All-weather autonomous electric shuttle
Ryohin Keikaku of Japan designed a mini electric bus called the Gacha Shuttle Bus. It is said to ride through any weather and autonomously so and shall go into operation for the first time in Finland in 2020.
Ryohin Keikaku was responsible to supply the design for the autonomous shuttle bus. Finnish company Sensible 4 is responsible for the self-driving technology and receives support from three Finnish cities, namely Espoo, Vantaa, Hämeenlinna.
The makers says the Gacha Shuttle Bus is the first autonomous bus designed for all weather conditions. Especially heavy rain and snow can “blind” sensors needed for self-driving vehicles. Therefore, Sensible 4 has focused on technology tests and validation under arctic Lapland conditions.
The electric bus runs at speeds of up to 40 kph and accommodates ten people seated and another six standing.
Finland aims for rolling out the electric mini bus as a form of public transportation in 2020. The Gacha will debut in Helsinki next spring. After the unveiling, the Gacha shuttle bus will start its final phase of testing, operating a passenger service in said three Finnish cities.
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