
• The buses are electrically powered, and the range is about 100 km or 8 hours’ drive.
MORE ABOUT PARKING COSTS
The price for a parking permit at Hugo Hammars Kaj is reduced to SEK 500 per month during the test period, compared with SEK 1000 for the rest of the Lindholmen area. The fee for visitor parking is also reduced: SEK 9 / hour every day 08-22, other times SEK 2 / hour. The aim is to get more people to choose remote car parks and try out a combined journey.
FACTS ABOUT S3:
The S3 project, Shared Shuttle Services, aims to test how innovated, shared transport solutions can contribute to sustainable urban development. It is partly financed by Vinnova through Drive Sweden. Partners of the project are RISE, Keolis, Chalmers, Göteborgs Stads Parkering AB, Ericsson, Västtrafik, Johanneberg Science Park and Härryda Municipality. Read more: https://s3project.se/
For more information, please contact:
Västtrafiks press service
0771-41 43 99
RISE:
Anne Faxér, project manager
070-017 21 11
Birger Löfgren, RISE focus area leader for servitisation
073-685 10 10
