Electric Self-Driving Buses Are Picking up Commuters as We Speak!
EZ10, a two little box-shaped battery-electric self-driving buses are in service, hauling passengers on the streets of Helsinki‘s Hernesaari district.
Without a steering wheel or gas and brake pedals, the “EZ10″ buses navigate the streets while contending with motorists and pedestrians. France-based EasyMile, the EZ 10 bus is a joint venture between two other French companies — automaker Ligier and robotics firm Robosoft.
The vehicles don’t require special infrastructure to operate, as they use a mix of sensors to detect obstacles and navigate along virtual routes and negotiate hazards.
Apparently the Ministry of Transportation and Communication was impressed and gave the green light to see how the buses fared outside of a controlled environment.
Finland has no laws that require a driver behind the steering wheel, so it made an ideal venue to trial the EZ10. Carrying up to 10 passengers, the vehicles travel their routes at a leisurely six miles-per hour.
While the EZ10’s may seem like what we’d call a “magic bus” today, future generations may look back and wonder how we ever got around relying on human drivers.
Last month, Japanese mobile internet company DeNA Co. announced it would start to use the EZ10 at a large park Chiba prefecture, near Tokyo. – Article published on hybridcars.com
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