French all-electric and autonomous vehicle platform maker NAVYA has unveiled today its latest vehicle, the Autonom Cab, a driverless van geared to power an autonomous taxi service.
We previously reported on NAVYA when they started deploying their all-electric and autonomous shuttles.
I even ended up riding in one in Las Vegas earlier this year. It’s a very underwhelming experience because it’s driving at low-speed on a planned route, but that’s what a shuttle does.
It’s a much easier mode of transportation to make autonomous and that’s likely why NAVYA started with that.
Now they want to venture into the more complicated automation of city driving with all-electric and autonomous taxis.
Their first entry in the space is the Autonom Cab driverless van unveiled today:
NAVYA understands the benefit of an all-electric powertrain, which is why all their autonomous vehicle platforms are battery-powered.
In the case of the Autonom Cab, the company says that they will be producing it with 22 kWh and 33 kWh battery pack options.
They didn’t disclose an actual expected range with those battery packs and instead, they are looking at it from a time in operation basis since they want to use it mainly for city driving. They expect about 10 hours of driving on a charge.
The Autonom Cab is limited to a top speed of up to 55 mph (90 km/h) and they expect that the average speed will be closer to 30 mph (50 km/h) as it travels in urban areas to conform with local speed limits and traffic.
It can fit up to 6 passengers inside with two rows of 3 passengers.
As for the autonomous aspect, this thing is covered with sensors. Anything from cameras to lidar sensors, it’s on NAVYA’s new Autonom Cab:
We are talking about 10 Lidar sensors, 6 cameras, 4 radars, 2 GNSS antennae and 1 inertial measurement unit (IMU).
NAVYA CEO Christophe Sapet commented on his vision for the vehicle:
“Imagine what cities would be like if there were nothing but AUTONOMS running on the road. No more traffic jams or parking problems, fewer accidents and less pollution. At NAVYA, we recognize that the status of individual cars is rapidly changing, especially among younger generations, many of whom don’t have their driver’s license and are less attached to the concept of owning a car. What they want are mobility solutions available 24/7, ensuring their safety and well-being at a reduced cost. AUTONOM CAB is leading edge and will revolutionize both habits and technology, enabling a great many people to gain access to a brand-new mobility solution.”
They are opening orders for private or shared public fleet of the new vehicle, which they plan to start producing in volume during the second quarter of 2018.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments