The world’s first long-term autonomous driving service north of the Arctic Circle has begun in Norway, a group of Nordic companies and agencies announced June 27.
The project will support residents in Bodø, Norway, by providing a crucial public transport link to the local hospital. Bodø’s subpolar climate creates challenging weather that changes dramatically throughout the year.
“We are witnessing a historic day: Bodø is officially operating the northernmost autonomous shuttle bus route in the world,” Rune Eiterjord, Smarter Transport Bodø project manager, said in a statement. “Such a project brings with it tremendous challenges, not least because of the weather. Bodø is known for experiencing four seasons in one day; it’s really exciting to see how the technology behind the autonomous shuttles will work in such a challenging climate. If the autonomous shuttles can operate in Bodø, they will work anywhere in the world.”
The pilot will see two Toyota Proace vehicles—the Japanese automaker’s first battery-electric van— equipped with Finnish tech company Sensible 4’s autonomous driving software operate along a 3.6-kilometer route from the local harbor to the hospital. Bodø’s annual mix of rain, wind, snow, daylight hours and varying temperatures will provide a major test for Sensible 4’s software.
“This project goes right to our core at Sensible 4,” Harri Santamala, CEO of Sensible 4, said in a statement. “Operating in Bodø provides us with the opportunity to demonstrate how our technology performs in seriously bad weather that is often highly unpredictable. Moreover, we’re delighted to be able to provide a key service that creates an important public transport link for the local community in Bodø, where driver shortage remains a key challenge that the city is trying to overcome through their adoption of autonomous mobility technology.”
Operating on public roads, the autonomous vehicles will travel at speeds of up to 30 kilometers per hour along a route with eight bus stops. The vehicles will operate autonomously, but in keeping with Norwegian law, there will be a safety driver on board to take over operations if necessary.
“This project is an important step forward for autonomous public transport,” Linn Terese Lohne Marken, CEO of Norwegian autonomous transport company Mobility Forus, said in a statement. “We are providing inhabitants with a sought after public transport service through advanced technology, as well as working closely with the authorities to standardize legislation and in doing so preparing Norway for the mobility solutions that are coming.”
The initial duration of the autonomous public transport service is from June to the New Year to catch the worst of the Nordic winter season.
“The Smarter Transport Bodø project may well be talked about because of the advanced technology we’re deploying around the city. However, this service is about putting the local residents first, by providing a crucial transport link to the local hospital,” Eiterjord said in a statement. “We see that the potential for autonomous vehicles to not only move people but also move goods and freight for longer distances, providing a key service for the business community. Although this is forward-looking, we believe that there will be exponential growth in the autonomous mobility technology and the vehicles that are currently being developed. The mobility solutions of the future are closer than you would think. This is just the start of a new smart city and more sustainable mobility north of the Arctic Circle.”
